CBQ8: Aidan and Mary

? ? ? WARNING:  This page contains sexually explicit content intended for mature audiences only.

Mary

“So, did you and Ian do the big reveal this morning?” Mary asked, bringing Aidan a fresh cup of coffee.

He slipped a finger into the belt loop of her jeans and gave a gentle tug, pulling her onto his lap.

“We did. I think she was pleased.”

“I’m sure she was. It was a nice thing you guys did.” Being physically separated from people you were used to seeing every day was difficult, especially when they were people you cared about. People were practicing social distancing for all the right reasons, of course, but it was still hard.

Mary knew; she was feeling something similar on a smaller scale. She hadn’t seen her longtime friend and business partner Andrew for nearly two weeks. The flower shop had voluntarily closed its doors to the public during the quarantine, and Andrew was handling the business side of things from home.

The greenhouse was not something that could be handled remotely, however, which meant Mary was going into town every day to tend to their living inventory. Aidan had sent a professional cleaning crew over to the shop the same day Mary made the decision to close, so she felt safe spending a few hours there.

That was a good thing, too. Digging her hands in rich soil, re-potting seedlings, trimming leaves—those things were calming to her, and in light of the recent developments, she needed that. Every day seemed to bring scarier news than the day before.

“Why don’t you come with me today?” she asked.

Aidan shook his head. “I’m booked solid in online meetings. In fact, these fifteen minutes are my only free time all day.”

She turned in his lap and placed her hands on the tense muscles between his neck and shoulders. “You’ve been working around the clock. You need a break, too.”

Her husband wasn’t just a successful businessman, he was a very wealthy successful businessman responsible for a multitude of businesses and thousands of employees all over the world. The pandemic was having a crippling effect on the economy, both locally and on a global scale.

“I can’t. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

“All the more reason to take a few hours and recharge. You’re exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “You are not fine. Listen, I may allow you to take the lead in the bedroom, but when it comes to caring for each other, we have equal authority. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

He raised his brows, surprised by her outburst.

She continued. “You are the boss. The CEO. The big cheese. You’ve surrounded yourself with the best of the best. Delegate.”

His lips quirked. “Big cheese, huh?”

She nodded. “Yep. And effective right now, you have a critical, time-sensitive issue that must be seen to personally.”

“What’s that?”

“Listening to your wife.” She kissed him and pushed away off his lap, dancing out of his reach. “I’m going to call Daideo and ask him to put together a lunch for us. You’ve got thirty minutes to do whatever you need to do to reschedule, then we’re leaving.”

She strutted out of his home office, her heart pounding heavily in her chest as she headed toward the kitchen. She rarely defied her dominant, alpha male husband; she rarely needed to. But this was just too important. He did have an excellent team, all hand-selected by Aidan personally. Surely, they could handle things for a couple hours.

She assembled a few things and packed them into a small carry-on bag, being sure to include some of Aiden’s favorite toys, just in case. If he was willing to cede control, she was going to make sure he enjoyed it.

Her thirty-minute deadline approached quickly. Mary grabbed the bag, gave her big lab Max a reassuring pat on the head, and promised him she’d be back soon. He wagged in acknowledgement. Where once he hadn’t wanted to leave Mary’s side, he was now content to spend a good part of his day sunning himself in front of the large patio doors on his super comfy orthopedic bed.

Mary wasn’t sure what to expect as she headed toward Aidan’s home office. Still, she remained firm in her resolve. He—they—needed a break.

Finding Aidan waiting for her was a pleasant surprise. He took the bag from her and opened the door.

“I’m glad you decided to come,” she told him honestly. “I was fully prepared to leave without you, you know,” she teased.

“I know you were.” His voice was calm, but the way his eyes glittered sent a shiver of foreboding along her spine. Not of fear, but anticipation. Defiance—even defiance born from soul-deep love—had its consequences.

Aidan

In the years that they’d been together, Aidan had learned many things about his wife. One of them was that, despite being kind, generous, and accommodating to a fault, she was one of the strongest-willed women he’d ever met. When she submitted to him, whether in the bedroom or outside of it, it was because she chose to do so.

Her trust in him was humbling. It made him want to do better. To be a better man. Sometimes, that meant putting in long hours and lots of effort. And through it all, she remained by his side, quietly supportive, taking care of him while he took care of everyone else.

She was his anchor, a constant and much-loved reminder that the most important things in life couldn’t be found in a spreadsheet or quarterly report.

He also knew that she was right. He did need a break. He carried a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and while he was confident things would eventually get back to normal, they were looking at some rough times before that happened. People were scared, and for good reason. He was determined to do everything in his considerable power to help them through it. No one in his employ would lose their job for following mandated guidelines for self-quarantine. Nor would they lose their homes. Not on his watch.

