CHAPTER 110: BUSINESS TRIP

Aiden’s POV

I didn’t tell Alexia where we were going. I just drove.

She sat stiffly beside me, watching the city lights blur past, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat. I caught her stealing glances at me, her eyes darting with suspicion. Something about the way her shoulders tensed made me smirk.

But I wasn’t expecting her sudden outburst.

"Where are we going?" she demanded, shifting in her seat. "Aiden, if you—if you’re planning something, you better just—just drop me off right now!"

I arched an eyebrow at her reaction. "Planning something?"

Her breath hitched. "You know... something drastic."

What the hell?

I frowned. "Drastic?"

Alexia nodded frantically, pressing herself against the car door like she was preparing to jump out. "I—I swear I haven’t done anything wrong recently!"

Recently? I almost laughed.

Her panic was entertaining, but also weird. What exactly did she think I was about to do?

I sighed, turning into the private airstrip. The sight of the jet waiting on the runway only made her worse.

"Oh my God," she whispered, eyes wide. "Are you—are you going to kill me?"

I slammed the brakes harder than necessary. "What?!"

Alexia’s head snapped toward me. She was dead serious.

She actually thought I brought her here to murder her.

"For fuck’s sake, Alexia," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t be this elaborate about it."

That didn’t seem to reassure her at all. She still eyed the plane warily.

"Then why are we here?" she asked suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes. "It’s a business trip."

She blinked. "A... business trip?"

"Yeah. You know, work? Meetings? That thing I do that pays for your very expensive shoe collection?"

Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "But—I haven’t packed!"

I smirked. "William packed for you."

Alexia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You let William touch my stuff?!"

I shrugged. "He’s discreet."

"Discreet?! Aiden, that man once judged my entire wardrobe because I didn’t color-code my dresses!"

I chuckled. "Yeah, well, now they probably are."

She groaned dramatically, but I could see the excitement creeping in despite her protests. Her lips twitched like she was trying not to smile.

I got out of the car, and before she could argue more, I walked around to open her door. She hesitated for a second but finally stepped out, her eyes glued to the sleek jet in front of us.

I caught something in her expression—something I hadn’t expected.

She was excited.

Like a little kid seeing a plane up close for the first time.

She tried to hide it, but I saw the way she bit her lip to stop herself from grinning.

I leaned down a little, watching her carefully. "You’re excited, aren’t you?"

Alexia scoffed. "No."

"Liar."

She crossed her arms. "I just think it’s ridiculous that you didn’t tell me about this beforehand."

"Mmm." I tilted my head. "So that’s why your eyes just lit up like a Christmas tree?"

She gasped. "They did not!"

"They did." I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "You’re grinning, Alexia."

She immediately forced her lips into a pout. "I am not."

I shook my head. "Whatever you say."

With that, I grabbed her wrist and led her toward the jet. She pretended to drag her feet, but I knew she was eager.

The moment we stepped inside, Alexia’s entire demeanor changed.

She ran her fingers over the leather seats, poked at the fancy control panels, and—God help me—pressed a random button that called the flight attendant before I could stop her.

I caught her wrist, pulling her down into the seat next to me. "Stop pressing things."

"But they’re there for pressing!"

I exhaled. "You are impossible."

She only grinned, completely unbothered.

As the engines roared to life, I noticed how quickly her expression changed again. The excitement dimmed, replaced by something else.

Fear.

She gripped the armrest as the plane began to roll forward, her nails digging into the leather.

I leaned closer, amused. "Scared of flying?"

She inhaled sharply. "No."

"Another lie."

Alexia swallowed hard. "I just—planes are unnatural. Humans weren’t meant to be this high in the air!"

I smirked. "Relax."

The plane started to lift, and her hand shot out, gripping my arm instead of the seat.

I stilled.

Her fingers tightened, her nails biting into my skin. I turned my head slightly, watching her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing uneven.

And I don’t know what came over me, but I murmured, "I know how to calm you down."

She peeked at me through her lashes. "W-what?"

I leaned in slowly, deliberately, letting my breath fan against her cheek. "Trust me."

Before she could protest, I tilted her chin up and kissed her.

She tensed at first, but then—then she melted.

Her grip on my arm loosened as her fingers slid up to my shoulder instead. I deepened the kiss, feeling her respond, feeling the way her body instinctively leaned into mine.

It wasn’t supposed to go this far.

But I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

I slipped a hand behind her neck, angling her just the way I wanted as I pulled her closer, swallowing the soft sound she made against my lips.

Fuck.

I wasn’t thinking anymore.

I didn’t care that this was dangerous.

I just knew that I needed more.

And from the way Alexia clutched at me, pulling me in as if she was afraid I’d stop—

She needed it too.

Alexia’s lips were soft and warm, parting just enough to let me deepen the kiss.

Fuck.

I hadn’t planned this. Hadn’t expected it. But now that I had her like this—clutching onto me, her breath shaky, her body pressing into mine—I didn’t want to stop.

Her fingers curled into my shirt, like she needed something to hold onto, like she needed me. The thought sent a dark thrill through me.

I slid my tongue against hers, slow and teasing, tasting the sweet hint of whatever lip gloss she had on. Her response was instant—her breath hitched, her grip tightened, and she made this quiet, desperate little sound that sent heat rushing straight to my gut.

I groaned against her lips, my hands moving on their own, sliding down to her waist and pulling her onto my lap.

She gasped as she settled against me, her knees straddling either side of my hips. The movement sent her skirt riding up, exposing more of her thighs. My hands found them instantly, fingers pressing into the soft flesh as I dragged her closer.

"Aiden," she breathed against my lips.

Fuck, the way she said my name.

I dipped my head to her neck, trailing open-mouthed kisses down her throat. She trembled when I nipped at her skin, her fingers threading through my hair.

"You’re still tense," I murmured, my lips brushing against her pulse. "Is the plane still scaring you?"

She didn’t answer, but the way she shifted against me, the way her hips moved just slightly, told me she was feeling something else now.

I smirked against her skin. "I’ll take that as a no."

She shivered when I ran my hands up her back, under her blouse, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms. I wasn’t thinking anymore. I wasn’t considering the consequences.

I just knew that I wanted her.

Alexia’s fingers trembled slightly as she pushed my jacket off my shoulders. I let it drop to the floor, watching the way her eyes darkened as she traced the outline of my chest through my shirt.

I tugged her blouse free from her skirt, my fingers slipping beneath the fabric, gliding up along her stomach. Her breath hitched, and I felt her shudder under my touch.

"Aiden," she whispered again, this time softer, almost unsure.

I froze for a second.

Because fuck.

I wanted her like this—wanted to feel her, to hear her gasps and moans, to see what other sounds I could pull from her lips.

But I also knew the rules we’d set.

No feelings.

And this—this didn’t feel like just sex.

It felt like more.

My grip on her waist tightened as I wrestled with the urge to strip her right here in this damn plane and remind her just how much I wanted her.

But instead, I forced myself to breathe, to slow down.

I pressed a final kiss to her jaw before leaning back, resting my forehead against hers.

Her eyes flickered open, hazy and full of confusion.

I smirked, running my thumb along her bottom lip. "See? I told you I could calm you down."

She blinked, then scowled. "You—you—"

"What?" I murmured, still tracing circles against her skin. "Didn’t work?"

Her glare deepened, but I saw the way her cheeks flushed.

"Asshole," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

I just chuckled, my grip on her tightening as I pulled her even closer.

She might be acting annoyed now, but from the way she was still straddling me, her body flush against mine, I knew she wasn’t fooling anyone.

Not even herself.