Between the Lies

37| Promised

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Promised

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Chapter 37: Promised (Vanessa's POV)

Aaron shut the door, his back against it while I kissed him, maybe the hardest I ever have. I don't know what's so different tonight, I don't know if it's because I've finally realized that I'm in love with this man or if it's because this might be our last night in Hawaii and this time will never come again. But I'm losing all control. Fast. 

He moved to place a kiss on my jaw, then my neck while his hands slid lower, inching towards the hem of the dress. The moment my breath got caught as his hands began lifting my dress, he froze. He let go slowly and moved away from me. "I'm sorry," he exhaled. "I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have moved so fast." 

"No, Aaron—" I shook my head, almost immediately reaching for him.

"I'm really sorry. I should have asked. Vanessa, if you don't want to—" 

"But I do." 

He watched me for a moment. "I promised you I'd be patient. I promised I'd wait for you." 

"And you did." I grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer again. "I'm the one who brought us back to the room." 

"Nessa..." 

"I want to do this, Aaron. And I trust you with my body and my heart. I trust you." 

"If you think we're moving too fast, you have to tell me." 

"Aaron. I think we're finally giving ourselves permission to do what we've been suppressing for the last five years. I don't think we're moving too fast. I promise," I whispered, resting one hand at the nape of his neck, my thumb softly stroking back and forth. 

He nodded, seeming relieved at much more at ease now. "You want this? You want me?" 

I nodded. "I want you. Bad." 

And suddenly everything between us changed. The air, the energy, the atmosphere. It all flipped. It felt inviting and tempting. It felt sultry and sensual, it almost felt... dangerous. He reached for the light switch beside me. 

"I don't want the lights off," I blurted out. No, I didn't want to do this in the textbook, vanilla way. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see all the things he would do to me. 

He looked at me once and then said, "But I do. I don't just want you to see the things I'm about to do. I want you to feel them." His voice changed too. He sounded worried and hesitant a moment ago. It suddenly seemed like he knew exactly what he wanted. Like he would take it, no matter what, and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. 

Then the darkness took over. Where we stood fell completely black and the light coming from my bedside lamp wasn't enough to light up the space we were in. I felt him step much closer to me and the air around me instantly felt warmer. It made my skin tingle. 

As I stood there with my eyes closed, I was hyper-aware of everything. My breathing, his breathing. My heartbeat, the heat crawling up my neck, the fists my hands had formed. The darkness, not being able to see him- while it made me nervous and anxious to see what he was about to do, to feel it, it also thrilled me like nothing else ever has.