by Jill Sanders
She rattled off the address, which was only a few blocks away. When he pulled up in front of the older home, he could see that it had been recently remodeled.
“This is their second home in two years. Parker likes to fix them up.” She looked at the place. “He’s good at it too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He rushed over to help her out of the car.
“This isn’t a real date,” she warned as he held her hand.
“Of course not.” He faked being appalled as he continued to hold her hand in his.
She sighed and rolled her eyes but continued to hold his hand as they made their way up the walkway. “She needs some fresh flowers here,” Suzie suggested as they walked past a little flower bed.
“Mother’s Day is coming up,” he hinted. “And, your sister is a mother now.” He reached up and knocked on the door.
The door opened and suddenly Suzie was attacked by screaming kids.
She laughed and hugged the boy and girl, who jumped on her. When they noticed him standing next to their aunt, they both stilled.
“Who?” Ethan asked and pointed.
“Ethan, Ellie, this is Aiden,” Suzie said, hoisting Ellie into her arms while Ethan clung to her leg. “Where’s your mother?” she asked, stepping into the house.
“Back here,” Sara called out from somewhere in the house. “Come on back and bring my escaped children.”
“Come on in.” Suzie motioned to him. He stepped into a small entry area that opened into a good-sized living room. There were toys and books on the sofa and the television was playing cartoons.
Sara appeared from what he assumed was the kitchen with a glass of wine in her hands. “Come on in.” She waved them in as she handed Suzie the glass. “Beer?” she asked him as she reached down and picked up her son.
“Sure.” He nodded and followed them into a kitchen that sat at the very back of the home. The space looked like it had just been remodeled.
“Parker’s done with this back here. He’s going to start on the front of the house in a few months.” She sighed. “I can’t wait.” She rolled her eyes as she handed him a beer. “He’s out back.” She motioned to a sliding door. “Come on back. I’ll introduce the two of you.”
“We’ve met,” he said quickly. “At least twice before.”
“Right.” Sara nodded, then shrugged. “Head on out there if you want. Suzie can help me with the side dishes.”
He stepped out the doors onto a large deck that overlooked a massive backyard. There was a wood swing set, a pink playhouse, and in one of the trees close to the home, an impressive fort.
Parker was standing at the grill, flipping burgers.
“Hey,” he said when he spotted him. “Good to see you again.” He held out his hand and Aiden shook it.
“Nice place you’ve got here.” He sipped his beer.
“It’s coming along. With the little ones, I don’t get as much time to work on it as I’d like. Still, I have an impressive shop out back.” He motioned to a detached garage at the back of the property. “I’ll have to show you after dinner.”
“Sounds good.” He turned back to the home. “My friend Kurt used to live here.”
“Oh?” Parker glanced at the home. “It’s had a few owners. The last lady had more than a dozen cats.” He shook his head. “Took us almost a year to get the smell out of the place.”
Just then a large black lab came rushing up to them. The dog noticed him and promptly sat on its butt and dropped a ball at his feet.
“That’s Toby,” Parker said with a chuckle. “Warning. If you start playing ball with him, you’ll be stuck doing so for the rest of the night.”
He laughed and knelt to scratch the dog’s head. “Hi, Toby.”
“The burgers are almost done. I figured we’d eat out here since we have a break in the rain.”
Just then Suzie and Sara stepped outside, followed by the kids. Both women had their hands full of plates and food. He set his beer down and rushed over to help them.
As they all sat around the table eating, Suzie glanced over at Parker. “So, it’s not weird to know that Aiden and Sara dated back in school?” she asked Parker.
The man’s eyebrows shot up. “You did?” he asked Sara, who laughed quickly.
“For about two weeks,” she admitted, then she leaned closer to her husband. “Kiss dating. I was fifteen at the time.” She nudged Parker. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “This is a small town. I’ve run into at least two of your exes. Now three.” He grabbed his beer and raised it towards Aiden.
Aiden nodded.
“It’s probably why Aiden doesn’t like being back,” Suzie said. “I mean, just how many girls from Pride have you dated?”
He narrowed his eyes at her and shrugged. “Too many to count.”
Suzie’s eyes narrowed as she sipped her wine.
“So,” Parker said, breaking the awkward silence, “what brings the two of you together?”
“Friendship,” Suzie said just as Aiden answered with the same.
“Right,” Sara said under her breath. Suzie nudged her under the table.
“So, Aiden.” Sara turned to him. “How do you like filling in for your dad?”
For the rest of the dinner they talked about his job and how his father was recovering. He’d stopped by his parents’ house every night and filled his dad in on his days. He knew his father missed the work and seeing everyone.
“He’s had more visitors this last week than they had over the past ten years,” he joked. “Or so my mother says.”
“What about your sister?” Parker asked. “I know she’s still working at the Oar, but there was talk she was going to work full-time for Josh instead.”
He shrugged. “She hasn’t said much to me about it. I still can’t believe that skinny kid that was always sniffing around my little sister exposed one of the biggest online security leaks.”
