by J. H. Croix
Somehow, her hand was stroking into the curls at the base of his skull, his hair damp against her fingers. He tore his mouth away, his lips coasting down her neck, his rough stubble scraping her skin, making her arch into him. Hot, wet kisses blazed a trail along the edge of her collarbone and dipped into the vee of her blouse. Her nipples were tight, peaked in desire. She wanted to feel more, more of everything. She wanted his touch on every inch of her body. Now.
Chapter 2
Aidan loosened his hand in Becca’s silky brown hair and dragged the back of his fingers along behind his lips. She tasted so damn good. She tried to blend in and not stand out, but she was too damn beautiful for that. Her kisses gave her away—passionate and wild. She threw herself into their kiss, her body twining against his in the cramped space of his car. He licked into the valley between her breasts. He couldn’t resist sliding his hand around to cup her breast, its weight heavy against his palm. Her nipple tightened under his touch.
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the window. He swore and leaned away from Becca. Her eyes slammed into his—her beautiful blue eyes. He’d stared into those eyes many times, always struggling to rein in the impulse to kiss her. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, usually guarded with a hint of distrust, the shield she hid behind. At the moment, she looked as stunned as he felt. The shield had fallen and what he saw there slammed him in the gut. Vulnerability, confusion and desire swirled together for a split second before she shuttered them. She pulled back swiftly.
At another knock on the window, he turned and tapped the button for it to open. Conveniently, the windows had fogged between the rainy cold and the heat in the car. George’s grin met him. “Hey boss. We’re here.”
“I noticed. Give me a sec, okay?”
At George’s nod, he closed the window and turned back to Becca. She’d firmly planted herself as far away as she could, mashed up against the door with her arms crossed. She stared straight ahead. Her lips were plump and swollen, and her cheeks were flushed. Her pulse beat rapidly in her neck, her skin illuminated from the lights of George’s car behind them. Her pulse was the only clue that she was anywhere near as affected as he was by their kiss.
She spoke rapidly. “I don’t know how that happened, but let’s forget about it. I’m not thinking clearly and you’re not either. How about I hitch a ride back to Seattle with your guys? They won’t mind, right?”
Aidan shook his head. Maybe he hadn’t planned to kiss Becca tonight, but he’d wanted to ever since he’d first laid eyes on her almost ten years ago. Back then, she was a mere twenty-three years old and a very studious law student. He could still recall the first time he saw her. He was on a break between missions with his team. Gage had invited him and another friend, Matt, to a family barbecue. Becca had been seated at a picnic table, her glossy brown hair hiding her face as she studied a book. She was already in her second year in law school. Then, he was a young twenty-eight years old and deep in the swagger of being a Navy SEAL. He hadn’t even noticed her at first, but sat down at the table to rest his knee, which was sore from a fall. Becca had finally looked from her book and pushed her glasses up on her nose. He felt like he’d been punched. She was so damn beautiful, he’d simply stared at her.
After several long moments of silence, Becca’s mouth had curled into a smile. “You must be Aidan,” she’d said. All he’d been able to do was nod. Somehow, he’d regained the ability to speak and carried on a semi-normal conversation with her, all the while reminding himself he couldn’t try to make a play for Gage’s little sister. Not to mention, he wasn’t interested in making a play in a casual way. He’d looked at her—at the gorgeous fall of brown hair, her sharp blue eyes behind her cat-shaped glasses, and her full pink mouth—and he’d wanted to lift her in his arms and carry her away to be with him forever. But he couldn’t do that because he was home between missions. He was already scheduled to leave with his team in a few short days on another classified mission. In the intervening years, she’d gotten engaged and dumped by her fiancée. He’d learned that bitter news from Gage on the mission when their friend Matt had died.
