Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with PLL. Enjoy the read!
Nervously glancing down the dim hallway, Aria rapped lightly on the wooden door to apartment 3B. She tapped her foot nervously against the tile floor, the soft curls of her hair sweeping against her neck as she turned once again to peer toward the stairwell. After a few seconds, the door opened, the strong scent of garlic bread wafting out into the hallway. Smiling brightly at her, Ezra wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close against his chest, kissing her plump, strawberry-glossed lips. He felt her body tighten in his embrace, her lips ending the kiss too quickly for his liking. Staring into her wide eyes, he asked, "what's wrong?"
Turning her head once again to look down the hall, Aria attempted to pull back from Ezra's hold, but he refused to let go. Sighing in frustration, she locked onto his intense gaze. "I don't think it's a good idea that we're standing here kissing in the hallway," she whispered. "We're supposed to be keeping this secret, remember?"
"Oh, is that all," he responded lightly, smiling as he drew her tighter against him, stepping back to pull them both into the apartment. "Don't worry, the faculty party I had here broke up an hour ago. I'm sure everyone's gone... except the principal... he's hiding out in the bathroom," he teased. "And I think I may have seen Mrs. Welch crawling under the bed."
Aria punched him lightly on the arm. "It's nothing to joke about, Ezra," she said, even as a begrudging smile spread across her face. "We need to be really careful to make sure no one sees us."
"You mean you don't want them to see this," he said kissing her lightly on the lips. "Or this," he murmured trailing a kiss to her earlobe. "How about if they see this," he whispered, his lips moving down her smooth skin, caressing against the softness of her neck. Aria's arms wrapped around Ezra, her lips softly touching his as she teased, "No. And I especially don't want anyone to see this." Her tongue flickered out and stroked his lower lip, his mouth parting, as their tongues met, leisurely stroking and entwining with each other. Without breaking the kiss, Ezra reached out with his foot, kicked the door closed, and pressed Aria up against its surface.
His hands moved from around her waist to her hips, his thumbs moving in a circular pattern against her lower stomach, teasing the exposed skin above the waist of her skirt. A small purr escaped Aria's throat as she pressed her pelvis against him, subconsciously mimicking Ezra's pattern, attempting to illicit a more provocative response from him. A deep chuckle rumbled through Ezra as he broke off the kiss, branding her neck once more with his lips, before finally resting them at her earlobe. "Don't start something that you can't finish," he rasped, moving reluctantly away from her before linking his fingers through hers and pulling her into the kitchen.
He left her leaning against the counter as he stepped over to the stove to check on the boiling pasta. "Why can't we finish," Aria asked, her lips puckered together into a sexy pout. Ezra glanced over at her, extremely tempted to sweep her in his arms once again, but just smiled and shook his head. "I've been slaving away putting this meal together." At her doubtful look, he continued. "Okay, maybe slaving away is a slight exaggeration, but it's almost ready. Let's eat first, then we'll see where the evening takes us," he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows in a highly exaggerated manner.
Aria laughed and shook her head at how silly and boyish he could be at times. Moving over to the couch, she removed her coat and was about to sit down when Ezra's voice stopped her. "You didn't wear that to school today, did you," he asked, his tone sharpening in pitch. Aria looked down at herself, surprised at his reaction. She ran her hand down her straight black mini skirt which stopped at mid thigh. Shining lime green toe nails peeked through the slits in her platform sandals. Shifting her eyes back toward him, she cocked her head to the side.
"Yeah. I am in your class, remember? You did see me earlier," she said slowly, confused as to where he was going with this.
Striding purposefully toward her, one of his hands still enveloped in the oven mitt, he stopped a few feet away. "I saw you, but I don't remember you looking so... provocative," he finished lamely. "I think I would have noticed you in that. Every guy in the school would have noticed you in that," he said jealously.
