“Unfortunately you are probably right. A woman being injured just doesn’t seem right. I know things have changed and I’m not saying that the forces don’t need you because they clearly do and you do a great job, but it doesn’t sit well with many of the men. It goes against everything a man is to see a woman do anything in his place. To see one injured is just awful. I’m glad that you are out of it but I wonder about this quiet life. It’s the complete opposite of what you were used to. Are you sure that you don’t miss it?”
Gemma shook her head.
“No, not now. I did at first. I’d been in for ten years and was ready to try something else, but the office job I took was so dull and the women there were such...Well, you’ll have to imagine, but I swear I had never heard anything like it before. When Ellen called and said that Amy and Geraldine were missing and they needed my help, earlier on in the year, I just dropped everything, came over here and never went back.”
“What about your family? Don’t you miss them?”
She shrugged and gazed out through the apple orchard.
“Not yet. My sister was married just before all the mayhem kicked off with Amy and Geraldine. She’s really busy with her new husband. We Skype all the time so it doesn’t feel as though she’s far away and my parents are coming over next month. They’re staying in Madame Rouseau’s gite.” She referred to their neighbour’s farmhouse that had several cottages to let in the grounds. “It’s so different here to England even though we are not very many miles away. I like it. The pace of life is so relaxed and the French don’t seem to be at all materialistic. They just like good food and good company, but what about you? Do you have family you’re missing?”
Aaron shook his head and turned to face the bay. The rippling waves twinkled at them in the sunlight.
“I am an only child, same as both of my parents. I think they had given up on having kids when I suddenly came along. My mum was well into her forties. I remember that she was so annoyed when a few of the younger mothers thought that she was my gran when waiting for me at the school gate.” He laughed for a moment at the memory, but then became serious again. “My mum died of cancer when I was twelve and I lost my dad when I was twenty. That was worse because I didn’t even get to see him before he died. I was already on a deployment and couldn’t get leave. I didn’t even go to his funeral. He had heart problems and had already made his own arrangements just in case something occurred while I was away.”
Gemma’s eyes widened.
“That’s awful...So you have no siblings or even any cousins. That sounds awful. Even though I don’t see them often, I can’t imagine having no family.”
Aaron quirked up the side of his mouth and lifted his chin in the direction of the pool.
“It’s guys like them that have been my family. I suppose that’s half the reason that I’m worried about losing my job. It isn’t just my job that’s at stake. It feels as though it’s my whole life and the people I have grown to love.”
Gemma sighed deeply. She knew exactly what he meant.
“It’s hard to let go of things, but we don’t always have control over everything we do. Sometimes we just have to take what life throws at us and see what we can make of it.” She knew that she should apply the sentiment to herself, but it seemed much easier saying it to someone else.
Aaron looked down at her. He could see the compassion and determination in her expression.
“And yet you doubt yourself at times.” He kept his eyes on her face, waiting for her response.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
“I hadn’t until recently. I think I was so busy before that I hadn’t noticed how much everything had affected me. Sitting in that blasted office job, bored witless and listening to a bunch of women going on about such trivial things really brought it home to me that I was completely different to them. I had no connection to their world and they had no idea about mine. When Paul and Amy opened the centre I thought it was going to be like old times here, but it’s not. Seeing those men coping how they do made me feel like a fraud. I was toughing it out when I was feeling no better than any one of them.” She gave a quick smile up at him. “I’m feeling better now though. You’ve made me see that it’s okay to cry, to feel down. So long as I can pick myself up again I will be fine. Now I really want to get stuck into this job and help those who are having a much worse time of it than me.”
A breeze picked up and Aaron breathed in the fruit scented air. He shuffled his feet for a moment before he took a step closer to her. He reached out, lifting his hand to her cheek and brushed along her jaw line. His hand slid further back and he pushed his fingertips into her hair.
“So you are definitely staying?” He waited for her to nod decisively before he carried on. “If...if I gave up trying to get back into my job, would there be any room left in here?” The knuckles of his injured hand grazed the skin just above the open neckline of her of her shirt and he swallowed before forming his next words. “Would there be any room left in here, for me?”
There was a long silence. The birds in the trees seemed to grow quiet, the splashing from the pool died away and even the gentle breeze stilled.
Gemma blinked and stared into his aqua gaze. His lashes flickered once before she lifted her hand to his chest.
“I...I don’t know Aaron.” She reached up and touched his lip, stopping him before he interrupted. “I know that you make me feel good, make me feel things that I don’t remember ever feeling before, but I don’t want to make a mistake and jeopardize anything I have here.”
Warmth flooded her senses and she was suddenly pulled into his arms. His shoulders enveloped her as he tilted his head and his lips brushed against hers.
“I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable here. Just give me a chance, Gemma. Please say that you want me to stay. I’ll work something out. I’ll leave the army, do anything, but I have to be with you. I have to know if there’s more to this, that we could make it work between us.”
She felt her bones dissolve into water as his husky tone washed over her and then he was kissing her again and she was kissing him right back. His fingers threaded through her hair as he groaned into her mouth, parting her lips and devouring her with a burning need that wouldn’t be doused.