Aidan had known for years Becca was the one and only woman for him. Yet, time and opportunity had boxed him in. Beyond the lightning bolt of attraction he felt for her, she called to him on so many levels. She was brilliant, strong and independent. She was also a protective, loving sister. Due to his friendship with Gage, Aidan was close to their whole family and watched her time and again be there for her family whenever anyone needed her. The hardest part had been watching the walls come up around her after her engagement fell apart. Before that, he’d resigned himself to the fact he’d have to let her go since she appeared to love someone else. After that, he’d yet to sort out a way to approach her. To say she was unapproachable was an understatement.
On top of everything else, there was the complicating factor that she was Gage’s sister. In the beginning, his life as a Navy SEAL kept him away so much that romance hadn’t been a priority. He’d been able to put his feelings for Becca on the back burner. He figured if he ever had a shot with her, then he’d figure out what to do about how Gage might feel about it. Gage was one of his closest friends, and while he wasn’t irrational, he was a protective older brother. Until tonight, Aidan had figured he simply might never have to worry about how to navigate the problem with Gage.
Ten long years after his heart nearly stopped when he first saw Becca, Aidan finally kissed her. Instead of it being planned and carried out meticulously, he’d impulsively kissed her in his car on the side of the road. His heart pounding, he gathered himself and looked at her.
“I won’t forget it, and neither will you. Stop pretending.” Her eyes swung to his, wide. “I didn’t plan it this way, but I’ve wanted to kiss you for too damn long, and don’t pretend you didn’t want it too. I’m going to get out and make sure those guys don’t need anything from me. Then, I’m taking you wherever you need to go. We can talk on the way. Or not. But for God’s sake, don’t act like this was nothing. Because it damn well wasn’t and you know it.”
Becca stared at him and chewed her lip. He thought his heart might pound its way out of his chest, but he forced himself to breathe. He was afraid he’d played his cards too fast, but he’d kept his feelings under wraps for so long, his restraint was weak. When she finally nodded slowly, he let his breath go.
He climbed out into the rain, which soaked him instantly. After checking in with George and Dale and confirming the towing company was on the way, he climbed back in his sedan. Becca turned to him.
“You’re soaked! I don’t imagine you have a towel in here, huh?”
“Actually, I do.” He reached into the back and curled his hand around the handle of a black case, which held first aid and other supplies. A small, highly absorbent towel was tucked in the corner. He whipped it out and dried his face and hair.
Becca started laughing. “Only you would have a case like that. Or maybe Gage,” she said as she rolled her eyes.
“Gage definitely has one. Carryover from our military days.” He tossed the towel into the back seat and eyed her. “Okay, I don’t think we ever got to the part about where you were headed.”
“You can just take me back to Seattle.” Her shoulders hunched on a sigh.
“I’ll take you wherever you need. I know you weren’t driving home at midnight.”
“I was on my way to Bellingham to see my parents. I was supposed to go last weekend, but it got too late, so I promised I’d be there this weekend. Now it’s past midnight, it’s pouring and if you take me, I don’t know how I’ll get back home.”
Aidan shrugged. “We’re headed the same place. Did you forget Ellie lives in Bellingham?” Ellie was his younger sister.
She glanced at the clock. “Okay. You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” He didn’t wait for her to reconsider and put his car in gear and slowly pulled off the side of the highway.
Once they were on
the way north, he glanced to the side. Becca was no longer plastered against the door. Her shoulders had relaxed, and she leaned back in the passenger seat, curling her feet up under her knees. He elected to keep conversation casual. He sensed if he referenced their kiss or anything he’d said afterwards, she might shut down. The rainy drive passed swiftly. The lights of Bellingham glimmered through the rain. Aidan had been to her parents’ home a number of times, so he made his way there on memory. When he pulled up in the circular drive, he cut his lights and climbed out quickly. Becca wore a rueful smile when he opened the passenger side door.
“You just love opening doors, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “My mother was old-fashioned. She insisted on manners.”
She nodded and climbed out, stretching as she stood. He snagged her bag from the back and walked by her side to the front door. The rain fell around them. Her eyes were tired. He sensed the only reason she wasn’t her usual prickly self with him was she was too tired for it and her defenses were down. A surge of protectiveness washed through him. He hated that ever since her asshole of a fiancée had dumped her, she’d become bitter and prickly like a cactus if anyone got too close.
