RILEY
As he started driving, I took the moment to admire his beautiful red Aston Martin. It was an impressive, elegant car, as much on the inside as it was on the outside. Then again, it was also a very expensive one, so excellence was to be expected. It fitted Aiden perfectly, down to the colour, which was an ideal match for a fire dragon.
"So, what are we doing on this date?" I turned my head towards him as he continued to focus on the road.
"I'm not telling you," he briefly looked at me with a giant grin on his face.
"Oh, come on- not even a hint? I know there was cooking involved."
"Look, the best part of a first date is the surprise element. Usually, it's mainly about how the two people will feel about each other, but in our case, I think my feelings are hardly unclear. Let me maintain some mystery about our date at least though. Please?" His lips curled into another warm smile and I knew that I couldn't say no to that- he had clearly put efforts in this date and I had to confess that I was looking forward to discovering what he had in mind.
The conversation flowed as we drove around the stunning Loch Lomond. Its beauty was still leaving me speechless, even after all the time I had spent in the area by now.
Less than twenty minutes after we left the packhouse, we turned on a private road and a small castle appeared in the distance.
It was an exquisite Scottish castle with beautiful park grounds around it and a magnificent view of the lake. It looked even more spectacular with the sun setting on the horizon, painting the sky behind it in rich hues of red that were blending with orange, yellow and violet.
"You live in a castle?" I was impressed that this was the place he called home, although all the packhouses that I had seen up to now were amazing. As soon as I thought of that, my heart started racing anxiously. "Wait, please tell me that we are not having our date at your clan's mansion?" The idea of others witnessing our date made me feel uneasy, as I didn't want anyone meddling in my business.
Aiden released his hand from the gearbox and reached to grab mine, squeezing it reassuringly as he laughed. "Relax, Riley- this is not the clan's house. It's all mine. And yes, I live in a castle."
I sighed in relief until I realised that we would have the whole place only for us. Me and Aiden- no one else. Wasn't that what I just wished for? The thought of the endless possibilities of how tonight could go left me feeling anxious once again, but this time my anxiety was laced with exhilaration.
We parked in front of the main entrance and made our way in. Being a true gentleman, Aiden let me go in first, though it was difficult to see inside due to the darkness. A snap of figures was all I heard and suddenly the whole place was lit up by hundreds of different candles- tea lights, lanterns, candelabras. It was like something out of a fairytale and this came from the girl who didn't really believe in those.
"How did you...."I tried to speak, but I couldn't find the right words.
The soft candlelight was enough for me to see Aiden's smug face at my confusion. "Fire dragon, remember? It comes with some perks."
"I want to hear all about those then."
"You will, I promise. But first, we need to make it to our table. Lead the way, beautiful," he said and nudged me forward.
I was confused as to how I was meant to know where to go, but then I realised that the floor was covered in endless rose petals and tea lights which formed a trail that I was clearly meant to follow.
When we reached the end of the trail, I saw a beautifully laid table for two, surrounded by a sea of candles, flowers and fairy lights. The sight in front of me made my breath hitch- I've never really had any man put so much effort on a date- certainly not on a first date- and something told me that the surprises were far from over.
"You've been busy, I see," I teased Aiden playfully.
"No, it was my dragon minions."
"You have dragon minions?" I exclaimed, surprised.
Aiden's genuine laugh filled the room. "Sorry, I was just messing with you. You have fit in so well in the shifter world that I have problems remembering that you are not familiar with what is possible and whatnot."
I liked this- us joking and messing around, the conversation flowing easily. Everything felt so natural and simple with Aiden. I didn't have to pretend that I was something that I was not- not that I ever would- and nor did he. He seemed to respect and like the person that I was and we clicked on a level that made it easy to forget that we had only met two weeks ago.
Aiden walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, inviting me to sit down. Like a true gentleman, he helped me as I did so before he poured us both a glass of champagne.
"To a fun and enjoyable evening." He raised his glass to clink mine, and I couldn't help but get caught in the warmth of his eyes. They were full of appreciation and happiness, which instinctively warmed my heart. "Now, I better start getting the food out before my date starves to death."
"You know what they say- you are not you when you are hungry, so you better feed this girl if you don't want the beast to be unleashed on you, Mr Hayes." I narrowed my eyes at him and pouted mischievously.
"Don't tempt me, Ms Moreau. Anyway, I would get terrible reviews on Come Dine with Me if I don't bring my A-game." The thought of Aiden watching a reality TV show like Come Dine with Me caused me to snort with laughter. He was so sophisticated and refined and yet he had this very down-to-earth side to him as well.
