Aria by Shira Anthony Read Free Book Online

Aiden asked hopefully.
“I….” Sam hesitated. “Okay.” He knew he should leave, that he wasn’t ready for this, but he couldn’t do it. He was so raw, so hungry for Aiden’s touch. He wanted more.
Aiden smiled at Sam and began to unbutton his shirt.
Chapter 6
     
Present
    A
IDEN told Alexandria he’d walk back to the hotel from Jules and Jason’s, but she’d insisted on the limo instead. He guessed she’d want to spend the night at his hotel. He’d expected it. He downed a double scotch in the limo as it idled by the hotel entrance.
    “I should get some sleep,” he told her after he finished his drink. It was true. He was exhausted, but not so exhausted that he’d make the mistake of taking her to bed. He hadn’t exactly been celibate since he’d left Cam, but he wasn’t so desperate as to think that sleeping with the wife of a major donor was a good idea. “Why don’t I call—”
Her lips cut short his words, and she rubbed her hand over his crotch until he grew hard.
    “Sorry, Alexandria.” He pushed her hand away and opened the limo door.
He didn’t look back. He knew she’d been expecting sex; he just hadn’t figured out how to escape her grasp after the concert. He also knew there’d probably be hell to pay for turning her down.
    An hour later, he was wide-awake in bed. Unsatisfied and thinking of Sam, even though he’d tried to think of anything but. It was bad enough with people like Alexandria, who wanted him because of his voice. He didn’t need the drama of a “real” relationship, not after what he’d gone through with Cam. He’d learned his lesson. Hell, he’d learned his lesson with Sam too, hadn’t he?
Fool me once…. Five years before
    A
IDEN woke up with a headache and a sore throat. Fuck. He almost never got sick. Not that it helped that he’d spent the entire night worrying about Sam’s reaction to news of the possible scholarship. Aiden had gotten a grand total of about three hours of sleep. Maybe.
    He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from Sam. He knew what he’d hoped for. He’d wanted Sam to tell him not to go. Or at least tell him they could still try to see each other. But what had he expected after only two weeks?
    They’d been getting along so well since they’d met at the bar. Aiden couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so hopeful about a relationship. And then he’d gone and screwed it up by mentioning the scholarship. Sam was the first man he’d spent time with in New York who hadn’t left him feeling insecure about where he’d come from and who he was. Sam was like him in so many ways. No, Sam wasn’t from a backwater town like Fenton, but he was still a Southern boy in the big city.
    And if he didn’t even get the scholarship? Aiden knew the answer. Then he’d be able to stay in New York. Get to know Sam better, if Sam wanted that.
    Aiden dragged himself out of bed and wandered out to the kitchen. Mark was asleep on the couch, and Aiden did his best not to wake him up. He clicked on the kettle for tea and shoved a handful of Vitamin C into his mouth, then gagged on the horse pills. A few minutes later, armed with a mug of tea laden with honey and lemon, he retreated to his bedroom.
    There was a muffled knock on the door a few minutes later. “It’s open.”
“Thought you might have company,” Mark said with a yawn.
“Oh, shit, did I wake you up?”
“You mean with all the coughing?” Mark laughed and sat down on the edge of Aiden’s bed. “Nah. Damn garbage trucks woke me up. I should have worn my earplugs.”
“Late night?”
“Not too bad. Closed the restaurant at two. Looks like I got more sleep than you, though.”
Aiden shrugged and sipped his tea.
“Sam didn’t come back with you, then?”
“No.”
“No smartass comebacks this morning? Where’s my big-mouth roommate and who is this pathetic slob?”
“Love you too, Mark.”
Mark lay back on the bed and snorted.
“Sorry. I’ve got a cold.” As if that would