by Nora Ford
I briefly closed my eyes, when I opened them Liv was staring at me waiting for an answer. “He confuses me. I am not myself around him. I… I just want to keep a safe distance.”
“Has he… has he tried to hurt you?” She was alarmed.
“Of course not. It’s not what you think,” I reassured her.
“Can you be more specific then? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know. He is just in my space. I’ve spent the whole week at the hospital to get him out of my mind, but it didn’t work. I can’t enter the on-call room without thinking of him. Why is he doing this? I thought he hated me.”
“Oh…”
“What do you mean ´Oh`?” I frowned.
“I mean you’re falling for him,” she gave me a playful pinch.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t even like him,” I said quickly.
Liv didn’t say anything she just rolled her eyes.
“What was that for?” I asked in a sharp tone.
“Honey, you’re evading the real issue. You’re obviously attracted to him. You want to sleep with him, but you’re worried because you know it will be more than one night. You’re afraid he could sweep you off your feet and…”
“Stop it right there. This is not romance,” I sighed.
“But you’re attracted to him.”
“He’s hot, sexy and bossy. We’ve shared a few kisses but that’s it. End of story.”
“You didn’t tell me that you kissed him. When?” Liv raised her eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes, “I didn’t know that I had to inform you every time I kiss a guy.”
“No, not every time but this time is different. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be afraid to go home,” she grinned.
“I’m not afraid. I had night shifts,” I said defensively.
“Tessa, you’ve spent the entire week at the hospital. Who are you fooling?”
“Okay, I wanted time to think. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. Take your time, but you’ll end up in Aron’s bed sooner or later, and you know it,” she said it like it was a fact.
“Can we drop the subject?”
“Sure, but admit it first, and I’ll drop it,” she insisted.
I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, I want to have sex. The ´who` is irrelevant. It’s been two months since I last had a wild night.”
“Two months? That’s not a long time. I haven’t had sex in more than a year. I am not so wound up,” she shrugged.
“I’m not like Talia or you.” I lowered my voice as I added. “I need sex.” I wasn’t ashamed of that.
“So, you have to think how you are going to spend a whole year without it,” Liv wiggled her eyebrows.
“I haven’t thought about it yet,” that was true. I was hoping Aron would change his mind about the open-marriage thing.
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“Liv, you promised,” I gave her a warning look.
“Okay, okay. No more questions,” she said quickly then she gave me a warm smile. “I just want you to be happy, Tess.”
“I am not unhappy.”
“But that doesn’t mean, you’re happy,” she shrugged.
“Well, I can say the same thing about you. Are you happy, Liv?” I countered.
“I am doing fine,” she said shortly.
“Really? When was the last time you went out on a date?” I challenged.
“I don’t want to date. And my case is different,” she looked away. “You lost Seth. It was tragic, but at least you knew he loved you and was faithful to you. Catching your husband with his pants down, doing it with another woman is something else.”
The pain in Liv’s eyes made me regret my question. I gave her an understanding nod and said in a quiet voice, “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know what else to say. Sometimes I wondered which was worse, losing Seth knowing he loved me or losing him to another woman? I’ve yet to come up with the right answer.
“Well, who needs men when vibrators are everywhere?” She joked to lighten the mood.
“You’re right. Which reminds me; mine needs batteries,” I grinned.
“If I had someone like Aron at home, I wouldn’t have bothered buying batteries.”
“Don’t start.”
Liv shook her head. “Don’t tell me you’re not curious. I’m sure you want to pursue those kisses. I can feel the lust emanating from every inch of you.”
“Jesus, you’re impossible.”
“But I’m right, and you know it.” She gave me a wide grin.
“I’ll think about it. I have to go now. Are you coming back?”
“No, I am free till tomorrow at noon.”
I stood up to kiss her goodbye, but Liv pulled me into a hug. When I squeezed her tightly, she whispered in my ears, “Don’t overthink.”
I nodded and rushed out. The time with Liv and the ten minutes’ walk to the hospital did me good. I wasn’t tense anymore. I ignored my colleagues’ comments about the lunch tray that had just arrived. I entered my room, shut the door behind me and enjoyed my meal. After I finished, I did something I should have done the whole week. I called Aron to thank him. He answered after the second ring. “Tessa?! Are you, all right?” He sounded concerned and surprised to hear my voice. It made me feel guilty; I should have thanked him earlier. At least with a text message, but I was rude.
I cleared my throat. “I’m fine; everything is fine. I just wanted to thank you for the food.”
“I’ve heard you have a bad habit of skipping meals. I wanted to make sure you’ve got something to eat.”
“Thanks, but a sandwich from the deli down the street would have done the trick.”
