Page 127 of Instigator

. . .

Ceci

After a long, exhausting night at the gala, all I want is to take off my heels and my Spanx, sink into a long bubble bath, and crawl into bed. Aidan’s bow tie hangs loose around his neck, his shirt tail untucked, and seeing him disheveled like this makes me want all sorts of things.

Things I’m allowed to want. Because he loves me. And I love him.

Still, I haven’t pushed him. Whenever he’s ready for more, he’ll let me know.

His hand in mine, I lead him to the bedroom. Tonight was work. Sure, we stood side by side for most of the evening. But we were both “on.” We weren’t there to spend time together. We may have accompanied each other, but we were there to do our jobs.

And we did. Spectacularly, if I do say so. It was still exhausting. I’ve seen the way fans fawn all over the hockey players, but it was the first time I’ve seen it up close and personal. People were grabby, overly familiar, and didn’t care if they were stomping all over Aidan’s boundaries. More than once, I had to politely redirect their attention elsewhere—before I punched them in the face.

That would be inappropriate. I would never resort to physical violence. I would simply… persuade them. With my fists.

Okay, so maybe I’m more of a name-calling, hair-pulling, eye-gouging sort. Aidan deserves to have his boundaries respected, and it pissed me the fuck off when they didn’t adhere to basic fucking decency and keep their greasy, grabby hands off him.

“You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?” my boyfriend says as he drops onto the end of the bed, toeing off his dress shoes.

“They were…” I shake my head. “How do you let them do that?”

“It’s part of the job.”

“It really isn’t,” I mutter.

Barefooted, Aidan stands and approaches me, tugging me into his arms. “My fierce little attack kitten.” He buries his face in my hair. “You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

“I will.”

That’s one thing I’m certain about.

He threads his hand through my hair, tugging gently. The pinpricks in my scalp heat my blood and send desire running through my veins.

“Thank you,” he says. “You’ve always had my back. I don’t think I’ve ever said how much I appreciate it.”

“Why don’t you show me instead?”

Turning in the circle of his arms, I give him my back and lift my hair.

He gets the hint, finding the tiny tab of my zipper and dragging it down my spine. The heavy, sequined material cleaves away to reveal my skin—and the bodysuit I’m wearing underneath.

“Let me,” he murmurs, breath hot in my ear.

I drop the gown to the floor, the fabric pooling around my feet, and he unerringly finds the zipper beneath my underarm. The tight compression suit covers me from knees to chest—it’s my armor as much as it’s my security blanket. It’s meant to be functional, not alluring.

Through the mirror on the wall, I can see the gleam in his eyes as more of my skin is bared to him. His teeth sink into his plush lower lip, his bright blues darken with desire, and the rumbly grunts he lets out are music to my ears.

The bodysuit fits like a glove, which means extricating myself from it isn’t always a sultry come-on, but Aidan makes me feel beautiful. Goose bumps erupt across my skin, and he kisses my shoulder, then the back of my neck. Slowly, teasingly, he trails kisses down my spine as he works the spandex over my hips and down my legs.

I face him, my hands moving to his buttons. My fingers fumble as I work the first two free before, with a grunt, I tug, and buttons ping-pong free from the fabric to bounce on the carpet.

“Mine,” I grunt, fusing my mouth to his. My arms circle his waist, tugging his naked torso to mine.

His citrus-and-cedar scent floods my senses, intoxicating as ever. The press of his lips, the scrape of his stubble on my skin, it all winds me higher and higher.

“Pants,” I murmur. “Pants off.”

Aidan chuckles against my mouth. He pulls back, then returns for another quick kiss before finally separating. He makes quick work of his belt, the leather whistling through the loops making my nipples pebble. Without ceremony, he drops his pants and boxer briefs, his cock hard between his legs.