“Internal Security is a great addition to Pride. Even though most of Josh’s employees are all over the world, having its headquarters here has done nothing but good. Or so my aunt keeps telling us,” Sara added.
“It’s amazing how much this town has grown since we were kids. With the new Coast Guard facility just outside of town, the demand for new housing has skyrocketed,” Parker said. “I’ve been working with a few investors. We’re looking at buying up some land on the outskirts to start a new neighborhood.”
“Really?” Suzie asked, sounding excited. “That’s a great idea.”
“I know.” Sara turned to her sister. “We’re hoping to build our own dream home there. Something we can design ourselves.”
“That would be amazing. Have you started designing it yet?” Suzie asked her.
For the rest of the meal, the conversation turned towards home designs and plans. After Sara and Suzie disappeared to bathe the kids and get them ready for bed, Parker showed him his workshop.
Aiden had to admit, the man knew how to build stuff.
The new metal shelves he was working on for Suzie’s shop were almost finished. Just looking at them, he knew they’d hold up much better than the wood ones had. Their solid frames were welded together but the wood slats for the shelving would allow for rain and water to drip through.
“We’re going to deliver these tomorrow evening,” Parker told him.
“What’s this?” Aiden asked, motioning to a large wooden bench in the shape of two dolphins. The wood carving was amazing. Aiden ran his hand over it with awe.
“This is a pet project I came up with about a year ago. I plan on making a bunch of these, different animals, and putting them around town. Lacey’s okayed the project. Sara’s convinced me to add little plaques here.” Parker motioned to the spot just between the dolphin’s fins. “She wants to get local businesses to donate money for them. We’ll put the money towards the town’s beautification project and a few other local charities.”
“How long does it take you to make something like this?” he asked.
“This one, about three months, but I had plenty of distractions along the way,” Parker joked as his son ran out in his pajamas asking for good-night hugs and kisses.
They were pulled back inside for a while before Suzie suggested they head out so the kids could head to bed.
He drove slowly through the town, not wanting the night to end, unsure of how to convince her to let it continue, at least for a little while. Then he had an idea.
“How about a walk on the beach?” he asked as they passed by the docks. “The beach close to your folks’ place is so peaceful at night.”
She narrowed her eyes at him but then nodded. “I could take a walk.”
He continued past town, past her apartment, and drove out towards her parents’ place. He parked in the small parking lot designated for the rentals. From there, they could just make out her childhood home through the trees. It was lit up, signaling that her parents were still up and probably hosting dinner for the other guests.
He helped her out of the car, and they walked down the path that led towards the small cabins and the beach beyond. They could hear laughter coming from the main house, and Suzie smiled and wrapped her arm in his.
“It’s nice knowing they still enjoy playing host to guests,” she said with a sigh.
“It must have been something growing up with strangers.”
“There was never a dull moment,” she answered with a smile. “Before I was ten, I’d met people from all over the world.” She stopped at the edge of the sand and toed off her wedges. He pulled off his shoes and rolled up his slacks, then turned and took her hand in his as they began to stroll along the dark sand.
He was thankful it was a clear night and they had an almost-full moon to guide them.
“I’ve missed living this close to the beach,” she said wishfully.
“You’ve got a beach not far from you,” he reminded her.
“Sure, but I have to walk through town and past the docks.” She shrugged. “It’s not the same. Here, there’s little chance of running into anyone.” He felt her shiver and wrapped his arm around her.
“Cold?”
“No.” She smiled up at him. “But this is nice.”
He’d never thought that someone would fear walking alone in Pride. But something told him that something had happened to Suzie at one point that put her off of walking alone after dark. He wanted to ask about it but didn’t want to darken the mood.
Pulling her closer, he enjoyed her soft scent mixed with the smell of the ocean and sand.
They walked in silence until they reached a large piece of driftwood. Then she pulled him to a stop and motioned to it.
“Want to sit for a while?” she asked.
He nodded and pulled her down so that they could watch the waves lap at the dark sand.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done this,” she said, causing him to turn and look down at her.
“This?” he asked as she moved closer.
“Being on the beach with someone,” she said a little breathless as she looked up at him. He instantly got her hidden meaning and smiled. His hand rose and brushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her eyes.
“It’s been a while for me as well,” he admitted.
She chuckled. “I doubt that.” Her eyes moved to his lips. “You were never one to go long between…”
He stopped her by leaning in and placing his lips gently over hers.
“I’ve been busy over the past year.” He laid his forehead against hers. “It’s been at least that long since I’ve been with anyone.”
“Really?” She leaned back. The slight frown on her lips only made him want to kiss them again.
“Yeah,” he answered with a sigh. “Which may be partially responsible for the punch of desire I feel every time I see you.”
“Partially?” she said with a chuckle.
His eyes moved to her lips again and he nodded. “Hell, okay, probably none of it, but…” He shrugged and then leaned closer and pulled her up against his body. “What’s the use in fighting the attraction I am feeling?”
