Mister West by R.J. Lewis (animal farm read .TXT) 📕

I feel his hand on my face. He tucks my hair behind my ear. Then he drags his finger down my nose and along my lips. It’s intimate, simple. He hovers along my bottom lip before dropping his hand.

“Okay, temptress,” he whispers. “Open your eyes.”

I open my eyes and go completely still. It takes a quick second to process.

Aidan’s sitting there, facing me, and he’s holding a cupcake with a single candle lit. I look at it for a second, emotion clogging my throat, before I look at him. I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to replicate my sixteenth birthday, when Ana showed up at my door with a cupcake lit for me.

“Happy Birthday,” he says, looking into my eyes with the softest expression. “Belated, sure, but I think you can forgive me for not knowing you on your birthday.”

I swallow, glancing briefly at the cupcake. It’s beautiful with rainbow frosting and a single white candle.

“Now you make a wish,” he adds soothingly. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll come true a second time.”

I’m feeling really emotional. This is very unexpected and sweet. I blink back tears and try to smile. It’s coming out funny, I know. I just…I’m not used to this sort of effort, or attention. Especially not from the guy who…who is becoming central in my little world.

I lean into the flame, and I look at him, all teary-eyed and awe-struck, and he looks at me with so much longing, it makes my heart go tight.

I wish…I wish for him to want me always. I wish for him to care for me like I care for him. I wish…I wish for something more between us. I wish for his love. There, I said it. I wish for Aidan West to love me with all his heart and soul and to want me forever. No matter what.

I blow the candle out, and it’s completely dark again. We’re looking at each other in the darkness. I can feel his eyes on me. I can see him breathing there, and it’s picked up. Like mine.

He finally breaks the silence. “I got you something.”

I don’t answer. I’m still trying to calm the hell down.

He turns on the interior light above our heads. I quickly look away, focusing on the cupcake because I’m not sure I want him to be reading me right now. I’m feeling vulnerable and weak. So, so weak.

He puts the cupcake down and digs into the bag. He pulls something out – a velvet black jewelry box. My pulse picks up as he hands it to me.

“Aidan,” I start, without opening it just yet. I already know this is going to be too much. I don’t deserve anything crazy. I don’t want him to think he even needs to get me something like that to impress me.

“Open it, beauty,” he tells me, looking really happy now.

My hands are shaking. There’s no room for amusement. For witty banter or cheeky smiles. All of this feels intense.

I slowly open the jewelry box, and then I just sit there for ages, processing. Aidan watches me closely, a proud smile on his face.

“Give me your hand,” he then orders. “The hand you want to wear it in.”

I weakly raise my right hand and he takes it. Then he carefully removes the solid gold bangle out of the jewelry box. I stare at it in shock, in absolute wonder. Aidan pulls up my sleeve and removes the crappy bangles I’ve been wearing for eons now. He chuckles softly, placing them down in the cupholder. “If you wore these any longer, I fear you would have gone missing with all the others. Somewhere out there the Bangle Watcher is keeping tabs on you. Well, no more, I say.”

I try to smile, but it’s not working. I just look at him as he slips the stunning bangle through my hand. “Perfect fit, sweet beauty of mine.”

My lips tremble. I’m having a hard time keeping it together.

He raises my hand to his mouth and places a kiss there, his brown eyes looking into mine. “Keep me close, Ivy, and every year I’ll add another bangle” – he kisses my hand again – “and then another.”

I stare at his mouth as he raises my hand one more time and places another soft kiss there. I feel that kiss all the way to my soul.

“Say something,” he quietly demands, trying to read me.

“Thank you,” I choke out. It’s all I can manage.

He seems to sense this and smiles warmly at me. “I wish for you to be spoiled in this life, Ivy. You deserve it. You’re so fucking sweet.”

I am not a crier, but my eyes are really shining right now. “Can you hold me?” I muster out, wanting his closeness. I need him pressed against me. I want this to feel real.

He pulls me to him. I settle into his lap and he holds me closely. I bury my face in his neck and inhale all of him. For a few moments, we take each other in. He runs his hands up and down my body, light intimate touches that make my heart flutter.

All too soon, I am very aware of the hardness I’m sitting on.

“Don’t mind my cock, Ivy,” he says, amused. “He’s got a mind of his own.”

I let out a laugh, and it lightens the mood. His chest vibrates with his own laughter. “I don’t mind your cock, Mr West.”

He groans. “This is fucking torture.”

I trail my lips along his neck, placing wet kisses there. I get to his ear and lightly bite at his earlobe. Aidan goes super still, holding his breath. I feel him harden more beneath me.

“Kiss me once,” I whisper. “Just this once. On my belated birthday.”

I pull away so he can look down at me. He stares into my eyes, his resolve fading as he takes me in. Then he drops his face to mine and brushes his lips against mine. I shut my