Sweet Collide (Saints of Redville)

by Ava Harrison

“Who are you?”

“Excuse me?” He gets closer to me, and I have to stop myself from jerking away and making a scene. “I know you’re not who you claim to be.” “What are you talking about?”

“We were expecting someone the night you showed up, but it wasn’t you. I spoke to my contact, and apparently, the girl who was supposed to meet Aiden had a minor ...

“I was sent instead.” He shakes his head. “Come on, Cassidy… that is your name, right?”

“Of course my name is Cassidy. I am who I say I am.” “You might not be lying about your name, little girl, but I know you weren’t meant to be in the hotel that night.” The gig’s up.

“What do you want from me?” I ask, my voice hard. “The truth,” he says, eyes fixed on me. “I’ll tell you everything.”

“Not me. Aiden. You’ll come clean to him n...

“Please. Not here. I don’t want Aiden’s image to be impacted by this. Allow me to talk to him in private so we can devise a plan that won’t come back on him.”

“All right. I’ll give you twenty-four hours. If you haven’t told him by then, I will.”

“Aiden Slate…”

“Why did you keep them a secret?” My head snaps to Aiden. His shoulders tense, and the color in his face drains. “Are you embarrassed?” “Fuck,” Mike swears under his breath.

“This isn’t Billy.” He looks back up. “It’s your mother.” Aiden flinches at the mention of her. “That bitch,” Mike says. “I swear to God, if I get my hands on her.” His words trail off because I’m too focused on Aiden. “Was this your family problem? She threatened this. You?”

“I’ve been paying her a shit ton of money to keep her away.” His head falls back on a deep sigh. “I recently cut her off and told her there would be no more.” He huffs a humorless laugh. “She threatened to expose me.” “You should’ve allowed me to take care of it,” Mike says, sounding beyond angry. “You never listen to me where she’s concerned.”

“Right now, I don’t want to hear another word. I want to get the fuc...

“Well, you obviously can’t make it a bad thing. Too many people in this world are afflicted by the same struggles. You don’t want to alienate them or make them feel as though they should be ashamed.”

“But you admit that it’s not all rituals. You’re going to have to be honest. And tell them how you’ve just recently made the decision to seek help to manage your compulsions.” I clear my throat, but my words still come out hoarse. “I am?” She bobs her head once. “You are. First thing tomorrow morning, you’re going to research doctors and call the best.”

“I wanna help people like me, Cass. People who don’t have supportive families. People who don’t have the funds to chase down the best care. I wanna help. I need to.” She smiles at me. “Then you will.”

“You could start a blog or a website where resources or information are compiled and distributed.”

“You can create the material and build the site on the off-season. Maybe I can even help run it for you.” I’m stunned. I’m entirely speechless.

“These are things that someone else should’ve done for you years ago, Aiden. Your mother…” She grits her teeth and inhales sharply. “She’s a horrible person, and what she did is unforgiving.”

The years of neglect. The years of abuse. The years of being told I was damaged have done a number on me I didn’t even fathom until this moment. The small, beating organ behind my ribs shatters. I slink to the floor, head between my knees, working on my breathing. At the end of the day, I have no one.

“You don’t understand—” “I do.” She cuts in. “I understand more than you know.” Her head falls back on her shoulders as she looks at the ceiling. “God, I wish I didn’t, but I do. Fight through the pain, Aiden, because you are loved. No matter what you think. You. Are. Loved.” My head shakes back and forth. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. Aiden, your teammates love you. Your fans love you.”

“This entire town loves you.”

“You don’t need her approval, and you sure as hell don’t need her false ...

want this. Why the fuck do I continue to hold back? “I’m here for you, Aiden. Whatever you need, I’ll be here, but I’m not who you think I am.”

“I know who you are, Cass.” I point at her heart. “Everything else is inconsequential. I know you.”

“You don’t. I’ve hidden who I am because I’m ashamed.”

me. “Haven’t I done that too? You’ve only been privy to my secrets because I needed help.” “You’d c...

“Have you abused or abandoned a child?” Her brows furrow. “No. Never.”

“Did you have anything to do with my mother leaking my private life to the press?”

“Absolutel...

“Sometimes, Aiden. But only when I have to be.” “Did someone hurt you?” “Nobody will ever hurt me again.”

“But I’m here with you now, and everything is perfect.”

“I need you, Cassidy, but I don’t want you to do this because you feel sorry for me. Or because you have some warped idea that you owe me for something.”

“None of that is true, Aiden. I don’t feel like I owe you. What I’m offering is coming from a place of want. I want you.”

“I’m the one who drew the line in the sand, and if you want to keep those boundaries up, I completely understand—” “Aiden,” she says, “what aren’t you understanding? I. Want. This.” She licks her lips and swallows. “Don’t overthink this, Aiden. I’m yours if you want me. Let me take care of you.”

I watch through hooded lids as her hand reaches out and pulls down the zipper of my pants… Carefully, she removes me from the now tight confines of the material. Heat rushes through my veins and straight to my cock, as her small hand finds me. My thick erection proves my desire for this woman. I want this. I want her.

Licking the crown and down the shaft. Tasting my full length before swallowing me whole. “Fuck,” I groan as I hit the back of her throat. Flexing my hips, I push in deeper. And like the good girl she is, she takes me, all of me, every single inch. “So good.” As if my words fill her, she moves up and down on my length. Each pass down her throat has my balls lighting and tightening. I throw back my head.

Her tongue slides over the tip, once, twice, and on the last swirl, I erupt. My dick jerks in her mouth. I push her off me. “Not in your mouth.” She swallows. “I want you.”

The words slip out unbidden, and I’m about to take them back, but his eyes darken, and it’s not out of anger. It’s pure lust.

“Take off your dress,” he commands, and I jump to work.

“Tell me I can trust you.” The words whisper across my lips, and I shiver. “You can trust me, Aiden.” His lips slam to mine.

Tell me I can trust you. I don’t have the heart to let him down right now. He needs me.

And I’ll do anything to give him what he needs. Aiden stops the kiss. Pulling away from my mouth, he trails a path down on my skin. Licking. Sucking. Teasing. Across my jaw. Down my neck. Over the swell of my breasts.

Then he’s separating my legs farther. My breath comes out in ragged bursts as I wait for him to touch me. It feels like my heart will explode. Like it will beat right out of my chest. I’m wound tight. Needing relief, needing for him to touch me. And then it happens.

He trails through my slickness, until he reaches my clit. He plays me like an instrument. Strumming me until I’m panting and pleading with him. His mouth replaces his hands, his tongue swiping against my clit. Pleasure zips through me. My thighs tremble. I’m so close.

A groan escapes my mouth as I lift onto my elbows to see what he’s doing, and what I see knocks the air out of my lungs. Aiden is between my thighs, his gaze steady, staring at me. I follow his gaze, looking down to see what he sees.

His hard cock is at my entrance. The ruddy crown is close enough to enter me. Aiden moves his hips slightly, running his cock through my wetness, coating his skin with my desire. Teasing me. Torturing me. “Please,”

Aiden grabs my ass, and lifts me until I’m impaling myself with his cock. “Fuck. You feel so good,” he groans. The husky rasp of his voice makes me quiver.