by Diana Nixon
“You sure we are not going to die of smoke inhalation?” I asked, watching him.
“You can stay outside, if you wish,” he snapped, without looking at me.
Great … I got what I wanted — now the hate was mutual.
“Personally I would recommend you to stay, take off your clothes and try to dry your hair.” Aiden rose, walked over to a small couch and pointed to the blanket. “Use this to cover up yourself. This is the only piece of dry fabric here.”
“What about you?” I asked, trembling from head to toe.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, taking off his shirt and jeans.
Drops of water glistened on his tanned skin, and I couldn’t help but notice how muscular his shoulders were. My gaze slipped lower, and to the rest of his body: the guy looked damn good.
Aiden’s chuckle brought me back to reality. “Like what you see?”
Oh, God! He caught me staring. Silly woman! I shouted mentally at myself, turning red. Now he will have more reasons to tease me.
Aiden sighed and came up to me. “Okay, now we need to take off your clothes.”
“I don’t n-need your help,” I said, chattering.
“Right.” He shook his head, irritated. “Put your hands up, Megan.”
“I said….”
“Hands up, Megan!” He repeated strictly, reaching for the edge of my shirt. I felt like a little girl in front of my angry daddy.
Eventually I did what he said, and he pulled the wet piece over my head, covering my shoulders with the blanket he found on the couch.
“Shall I help you with the jeans as well?” There wasn’t anything joyful in his tone. Apparently he really cared about my health.
“N-no,” I said quietly, trying to unbutton my jeans with my palms trembling. Bad sign. Not only were my palms, but my whole body was trembling.
Aiden moved the couch closer to the fireplace, and motioned, saying, “Come here.”
I sat on the couch, rolling myself up in the blanket, and he sat on the floor, closer to the fire.
“I’m sorry,” I said, watching the shades of flame dancing on his skin. In any other situation it would be a perfect moment to sit next to him, share the blanket and put my head on his shoulder. But there wasn’t anything romantic about the moment. I could feel the tension growing between us. Aiden was still angry at me, and I kept guessing which of my foolish acts got on his nerves more.
“Nothing to apologize for, Megs. I pushed you to the edge and made you jump out of the car. It was very silly of me.”
Oh … that was unexpected. Who would have thought that arrogance and conscience could coexist in the same mind? Maybe the guy wasn’t a lost cause after all?...
Chapter 4
Aiden
I needed a drink, or better two.
Seeing Megan in that barely-covering-anything blanket made my body hurt. No, it wasn’t just a physical attraction that I felt for her. There was something else. Something that made me want to find out her every dark secret, taking off the pieces of her shell, one by one. And at that very moment the shell consisted of only two lacy pieces … God, help me!
“What are you looking for?” Megan asked, watching me.
I was searching through the cupboards, praying to find at least something that would block my thoughts about the gorgeous creature, sitting a few steps away from me.
“Bingo!” I said, showing her a bottle of what looked like an age-old whiskey.
“Oh, no. You are not going to drink that!”
“Why not?”
“Who knows how long that bottle has been hidden here!”
“It’s whiskey, Megan, not an orange juice. The older it is the better.”
I opened the bottle and took a sip. “Not bad. Wanna try?”
“No, thanks, I prefer to stay sober.”
I shrugged and took a few more gulps. My body welcomed the burning liquid, my muscles relaxed, and I inhaled deeply.
“Mmm, feels great! You sure you don’t want to try?”
“Positive.” She nodded and turned back towards the fire. “How long do you think the rain will last?”
“Don’t know. But I doubt we will be able to get out of here any time soon.”
I sat on the floor, settling back into the couch behind me. The only thing that the house was full of was the firewood. At least we were not going to freeze to death. Well, maybe I was exaggerating a little, considering that it was May outside. But the combination of whiskey and the flame made me feel really good.
I looked up at Megan. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. I remembered about the talk we had in the car. The sound of her laughter was still ringing in my ears. I was caught off guard. She looked amazing at the moment: young and careless. And I suddenly wished to prolong the moment just to see more of those cute dimples on her cheeks, and joy sparkling in her eyes. But I never told her about that.
“Hey, why don’t you come down to me? It’s warmer here.”
She looked at me, hesitating. “Why don’t you come up here instead? I will share the blanket.”
Wow… “Since when have you become so generous?” I asked, rising. Though the perspective of sharing the blanket with her was alluring.
“I’m not as much of a monster as you think.”
I smiled. “I don’t think you are a monster. I think you are….”
“No, please,” she stopped me half-word. “I have already heard enough for today.”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “Move so I could lie beside you.”
She hesitated again, apparently reconsidering the brilliance of her idea. Then she moved closer to the back of the couch giving me some space to lie down. The couch was too small for the two of us, but I hardly cared.