She looked up at him, her lashes spiky from the rain.
“Can I stop by tomorrow?”
She nodded. He didn’t wait and dipped his head to catch her lips. He wanted more, so much more, than the quick kiss he allowed himself. Somehow, he’d managed to bumble his way through his impulsive kiss with her earlier, and he didn’t want to push too far, too fast with her. She was well-defended and with good reason. Her lips were so soft and supple, he almost lost his hold on the thin thread of control he had. He forced himself to step back. “I’ll call you.”
Chapter 3
Becca woke late, so late the sun was high in the sky and filling the guest room at her parents’ house with bright light. She kicked the covers off and shuffled into the bathroom. As she stood under the steaming hot water, her mind replayed Aidan’s kiss last night. She kept trying to convince herself she must have imagined how earthshaking it was, but her body betrayed her. Merely thinking about it sent heat spiraling through her. She tried to force her thoughts off of him, but her mind was stubborn and kept leaping back on the track that was dedicated solely to Aidan now. She bounced between the hot memory of what it felt like to have his lips on her skin and what he said afterwards. Did he really say he’d wanted to kiss her for too damn long? She must have imagined that. Every time she tried to dismiss it as an overwrought, erroneous memory, her heart and body clamored otherwise.
Annoyed, she dressed quickly and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. After all five of their children had grown up and moved out, the Hamilton’s had wisely sold the sprawling home they owned outside of Seattle and relocated to Bellingham. Their home was situated on a small rise on the outskirts of the city with a view of Bellingham Bay. The hallway opened into an expansive living room and kitchen. Becca’s mother, Jill, was putting dishes away in the kitchen. Becca strode to her side and gave her mother a quick squeeze around the shoulders.
“Hey Mom, I made it!”
Jill glanced over and smiled. Her mother’s dark hair was shot through with silver streaks. She kept it short though its tendency to curl won out no matter its length. Her face was framed with wispy curls. “I heard you come in last night, but figured it was best to let you get to bed. Glad you made it. Where’s your car?” Jill put the last plate away and handed Becca a mug from the cabinet. “Coffee’s fresh,” she offered, gesturing to the coffee pot nearby.
Becca filled her mug and took a welcome sip. “You make the best coffee.” She took another swallow before leaning against the counter. “When I last saw my car, it was on its side in a ditch.”
Jill’s hand flew to her mouth. “What happened? Are you okay? Why didn’t you call us?”
“Slow down, Mom. As you can see, I’m fine. My shoulder’s a little sore, but that’s it. I wasn’t too far north of Seattle when a car swerved into my lane. A little bump, and I ended up in the ditch. Before I had a chance to call anyone, Aidan showed up. He was on his way to spend the weekend at Ellie’s.”
Saying his name aloud sent a curl of anticipation through her. Dammit, she did not need this right now. She’d sworn off men for good reason. She didn’t need to fall for Aidan McNamara. Maybe he wanted to kiss her, but everything about his life screamed permanent bachelor. He worked nearly all the time and, as far as she knew, he kept his relationships strictly casual. She forced her mind back to the moment. Her mother was saying something, and she’d lost track.
“Say that again, Mom. My brain hasn’t had enough coffee yet.” True, but not why she was distracted. She took another gulp of coffee and topped it off before walking to the small round table by the windows and sitting down.
Jill followed and sat across from her. “I was just asking where your car was now.”
“Oh, right. Aidan arranged for two of his crew to wait with it until the tow company got there. You know Aidan, he probably had it sent to the most swank towing company lot in Seattle. As if there could be such a thing.” She rolled her eyes and glanced out the window.
“Now, honey. Don’t give Aidan a hard time for helping you. He’s a good man.”
Becca idly twirled a lock of her damp hair around her finger. “I know. I was teasing. He’s another Gage—always there to save the day.”
Jill frowned. “And what’s wrong with that?”
