Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina) novel Chapter 183

I Panicked

I sit on Jake’s lap, his hands resting firmly on my waist as we scroll through mattress options on his laptop.

His breath fans the base of my neck every time he says something, and I like the feeling of him being so close to me. His fingers caress my skin, comforting me and turning me on

all at the same time.

I turn to him as I point to a mattress, taking in the way the light from the screen highlights the edges of his jaw. He narrows his eyes to look at it.

We’re in his home office, sitting behind his desk while Zaid and Aiden lounge on the set of couches in front of us. We decided to get a new bed together, one big enough for the

four of us.

Aiden exhales dramatically. “Just make sure it’s long enough for me.” He’s the tallest and always complains about how his feet hang off the edge of the bed.

I laugh, leaning back into Jake’s chest, tilting my head up so I can see his face. He chuckles against my skin, then presses slow, lingering kisses down the curve of my neck.

A shiver runs through me, warmth blooming deep in my stomach.

Jake hasn’t touched me like this for weeks, and neither has Aiden. I’m practically starving

for their affection now that the intensity of what I was feeling went down.

“And make sure it’s not too soft,” Zaid adds from the couch.

I laugh again, tilting my head to look at him. “We’ll make sure it fits everyone.”

Jake hums against my skin before I lean forward to tap through the options. Jake’s hands

slide down my waist until he’s gripping my thighs, right at the base of my ass.

I shudder but ignore him, wanting to order this before we get distracted. I shift, sliding

my fingers over the trackpad, scrolling through different styles and sizes.

I pause on one.

“This one,” I say, tapping the screen.

1/4

+ Panicked

Jake smiles, nodding as he buries his fingers in my skin. “That one looks great. Get two.”

I nod, adding them to the cart and grabbing his card to place the order. I hear his phone buzz and he looks down at the screen with a groan.

He rubs his hands down his face. “I need to make some calls. Seems they can’t handle anything at work without me.”

I turn, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before slipping off his lap. “Okay.”

He stops be before I can walk away, his fingers on my chin, holding me against his lips. “I want you tonight.”

Heat pools in my belly, and I nod. “Yes.”

My voice comes out breathy and desperate. That has him smiling, pressing another kiss to my lips before I walk away.

I walk toward the guys and grab Aiden’s hand, tugging him up as we head to the door, Zaid following behind us. I lean back, kissing him softly. His lips are warm, and he smiles as I pull away.

“I need to talk to Aiden,” I tell him.

Zaid nods, his expression understanding. “Okay.”

Aiden hears me, so he leads me down the hall to his room, shutting the door behind us before sitting on the bed. I straddle his lap, my hands resting lightly on his shoulders as I

search his face.

He looks at me, a pained expression on his face. I cup his cheeks, rubbing my thumbs

across his skin.

“How do you feel?” I ask softly. “Since we all talked?”

He exhales, rubbing a hand down my thigh absentmindedly. “I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out.”

“I saw my future flash before my eyes, and for a second, I was scared.” He swallows.

My heart hammers in my chest, wondering where he is going with this.

“I love you, Alina. Being with you, it’s something I enjoy entirely. But falling in love? Having babies? Getting married?” He shakes his head. “I don’t know if I even want to be thinking about those things. I want to go to college. I want to play basketball. I want to do things for myself first.”

“Does that upset you?” he asks hesitantly.