Beautifully Complicated (Front Range University #4)

14. Aiden

Chapter fourteen

Aiden

I ’m not sure how much abstinence my body can take.

The fact I haven’t had sex in over six months is only part of the problem. I’ve had dry spells before. Longer ones in fact. The real issue is that I have someone I want to be having sex with, which I can’t act on, and I’m surrounded by people who fuck like rabbits.

Morning, noon and night, at least one of the couples in my house is going at it. Upstairs it’s Bennet and Damien, and even if they’re not overly vocal, the rocking bed—or couch if they’ve decided to change things up—makes the ceiling creak. Next door it’s Cam and Jagger, who are mostly good about volume, but we share a wall, which shakes when the headboard hits it. And downstairs are Liam and Cruz, who are actually pretty quiet since they’ve been warned on multiple occasions to keep it down, but always come out of their room looking freshly fucked.

As a result, I feel sexually frustrated at least ninety percent of the time, and when you put me in a room with the very person my mind wanders to whenever I hear my roommates getting busy… To say that sitting in a room with Kier every day for hours on end is an exercise in restraint is a massive understatement.

If I’d never slept with him and had no idea what sex with him would be like I’d still be turned on around him because he’s just so sexy. But having had a night with him… Knowing what an amazing lover he is… I’m desperate for a repeat. And since I’m surrounded by fucking couples—literally—I’m so wound up there are times I think Kier’s heated looks alone could make me come.

The only reason I haven’t totally lost my composure and jumped his bones is because I’ve started engaging in a little nightly self-care, which I’m presently administering right now as the wall behind me rattles with increasing speed.

Come to think of it, the ceiling seems to be creaking a bit too.

Everyone’s leaving to go home for Thanksgiving in the morning, and even though each couple has plans to travel together, they seem to be treating tonight as their last chance for a romp before they have to behave for a few days, so the activities seem to be extra vigorous this evening.

This is one holiday I don’t go home for since it generally takes place at my sister’s house in Idaho, and not only is it a pain to get to, but I’d be relegated to the couch. I prefer to stay on campus and see everyone when I go to my parents for Christmas.

I love my sister and my niece and my brother-in-law but… the couch. Hard pass.

My roommates were concerned about me staying here without any company, but I told them I have plans with a classmate so they wouldn’t worry about leaving. I’m pretty sure they suspect I don’t have plans, but they didn’t press me on it, which I appreciate since I’m looking forward to the quiet.

That, and I fully expect to see Kier at some point over the next few days. He knows I’m staying in town, and even though we have nothing planned, I’m betting we’ll both end up in the lab since it’s the only place we can see each other.

I’ll take every chance I can get to see him. His silky black hair. Engaging blue eyes. Full lips I get lost in when he speaks, and that velvety voice that’s as close as I can get to an embrace without actually touching.

He’s sexy personified, and if all I can do right now is look, I plan to look my fill.

Though the soundtrack next door started this whole thing, it’s the memory of Kier’s weight on top of me, his body sliding languidly in and out of mine to get me used to his size, that has me instantly hard.

He was so gentle. So considerate. Until we both found our footing so to speak, and he made my body feel things I didn’t know it was capable of. Feeling him tunnel inside me while he held my cock in his hand…

I’ve always done that to satisfy my partners, and they seemed to enjoy it well enough, but I never understood how intense it could be until it was done to me. The dual sensation of being filled and stroked was a euphoria unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. My release so all-consuming the world around me seemed to fade away, leaving me in a suspended state of bliss. And when I finally came back to my body, Kier was right there with me, just as stunned and sated as I was.

My hand moves faster as I try to recreate that feeling, and while I manage to pull my cum from my balls, my orgasm is more like a balloon springing a leak than popping with a bang. Accomplished, but not overly satisfying.

Using one of the many new washcloths I purchased to keep up with my sordid evening activity, I clean up as best I can without showering. Cam and Jagger will do that next, and if I’m lucky they’ll clean up without going another round so I can get some decent sleep. Or as close to decent as I can when I’m sleeping alone.

***

“I thought I might find you here.” Kier lets himself into the computer lab and hoists an uncharacteristically large bag onto his workstation. “You’re supposed to be taking a few days off.”

“So are you.”

“Yeah, but I’m the boss so I’m allowed to break my own rule.” He starts removing a bunch of Tupperware and a bottle of wine from the bag.

“What is this?” I get from my desk and make my way to his, anticipation mounting as I take in the spread he’s putting out.

“Thanksgiving.”

“You brought me Thanksgiving dinner?”

“I brought us dinner. Just because we can’t be together yet doesn’t mean we have to be alone.”

Swoon! Who knew Kier Caldwell could be so romantic?

Well, he did follow me across the country in a manner of speaking, but I suspect that was an easier feat than cooking given the takeout menus I know he keeps in his desk drawer.

“Did you make all this?” I ask.

“Sort of. It’s one of those meal kits so I only had to mix together what was provided in the box.” He blushes, showing me a side of himself I’d yet to see. Average.

It’s pretty adorable.

And also, pretty impressive. “How much food did you make?”

“Enough to have some leftovers. And I wasn’t sure what you liked so I ordered some of everything. Ham and turkey, sweet and mashed potatoes, stuffing. And pie of course. Pumpkin and pecan, but those I got at the bakery. I know my limits.”

The ham and turkey are already sliced, so I assume they came that way and he only had to heat them up. The potatoes look homemade, as does the stuffing, so it’s clear a fair amount of effort went into preparing this, and that makes me smile like a giddy schoolgirl.

When all the food has been unpacked Kier uncorks the wine and pours us each a glass, holding his up as he speaks.