“You didn’t like the food?!” He wanted to know.
“No, the food was perfect, but it’s not the norm here. We are used to receiving flowers and chocolates. Four-course meals from a five stars hotel are just over the top,” I explained.
“You’re not an ordinary woman. Norm doesn’t apply to you,” he said in a deep low voice.
“Um…thanks.” I was blushing.
“It was my pleasure.”
“Listen, I should have been home earlier but something came up. I will finish here at six. Are you going to be home?” I bit my lips.
“If you don’t want to see me, I can go out with Jason after work and come back late,” he offered.
“No, I want to see you,” I said quickly, then I added. “I mean…we need to talk.”
“Fine, I’ll be there.”
“Um… See you later then. Bye.”
“Bye, and Tessa! Thanks for your call,” Aron said and hung up.
Mesmerized, I stared down at the phone in my hand. Aron was definitely flirting with me. That was new and confusing at the same time. I was used to him being arrogant and rude. This new version of him caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, I was certain of one thing: the kind and considerate Aron is more dangerous than the arrogant one. At least for my sanity.
Chapter Ten
Aron
Tessa called after all. I took Talia’s advice and gave her the space she needed. It wasn’t easy though. Going home every night knowing that she wouldn’t be there. Although I was used to living alone, staying in Tessa’s apartment was hard. I could see her, feel her and smell her scent everywhere. She was so near yet so far.
It was driving me crazy. If Tessa hadn’t called today, I would have gone to see her myself. But it was better this way. Tessa finally wanted to talk. I suddenly had an incredible feeling of hope inside my chest.
I took a small, square box out of the safe in my office and stared at it. I couldn’t shake the smile that spread across my face as I looked at the ring sitting on a bed of black velvet. A large round diamond with double bands of smaller diamonds intertwined. It was my grandmother’s ring.
My grandfather had given it to her sixty years ago. I reminded her a lot of him. So, she gave it to me b
efore she died and wanted me to give it to the woman of my dreams. I wondered if Tessa was this woman. I don’t know why I took it out of the safe. This ring meant eternity. Tessa wasn’t ready for forever yet. I sighed as I closed the box and put it back. Maybe someday she will ask for it, I thought and busied myself with work.
When I entered Tessa’s apartment a few hours later, I knew she was there. It wasn’t just the smell of food that caught my attention right before I moved into the house; it was the scent of Tessa’s sensual perfume. I loved the way she smelled, a contrast between exotic fruits and seductive floral.
I took off my tie and loosened my collar as I followed Tessa’s scent into the living room. Tessa was sitting on the couch watching TV. She muted the sound when I entered the room. “Hi,” she said shyly.
“You’re home early,” I said as I threw my jacket and tie, on the armchair near her.
“Yeah, I’ve been working the whole week. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed a break,” she shrugged.
Apparently, Tessa had time to shower and change. Her hair was still damp. She looked sexy in her simple, collared, button-down shirt that went down to just above her knee. I tried not to stare at her legs and looked at the food bags instead.
“How did you know I liked Chinese? Are you stalking me?” I joked and sat next to her.
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Everyone likes Chinese. I didn’t know what you like so I ordered a bit of everything.”
A moment later, we were eating out of the white containers sprawled over the coffee table in front of her.
“It’s sinful. All the salt and the oil,” I said as I dug my fork into a tub of fried rice.
“Which is why everyone loves it. It’s nothing like the fancy food you’ve been feeding me, but it’s a nice change” Tessa said and moaned.
My body reacted instantly to the sounds she was making. I wasn’t sure whether Tessa wanted to talk or wanted sex. I was certain of one thing though. Our first time together, wouldn’t be here or like this. I wasn’t after a quick release. I wanted so much more.
We ate in silence for a while. Tessa was first to speak, “Why are you doing this?” She suddenly asked.
“Doing what?”
“You’re nice to me.”
“You don’t want me to be nice to you?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. It…it’s just confusing.”
“How so?”
“Come on, Aron. You’ve spent the past eight years loathing me and then all of a sudden, you’re kind and considerate. It doesn’t make sense.”
Tessa was incredibly intriguing to watch. She didn’t have a filter. She said it the way you saw it and didn’t seem to care if that pissed anyone off.
“I told you before; I didn’t hate you. But I had my reasons for the way I behaved when you and Seth were together,” I simply said.
“And after Seth?” She quickly asked.
I took a deep breath. “After Seth, I didn’t like the way you dealt with your loss.”
Tessa opened her mouth but an “Oh,” was all that came out. There were more words on her lips, but she didn’t say them.