Realization hit Aria as to what he was concerned about. Her short, periwinkle lacey camisole was extremely sheer, her black silk bra clearly visible underneath. Feeling a little mischievous, she decided to have some fun at his expense. Smiling seductively at him, Aria ran her fingers lightly over the contours of her breasts, glancing up at him through her lowered lashes. Her full lips formed a faux pout before responding, "I'm hurt that you don't remember, Ezra. What does it take to get your attention," she teased him, reaching up to pull the left strap off her shoulder.
Ezra's eyes darkened, his desire clearly evident as the muscles in his body tensed, his entire body coiled, ready to attack. Suddenly, Aria laughed, relieving the growing tension, as she dropped her arm back down to her side. "I had a vest on over it, silly. You think I'd actually go to school like this? You think my dad would let me go to school like this? You have met him, right?"
He stared at her, relieved but also perturbed at her poking fun of him. "I think you're my sexy girlfriend who's acting a little too sassy right about now," he said turning around and walking back to the kitchen to serve up the meal. "Someone needs to take you over their knee and teach you a thing or two," he finished, setting their plates on the table.
"Promises, promises," grumbled Aria under her breath as she made her way over and sat down in her usual spot. He pored them both a glass of red wine, setting the salad bowl down between them, before joining her at the table.
"I'll see what I can do about that later," Ezra whispered into her ear before sitting down, making it clear he had heard Aria's last comment. Her wide eyes shot up in surprise as he raised his glass toward her. Not taking her eyes off him, she reached for hers, her hand shaking slightly as the image of herself splayed across Ezra's lap danced through her mind. Their glasses touched lightly with an unspoken toast. She raised it to her lips, her tongue holding the fiery liquid in her mouth, allowing the mellow, oaken taste to permeate and grow before swallowing and enjoying the slow burn down her throat. She couldn't help but wonder what other pleasures were awaiting her this evening.
After dinner was finished and all the dishes had been cleaned and put away, the couple relaxed on the couch, watching an old black and white movie. Ezra sat with Aria's legs draped casually over his lap, her head resting on one of the many decorative pillows. His hands, on her thighs, absentmindedly stroked her smooth skin with his fingers as they both laughed and enjoyed the movie. It was just like old times with the two of them cocooned together in his apartment, isolated from the outside world, only aware of each other.
As the movie was reaching its conclusion, Ezra's hands enfolded one of Aria's feet, lightly massaging and kneading the ball and arch before circling around her heel. He watched as her lips curled up, her eyes shifting from the TV to his hands, as a small moan of pleasure escaped her mouth. "You have such wonderful hands, Ezra. Oh, that feels so good," she purred just before a surprised giggle bubbled from her lips as he lightly tickled the underside of her foot. She reflexively attempted to jerk her foot away, but he held on tight as his hands returned to caressing and massaging her skin.
Slowly and purposefully, Ezra's hands worked their way from Aria's feet to her shapely calves, then the underside of her knees before teasing her inner thighs. By now, Aria was no longer looking at Ezra's hands, for her eyes were locked on his chiseled face. His brilliant blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled at her, reveling in how gorgeous she was with her mahogany locks framing her face, her sweet plump lips parted to accommodate her accelerated breathing, and her expressive eyes opened wide, their usual hazel color darkened with her growing desire. If I'm not careful, I could drown in her.
His fingers inched higher, caressing in lazy circles, teasing her, intentionally not touching the junction between her legs. Aria squirmed uncomfortably on the couch, needing more from Ezra than he was giving her at the moment. Was he waiting for her to beg? She knew he was purposefully getting her worked up. Was this her punishment for teasing him earlier about how she was dressed? She parted her legs slightly, hoping that he would get the hint. And yet, he continued the same frustrating pattern. Just when she thought that she couldn't stand the torture anymore and would have to just tell him what she wanted, his thumb brushed brazenly across her panties causing her hips to arch off the couch; a gasp torn from her throat.
He slipped two of his fingers inside the silky material, excited to discover how wet she already was. Aria arched her head back, biting down on her lower lip, rocking her hips against his hand, as he stroked and pushed his fingers slowly inside her. He watched the emotions play over her face as his thumb brushed against her clit, her muscles reflexively clamping against him. He pumped his fingers in and out a few times, her breathing growing louder in the room, her fingers curled tightly into fists.
