“Smile, Alice.” He leaned over and started to tickle me.

“Stop it.” I laughed and pushed him away.

“But I want to see the smile on your face.” He grinned and continued to tickle me under my arms and on my knees.

“Aiden,” I squeaked out. “Stop!” I laughed and tried to push him away.

“I see you’re still as ticklish as you were before.” He grinned as I laughed and I grabbed his hands.

“Aiden,” I breathed out, my face dangerously close to his.

“Yes, Alice?” he said lightly and moved even closer to me.

“Stop,” I said as I fell against him. “Please.”

“You didn’t say that the last time I tickled you,” he said with a devilish look in his eyes. “In fact, you quite liked it then.” He moved towards my ear. I felt his lips next to my earlobe and he blew into it lightly.

“Aiden!” I screamed and jumped off of the couch, my heart racing as memories came flashing back. The last time Aiden had tickled me had been the night we’d spent together. He had been inside of me, not moving, and I’d wondered what was going on. Then he’d moved his lips to my ear and he’d sucked on my earlobe and then I’d felt his tongue and breath in my ear. And I’d giggled because it had tickled me. I’d squirmed underneath him and then he’d started moving inside of me again, all the while continuing to breathe into my ear. It had been the most amazing and surreal experience of my life. Every nerve-ending in my body had been on edge, and when I’d exploded in orgasm every part of my body felt the pleasure. At the time, I’d known it had been a breathtaking experience, but it was only now that I’d been with other men that I knew that it was a one-of-a-kind experience. No man had ever pleasured me as much as Aiden had that night.

“Sorry.” He grinned. “I was just teasing you. I won’t tickle you again.”

“What were you talking about when you said that I didn’t say that the last time you tickled me?” I asked him as I sat back on the couch. I curled my legs up under me and looked at him curiously. Okay, so I was acting. I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about. I mean, that was a moment I’d never forget. However, I wanted him to tell me what he thought about that night. I wanted him to tell me that he still remembered what it was like to be with me.

“You know what moment I’m talking about, Alice.” He stared at my lips and then back up to my eyes. “So is there a reason why you’re asking me?”

“No,” I said and looked down. Busted!

“Shall we start the movie and pause it when the pizza arrives?” he asked, and I was slightly annoyed that he was changing the subject. When was he going to just let us talk about that night and let us discuss everything without changing the subject?

“That’s fine,” I said because I didn’t want to start the night off trying to get all serious with him. I knew that there was some sort of attraction between us, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was and what he really thought about me. Especially now that he was dating Elizabeth Jeffries.

***

The pizza arrived fifteen minutes after we’d started the movie and I was happy for the break. The movie was called Orphan, and it was already creeping me out. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like Aiden and I were in the “let me jump into your lap and bury my face in your shoulder” stage yet, so I just had to sit through it and try to not close my eyes.

“Ready to start the movie again?” he asked me softly and I nodded, my mouth full of pizza. Aiden stood up and turned the lights off and then came back to the couch to press play.

“In the dark?” I mumbled, my mouth full of delicious greasy pizza.

“We can’t watch a scary movie and not be in the dark.” He grinned and pressed play. I stifled a groan and watched as the weird-looking kid with big eyes came back onto the screen. I knew she was evil. There was no way she wasn’t going to be evil. Why couldn’t her new parents see that? My heart thudded as I waited for something to happen. I became so engrossed in the movie that I didn’t even realize that Aiden was shifting closer and closer to me on the couch or that his arm was around my shoulders, or that I was leaning back into him. I didn’t realize until there was a really scary scene and I screamed and I found my head against his chest. His chest felt hard and warm and he smelled so good and musky, like sandalwood and sand on a balmy night by the ocean. I breathed him in and tried not to kiss his chest. I wanted to consume him and his scent.

“You okay?” His voice was amused, and I felt his hands rubbing my back and massaging my shoulders.

“This movie is scary,” I said softly. I wondered if he could feel my heart racing.

“It is a horror movie.” He chuckled close to my ear, and I felt my body growing warm as he shifted on the couch.

“I know it’s a horror movie.” I moved back slightly, but his hands held me to him. “That doesn’t mean I don’t still get scared.”

“Don’t worry, Alice.” His fingers played with my hair. “I’ll take care of you.”

“You think I’m a baby,” I said and looked into his eyes.

“I don’t think you’re a baby,” he said and moved his face closer to mine.

“You don’t?” I said and moved even closer to him.

“No,” he said. “If I did, I wouldn’t be doing this, would I?” And he pressed his lips against mine.