“I always thought it was silly when my parents made us say what we’re thankful for since they’re Irish, but I get it now. You don’t have to be American to reflect on the things you’re thankful for, but you do sometimes need a reminder like Thanksgiving since life can get so busy. And for us, having all these restrictions can make it hard to be thankful at all. But I am, because we found each other again, and even though the wait is maddening, in the end it will be worth it.”

I have never been a crier, but this man makes me feel so much , it’s hard not to tear up.

“We’re here now because you listened to your gut. You took the risk on a new job, a new state, and me, even after you learned I left some things out the first time we met. So, I’m thankful that you’re decisive, persistent, and above all, forgiving. And—” my gaze catches on his soft lips “—so help me if you don’t put that glass to your mouth right this instant, I’m going to cover it with mine, so…drink.”

Kier chuckles as the two of us hastily sip our wine, then dishes us each a plate, which we eat shoulder-to-shoulder sitting on the tile floor.

“Did your parents celebrate Thanksgiving because you were born here or because it’s a national holiday?” I take a bite of mashed potatoes.

“Both, I think. They made it a point to teach me about their history, so I’d have that knowledge, but they also tried to make sure I knew my own.

“You never mentioned why you decided to stay here. Why aren’t you spending the holiday with them?” I try the stuffing next.

He washes down a bite with his wine. “They’re actually visiting family back in Ireland.”

“Is it hard for your dad to travel without his leg?”

Kier gets a wistful look on his face as he traps his lips between his teeth. “Yes and no. He can walk just fine using the prosthetic but going long distances or moving quickly are hard. Airports usually have scooters and things to help with that, so it’s manageable. The plane is another story. He has to have an aisle because the prosthetic doesn’t fit well in tight spaces, and getting up and down is hard because he has limited leverage, so it’s like doing a one-legged squat. Fortunately, he’s in decent shape, so he can maneuver better than most, but it’s still not easy.”

“Do you think you’d have gone into this field if he hadn’t lost his leg.” I chew thoughtfully as he once again takes his time answering.

“Remember how I told you once that the Matrix was life-changing.”

The memory brings a genuine smile to my lips. “I do.”

“Well, that movie is why I decided I wanted to work with computers. Some type of coding or something. I might have gone in a more artistic direction like virtual reality.”

“How very shallow of you, using your gifts to make entertainment.” I nudge his shoulder to assure him I’m teasing.

“I’ll have you know they’re using virtual reality to mimic surgery as a way to train surgeons.” He smiles around a sip of wine.

“Touche.” I smirk right back.

“You really had altruistic intentions from the start?” Kier arches a suspicious brow.

“Luke Skywalker’s bionic arm may or may not have played a role in my decision. And if you ever tell Bennet I said that I’ll… well I’m already withholding sex, so I’ll have to come up with another consequence, but it’ll be terrifying.”

“Why can’t Bennet know the truth?”

I squeeze my eyes shut so I don’t have to watch how amused my answer makes him. “Because I always complain about having to make sci-fi references to explain what I’m doing, and if he knew how much sci-fi influenced my decision to study computers, I’d never hear the end of it.”

Kier closes his eyes as his head falls against the wall behind us, letting out a full belly laugh. He sounds so carefree. So happy. And despite the fact we’ve been sitting next to each other the whole time, I’m pretty sure that’s why my body chooses this moment to register the proximity of his hand to mine.

I’d barely have to move to touch him.

My body goes rigid with a restless tension, desperate to close the distance between our fingers yet knowing the slightest movement could push him further away. Like me, he knows if we give in to the smallest temptation it could spiral, so it’s not worth the risk.

But we’re so close, and it’s been so long since we touched. Nearly a month, and even then, it was so brief. Just a little reassuring squeeze of my hand.

I want more.

The current flowing between us is so strong it feels like my hand is being pulled toward his, like the tractor beam pulling the Millenium Falcon to the Death Star, but without the ominous undertones. I’ve already gone Star Wars nerd on him once today, so I won’t do it again, but damn… I feel a compulsion to let my fingers go where they’re beckoned.

Either Kier doesn’t feel the same, or he’s just as unwilling as I am to ruin the moment by moving since his hand stays utterly still, but since the room is now eerily quiet, I’m guessing it’s the former.

My body vibrates with the need to touch him. Even though it’s wrong, even though it’s pushing the limits of our restraint, I need to feel his skin on mine. Just for a moment.

I let my pinky creep closer, testing to see what Kier does. He takes a measured breath but is otherwise still, so I do it again. And again, the current intensifies with each millimeter I eliminate.

Then I feel it. So slight I could almost be convinced I imagined it, but a subtle curling of my knuckle confirms that Kier’s pinky is kissing mine. Barely, but it’s there.

That faint touch brings me such relief, it’s like blood can flow freely through my body again, delivering much needed oxygen to my lungs. Tingles pulse from that tiny little point of contact, stretching into my chest and throughout my limbs, infusing me with such joy I feel weightless. But my breath gets caught once more when I feel Kier’s finger draw a delicate line along mine.

Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I note that his eyes are squeezed shut, preventing me from reading the effect my touch has on him. But the way his chest steadily rises and falls, too steadily to be anything but forced, tells me he’s caught in the same spell I am.

Only our pinkies are touching, but that’s enough to have my entire body on fire, my cock swelling with anticipation. I should stop this before it inflates past the point of no return, but I’ve been craving Kier’s sensual touch for so long I can’t give it up now. Even if it will only pain me later.

“Leanbh,” he groans softly beside me.

“Just a little longer?” I plead.

He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t move either. Not until the sky outside goes from light to dark, and the wine is gone.