“I know. It’s just . . .”
“I know. It’s been quite the day.” Wanting to distract her, I pointed to her Kindle, recognizing the cover that was on the screen. “I just bought that book on audio. Is it any good?”
“I haven’t started it yet.” Her face brightened. “I could read it out loud for you. I know you like that.”
“You remembered that?”
Her fingers traced the Kindle, her voice soft in the room when she replied. “I remember everything you tell me.”
That strange and overwhelming feeling hit me again. Why did it feel so right sitting there? She was perfect in my bed, and the thought of being with her, listening to her lovely voice as she read to me, was too much to resist.
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
It worked. Her sunshine smile broke through, lighting her face and making her eyes happy for the first time all day. She scooted over and pulled a cushion to her lap, patting it in a silent invitation.
Knowing I was playing with fire, I lay down, resting my head on her lap. She began to read, and I shut my eyes in satisfaction. I was correct. She had the perfect voice for reading—not too fast or loud, but a flawless level and tone. I found myself smiling when she tried to deepen her voice for the male parts and chuckled aloud when she added in a sound effect. As she read, we both relaxed. I felt the tension ease from her body, and when she gently began to run her fingers through my hair as she read, I was a goner.
I had missed her easy affection—and her touch. Aside from the occasional backslapping hug from Bentley or Maddox and the motherly ones Sandy dispensed, I was never touched. I didn’t like it, yet when it came to Cami, those rules flew out the window. Her touch was different. Why or how, I didn’t know, but it simply was.
With a groan, I wrapped my arm around her legs and settled closer. What it meant, or how I would deal with it, I would figure out later. For now, I was too content to worry about it.
Hours later, I woke, confused. The bedside light was still on, but the faint rays of dawn were spilling through the windows. I looked down in confusion. I had fallen asleep on Cami’s lap, but somehow in the night, we had moved and twisted. She had draped herself across my chest, and her warm breath drifted over my skin. My arm was around her, holding her close, and my hand was fisted in her long hair. I had slept through the night—no nightmares disturbed me, as if her being with me was a sort of talisman. She had slept as well, and I wondered if my closeness helped.
Unable to resist, I ran my hand over her head. Her eyes opened, green pools of light, groggy and blinking as she woke.
“Hi.” I grinned, feeling more rested than I had in weeks.
“Hi.” She quirked her eyebrow. “I guess we both fell asleep.”
“I guess so.”
“Are you mad?”
I stroked her cheek. “No. I slept well. That’s a rare thing for me.”
“I didn’t think I would sleep at all, so it’s good for me too.”
I tweaked her nose. “Good. We need to get up and figure out the day.”
She sat up and stretched, the action causing her tank top to lift. I could see her nipples through the thin material, as well as the smooth skin along her stomach. I tried to ignore the way my dick stirred at the sight of her sensuous beauty.
I slid out of bed, turning my back and subtly adjusting myself. I inhaled deeply and casually picked up the towel on the floor, holding it in front of me as I turned around.
“I’ll take you to school and check out your locker. I’m going to talk to the director and see if I can locate Louisa.”
“You’re not planning to sit in during my classes, are you?”
“No. But I’ll be close.”
“You’re a lot less likely to blend in than Joe or Simon was for Emmy.”
I leaned down, my face level with hers. “That’s the point, Sunshine. I am not trying to blend in. Louisa isn’t getting near you ever again.”
She swallowed. “All right,” she responded, her voice breathy.
“Okay. Now get ready.”
I had to leave the room before I gave in to my desire. I wanted to push her back on the bed, make her forget school, forget Louisa, and have her screaming my name in that breathy voice.
However, it wasn’t happening. It wouldn’t be fair to her to lead her on or to take advantage of her when she was vulnerable. She would hate me even more later.
I gripped the edge of the sink, staring into the mirror, wishing things were different.
Knowing I was too weak to change them.
Aiden
THE NEXT FEW days were tense. Louisa never showed up for classes. She wasn’t at her apartment, and her cell phone number went straight to voice mail. I had Cami leave her a message, asking to speak to her, hoping she would return the call so we could trace her location. However, she never called back, which frustrated me. It was as though she had disappeared. I checked Cami’s place, but the door remained locked, and no one had seen Louisa.
The school was cooperative, allowing me to hang around while Cami was in her classes. I spent a lot of time in the cafeteria, passing the hours with my computer. I was in constant contact with Bentley and Maddox and worked on the items they forwarded to me. I checked on Cami often. She tried to ignore the whispers and stories she heard, but I knew she found it taxing and hated the attention my presence brought. Emmy stayed close, which helped, but I remained closer.
Cami was exhausted when we returned to my place every night, and we fell into a pattern. After an easy dinner, she would have a bath, speak with Dee, then she would read to me. Inevitably, I would fall asleep, waking up in the morning with her draped over my chest, me holding her close. We would stay connected for a short time, then separate and begin another day.
Friday morning dawned bright and sunny. Cami lay on my chest, silent but awake. I twirled a piece of her hair in my fingers.
“I spoke with Louisa’s parents yesterday.”