Her hand spread across his shoulder, feeling the heat of his muscled body through his shirt and she pulled him towards her as he deepened the kiss even further. He pushed her back against the trunk of an old apple tree and pressed the whole length of his long body against hers.
For several moments Gemma thought she was going self combust and burst into an inferno of flames. Every inch of her skin was on fire for him and she gave herself up to the passion he had ignited. It was minutes before he tore his lips from hers. He touched his forehead against hers and took in huge, gasping breaths as he tried to control his fervour.
“You have no idea what you are doing to me,” he rasped out. “I want you so badly that I have to stop now or I’ll be taking you here on the ground beneath this tree.”
She shifted slightly and dipped her head into his shoulder as she forced her heart-rate back to somewhere near normal.
“I feel the same. It’s been hard to keep myself away from you.” She pressed her lips to the column of his throat before she breathed in his spicy scent as he groaned in frustration.
Aaron brought his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back as he stepped away. He was still breathing hard, his chest heaving as he smothered his desire.
“This has to stop now. I won’t be responsible for my actions if we carry on here like this. I want you, but when I take you I want it to be perfect, not just a quick moment of lust, but a night filled with passion.”
Gemma leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes as she fought her own riotous emotions. She had seen what it cost him to be a gentleman and she hoped that she could be a lady in return. It was harder than she had imagined. Every fibre of her body screamed for her to not let him
go, to launch herself into his arms, to press herself against him and kiss him until his knees buckled under the weight of her own desire.
Instead she gripped the rough bark of the old tree and chanced a glance up at him. His aqua eyes were on her, trying to read her thoughts as he waited for her response.
She ran her tongue over her swollen lips.
“Where do we go from here? I don’t know how something like this works. You are a guest here and I shouldn’t have a relationship with you. I could lose my job, my home.” She knew that she was beginning to panic.
Aaron stepped forwards again, now completely in control of his own feelings. He reached out and touched a curl of her hair and smiled down at her.
“Gemma, it’s fine. I would never put you in a position where you could lose everything you hold dear. We’ll take this slowly, just a day at a time. We know that we want each other, but that doesn’t mean we have to rush. We can wait until I’m no longer confined here, until we know if I have to go back.”
She frowned.
“Go back? I thought that you had changed your mind about that.” Her tone accused his as her heart began to pound again, this time in fear.
“I may have no choice. If I’m cleared of any wrong doing and my injuries don’t hold me back, I have another two years to complete. On the other hand, if I can’t shake this charge of negligence I may face a disciplinary. In any case I have to make sure that I clear my name. I want to make a go of things here with you, but I’ll need a job. Flying is all I know, all I have ever wanted to do and the possibilities will be limited if there have been charges proven against me.”
She nodded but forced herself to remain still even though she wanted to reach out to him, to lay her hands on him for reassurance.
“I trust you, Aaron and I’ll do anything to help you.” She kept her voice strong, willing him to believe that she meant every word.
He breathed out a sigh of relief and took hold of her hand.
“Come on. Let’s go back in. We need to get dinner going. The fellas will be tired after swimming and they’ll need a good dinner before tomorrow.”
Gemma smiled at him.
“Are you sure that you want to fly again? Sounds to me like you’re settling in perfectly well down here on the ground.”
Aaron shook his head.
“I do like it here, more than like it, but I want to find my own niche if I stay.” He suddenly glanced away from her as if afraid to meet her gaze. He reached down and took hold of her hand, pulling her gently back towards the courtyard.
Gemma tried to wriggle her fingers from his grasp.
“Aaron, the others will see. They’ve already guessed that I like you. I don’t want them jumping to conclusions about anything else.”
Aaron snorted.
“Too late for that.” He nodded towards the swimming pool where three pairs of eyes stared at them while William peered hard and spoke loudly.
“What’s going on...did he kiss her yet? Did she like it or did she slap him?” He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet and nudged Ben in the ribs with his elbow for an answer.
Ben rubbed his side but replied jovially enough.
“Okay, you can stop leaping about. He kissed her. Thoroughly by the looks of it. By the smiles on both of their faces and the way they are holding hands, she definitely liked it. Okay, I owe you a tenner and I’ll load the dishwasher tonight.”
Will slapped his own thigh in delight.
“Ha! See, I was right. I might be half blind, but I’m not bloody deaf, you know. I told you about all that sighing and deep breathing I heard. I was nearly forced to close my bedroom door the other night.” He dragged a towel around his shoulders and began drying off, completely oblivious to Gemma’s discomfort as Aaron gripped her hand even tighter and she smiled shyly as she felt her face turn scarlet under the men’s combined gazes.
Chapter Ten
Twenty delicious cakes and desserts sat already boxed on the kitchen table.
Gemma added the melted chocolate to her whipped cream and stirred gently until the mixture was completely blended. Aaron passed her the first of the crunchy biscuit bases and she spooned the mousse over, spreading it roughly and leaving extravagant clouds of billowy chocolate cream artistically puffed across the surface.
