LOGINWithout warning, Aria felt the heat pool between her legs, the dampness sticking to her lips.She shouldn’t pick it. Not while she’s with Tyler and his family.But her mind betrayed her, flashing to the sex in the car. The image of their bodies tangled in the small space burned in her head.The phone buzzed. Again and again. And each time, her pulse matched with it.Jason never called this many times in a row unless he was already in… that mood.Tyler looked at her, frowning a bit. “You sure you don’t want to get that?” he asked Aria. “It could be urgent or something.”Aria’s throat felt dry.He couldn’t have been more wrong.Her fingers tightened on the napkin. “It’s fine,” she said lightly. “Probably spam. Or Lena sending memes.”The phone vibrated yet again, almost angrily now.Nancy smiled. “If you need to take the call, dear, you can step away for a moment,” she said kindly. “We won’t be offended.”She felt almost guilty.“Okay,” she said, pushing her chair back a little. “I’ll j
Aria opened her eyes, alarmed as the cliff edge receded as fast as it had risen, while Tyler shot off the bed, lunging for the door to stop it from opening.“Don’t come in!” he blurted. “I’m…uh—” He glanced over his shoulder at her, sprawled on his bed, her cheeks flushed. “Not decent.”The knob stilled.There was a beat of silence.“Okay, honey,” his mom said. “Dinner’s in fifteen.”“Got it,” Tyler said quickly.“Oh… have you seen Aria?” she asked. “She was with Chloe, but Chloe is with me.”Aria’s eyes widened, her pulse roaring in her ears as she signalled to Tyler to come up with an excuse fast.“Uhhh…” he stuttered. “She’s probably in the guestroom getting ready for dinner.”“Yeah. That sounds right.”Her footsteps retreated, the click of her shoes fading down the stairs.Tyler exhaled as he turned his back against the door.“Oh my God,” Aria whispered, covering her face with both hands. “We almost just—”“Yeah,” he said, then let out a shaky laugh.She peeked at him through her
Aria reached the kiosk after the late‑afternoon Friday rush had thinned. She had dropped her mini luggage with Tyler that morning.He was behind the counter, laughing with a girl buying a latte.“Hey, stranger,” Tyler said when the customer left, his whole face brightening as he saw her. “You ready?”“As I’ll ever be,” Aria said, leaning on the counter. “Are you closing up now?”“Yep,” he said, opening the cash register. “Just gotta do some accounting and that’s it.”She sat down and watched him finish his evening routine.Finally done, they headed to the gate, fingers intertwined, hands swinging loosely.“Our Uber’s like five minutes out,” he said, checking his phone. “We should be in Oakville in, what, forty minutes if traffic doesn’t suck?”She nodded. “Okay.”He had already told her earlier that week about the place and had even helped her choose what to pack.Their Uber pulled up, and they slid into the back, thighs pressed together.The highway blurred by, the city giving way sl
Aria pushed off the door, the wood cool against her spine for one last steadying breath before climbing the stairs to the apartment and unlocking the front door.It was empty. The only sound was the faint hum of the fridgeLena wasn’t home. Probably still on her shift at the cafe.This was good.She needed the space to breathe. To scrub away the evidence clinging to her skin.It was a miracle Tyler didn’t smell sex on her.In the bathroom, the steam quickly fogged the mirror as the warm water hit her shoulders.She lathered soap over her thighs, her neck, anywhere Jason's hands had claimed, but the clean scent couldn't eras
She had just reached into her bag to fish her keys out with her clumsy fingers when she heard her name.“Aria?”She froze, heart slamming in her ribs.Slowly, she turned around.Tyler stood a few steps behind her, his hands inside his hoodie, his face unreadable.Oh shit! How long has he been there? Did he see her get out of Jason’s car?Her heart fell to her stomach.She had told him that she had gotten home earlier, so she had to think of a bette
Aria slid into the back seat, the leather cool against her thighs as her dress rode up slightly.Jason followed, ducking in after her and pulling the door closed with a soft thud.The tinted windows sealed them in the dim, confined space, amplying every breath, every shift of fabric.Her pulse raced as the air thickened with the scent of his cologne, woody and commanding, mingling with her own arousal.His presence dominated the space, making her squirm in her seat.Jason cupped her chin firmly, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His blue eyes burned with hunger and raw desire.“You made me break my rules, kitten,” he murmured, thumb brushing her lower lip. “Now, all I think about when I’m in my office is you sprawled across my desk calling me daddy while I fuck your dripping cunt.”She shivered, her lips parting under his touch. “B…but you were ignoring me,” she said. “No texts. Nothing. I thought you regretted—”“Regret?” he cut in, a low chuckle escaping him. “You walked into my
By the time a week had passed, the sharpness of that last conversation with Jason had dulled into something flatter. He’d given her what she asked for and kept his distance.No lingering looks, no extra questions directed at her. His gaze skimmed past her the way it did every other student, landing
Monday came with that washed-out light that made everything on campus look a little pale, including Aria, since she'd been dreading how she was going to stand on her resolve.As usual, she headed to Jason's office with her laptop hugged to her chest for their morning T.A. meeting. She slowed down
By Friday afternoon, Aria’s nerves had reduced, but not all of them. Classes, shifts at the café, gala preps, a late-night call with her mum—it all blurred together into a busy week that kept her from thinking too hard about Sofia’s words.Tyler helped too.Every day, he texted something. Memes. A
His eyes widened.“And I… want this. With you,” Aria continued, smiling. “If you still do.”For a heartbeat, Tyler just stared at her, expression stunned, like his brain was still catching up. Then his whole face broke open into a grin so bright it made her laugh.“If I still do?” he repeated. “Ari