He waltzed back into the room with a bunch of platters in his hands. An abundance of different cheeses, charcuterie, olives, snacks, and delicious looking crostinis appeared in front of me. My mouth started salivating the moment I laid my eyes on all the different options, and my stomach gurgled as an evident sign of how badly I wanted to try everything.
"Oh wow, tapas platter and crostinis," I squealed excitedly. "How did you know that I love these? You even have my favourite blue cheese and the Catalonian pan con tomate that I adore."
"Apparently we have more similarities than I thought," Aiden chuckled. "I was planning to come up with a sophisticated menu for tonight but screw it, it's our first date, so I wanted it to be different and relaxed. Hopefully, my skills tonight will impress you enough to allow me to cook again for you another time."
"Don't know about that- I'm kind of difficult to please as I have very demanding tastes," I stuck my tongue out at him.
His lips curled in a devilish smile. "I'm sure I can find ways to please you.... over and over again."
I swallowed hard. Were we still talking about food?
"Close your eyes," Aiden said. I gave him a doubtful look, which he countered with a puppy dog look. "Come on, Riley, indulge me."
I did as he asked, even if I was not sure what was to come. "Now open your mouth," I heard him say.
I knew that Aiden was not up to any chicanery but having my eyes shut, making me rely on my other senses, only heightened my perception of everything that was happening around and it also made my imagination run wild, especially when he told me to open my mouth. I could feel a tingling sensation spread across my body and I wet my lips in anticipation.
An explosion of flavours burst in my mouth when I felt Aiden place a crostini between my lips and I bit into it. I had no idea what it was, but I could sense the sweet, floral taste of honey, combined with a nutty, grassy cheese. It must have been brie. Baked brie to be more specific. I also tasted pieces of baked apple and small pieces of walnuts were crunching between my teeth. The combination of everything was so flavoursome that I left out a moan in delight.
"Oh my goodness, I need more," I exclaimed greedily.
"Looks like I definitely won't have problems pleasing you." He winked. Smug, smooth, charming bastard.
"I am penalising you one crostini for your cockiness, mister." I grabbed one from the plater and shoved it in my mouth in a very unladylike manner. Fuck, they were amazing. "Make that two actually," I said, and I grabbed another one, this time with Gruyere and mushrooms.
"How very mature." He winked at me and I could help but burst out laughing.
"Did you just crack a cheese joke?" On top of all his other qualities, Aiden clearly also had a great sense of humour, which made me like him a little bit more. There had to be a flaw to him though, right? Perfect men did not exist. Or did they?
"What can I say, it's a cheesy night." He shrugged, while I snorted at yet another cheese joke. "Plus, I usually come across as too serious, so I have to let someone in on my secret."
"Oh really? And what is that?"
"That I am a big clown hiding underneath sophisticated clothes and fancy words."
Now it was my turn to chuckle. "I am not buying that even for a second. But I give you this, Aiden- you are something else." His face lit up like a Christmas tree and we suddenly found ourselves staring into each other's eyes in silence.
"Right, let me get the main course." He cleared his throat and walked over to what I assumed was the kitchen.
The delicious aroma of the food tickled my senses before I even saw it and I just knew. My nose immediately detected the intense smell of baked bread, the fresh and grassy scent of oregano and basil, as well as the spiciness of oil and garlic.
"Don't tell me that's a homemade pizza?"
"Yes, I had a wood-fired pizza oven installed in the kitchen a few years ago. I love cooking, and homemade pizza is definitely the best thing in the world, especially when you make it in a true Neapolitan way."
"All I hear are words, Hayes. You better put it on the table soon." The pizza smelled so incredible that I was ready to tackle him to get my hands on it.
"Alright, alright- here it is." He carefully cut it into 4 big slices and I immediately reached for one.
The moment I tasted it, I was left speechless- a beautiful symphony of flavours was tickling every taste bud in my mouth. The aroma of the baked bread blended with the slightly acid flavour of the tomato, the savoury mozzarella, the fresh basil and with the bitter and spicy tastes of oil and garlic.
"This is... wow!" I was not sure I could build coherent sentences after what I had tasted. "And the fior di latte is to die for. So damn good."
"You really are a cheese person, aren't you?" He laughed. "Hold on, you have a bit of tomato on your lips."
