Thrill of Love

by Melissa Foster

  “Daddy says Mommy is the prettiest.”

  Aiyla laughed, wondering how Ty would handle that little nugget.

  “Then I think they’ll have to share that title.” Ty held a hand out to Aiyla, and when she placed her hand in his, he swept her against him and said, “Close your eyes, Flip. I’m about to give Aiyla a big messy kiss.”

  Phillip ran into the kitchen laughing. “Granny Maisy! Ty and Aiyla are kissing again!”

  “You’re so dramatic,” she teased.

  “I speak the truth.”

  He dipped her over his arm and took her in a thought-shattering kiss. She came away breathless, and he flashed a cocky smile. “Come on, beautiful. I have some wining and dining to do.”

  She wondered if it would be rude to drag him upstairs to his bedroom instead.

  He leaned in, speaking in a low, sexy voice. “You keep looking at me like that and you’re liable to get yourself in trouble.”

  “I like trouble,” she whispered.

  He nipped at her lips and said, “And I love you. Let’s go see what kind of trouble we can get into without little eyes watching us.”

  They drove down by the marina. One section of the pier was lit up with pretty yellow lights. There were a handful of people moving around, and music drifted in through their open windows.

  “What’s happening down there?” Aiyla asked.

  “It’s the monthly senior dance.”

  “But school’s out.”

  He chuckled. “Not senior like senior prom, but senior, as in people of advanced age. During the summer, volunteers bring the residents from Harbor House, the assisted living center, to the pier to dance and have dinner.”

  “Oh, how fun! Can we go see? Please?”

  Ty turned toward the marina and parked by the pier, where about twenty couples were dancing beneath the lights. “I’ve volunteered for the event a number of times.”

  “Now I really want to see it. Can we go up there?”

  “Sure.” He parked the car and came around to help her out.

  As he drew her to her feet, his scent mingled with the salty sea air. It was starting to smell like home.

  They walked hand in hand up to the pier, where elderly couples were dancing to big-band music. They held each other the way she’d seen in old movies. The men had one hand on their partner’s lower back and the other held their partner’s hand, leaving a proper amount of space between them. Ty pointed to a couple on the far side of the pier. The woman couldn’t have been more than five feet tall, and the rail-thin man she was dancing with had only a few inches on her. He had a slight hump on his back, and his wispy white hair stood on end in the gentle breeze. The woman wore a paisley dress and a pair of white orthotic shoes. His thin frame was nestled against her ample bosom, with no space between them.

  “These are the faces I live to photograph. Look how carefully they move, how focused on each other they are. I feel like when you get to be their age, you know how precious nights like this are. I wish I had my camera,” Aiyla said as she headed in their direction, dragging Ty along with her. “Can we dance?”

  Ty shrugged. “I guess.”

  Aiyla could feel positive energy radiating from the couples as they joined them. Ty put his arms around her waist, and she repositioned them to the proper positions, putting a few inches between them, like the others.

  “Seriously?”

  “We don’t want to get kicked out for misbehaving.” She couldn’t suppress her smile at his slightly annoyed expression. “Look around. Don’t you wonder if they’re real couples? Or just friends? Or maybe they just met tonight.”

  His hand slid down to her butt. “See that couple over there? The lady with the white hair dancing with Old Man Rosby? Rumor has it that they’ve been caught going at it plenty of times.”

  “You’re making that up.” She lifted his hand to her waist, and it slid right back down to her butt again.

  “They’ve been fooling around for years.”

  “Really? Why not just get married?” She glanced at the couple. The portly man shuffled rather than danced, his baggy slacks held up too high with a thick belt, and his shirt was buttoned all the way up to the top button.

  “Because Old Man Rosby is also messing around with Caroline Keller.” He nodded toward a woman whose dress clung to her stockings.

  “No!” she whispered. “That’s awful. How do you know?”

  “Because I used to volunteer at the Harbor House. I swear the man probably eats Viagra like candy.”