“You are still trembling,” I said, readjusting the blanket to cover our bodies. “Come closer, I’m not going to bite you. Well, unless you ask me to.”
“Watch your language and hands!” she warned.
“You can put your arm around me. It will help you warm up faster.”
She looked up at me, squinting. “You always take the opportunities, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I never miss my chances,” I said, smiling down at her.
“You are one shameless creature, Mr. Murphy.”
“I’ve been called worse.” I took her left hand and put it around my waist, embracing her in return. “Feel better now?”
“Not really.”
“Why don’t you take off your bra? It’s still wet.”
“Not gonna happen,” she snapped.
I knew she would never do that, but I liked prickling her nerves. “I was simply trying to make you feel comfortable.”
And it felt so unbelievably good to hold her in my arms. She smelled like a mixture of raindrops and lush leaves. I was dying to run my palm up and down her back, but I never dared to push my luck. I could feel Megan’s breath on my skin, and the way her breasts were rubbing my chest every time she sighed. It was so damn intoxicating. She was quiet. Though I was pretty sure she wasn’t asleep.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked in a whisper.
“About Mary and her parents, who must be still waiting for us at the airport.”
Well, not exactly the answer I expected to hear, considering that all my thoughts were wrapped around her.
“The line’s broken. I tried to call Owen, but failed.”
“He must be so angry at us.”
“I think he’s worried, but not angry. It’s not our fault that the rain started.”
“I hope the wedding day won’t be rainy.”
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Since when do you need my permission?” She shifted a little to see my face.
God, she looked so beautiful. Even with no makeup and her hair still wet, as if she had just taken a shower. When my gaze slipped to her lips, I froze, swallowing hard.
Megan cleared her throat, moistening her lips, and I groaned mentally, closing my eyes. Watchi
ng her doing that didn’t help my self-control. Not a bit.
Even in the dim lights of the room, I could see her blushing. She lowered her head, saying “So what about the question you wanted to ask?”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down my body. Not that I was ashamed of its reaction to the girl in my arms, but I didn’t want Megan to feel uneasy.
“I wanted to ask you about the wedding. Have you ever thought about your own?”
“Of course, I have. Every girl dreams about her wedding day.”
“So what do you want yours to be like?”
“I hate big weddings. I want a private ceremony, somewhere on a beautiful beach; only family and close friends. No fancy stuff. Me, in a white, strapless dress, with a few orchid flowers in my hair. And my fiancé, waiting for me at the altar made of lilies, red roses and white ribbons.”
“Wow … I can easily imagine that.” And I really did. It was a perfect wedding picture for someone like Megan: elegant, beautiful and simple.
“What about you?” she asked, looking at me again. “Will there ever be anyone worth being called Mrs. Aiden Murphy?”
“I don’t know, maybe. I’m one hell of a man to stand, you know?”
“I’ve already figured that much.” She laughed.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve been unbelievably obliging for the last ten minutes. First the blanket, now this….”
“Shut up!” She smacked my back.
“So my attractiveness works on you after all,” I said, tightening the embrace.
“Aiden, I swear….”
“Okay, okay, don’t be a scratch-cat.”
She gave me one of those evil glances of hers that I liked so much. The devilish part was definitely my favorite feature of her rebellious nature.
I put a finger under her chin and leaned closer, saying quietly, “If I ever meet a woman worth being called Mrs. Murphy, promise me you will never tell her how much I wanted to take advantage of holding you naked in my arms.”
Megan laughed again. “Okay, I promise. Though I’m not naked, I’m wearing my underwear. It’s almost the same as wearing a swimming suit. And I would have never let you do anything, but help me warm up.”
“I know other ways to warm you up, Dear.”
“I’m sure, you do.”
“And just for the record, no swimming suits look as sexy as lingerie.” I couldn’t but admit it: my body was on fire. And I finally dared to push my luck. I ran my palm up her skin, and under the back of her ivory bra.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said, meeting my stare.
“You can’t forbid me to think about it. Especially if it’s the only thing that I can think about at the moment.” My pulse accelerated. “What are you doing to me, Megs?” I said, my lips brushing her forehead.
Her breathing quickened. “Aiden, don’t….”
“It doesn’t sound entirely convincing,” I replied, trailing kisses down her eyelids and cheeks.
She put her palm on my chest, trying to push me away. “I mean it, Aiden. Stop, or I will….”
“You will what?” I asked, looking down into her eyes. They were the reflections of mine: full of attraction and desire. She could keep denying it as long as she wanted, but it was hard to fool me.
Suddenly everything changed. Megan broke free of my grip and sat on the couch. As far from me as possible.
I rolled onto my back and ran my fingers through my hair, sighing. “I’m sorry, Megan. I shouldn’t have….”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have.”
I sat and outstretched my hand, saying, “Come back here. I will behave, I swear.”
