Tossing the white bag holding her vitamins toward the coffee table in the center of the room, Carolina collapsed tiredly against her overstuffed forest green couch and stared at him with a slightly dazed look. “You’re happy?”
“You’re not?” he volleyed, propping his hands on his hips as he faced her.
“I…it’s all so…unplanned,” Carolina groaned, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes.
“We made love without a condom, Dimples. We both knew a baby was a risk,” Aiden pointed out gently as he circled the coffee table to perch on the couch beside her.
Shooting him a dejected look, Carolina shook her head sadly. “You fucked me, Aiden. We weren’t making love. I’m not going to try to delude myself about that night or convince myself that it’s something it wasn’t,” she stated quietly with as much dignity as her shredded psyche would allow.
Heaving out a heavy sigh, Aiden struggled for patience. He wasn’t sure if his girl was either too stubborn for her own good or completely blind to what he felt for her. Either way, it was his job to enlighten her. “Carolina, I’m not sure what happened for you that night, but I can promise you I was not fucking you that night. My heart was involved, sweetheart. I was making love.”
“And did you make love to Lorna, too?” Carolina asked harshly only to grimace a split second later. “Forget I said that,” she demanded quickly, waving a hand in the air as she shook her head vigorously. “It’s absolutely none of my business. I apologize.”
Grabbing her flapping hand in his, Aiden held tight as he wove their fingers together. “Fuck that, Carolina,” he growled as he tamped down on his own anger. “It is absolutely your business who I put my dick in. Just like everything about that sweet body of yours is my business.”
“Stop saying that,” Caro begged as she tried to tug her hand from Aiden’s grip.
Frowning when he saw the tears and confusion swimming in Carolina’s eyes, Aiden’s heart beat a little faster. It was do or die time. The moment had come to lay it all out for Caro and pray she wanted him as much as he did her. “Lorna was a drunken mistake that I made months before I even knew you existed. I was with her one time during one night when I had just gotten done answering a bad callout. I had too much to drink and hooked up with her. I’m ashamed to admit this, but she meant nothing to me. She was a warm body to hold on an awful night. I used her. It was a shitty thing to do to her and I’m not proud of myself, but I’m not going to sit here and paint this any other way than how it was. Lorna, though, wanted more from me than one night. She convinced herself that if I’d just give her a chance, we could have something real together. For months, I’ve been shooting her down as gently as I could. I hadn’t been with anybody else since that night with her until I met you, Caro, and I swear on my life that I haven’t been with anyone since. I can’t explain to you how much our night together meant to me. You were everything that I didn’t know I needed in my life. Sweet. Special. And meant to be mine. I wanted to howl when Lorna called and ruined that night. You were already freaking that we’d forgotten the condom, and then you had to deal with her craziness on top of everything else. Honest to God, I wanted to claw off my own skin for ever having touched her. When she called and you heard her, I knew that being gentle with her feelings wasn’t going to work any longer. So, after I finished my callout, I stopped by her hotel and insisted she meet me in the lobby. I laid it out – plain and clear – that she and I had no future together. I told her that I’d found the woman I wanted and she wasn’t it. If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask the night clerk at the Travel Lodge. I’m sure she remembers the scene Lorna created.”
“You ended it with her?” Carolina asked huskily, hope swirling in her eyes as her hand relaxed in Aiden’s.
“Baby, it never even got started with her. Not really. But I did finally make her understand that what happened between us was a drunken mistake, and that I’d never be going back for seconds. I made her aware that I’m totally hung up on this gorgeous, young librarian with hair the color of rich cinnamon and a pair of stormy blue eyes that make me wanna drown in ‘em. Lorna will not be a problem for either of us anymore. There’s nothing standing in the way of us being together, Dimples.”
“You don’t even know me, Aiden,” Caro replied, biting her full lower lip as she stared into his eyes. “As if you couldn’t already tell, I’m not exactly prime girlfriend material. I have big trust issues. I still feel abandoned after losing my parents. I often overreact, and I hold one mean grudge. I’m afraid to trust my own judgment. The list goes on, but I think you’re getting the picture. I’m a terrible risk to take.”