Becca couldn’t seem to eliminate her slightly snide tone. She didn’t really mean it, but Aidan set her off. Their kiss last night had only exacerbated the feeling. She certainly didn’t want to try to explain that to her mother. She bought a moment by taking a slow sip of coffee before she met her mother’s soft gray eyes.
“Nothing’s wrong with saving the day. You know me, sometimes I tease too much.”
Her mother held her gaze, her eyes a tad too knowing for Becca’s comfort. “Maybe so, but you hate asking for help more than anyone I know, so I’m sure it rankles when you need it. It wouldn’t hurt you to be forced to ask for help a bit more. Maybe you’d get over yourself then.”
Becca tried to beat back the defensive feeling that arose inside. She wanted to stomp her feet and deny her mother’s point. However, it was so apt, she knew she’d sound ridiculous if she argued. She hadn’t always been this bad about it. She and her twin brother Garrett occupied the middle tier of siblings in their family. Gage was the oldest, her and Garrett next, then Sawyer, and last came her only sister, Jessa. Being jostled in the middle and surrounded with three brothers, Becca had fought to be as strong and as tough as her brothers. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she’d always wanted to be strong, to show the world she could take care of herself. Yet, she hadn’t been antagonistic to the concept of relying on someone. She’d taken a spin on trying to let down her guard, which had ended in the spectacular and mortifying end of her engagement when she caught her fiancée with his pants around his ankles in the bathroom and another woman’s mouth wrapped around his cock. The woman in question, Lynne Green, had allegedly been Becca’s friend and was supposed to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. The bitter irony of how cliché it all was still rankled at her.
Even worse, Kyle—she could barely stand to think his name—had pulled himself together faster than she had in the moment and technically broken up with her before she managed to form a word in her brain. He’d gone on to report to their many shared friends and acquaintances his toned down version of events, which included the face-saving detail that he had broken up with her. She was too embarrassed to tell many people the sordid truth, but a few close friends knew. To her knowledge, her mother didn’t know the worst of it. She only knew Kyle had broken up with Becca two days before the wedding and he’d gone on to date her friend.
To say Becca didn’t enjoy the idea of allowing herself to be vulnerable, which meant asking for help sometimes, was an understatement after that. Traversing this me
ntal trail of events, Becca smiled ruefully at her mother. “Maybe so. At least I let Aidan drive me up here last night after he made the arrangements for my car. That’s big for me, you know?”
***
“Easy, Oscar,” Aidan warned when his sister’s dog barreled toward him.
Oscar incrementally slowed his gait, but he still crashed into Aidan’s knees. Aidan leaned down and ran his hand through Oscar’s thick fur.
“He can’t help himself,” Ellie remarked from across the room. “He loves you to pieces.” Ellie tucked her almost-black hair behind her ears as she looked over at Aidan, her hazel eyes glinted with amusement.
Aidan plunked down on the couch and patted it. Oscar had free rein in Ellie’s house, including to the couch. Oscar leapt up beside Aidan and immediately curled up and rested his head against Aidan’s leg. Oscar was Ellie’s latest foster dog. She cared for dogs one a time until the local rescue organization found permanent homes for them. Oscar had been with her for months now. Large and black, he was a mixed breed dog who looked mostly Labrador retriever. According to Ellie, even the friendliest black dogs were harder to adopt out.
Aidan leaned his head back on the couch and eyed Oscar. “I think he loves everyone to pieces.”
Ellie grinned and stood up from the small table where she’d been sewing. Scraps of brightly colored fabrics were scattered on the table like confetti. Ellie loved to sew and had lately taken up quilting. Every time Aidan wondered how his little sister would get by, she tried her hand at yet another artsy endeavor and made money. Her quilts were selling well at a local fiber arts gallery in Bellingham. They were added onto her stable of pottery.
She sat down across from Aidan and Oscar in a small rocking chair, idly pushing it back and forth with her foot. “He loves lot of people, but you’re in his special category. I wish you’d consider adopting him. He’d make a great friend for you.”