  They danced to a number of songs, and Ty filled her in on all the couplings he’d discovered when he’d volunteered. They laughed and talked, and Ty continued trying to cop a feel. A summer breeze embraced them, and when her stomach growled, she realized they’d probably missed their dinner reservations.

  “Oh no, Ty. You made dinner plans and I messed them up.”

  “This is much more fun than sitting in a restaurant.” He nodded to a buffet table. “Dinner is served.”

  “You’re like a professional party crasher.” She followed him over, and they each filled a plate. “Maybe we should offer to pay for our food.”

  “Oh, no need,” an elderly woman with grayish-blue eyes and pink cheeks said as she joined them. “Everyone is welcome here.” She squinted at Ty, and surprise shone in her eyes. “Why, Ty Braden? I haven’t see you since the community Christmas parade.”

  “Hello, Millicent.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “This is my fiancée, Aiyla Soon-to-Be-Braden Bell.”

  Oh, how she loved that! “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And you as well. You’re getting married? Your parents must be over the moon.”

  “They are,” he said. “Sorry to crash your dance.”

  Millicent waved a hand. “Don’t be. But you must dance with me.”

  He laughed, and his sweet smile warmed Aiyla all the way to her toes.

  “It would be my pleasure. Aiyla, will you be okay for a moment?”

  “Absolutely.” She watched as he offered his arm to Millicent and proceeded to dance with her, giving her his full attention and chatting animatedly, like a perfect gentleman.

  “I see you’ve been dumped for Millie,” the promiscuous Old Man Rosby said to her. He had kind eyes and the type of smile that could be seen as friendly or flirtatious.

  Or maybe that was subliminal, left over from what Ty had said.

  “You need to watch out for Millie,” he advised. “She’ll steal your man right out from under your nose.”

  “Thank you for the warning. I trust Ty, but I’ll keep my eyes on her.”

  He waggled his brows and said, “Do you trust me?”

  She stifled a laugh. “Should I?”

  “Dance with me, and you decide.” He held out a hand, and when she took it, he walked toward the others and held her as he’d held the other woman. “My name is Ralph. Yours?”

  “Aiyla.”

  “Aiyla, that’s an awfully pretty name, and it’s rare to hear it around these parts. It’s my great-granddaughter’s name. Do you know what it means?”

  “My mother told me it meant ‘moonlight.’ I was born at three minutes after midnight.”

  “Your mother was right, but I happen to know that it also means ‘a beautiful girl who is a strong fighter and easy to fall in love with.’”

  “Did you just make that up?” she asked.

  “No. It’s actually a Turkish name, and it really does mean that. I was married for fifty-nine years to the most beautiful woman you could imagine. She was Turkish, and her name was Dilara, which means ‘lover.’ She was an amazing lover,” he said with a hint of longing. “Before I retired, I was a linguist, and I’ve always had a penchant for names. I can tell you the meaning of most any name.”

  She glanced at Ty and asked, “What’s the definition of Ty?”

  “There really isn’t one. It’s usually an abbreviation for names like Tyler, which means to tile, or Tyson, which indicates a person w
ith a fiery temper. Is Ty your beau’s full name?”

  “Yes, it’s his given name. Simply Ty.”

  He ran an assessing eye over Ty just as Ty glanced their way, his gaze landing on Aiyla, as warm and soft as a caress. A loving smile lifted Ty’s lips.

  “I’m sorry that I don’t have a definition to give you, but I’d say there’s nothing simple about that man.”

  I think you’re right.

  When the song ended, Ty made a beeline for Aiyla and put a proprietary arm around her. He offered his hand to Ralph.

  Ralph shook it and said, “Ralph Rosby. Thank you for sharing your sweetheart with me.”

  “Thank you for dancing with her,” Ty said with a twinkle of something mischievous in his eyes. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  Ralph leaned in closer, taking a long, careful look at him. “Can’t say that I do.”

  “Ty Braden. I volunteered at the Harbor House ten or so years ago.”