“Yeah, well, you’re also the most beautiful creature God ever put on this earth. You make my heart happy, my cock hard, and soul feel complete for the first time in over thirty years. When I look at you, I see everything I never knew I needed in my life. Knowing that you’ve got our child nestled under your heart only makes me want you more. Can you honestly say that when we were together that it didn’t feel like finding a piece of yourself that you never realized was missing until I filled it, sweetheart?” he asked, lifting a hand to stroke the pad of his thumb over the apple of her cheek. “Because that’s how it was for me. You filled my heart up to overflowing, Caro, and I want a lifetime of that feeling. You’re not a risk, baby. You’re not just the goddamn end of the fucking rainbow for me. You’re the pot of fuckin’ gold, and I’m not letting you go no matter what kind of bullshit excuses you throw in my path. You and I are meant to be together.”
“You’re that sure of me?” Carolina questioned tremulously as two fat teardrops slid past her eyes to slide down her cheeks.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you, darlin. Standin’ alone on the side of the road, firm ass wavin’ in the air as you bent over the tire of your 4Runner. I knew in a second that it was only ever gonna be you for me from that moment onward. Don’t know how. Never believed in love at first sight. Lust at first sight, sure. But love? Fuck, no. Not until I spotted you,” he explained, grinning when he actually heard her gulp. “Don’t be scared, Dimples,” he ordered softly, watching as her nostrils flared and fear flashed in her eyes. “I don’t expect you to feel the same way about me. I just want you to give us a genuine chance. Can you do that for me? Can you give me the opportunity to show you that I’m the man meant to claim your heart?”
Chapter Seven
Carolina’s breath seized in her throat as Aiden’s question hung in the air between them.
God, he was saying all the right things. Things that any woman would be ecstatic to hear. And yet, terror gripped her heart.
He loved her?
He couldn’t love her!
Except, she could see by the resolved look on his face that he meant every single word he said.
He’d fallen in love with her.
And that scared Carolina speechless.
Because as much as she wanted to give him what he wanted, she’d already proven that she was a failure at relationships. She’d shown Aiden in glaring Technicolor that she was a relationship amateur when she’d spent the last six weeks ignoring and avoiding the father of her unborn child. Granted, she hadn’t actually known she was pregnant – not for sure. But she’d had a strong suspicion, and still, she’d dodged every move he’d made to rectify things between them.
All because she was terrified of being hurt.
The problem was, Aiden was right. Being with him during that one hot night had been unlike anything she’d ever experienced in her life. There’d been an electrifying connection that had gone far beyond the mere joining of their bodies. It was as if he’d also somehow managed to knit her heart to his, binding not only their flesh, but their souls, too. Against her will, a strong emotional bond had formed between them that night, and based on the determination in his eyes, it was one he’d fight like hell to keep intact. He needn’t worry, though. It appeared it was unbreakable.
Especially now that they’d be sharing a very perma
nent link - a tiny human that would carry a piece of both of them.
Staring into his dark chocolate eyes, she felt herself slipping under his spell. The same spell he’d cast on her six weeks ago.
“Caro, baby, say something, please,” he begged in a low voice rife with anxious need. “Don’t tell me I’ve screwed this thing up between us even worse than before.”
Blinking away her stupor, she shook her head. “No, you haven’t. I promise. I just…I’m not sure what to say. There are so many things swirling in my mind.”
“Just take a deep breath and start talking, Dimples. I’ll listen,” Aiden offered softly.
Deciding to rip the Band-Aid off, Caro blurted, “It’s crazy, but I think I love you, too. Every rational thing inside me says that it’s not possible, but my heart keeps screaming that’s exactly what I’m feeling for you. Love,” she confessed unhappily.
“And that upsets you?” he inquired tenderly, settling his hand against her neck.