Cami rolled her head to face me. I felt the tension creep into her body at just the mention of Louisa’s name.
“Oh?”
“Her mother hasn’t seen her daughter in two years. Apparently, Louisa witnessed her sister’s death, and she has never gotten over it. Her mother says she changed from a happy, normal girl to being emotional, prone to outbursts, and secrecy. Everything had to be perfect and in its place. She had a system for everything, and when it didn’t work, she became ‘unhinged.’” I studied the curl I had wrapped around my finger. “Her mother informed me it had become too much to handle, and she washed her hands of Louisa. She sounded rather blasé to me. I don’t think she’d be mother of the year in anyone’s books.”
“What about her father?” Cami wondered.
“He says there have been some past episodes where Louisa became unhealthily attached to people. There have been a few incidents. She fixated on a guy in her class, telling people he was her boyfriend and showing up everyplace he went. He threatened a restraining order before she backed off. She freaked out another student by changing her appearance and emulating everything she did. She followed her around, telling people they were best friends, and showed up at her house more than once, insisting she’d been invited. Louisa’s father stepped in and took her out of school and had her admitted to a hospital.” I released the curl, watching it drape across Cami’s skin. “He told me she was released and has been better. Still, he admits he only talks to her on occasion, and he couldn’t recall the last time he paid a bill for her therapist. He said the last phone call from her was over a month ago.” I huffed. “Again, not parent of the year.”
“Why wasn’t that in her records?”
I sighed, scrubbing my face. “Her father paid off the school and the kids to keep it all quiet. He wanted her to start with a clean slate, so he moved her here, and being the idiot it sounds like he is, left her on her own.” I captured another curl, needing to touch her. “I’m afraid neither of them cares a great deal. He tosses money at the
situation, and her mother ignores it. I told her father what she’d been doing, and he didn’t seem shocked or particularly interested.”
“So she’s all alone and sick.”
“Mentally unstable, yes. Her father told me she adored her sister, literally worshiped the ground she walked on. They were only a year apart in age, and people thought they were twins. Louisa copied everything her sister, Jessie, did. It appears after her death, Louisa has transferred that . . . need to other people.”
“But she’s never, ah, hurt someone?” she whispered, fear in her voice.
I ran my hand down her arm in comfort. “No, not that her father admitted. She gets obsessed and can’t let go easily. I have Reid digging a bit more because her father was too light on details.”
“She needs help.”
“Yes, she does.”
“If she is just lonely, maybe I should go home. She might come see me, and I could convince her to get help.”
“No,” I stated firmly. “That isn’t happening.”
“Aren’t you tired of me being in your space already?”
“No,” I said, quiet and reflective. “I like having you here. I find your company very soothing.”
Her cheeks pinked. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I ran my knuckles down her cheek, an idea coming to me. “You only have one class today, right?”
“Yes.”
“Wanna blow it off and play hooky with me?”
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded.
“Okay, Sunshine, up and at it. Be sure to bring your knapsack.”
The wind whipped past us as we hurled down the highway. Cami had been excited when I pulled up in front of Jay’s garage and she realized what we were doing.
“We’re going on your bike?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t have anything—like a helmet!”
I laughed, pulling her out of the car. “Jay is loaning me some protective gear for you. We’re covered.”
She ran her hands over the bike, then winked at me. “This is hot.”
“It’s a Ducati Monster.”
She was nervous getting on, but that dissipated quickly once we’d been traveling for a while.
I loved how she felt on my bike, her chest pressed to my back and her hands wrapped tight around my waist. She was excited when we pulled up to a winery, one of the two I planned to visit that day.
“You remembered!”
I tweaked her nose, happy to see how thrilled she was. Her tangled hair fell around her face, her cheeks flushed from the wind, and her eyes sparkled. She was stunning.
“You bet. I booked us a wine tasting and lunch here, then another tasting later.” I winked. “Of course, you’ll be tasting. I’ll be driving.”
Lunch was great. They offered a tour with a picnic, and since it was such a beautiful day, I had taken that option. We sat at a table in the sun, eating the gourmet lunch, and she sipped the wines that accompanied the meal. I tried a small taste of one I liked the sound of, and Cami seemed to enjoy. After lunch, we went inside, and I ordered a case of wine to have delivered since I couldn’t carry it on the bike. We put one bottle in Cami’s knapsack.
Cami wandered over, talking to another woman as I paid, and when I was done, I joined her. I slid up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back to me. “What are you doing?”
“I’m entering a contest. It’s a trip to Vegas for four people, and the draw is in a couple of weeks. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
I hummed. I’d never been to Vegas or had any inclination to go, but it made her happy to enter, so I agreed.
We left and went to the other winery. It was smaller, and the owner was behind the long bar, offering tastings. Cami was fascinated, and he seemed taken with her, answering her questions and giving her several samples. One vintage she particularly liked, so I bought two bottles, adding them to her knapsack. He gave us information on the ice wine festival in the winter, and after she had a sample of their specialty, she assured him we would be back.
“We need to get Bentley and Emmy here. She loves ice wines.”