As much as he enjoyed watching the various emotions flitter across Aria's face, tonight he was eager for a more direct approach. Withdrawing his hand, he lightly licked his fingers clean, enjoying the sweet taste that was unique to Aria. Shifting on the couch so she was now beneath him, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Aria's delicate hands curled around his shoulders, pressing him closer against her as her hips rubbed seductively against his, enjoying the feel of his growing erection against her thigh. Reaching down, he pulled Aria's skirt up until it was gathered at her waist, freeing her to wrap her legs around him, allowing for even closer contact.
As he hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties, a shrill chirp shattered the silence. His lips reclaimed hers as his hand inched under her panties, sliding his palm against the smooth silky skin of her ass. The same sound resonated throughout the room. "Please tell me you have no intention of getting that," Ezra growled against her lips, as Aria's phone continued to ring.
"I'm sorry, but I have to," Aria apologetically replied. Twisting her head to the side, she fumbled for her phone on the coffee table, before holding it up to her ear, not bothering to check the caller ID. "Hello?" Suddenly, Aria tensed beneath Ezra, pushing against his chest in an effort to free her body. "Oh, hi dad," she quickly said, as guilt washed over her.
Ezra groaned in defeat, removing his hand and slowly sitting up, knowing that the mood had been irrevocably shattered. Aria shot off the couch, smoothing her skirt back down and straightening her top as if her father could see her through the phone. "What? No, you didn't. Spencer and I are just working on a paper that's due tomorrow." Aria glanced over at Ezra before turning her back to him and walking over to the balcony doors. She listened for a few seconds before replying, "where is he? Okay, yeah, I can do it. Don't worry about it. No problem. Okay, we'll see you when you get back. Bye."
Hanging up, she slowly turned to face Ezra, smiling apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." He looked at her in shock before slowly shaking his head.
"Wow, your dad has great timing," he said bitterly. "He's more effective than a cold shower. How does he manage to do that? It's like he has some kind of radar where you're concerned."
Aria sat down beside him, grabbed her sandals off the floor, and quickly strapped them back on her feet. "I know it seems that way sometimes. But some professor at Hollis got sick and asked dad to fill in for him tonight. He was suppose to pick Mike up from his game; so I have to do it now." She placed her hand on his knee, leaning in and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you." She stood up to make her way to the door, but he grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn back around. "I'll see you tomorrow night, right," he asked. Her brow arched up, puzzlement clearly written across her face. "At the dance," he continued. "You're going, right?"
She nodded, an unreadable expression in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm going."
"With Jake?" Ezra hesitantly asked, part of him hoping the answer would be no.
"With Jake," she quietly acknowledged. Her eyes searched his, before she continued. "Are you going to be okay with this?"
Ezra wanted to scream out, hell no I'm not okay with this! It's going to kill me to see you in another guy's arms. It should be me you're dancing with, not him! Instead, he smiled, nodded, and released the grip he had on her wrist. "Of course I'm okay. It was my idea, remember? Everyone will see you two together, and therefore never suspect that we're seeing each other again. It's perfect...really." He smiled reassuringly as he stood up, placed a hand on her back, and escorted her over to the door.
They kissed once more before she pulled on her jacket and grabbed her purse, prepared to leave. At the threshold, Aria hesitated, looking back at him. "We're doing the right thing, right?"
"Yeah, Aria. Everything's going to be fine. No one's going to find out. I promise," he reassured her. Satisfied with his apparent conviction, she smiled once more in relief, before walking down the hallway and disappearing from his sight. Ezra slowly closed the door, leaned against it, shutting his eyes in frustration. He knew tomorrow night was going to be difficult for him, and probably for Aria too, but he also believed what he told her. Everything should be fine. She'd be at the school with her new boyfriend for everyone to see, and he'd just be one of the many adult chaperones overseeing the dance. It was a perfect setup. Nothing could go wrong.