Instead, she leaned closer and asked, “And now, are you being nice because you want to get in my pants?” It wasn’t a question; it was an invitation.
For one, brief moment we stared at each other. The attraction, the one that made her come home tonight, was back. I could feel Tessa’s eyes on my lips. She was expecting me to kiss her. I shook my head, “I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss you again unless you ask for it.”
“I…I’m not good at begging,” she said hesitantly.
“I don’t want you to beg. I just want you to ask. Invite me to kiss you,” I said in a low but deep voice.
Tessa leaned towards me. “Kiss me, Aron. I want you to kiss me.”
“There is nothing I’d enjoy more,” I reached over and cupped her cheek. The warmth and softness of her skin had me stepping closer. Her lips parted and welcomed me. The taste of ginger and spice laced her kiss and mixed with me. When I molded my body to hers and felt her hand reach around me, the desire to wait faded. A simple kiss shifted course when Tessa moaned and opened for more. This kiss sizzled right past my head, down to my toes. Oh, it stopped in the middle and made my pants tight, but I expected that.
It was hard to keep the kiss simple, impossible to pull away.
Tessa’s hand slid down my waist, over my hip. I pulled my lips away. “You’re making it hard to stop.” She didn’t remove her hand as her smoky eyes mixed with her sexy voice. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.” I kissed her again, open-mouthed, indecent kisses.
I captured her head in my hands, enjoying the way she pressed against me. She pulled away, breathless. “I want you.” It wasn’t an invitation, but an admission. She leaned her forehead on my chest and took a deep breath. Then she started tugging at my shirt, but I held her hands. She lifted her head up and looked at me. “I…I thought you wanted sex?” She was confused.
“I don’t want to be added to your previous conquests. I am not going to sleep with you just to scratch an itch.”
“Oh… you’re turned off by my history with men.” She jumped to her feet and rushed to her room. Before she could reach it, I tugged her hand and turned her into the closed door of her bedroom. I was on her in a breath. She didn’t meet my eyes, but my hard body molded itself to hers, my growing erection pressed firmly on her belly. I let her hand loose and wove my fingers onto her neck and then my lips found her neck.
Tessa slumped against the door when my hot lips opened and dragged my teeth along her neck. I ran my free hand down her waist and hip. “Does this feel like a man who doesn’t want you? A man hung up on your history with men?” I whispered, and she could feel my warm breath against her ear. I shifted her hips closer, the hard edge of me pressing her into submission. “No,” she said weakly.
I nipped at her chin and the side of her lips. “Never think for a minute I don’t want you.”
She reached around my waist, trying to get closer. I groaned, my breathing became heavy. The scent of her desire mixed with mine made me crazy. “The one place I want to be is buried inside you. Not tonight though, not here, not like this.” I said against her cheek. Tessa started to shake her head but I stopped her with one more kiss. “Sleep on it tonight. If you still feel the same in the morning, I will pick you up at seven. We will have dinner then I’ll spend the night ravishing you. I need a full night to do it right.”
“You know I don’t date,” she said quickly.
“This isn’t a date. We’ll eat together. You’ve just had dinner with me. It wasn’t that bad, was it.”
“No. But…”
“No buts. If we are going to do this, we’re going to do it my way. I don’t sleep with women without feeding them first,” I grinned.
“You’ve been feeding me for a week, doesn’t that count,” she sighed.
I shook my head and her corresponding smile melted my heart.
When she turned to go to her room, I stopped her by saying, “And Tessa, there’s nothing I want more than to hear you scream out my name when you come, but once I have you naked, there’ll be no turning back. If we sleep together, it won’t be just for one night.” She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. She rubbed at her kiss-swollen, reddened lips as she entered her room and shut the door behind her.
Although I was going to need a very cold shower, I was pleased with myself. I loved making her blush, and right now she was three shades of pink.
Chapter Eleven
Tessa
A slight edge of uneasiness sat under my skin as I made my way through the early hours of the next day. My conversation with Aron the night before confused me even more. I heard movement in his room this morning, but I stayed in bed until he was gone.
And therein lay the problem. Aron made me feel things I’d never felt, want to do things I wouldn’t normally do. He b
rought out a perilous side that was unfamiliar, somewhat dangerous. For the past three years, I took charge of my life. It was me who set the rules of my one-night-stands. I decided the who, where and when. With Aron, this wasn’t the case.
For the first time in my life, I was nervous, uncertain about my foothold, stepping into unfathomed territory, readily. Kissing Aron last night was an unusual response, even for me. I’m not shy around men I want, but I don’t normally lose myself in a kiss. I know exactly when to start and end a kiss and where it will lead. With Aron, everything is different.