“Sure,” I agreed. “We’ll figure something out.”
We walked around the vineyard, enjoying the sun.
“Thank you for today, Aiden,” she said, not looking at me. “It was an unexpectedly good day.”
I slipped my arm around her and tucked her to my side. As if drawn by an invisible thread, I couldn’t stop touching her. All day, I’d held her hand, kissed her temple, drew her close. And when I looked down at her, she was grinning.
“I’m glad. I wanted you to smile. I love it when you smile.” I blew out a breath. “I especially love it when you smile at me.”
She beamed, making the light around us seem dim by comparison. Without thought, I turned and tugged her closer, never breaking her gaze. Her breathing picked up as we stared. There was nothing around us. No vineyard and sunlight. No voices from other people as they strolled through the neatly laid-out rows.
Only her. Only us.
“I can’t give you what you want,” I murmured. “But I’ve missed you.”
“I’ll take what you have to give.”
My lips were on hers instantly. I lifted her, holding her tight to my chest as I devoured her mouth. It was passionate and intense. Full of yearning and need. Her tongue slid along mine sensuously, filling my senses with her taste. I felt every one of her curves aligning with my body, forming around my hardness perfectly. The desire I had pushed down and tried to ignore exploded. I gripped her hard, molding my hands around the swells of her ass, letting her feel how much I wanted her. I groaned low in my chest, dragging my mouth to her ear. “I need to take you home, Sunshine.”
“Here,” she pleaded. “Don’t make me wait.”
My cock was in total agreement with her. Frantically, I looked around, finding a small shed a few rows over. Still holding her, I headed in that direction, rounding the corner to the back of the building. It was shaded and secluded, away from everyone.
“You have to be quiet.”
“You need to be fast.”
“Not an issue, baby. Trust me.”
Minutes later, I’d buried myself inside her. She cried out softly, her head falling back on the rough wood wall. I was out of control, pounding into her, chasing my release, and desperate for hers.
“Give me your mouth.”
She lifted her face, and I captured her lips, kissing her hard, frantic, and controlling. The worry I had been feeling, the odd contentment of having her with me every day without acting on my feelings, was too much. I gripped her hips, sinking as deep as I could go, almost growling in my need. She stiffened, her fingers digging into my shoulder, tightening around me.
“Yeah, baby, like that,” I praised her. “Just like that. Come for me.” I buried my face into her neck, my lips by her ear. “Come all over me. Right now.”
She whimpered and shuddered, her body taut as she rode out her orgasm. I drove into her again, my balls tightening and pleasure spiking through my spine. Her name broke from my lips as I came, and my body stilled with the strength of my orgasm.
We stayed connected until we both stopped shaking. Gradually, I lowered her to the ground and helped her pull up her jeans, before yanking mine back into place. I slipped my fingers under her chin, making her meet my gaze.
“Okay, Sunshine?”
Her eyes glowed, her smile wide. “I am.”
“I still need to get you home.”
“I’m good with that.”
We walked to the bike hand in hand, grinning. I made sure her helmet was on correctly, she was seated properly, and then I swung my leg over the bike. She wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning into my back with a sigh.
“Hold tight,” I instructed, covering her hands with mine for a brief moment. “Don’t let go.”
She increased her grip in reply.
I ignored the small voice in my head.
“Ever.”
/> Aiden
I LEANED BACK in the tub, enjoying the feel of the warm water lapping at my skin. Or maybe it was the feel of Cami reclining into my chest, the way her hands drifted up and down my calves. Either way, the bathtub was more pleasurable than I had expected. The rain had returned, and we spent Saturday in the loft watching movies. Cami did some schoolwork, while I slowly made my way through some documents Bentley had sent over from the office. When she had stood, stretching, I had suggested a bath, and she agreed as long as I joined her.
I was good with that.
My phone rang, and I stiffened when I saw who was calling.
“Aiden Callaghan.”
“Mr. Callaghan, it’s Calvin Hob from the School of Design.”
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
“I wanted you to know we had a call from Miss Kershaw’s mother informing us she was withdrawing from the program and would not be returning.”
“When did she call?”
“Today, as a matter of fact. I was in my office, catching up on some work, and picked up the phone.”
“Are you sure it was her?”
He sounded surprised. “She identified herself as Louisa’s mother. I have no reason to suspect it was anyone else.”
“Did she say why Louisa was leaving?”
“She said it was for personal reasons, and that her ex-husband would be in contact shortly about the remaining tuition.” He cleared his throat. “There are no refunds on unused portions, but I will take that up with him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Did you see the number the call came from?”
He sighed. “No. It showed a transfer from the main line. I can inquire on Monday if they can look it up.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
Cami turned, meeting my gaze as I disconnected the call. “I heard the uncertainty in your voice. You don’t believe it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It would explain why no one has seen or heard from her. Maybe she went home to her mother.”
“That would be good—she needs someone to care for her. And I could go home, put this behind me, and get back to my life.” She eased away from me, crawling out of the tub and reaching for a towel. She slid it around her body and tucked it closed.
Aiden ~ Melanie Moreland Page 16