Aaron narrowed his eyes as she scraped the bowl a little too thoroughly.
“So where’s my taster? You could have left me half a spoonful.” He reached across her and swirled his finger around the inside of the bowl. He sucked his finger and moaned in delight as the sweet chocolate mousse melted in his mouth. “That is just so delicious. I still cannot believe the recipe is so easy.”
Gemma grinned at him happily.
“Trust me to always find the easiest option. All that faffing about with separating eggs and whisking until your arm wants to fall off is just a complete waste of time and energy if you ask me.” She wrestled the empty bowl from his hands and put it in the dishwasher. Aaron began to stack the prepared desserts in the fridge. He looked back at the other boxes sitting on the table.
“Are this lot going to be okay out here? I should think the cheesecake needs refrigerating at the very least. I think they’ll fit if I juggle the other stuff a bit. It’s not like the veg needs to go in the fridge anyway.”
Gemma straightened up and looked at the boxes.
“Yes, you’re right. We’ll have to make way for them. It’s just as well that Ben’s snowball puddings are still in the freezer. He’s going to add the cream decoration up at the hotel.”
Aaron began picking out the carrots and green beans and adding them to a basket by the door.
“These will be fine down here for a day or two.” He finished making room in the fridge and began picking up the boxed cakes. “It’s lucky we have two fridges. I don’t think using the one with meat and fish would comply with health and safety regulations. That’s another thing Amy’s going to have to look at if we go any further with this.”
Gemma smiled at his unconscious use of the word ‘we’. He had begun using it in earnest over the last few busy days and she liked the way it sounded. She held back a sigh. There hadn’t been much time for them to talk about their own relationship and working beside him with no physical contact made every nerve ending in her body tingle with frustration.
After their kiss and conversation in the orchard, Gemma had thought that Aaron might have tried to come to her room, but seeing William’s open door every evening as they retired for the night, was a little off putting.
Their shopping expedition for ingredients had been a great success with contact made with local producers, but it hadn’t been at all romantic. They took a rain-check on their lunch after spending far more time talking to the French stall holders than they had anticipated. Interest in the potential scheme had been far greater than expected and they had barely caught the tide back to the château. They fought the cross wind all the way, leaving them both exhausted.
A couple of stolen kisses in quiet corners of the centre and several heated glances was all the private time that they had managed in nearly a week. What with Amy being sick every morning, Gemma took on extra administration responsibilities as well as her own work. Jason needed transport to his appointments at the hospital and what with the charity event to help organize and all the extra cooking, the week disappeared in a blur of frantic activity.
Gemma hoped that they would be able to dance after dinner that night and maybe get some time to themselves the next afternoon when the centre would be quieter. Ellen had come over to tell the men that she had arranged for them to stay at the hotel the day before the charity event. Joe was putting on some extra activities that he thought they might like to try and the men had been more than enthusiastic to join in.
Aaron had reminded Ellen that he wasn’t allowed to leave the centre, but it was agreed that the others would go, leaving Amy and Paul along with Gemma and Aaron at the Roscoff centre to finish packing the cakes for collec
tion the day later.
Karl set up the music centre and insisted on dancing with Gemma.
She wore a deep purple dress with rhinestone buttons that evening. The design was simple and elegant. The skirt spun out as Karl twirled her around the floor, but it was only when Aaron took her in his arms a few moments later and pulled her close to him, that her heart took flight.
She could feel his ragged breathing against her earlobe, feel his heart pounding in his chest where her hand rested on the broad expanse of muscle. She closed her eyes and let him gather her closer. She fit against him perfectly and their thighs brushed together as they moved gently around the room.
When the song was over Aaron didn’t let her go. He stood with her until another song began and then he swayed with her again. She looked up at him as his hand threaded into her hair and she felt her body melt under his burning gaze.
“Tonight, Gemma. This is killing me. I don’t care if Will’s door is open, I need you and can’t wait another night longer.” He breathed the words quietly into her ear as exquisite shivers rippled down her spine. “Head upstairs before the others and go directly to my room. I’ll only be ten minutes behind you.” He moved his hand to clasp hers and secretly placed his key in her palm. He closed her fingers around it and squeezed gently.
Her whole body throbbed with need and she gave a silent nod as he whispered his words.
She waited nervously as she heard multiple footsteps tramp past his door. Several shouts of ‘goodnight’ could be heard along the corridor before silence reigned. A minute later his door opened and Aaron stepped inside.
The slice of light in the corridor disappeared as his door clicked shut behind him and he stood staring at her as the moonlight shone through the window. He strode forwards and stood, almost shaking, in front of her.
“I thought you might not be here.” His voice sounded as though he had swallowed sand.
She shook her head and took a nervous step closer.
“I want to be here.” Her own voice almost choked her as he closed what remained of the gap between them. She could feel the heat pulsating from his body, could smell the rich, spicy scent of the cologne he had used. His hand came up and cupped her face, the pad of his thumb brushing across her lips. His body aligned itself to hers and she could feel the hardness of his thigh as it pressed between her legs.
Scarred Survival (Scarred Series Book 5) Page 16