“Well, yeah!” she returned quickly. “Aiden, I’m a librarian. I like things neat and tidy. I like order. I’ve always lived my life by a set of precise rules. In my world, a man meets a woman. If he likes her, he asks her out on a date. If they have enough in common, they continue to see each other. If that works out, they explore a deeper, more physical relationship. It’s committed and monogamous. If that aspect clicks, then the couple moves on to marriage and babies. See? Clearly defined parameters and rules. Everybody knows the game plan and nobody gets hurt. You and I -- we broke the rules. We stepped outside the parameters. I acted totally out of character and had a one night stand with you. I NEVER do that kind of thing…”
Tilting his head, Aiden smiled. “I’d like to interject that I never thought of us as a one night stand. I knew from the moment I got my mouth on you that you and I could never be a one-and-done, Caro.”
“Well, I didn’t know that. You’ll never understand how I felt that night we came together, Aiden. I’d just stepped completely out of my comfort zone and did this monumental thing with you. I exposed more of myself during those few short hours with you that night than I ever had with a man I’d dated for years. The sex was phenomenal. The earth moved for me. It was soul-shattering. Then, in the blink of an eye, reality intruded. I realized that we didn’t use any protection and that was like having a bucket of cold water splashed in my face. The fun, freeing sexual interlude we’d just had got very real, very fast. I was worried. I was scared. And in the middle of dealing with that, Lorna called. Then, in addition to everything else, I felt dirty. Like I was just one in a number. A notch on your bedpost. And that broke my heart because the powerful connection I felt pulling us together suddenly appeared to be one-sided. I had to get out of there. So, I ran. And you chased. So, I ran harder, but you kept chasing. Then, I began to doubt myself. Why would you chase me if you wanted her? I started to wonder if you were maybe telling the truth about not being involved with her. Maybe things weren’t what they’d initially seemed with that phone call.”
“So why didn’t you just stop running away from me, Dimples? Why didn’t you let me catch you?” Aiden asked her quietly as the ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to echo in the otherwise silent room.
“Pride. Fear. Stupidity. Take your pick,” Carolina replied truthfully. “I don’t know if you realized this, Aiden, but you’re a charismatic man. You have this magnetic pull that just sucks me in. I could so easily get lost in you. If I give you my heart…”
“If you give me your heart, I’ll protect it until the last breath leaves my body, Carolina, but you have to be willing to take a leap of faith and trust that I’ll always catch you.”
Carolina stared at him for a long, fraught moment, her frantic mind weighing the risks and the rewards. Finally, she lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to his wide wrist, her lips settling against the hot skin and resting there for a few moments before she lifted her head and nodded once. “Okay,” she declared shakily, lifting her chin and facing his questioning gaze.
“Okay, what?” he asked slowly, his fingers tightening around hers until it was almost painful.
“You want me to take a leap, right? Well, I’m jumping, Aiden. Just make sure to break my fall, okay?” she begged weakly as tears dripped down her cheeks.
Groaning, Aiden dropped her hand to reach for her face, gripping each side as he pulled her lips to his. “You’ll never hit the ground, Dimples,” he promised against her damp lip as her tears mingled with his.
Feeling the first firm sweep of his warm tongue against hers, Carolina moaned, lifting a hand to clutch at his neck as he pushed her back against the cushions of the couch, his broad body covering hers as his tongue twined around hers. Tasting. Caressing. Loving. And like the swallows flying to Capistrano, it felt like returning home after a long, cold journey through a foggy abyss. Her body instantly recognized its mate, and every touch of his mouth and hands set her body on fire.
Blistering, crushing need filled her as her hands grappled with the buttons on his shirt, her fingers eager to feel his flesh against hers. “Too many clothes, Aiden,” she mumbled between deep, biting kisses.
“Shhh, Dimples,” he soothed, lifting his head to stare down at her, his large hands gentle as he eased beneath her blouse to stroke the rounded bulge where his baby rested within her. “We’ve got all the time in the world. As much as I want you, I need to go slow. You’re carrying our little nugget, baby, and I’ve never made love to a pregnant woman. I don’t wanna hurt you or the baby.”