I didn't have a chance to figure out what he was talking about when I felt him run his thumb over my lower lip, removing the drop of tomato that was there. It wasn't a very sexual move, but it felt so intimate and erotic that my arousal shot up. To make it worse, instead of wiping the tomato off his thumb, Aiden brought it to his lips and gently sucked it off. My body shivered at the sight and my nipples hardened when my mind imagined having him take them in his mouth. I felt unbearably hot, so I took off my jumper to try to cool my body and my mind.
"It's...Erm.. hot in here- must be the pizza." I had been so engulfed in my own little fantasy and internal struggles that I hadn't noticed the hungry look in Aiden's eyes as he was looking right at me.
It was the kind of look that told me that he was seconds away from pushing everything off the table and fucking my brains out right on top of it. Although I desperately wanted that as well, I didn't know quite how to handle this desire for Aiden. It was easier with Rafe as we were clear on what we definitely were not, so giving in to the pleasure felt less risky- not like we would want to do that again or want to be mated.
With Aiden it was different though- he was hot, funny, caring, charming, and I knew that if I crossed that line I could easily get lost in the love and adoration that this man could give me. What if I let him down though? What if I was not cut out of this world or decided to go back to my previous life? What if the Sun Goddess made a mistake, and I was not the woman for him? What if I hurt him? All the questions and doubts successfully cooled my desires and I could get back to my senses.
I grabbed another slice and waved it in front of Aiden's facing, breaking the intensity of his gaze. "Sooo good! So..... where did you get this love for cooking from?"
He shook his head as if to clear out his mind from whatever thoughts he had, then he took another sip of the champagne. "Difficult to answer. My mother loved good food. All dragon shifters tend to be foodies, but for her, good food was a religion, so we used to travel a lot around the world to experience the best of local cuisine, but also some of the finest restaurants that existed. Yet she was not really a cook herself. It was the maids at the mansion that secretly taught me various tricks. When I was old enough, I realised that I had to learn from those who knew how to cook great food, so whenever I travelled I would spend some time with locals and small restaurant chefs, just cooking and having a good time."
I was instantly curious to find out more about his family because I'd never really heard him mention them before. "What happened to your family?" I was his whole body stiffen as soon as I asked. Gone was the relaxed, happy expression on his face. Instead, now he looked serious and somewhat troubled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No, it's okay. I don't have secrets- certainly not from you." He leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh. "My family somewhat resembles Angus Macalister, in their thinking at least. We are a family of Alphas, leaders of our clan for hundreds of years. The narrow mindedness of my parents and great-parents though- this belief that we are above everyone else- might have worked before, but it will eventually ruin the clan. So when I met Cyrus I was amazed by his bold ideas about fighting the old order and creating a clan of warriors, protectors of the weak and an example for the rest. My younger self was immediately sold on the idea, so I joined in a heartbeat and I don't regret it, even if Cyrus ultimately turned out to be as bad as them. For my parents though, it was a great betrayal- the son of respected dragon Alphas, heir to a clan with old traditions and high stature, left everything behind to join some nobody and form a clan with no future even, as there were no female dragons amongst our lines."
"Oh, Aiden, I am so sorry." I reached over the table to grab his hand. "Maybe they simply wanted what's best for you?"
"You see, that's the thing, Riley- they wanted what was best for their reputation and to maintain their power and status. They gave me the bullshit excuse of being outraged that I would never give them a grandchild as I would never find a mate amongst the Fire Dragons but in reality, they had been planning to set up me with the daughter of any politically important family that would strengthen the position of our clan ever since I was a little boy. And let's say that if they knew that my mate is not a dragon and that I am part of a triad- well, they would disown me again if they could." He laughed it off, but I could feel the bitterness in his voice.
"For what it's worth," I said gently and in complete sincerity, "I am glad that you joined Cyrus. Otherwise, we might have never met."
My words triggered something in him because he leapt out of his chair and took a step towards me before he scooped me up in his arms. My heart fluttered as we looked at each other. Then he dived in and pressed his soft lips against mine. The moment they touched, an electric spark set off from my lips and ran through my whole body, bringing it to life. I parted my lips and his warm tongue entered my mouth, gently stroking mine. I moaned as we kissed, but he didn't push things further. Instead, he slowly pulled away, burying his face in my neck. I heard him inhale deeply, like he was trying to take me all in.
"How do you expect me not to want to kiss you when you say things like that?" He finally spoke as he rested his forehead against mine. His eyes were still closed, and I wondered whether he was just refusing to let the moment end. "Right, time for dessert."