Chapter 26: Until You: Chapter 26

My mind is on Aria as I walk into the kitchen to make breakfast. The way she fits into my arms… I shouldn’t think of her the way I do, but fuck. I want a taste. I want her lips on mine and my body on top of hers. I want to hear her whisper my name. Everything I tell her I want to do over text… I want it all.

“Morning, Gray,” Aria says, sounding tired. I tense when she walks into the kitchen, carrying with her the smell of my soap. Fucking hell. The thought of her in my shower, her body wet and slippery.

“Morning,” I say, trying my hardest to hide how hard I suddenly am. She looks beautiful today, and I force myself to look away, when all I want to do is drink her in.

She pours herself a cup of tea, and I struggle to keep my eyes off her. She’s truly stunning in that red dress, and the way it clings to her body is straight up sinful.

“Where are you going?” I ask, a tinge of jealousy settling in my chest. She looks gorgeous, and I’m instantly worried she’s going on a date. It’s been a few months, and she’s bound to move on at some point. Besides, I see the way men around her look at her, the way Riley keeps asking her out. She might not be as clueless about it as I thought she was.

Aria leans back against the kitchen counter and shakes her head. “I don’t know,” she says, her voice soft. When she looks up at me, there’s vulnerability in her eyes. “I couldn’t sleep last night, but I don’t want to let that ruin my weekend. I might go for a walk or something. I haven’t really explored Cali yet, and I want to. Do you have plans for today?”

My first instinct is to say that I do. Having her around has been driving me crazy. It’s in the little things she does and says. It’s in how wickedly smart she is, the way she smiles, those lips of hers. The way she cares about me and the vulnerability she won’t show anyone but me. I thought I knew what to expect when I offered her a place to stay, but I was wrong. So wrong.

She smiles at me, and I know I’m lost. “No, I don’t have plans,” I tell her, regretting it instantly. The last thing I need is to spend more time with her, but I can’t stay away. Not when she looks at me that way. “How about I show you around?”

The way her eyes widen in delight has my heart racing. “Really?” she asks, and I know there’s no going back. I nod, and she straightens, her fatigue replaced by excitement. “I made a list of things I want to see,” she says, reaching into the top of her dress. My eyes widen when she pulls her phone out. What the fuck? Aria’s cheeks redden when she catches me staring, and it only makes her look more beautiful.

“Oh, um… I have this bad habit of putting my phone in my bra when I don’t have pockets,” she explains, and I nod absentmindedly, trying my hardest to tear my gaze away from her breasts.

I clear my throat awkwardly. “Ah, if you’ve got a list then I’ll be of no use.”

She chuckles and walks up to me, her hand reaching for mine. “No way. I need you to accompany me. I want to see this city through your eyes. You’re from here, after all. We’ve both been so busy lately, and I just want to finally take some time to relax.”

She looks far happier than she did when she first got here. It’s only been a couple of months, but she no longer looks like her heart is irreparably broken. I see the change in her smile, in her attitude. When she first got here, she spent all of her weekends in her bedroom, reading and watching TV, but now she actually wants to go out.

I entwine our fingers and raise my hand to her face, brushing aside her hair. Does she have any idea how beautiful she is? Somehow, I don’t think she does.

“Okay, fine,” I tell her. “Let me get changed.”

Aria frowns, her eyes running over my body. “Why? You look hot like this.”

I tense, surprised, and glance down at my outfit. I’m wearing an old white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. She thinks that’s hot?

She smiles. “You’re usually in suits, but this T-shirt really showcases your muscles. You look great,” she says, her fingertips grazing over my bicep.

I smile tightly and nod, taking a step away from her. “Can’t go out in sweats, Ari,” I tell her, walking away, my heart beating far louder than it should.

I get changed in record speed, but I keep the same T-shirt on. I shouldn’t, and I know it. I shouldn’t want to wear something she likes, but fuck it. No harm, right?

Aria smiles at me when I walk up to her, and I notice she’s got a handbag now. I raise my brows and look at her, but I know I shouldn’t be asking the question that’s on my mind.

She laughs when she catches me looking at her breasts, and she shakes her head. “It’s in my bag now. I promise I won’t embarrass you by fondling myself in public.”

I smirk at her and tip my head toward the door. “Yeah, I’d rather you kept that a private show.”

Her cheeks redden as she walks past me, and I bite back a smile. I’m enjoying teasing her, and I shouldn’t. I’m crossing the line, and I know it.

“Okay, tell me where we’re going first,” I say as I step into the car.

Aria smiles at me sheepishly, looking far too adorable. “The Tech,” she tells me.

I freeze, my hands on my steering wheel. “That’s a kids museum, Ari.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not! It’ll be fun, I promise. They have some cool stuff we can do there. Did you know they have a bird simulator type of thing? We can go experience what it’s like to fly, Gray!”

I glance at her, amused. “Ari, there’s an indoor skydiving experience right next to the office, and you want to go put on a 3D mask and pretend to fly instead?”

She looks at me open-mouthed. “Shut up!”

I shake my head. “How about I take you there?”

She places her hand on my thigh and nods. “Oh my god, .”

Her excitement brings a smile to my face. Scratch that. Aria brings a smile to my face. She always does.

She’s buzzing by the time I park my car and her seatbelt is already unbuckled by the time I reach her door. I grin as I offer her my hand.

I entwine our fingers as I pull her along and into the building. She squeezes my hand tightly, her hand slowly getting clammy.

“I’m nervous, Gray. I don’t know.”

I turn to her and raise my hand to her hair, my eyes on hers. “We don’t have to do this, babe. It’s safe, and I think it’ll be fun, but if you’d rather go to The Tech, we can.”

Aria shakes her head and takes a step closer to me, her palm flat on my chest. I don’t think she quite realizes what all these little touches are doing to me. She’s driving me insane, and she doesn’t even know it.

“No,” she says. “I want to do this. If it’s with you, then I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

I cup her cheek and nod. “I’ll be there, Ari. It’ll be fun.”