  “So many people come in and out of that place. I do apologize. My eighty-eight-year-old brain isn’t what it used to be. Thank you, Miss Aiyla, for the dance. Now…” He rubbed his hands together, looking over the ladies who were mingling by the railing. “Which beauty should I allow to be the recipient of my affections tonight?” With a wink, he left them.

  Aiyla and Ty laughed.

  They finally ate dinner and then they fell back into each other’s arms, dancing alongside the others. At some point Aiyla gave up on remaining an appropriate distance apart. Ty moved sensually against her, brushing kisses along her shoulder and whispering sexy innuendos into her ears. His hands rested on her lower back. So low, his fingers played over the top of her butt, sending shivers of anticipation with every touch. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, her thoughts floating in happiness.

  The music grew quieter, and Aiyla closed her eyes, trying to hold on to every note. She didn’t want to stop dancing, or leave Ty’s arms. She didn’t want this night to end.

  “Can I have your attention, please?” Millie called out.

  Aiyla pried herself from Ty’s embrace, but he pulled her back in, gazing deeply into her eyes.

  “I want more of this,” he said heatedly. “I want to dance with you on our porch one day, and come here when we’re old and wrinkled and have young couples look at us and wonder how long we’ve been in love.”

  Her heart swelled, happiness soaring through her. “I want that, too.”

  He kissed her as Millie’s voice sounded again.

  “Tonight is Earl and Jane’s seventy-fifth wedding anniversary.” Millie motioned toward the couple that had been dancing as close as Ty and Aiyla were. Earl cradled Jane’s face in his hands the way Ty always did to Aiyla and wordlessly took his wife in a kiss that was far more than passionate. It was a kiss that told of years of friendship and unwavering love, and when he put one hand around her, holding her even closer, everyone cheered.

  Aiyla mentally captured the image, imagining Ty kissing her like that at their age.

  “One day that’ll be us.” Ty brought her in closer. “Next time we’ll bring a camera.”

  “You knew my fingers were itching?” They were so in sync. As much as she was enjoying the evening—and she did wish she had her camera—what she wanted even more was to be in his arms, kissing and touching, and loving him.

  “I saw it in your eyes.”

  She stepped in closer, aligning their bodies as she went up on her toes and kissed him again. “What else do you see?”

  Her answer came in another press of his lips, a discreet rock of his hips. Oh yes! She was vaguely aware of Millie offering cake and talking about marriage, but all Aiyla wanted was right there in her arms.

  “Take me someplace,” she said. “Someplace private.”

  TY HELPED AIYLA onto his family’s boat, kissing her as he set her on her feet. His hands moved over her hips, and he clutched her ass the way he’d craved all night.

  “Down below,” he said between hungry kisses as they stumbled toward the cabin.

  He descended the stairs and, too anxious to wait for her, he lifted her down, claiming her mouth once again as she tore at his shirt, sending the buttons flying to the floor as they rushed into the bedroom. He closed the door behind them and crashed his mouth to hers again as they feverishly toed off their shoes and he lifted her dress over her head and tossed it away. Holy hell, she was finally naked, save for a sexy lace thong. A guttural noise climbed from his throat as he greedily drank her in and shed his remaining clothes.

  She hooked her thumbs into the thin strips of lace across her hips, then stepped out of her thong and twirled it on her finger. She flung it across the room with a sultry gaze and crooked her finger, beckoning him closer. He’d never seen anything as sexy as Aiyla right that second. In one swift move she dropped to her knees, wrapped her fingers around his cock, and lowered her gloriously hot, wet mouth around his shaft, stroking slow and tight. His senses reeled as she quickened her pace and cupped his balls so exquisitely, his chin fell to his chest, and he leaned a palm on the door just to remain standing.

  “Christ, baby,” he panted out.

  His other hand tangled in her hair. She sank lower, licking his sac and sliding her tongue along the length of his shaft. Sparks shot up his spine, and he grabbed her roughly and laid her on the bed, desire burning through him from his cock to his mouth and every fucking inch in between. He tugged her legs apart, and her wicked grin told him she was on the same page.