He felt her melt against his chest as he kissed her again. “This is a bad idea,” she said between kisses. She nudged back and looked up at him. “I told myself I wouldn’t let this happen.”
“Then don’t,” he said as his eyes searched her sea-green ones. “Stop me. Tell me to go to hell. Tell me—”
She stopped him by wrapping her arms around him and kissing him once more.
This time, he let her lead. She took the kiss deeper and when he felt her fingers playing over his shoulders and arms, he pulled her closer so he could feel her soft body next to his.
He knew he should stop her. Hell, he should’ve never touched her in the first place, but the pull he felt for her was just too strong. He may end up being damned for it, but in the meantime, he was going to enjoy every moment and every single one of Suzie’s kisses that he could.
Chapter 9
To hell with it. Suzie knew what she wanted. She’d known for as long as she could remember that it had been Aiden.
How many times had she dreamed of this very moment?
Being kissed by the man of her dreams under the stars and the moon, she could almost believe in fairytales.
When he pulled her down towards the soft sand, she willingly went, enjoying the strength and warmth of his arms wrapped around her.
He positioned them so that she was lying over his chest as his lips continued to move over hers. Her fingers shook as she reached for the buttons of his shirt.
He stilled as she undid them, then she glanced up at him and smiled as her fingertips played over the muscles hidden under the material. Pulling it aside, he sat up and laid it down as a shield from the coarse sand.
With his eyes on hers, he reached up and nudged the left shoulder of her dress down until it fell. Then he followed the motion with the right side. Since the dress was low cut, it didn’t take much to have her breasts spilling free.
She felt a shiver race through her as the soft wind blew over her naked skin. Then his eyes moved lower and she saw the heat in their darkness. Her skin heated under his gaze.
“Aiden, touch me,” she begged softly as her hands moved up to touch him.
When his fingertips brushed over her skin, her head fell back with a moan.
“My god,” he sighed as he continued to touch her, “you’re so beautiful.” He moved closer until she felt his breath over her skin. When his lips and tongue touched her sensitive nipple, she cried out and buried her fingers into his hair, holding him to her as he pleasured them both.
Then he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he ran his mouth up her neck until they covered her lips again.
Her nails dug into his skin as he rolled her nipples between his fingers. His tongue played with hers.
She felt her body vibrate and wrapped her legs around his, enjoying the hardness she felt rubbing against her core.
So many times, she’d dreamed of how he would be, how it would feel to be with him. Her dreams had never come close to this.
His hand moved lower over her waist until he was nudging up her skirt, his bare palm against her thigh, and she arched and begged him again. He was doing things to her that made her mad with desire.
She had to have him. Soon.
Her own hands moved to the clasp of his jeans, but before she could release the buttons, his hand wrapped around her wrist and pushed them above her head as he rolled in the sand until she was under him.
“Not tonight,” he growled softly against her skin. “For now, let me just touch you.” His lips traveled down her neck.
She didn’t know why he was pulling away, but when his hand returned to her bare thigh, she lost the will to fight for what she wanted.
Instead, she focused on what he was doing to her. How he was traveling closer to where she wanted him to touc
h her.
His palm brushed up the outside of her thigh then traveled around the back to cup her butt as he lay between her spread legs. She felt his hardness against her thigh and rubbed her body against him, trying to convince him to take her.
Then his hand moved around, and his fingers rubbed on the outside of her silk panties, causing them to grow damp with her want.
“My god, you’re so ready. You’re making me crazy,” he said as he moved down and covered her nipple once again with his mouth just as a finger dipped below the soft material and brushed against her pussy.
She cried out and arched into his touch. When he dipped a finger into her heat, she tightened her hold on him and wrapped her legs around him as he stroked her, mimicking what she dreamed he would do to her with another part of his body.
“Aiden, please, I need you.” She tried to again reach for the button of his jeans, only to have him clasp her hands away again.
“Suz, I promised myself… not tonight. Let me take care of you.” Suddenly his weight was gone from her. She cried out in protest, but he firmly spread her legs wider as he pushed her skirt higher up, exposing her to him. Gently, he pulled her silk underwear aside as he settled in the sand between her legs. When his mouth covered her pussy, she arched and gripped his hair as he ran his mouth over her skin and his finger returned to sliding in and out of her slickness.
He spoke soft words as he kissed her, lapped at her skin, and before she could focus on what he was saying, she felt herself building and slipping down the sweet slide of the best orgasm she’d ever had.
She’d had plenty of orgasms in her life, but in the afterglow of this one, she realized that they had all paled in comparison.
She felt her body cool in the night air and shivered once, then Aiden was there, wrapping his shirt around her shoulders. He’d pulled her dress back in place sometime while she’d been still floating.
“Better?” he asked next to her.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I hate you.”
He chuckled, the sexy sound sending another wave of desire through her. Her eyes narrowed as he ran his eyes over her face. “No, you don’t.”