“I’m gonna hurt you, if you don’t get your clothes off and ease this ache,” she decreed firmly, feeling more wanton than she ever imagined she could. “The baby will be fine. Dr. Mack promised me that our little alien passenger is entirely healthy. The heartbeat was strong and my bloodwork came back fine. The doctor’s even going to do an ultrasound at next month’s appointment. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to tell what we’re having.”
“I’m gonna be there, Caro. I’m gonna be there for all of it,” Aiden proclaimed earnestly as he smiled down at where his hand rested heavily against her small baby bump. Lifting his eyes back to hers, she watched him swallow, his Adam’s apple moving up and down his neck. “Dimples, I know you like order and our baby wasn’t planned, but you do want it, don’t you?”
Stilling against him, Carolina froze. “What?”
“You don’t see our child as a mistake, do you?” Aiden asked, sounding pained as he stroked the sensitive skin that shielded his offspring.
“Never!” Carolina denied passionately. “Even as surprised as I was, I didn’t think of this baby as anything other than a miracle. Aiden, I’m alone in the world. My parents are dead, and I didn’t have any siblings. When I knew for sure that I was really pregnant, do you know what my first thought was?”
“Tell me,” he urged huskily, brushing his lips against her forehead.
“That no matter how things turned out between us, at least I’d always have a piece of you to love and be loved by,” she confided, her voice fragile. “I think it’s why I never even considered any other options. Part of me always knew, even if I didn’t want to acknowledge it.”
“You’ve got more than our baby’s love, Dimples,” Aiden assured her as he dropped a slow, purposeful kiss to the center of her neck. “You’ve got mine, too. You always will, baby.”
“Show me,” Caro pled breathlessly as she arched her back and pressed her swollen breasts against his chest. As much as she loved hearing him profess his love, her body craved a more elemental demonstration. “Show me how much you’re always going to love me.”
Feeling his kisses on her throat as he drew her blouse over her head, Carolina moaned as his heated hands cupped the heavy mounds of her breasts. Even more sensitive thanks to her pregnancy, her breasts ached with the need to be squeezed and fondled. “Please, Aiden,” she beseeched him breathily.
“Please what, Dimples? Do these pretty handfuls need some attention?” he chuckled darkly, dipp
ing his tongue into her cleavage and lapping the vulnerable flesh.
“Y-yes.”
“What do you want me to do, baby? All you have to do is say it and I’ll give you whatever you want,” he murmured against her ear, nipping her ear lobe sharply.
“Touch them. Suck them,” she pressed as she reached for the front clasp on her bra and released the fastening mindlessly, biting her lip when his hot mouth moved down her neck, dropping short, gentle love bites against the column of her throat.
“Ah, fuck, Dimples,” he growled hoarsely as his hand found one swollen breast and cupped it in his hand, squeezing firmly and pulling a low cry from her lips. “The pretty tits of yours are gonna be my undoing. So ripe and firm. Those hard little raspberry-colored nipples just beggin’ for my mouth.”
“Yes,” she whimpered as her back bowed and she thrust her breasts toward his face. She nearly wailed as his mouth covered one nipple and pulled it into the smoldering heat of his mouth, his lips sucking gently at the turgid tip as one of his hand unfastened the button on her jeans and slid down the zipper. “Oh, God! Aiden!” She gasped as his hand slithered into her panties to press against her cleft.
“Your sweet little pussy missed me, didn’t it, Caro?” Aiden’s deep voice murmured against her breast before pulling it back into the heat of his mouth. Using his thumb to rub slow circles against her throbbing clit, she rocked her hips desperately against his hand, her body searching for the monumental release she knew he’d give her.
“Yes,” she replied urgently as two of his fingers breeched her snug opening. “I missed you so much. Every night. Every day. Every minute,” Caro confessed on a low keen. Later, she might be embarrassed by her blunt honesty, but right now, she needed the man she loved to understand that there hadn’t been a moment in the last six weeks that her body hadn’t yearned for his.
Claimed (Passion in Paradise #4.5) Page 8