  “Love me like there’s no tomorrow,” she demanded, and curled her fingers around his biceps as he slammed into her.

  Fireworks exploded in his mind, and heat seared through his core. He kissed her possessively, their bodies pounding out a frantic rhythm. She moaned and rocked, meeting every thrust with one of her own and driving him out of his frigging mind. He lowered his mouth to her breast, slowing their pace so just the head of his cock moved in and out of her slick heat. He grazed his teeth over her taut nipple and she cried out, her hips bucking wildly as she came. Her sex pulsed tight, and he drove into her again, hard and deep, and sealed his mouth over her neck. Her fingernails cut into his skin. He grabbed her wrists, trapping them above her head.

  “Put your legs around me, baby.”

  She did, and oh fuck, he sank even deeper into her. She was heaven on earth, and he never wanted to leave. He used one hand to hold her wrists, lowering the other beneath her, between her cheeks, to the dark place that had enraptured her before. He teased around the rim, wetting his finger with her arousal.

  “Do it, Ty. Take all of me,” she pleaded.

  He covered her mouth with his, their tongues thrusting roughly as his finger invaded her, and her whole body clenched, taking him right up to the edge of madness. She whimpered into the kiss, and when he began withdrawing, she tore her wrist from his grip and pushed his hand back into place. Holy fucking hell, he lost it, slamming into her, and catapulted them both into oblivion.

  Their bodies thrust and jerked with shocks long after their mutual release. Ty collapsed to the mattress and gathered her in his arms, kissing her face, shoulders, and lips, and panting out I love yous like a mantra. He couldn’t say it enough, couldn’t figure out a way to show her how immensely and completely he adored her.

  “Baby?”

  She gazed up with a sleepy, sated smile. “Hm?”

  “Do you want to get married before your surgery? I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere and that you can always count on me. Nothing will ever change that.”

  “That’s why I don’t want to get married first. I trust our love, and the wedding will give me motivation to push even harder through the physical therapy.”

  “God, I love you, baby. I love you so much I want to give you the world.”

  “You do, with every touch, every kiss, every word that leaves your lips.” Heat glittered in her beautiful eyes as she moved over him. Her breasts brushed against his chest, her sex slid along his sha
ft, and her hair fell around them like a veil as she whispered, “Now, future husband, let’s set our world on fire again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS of what felt like endless medical appointments, each one bringing new light to her diagnosis and upcoming surgery, recuperation, and rehabilitation, Aiyla felt as prepared as she could be. Ty had gone to every appointment with her, including the psychologist. They had also made time to help Beau with the renovations on their house. Working there had given them both something to focus on other than her life-changing surgery. But more than that, working with Ty on the renovations made the house feel like a home—their home. They had closed on the house yesterday, and she couldn’t wait to live there. It was the evening before her surgery, and if all went well, in two weeks her wish would be granted. Ty’s family was going to help him move in during her hospital stay. Aiyla had arranged for Cherise to pack up all of her belongings from her apartment in Colorado and ship them to Ty.

  Tonight everyone had come together at Ty’s parents’ house to wish her well. Not only had Ty’s entire family shown up, but Beau and all of his siblings except Zev, who was still traveling, were there, as well as Cherise and her family, Jon, and Trixie. Trixie had insisted on coming, and Aiyla was glad. She’d missed her new friend’s sassiness.

  Aiyla sat on a blanket near the bonfire with Shannon, Trixie, Cherise, and Tempe. Tempe was playing her guitar and gazing out at the beach, where Maisy, Ace, Jon, and Ty stood by the shore with Nash and Caleb, Cherise’s husband, watching over Aiyla’s nephews, Danny and David. The kids were dipping their toes in the waves with Phillip, then running in fits of giggles up the beach.

  “I can see why you wanted to have the surgery here.” Cherise tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Ty’s family has really rallied around you. I’m not sure how to repay them.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Shannon bumped Cherise’s shoulder with her own. “You came all the way from Oregon to be with Aiyla. You of all people know that this is what families do.”