But stealing a couple hours away with his croie was definitely doable.

The roads they took into town weren’t known for their traffic, but to see so few fellow travelers was a stark and sobering reminder of the state of things.

“It’s kind of eerie, isn’t it?” Mary asked softly.

He nodded. “It’s a good thing, though. It means people are taking this seriously.”

Things really hit home when they pulled into O’Leary’s parking lot. The diner had been a Birch Falls staple for years—a popular place to meet, eat, and catch up with friends and family. Now, however, under the quarantine, dining-in had been prohibited and the place was functioning strictly as a take-out business.

They joined a line of others who’d had the same idea. Someone from the diner approached each vehicle and, keeping a safe distance, jotted down names and spoke into a wireless headset. Someone else brought the orders, which were distributed with minimal contact to the waiting cars.

Aidan noticed that more than takeout containers were being distributed. He saw bags of hard-to-find groceries being handed out at well.

When their turn came, Conlan himself emerged from the diner and approached them. “Good te see ye, Aidan, lad, and Mary, too. Ye are taking care o’ yourselves, are you no’?”

“We are. And you?”

Conlan nodded. “We’re doin’ all we can. ‘Tis a crazy thing, this. The whole world is going daft, but we take care of our own. Thank ye, lad, for sending those trucks along.”

“My pleasure, Daideo,” Aidan answered. “Like you said, we take care of our own.”

“What was he talking about?” Mary asked as they pulled away and made the short drive to the flower shop.

Aidan shrugged. “Some people can’t get what they need from the stores. Our warehouses are well-stocked with supplies for the resort, so I’m just helping Daideo get some things to the people who need them most.”

Her eyes softened. “Beneath that ruthless billionaire exterior, you are a good man, Aidan Harrison.”

He grinned. “As long as you think so.”

Mary unlocked the shop and led him toward the greenhouses in the back. Sun shone brightly through the translucent glass panels; plants, flowers, and trees were everywhere, in various stages of maturity; the scents of earth and flowers filled the space with a heady, natural perfume. He could understand why Mary liked to come here; it was a small, serene slice of isolated heaven.

She spread out a small blanket near an assortment of tranquility fountains. Surrounded as they were by greenery and colorful blooms, he could almost believe they were in a tropical paradise.

“What would you like to start with?” she asked, laying out the various containers of takeout.

“You.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed a finger to her lips. “Talk later. Feast now.”

He crowded her space, coming over her until she had no choice but to lean back against the blanket, and proceeded to kiss her lips, her jaw, her neck. He removed her clothing one article at a time, moving slowly, touching lightly, until she lay naked and panting, wet with anticipation. The heady musk of her desire mixed with that of the earthy scents all around them, ratcheting his own arousal up another notch.

He called upon his self-discipline and sat back on his heels, taking a moment to appreciate the view. Then he removed his shirt and draped her legs over his shoulders, his mouth watering for a taste of his croie.

“Wait.”

He raised an eyebrow at the command. “Bold today, aren’t you?” he asked softly.

Her eyes dropped submissively before they rose defiantly to meet his again. “Do you remember when you were taking me to meet your sister for the first time, and you took me up to your bedroom?”

He nodded. How could he forget? She’d been anxious, and he’d distracted her by…

Without hesitation, he shucked his pants and lifted her up, rolling until he was beneath her. He guided her to straddle his face even as she eagerly bent forward and took him into her mouth. She gave generously even as she took greedily, and before long, she shuddered in climax even as he hovered on the brink.

He moved quickly, eliciting a squeal of protest as he pulled away and rolled her beneath him. Her protest faded when he entered her in one stroke, plunging deep.

He was merciless as she wrapped her legs around her hips, opening to take him even deeper with each thrust, each one a reminder of who and what she was to him. Sweat formed on his brow as he denied his own imminent release, determined to give her another first.

Thankfully, she was right there with him, giving him exactly was he needed. Her body tensed, then shuddered, and melted beneath him before he let himself go.

They lay there for long minutes, their hearts slowing, bodies temporarily sated. When Aidan opened his eyes again, he was staring at a familiar pair of trees.

“Are those the same ficuses?” he asked, remembering the first time he’d taken her in her greenhouse.

“Yes,” she admitted. “They hold such pleasant memories. I couldn’t bear to sell them.”

“So every time you come in here…”

“I remember the time we came in here,” she finished with a grin.

He laughed. “You are a wicked, wonderful woman, Mrs. Harrison.”

“Perfect for a wicked, wonderful man, Mr. Harrison.”

“No argument there,” he agreed. “But we are going to have to work on that attitude. There are consequences for your boldness, you know.”

“I know,” she told him, her eyes heating up again as she glanced toward the black bag she’d brought with her. “And I can’t wait for my punishment…”