“I think my clothes are dry enough to get dressed.” She rose and went to the chair where our clothes were.
Idiot! I shouted mentally at myself. I should have known better, Megan wasn’t like other girls I used to date. She avoided relationship, she avoided affection, and she didn’t want to be hurt. And I wasn’t sure if what I wanted at the moment was fair. I didn’t know if I was ready to give her anything, but this one night….
She got dressed in silence, moved an old chair closer to the fireplace and sat there, with her back to me.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, sighing. She and I were so different in so many ways. I was a vivid picture of everything she hated about men, and she was a perfect picture of everything I liked about women.
But the thing was that neither of us was ready to sacrifice the freedom that we cherished more than anything about our lives.
I cursed the weather and the circumstances that brought us to the old house, got dressed and went outside to breathe some fresh air and blow the cobwebs away.
Too bad the rain was still too heavy to go any further than a few steps away from the porch, so I sat on the wooden stairs and welcomed the chilly wind touching my skin.
Tomorrow everything’s gonna be okay. We will get back to town, help Owen with the wedding preparations, listen to his vows and go back to our lives, as if nothing has ever happened. Yeah, it should be just that simple.
Chapter 5
Megan
He left….
Even though I knew he wouldn’t go too far away from the house, I was still worried. I tiptoed to the window and looked outside. He was sitting on the porch, his right hand outstretched to catch the raindrops. I shook my head, inhaling deeply. We messed it up … badly.
It was foolish enough to invite him under the blanket, let alone give him a reason to think that this night could have ended differently.
Aiden made me feel something that I had never felt before — weakness….
Yes, there was a moment when our gazes locked, and his fingers sent shivers down my spine. Yes, for a second I thought I could forget about everything and simply enjoy whatever his eyes promised. And though every single part of my skin and lips still remembered his touches, we couldn’t let it go any further. And we both knew it.
It was too soon to give up my dreams, too soon to let someone else decide anything for me; too soon to let emotions blind my eyes and ruin everything that I had been trying to build for so long. It wasn’t the time to let myself feel. And Aiden made me feel ... something that I wasn’t ready to deal with.
I returned to the couch, curled up under the blanket and stared at the fire. I didn’t know how much time passed, before I heard the door creaking, and footsteps coming to the couch. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“Megan?” Aiden called. I didn’t reply.
He sat next to me and ran his fingers across my forehead and down my cheeks. His touch was very soft, barely tangible. And I wanted to cry. When his lips touched my shoulder, I stopped breathing. What was he doing?
“I’m so sorry, Megs,” he whispered, caressing my arm. Then he moved to the other side of the couch, and I let the tears flow.
I didn’t know if he knew that I was still awake, and I didn’t know how long it took me to fall asleep, but the next thing I remembered was the morning sun, breaking through the curtains and waking me up.
I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Aiden sounded asleep; half-sitting, with his right arm under his head. I looked at my watch - 7:30 a.m.
I rose and went outside, welcoming the light breeze that always followed the storms. I straightened up and looked down at my bare feet. I could already feel the blisters caused by walking without the shoes that I left in Aiden’s car. The car! Of course, we needed to call for help.
I got back into the house and tried to find my phone, but it was nowhere around. Then I noticed Aiden’s cell, half-hidden in his jeans pocket. I came closer and reached for the thing.
Suddenly Aiden’s eyes flew open, and he stared down at my hand. “Actually it was last night when I expected your naughty hands to slip into my pants.”
“Morning to you too,” I said, taking the cell. Our eyes stayed locked for a few silent seconds, before I turned away and went to the window.
&
nbsp; “What are you doing?”
“Going to call for help. We can’t stay here for one more night.”
“Definitely not,” he muttered, rising.
I felt the predatory anger forming inside me. He couldn’t stand me any longer? Fine. Whatever. The feeling was mutual.
Thank God, this time everything was okay with the connection, and my father picked up the phone after the second beep.
“Hi, Sweetheart! Are you and Aiden okay? Where are you? We’ve been so worried about you!”
“We are fine, Dad. We had some problems with the car and never made it to the airport. Do you know anything about Mary and her parents?”
“Yeah, they had to wait for the rain to stop, and then Owen and I went and picked them and brought them home. One of our neighbors said he saw Aiden’s car going to Peterson’s farm, so we thought you might have stayed there for the night.”
“Yes, we are at his old house. But we need someone to come here to pull our car out of the mudhole it got stuck into.”
“No worries, Honey. We will be there in no time.”
“Okay, will be waiting.” I hung up the phone and gave it back to Aiden. “They are on their way here.”
“Good.” He nodded, without looking at me. “What about Mary and her parents?”
“They are at home, safe and sound.”
I hated the way everything between Aiden and me was. He kept his distance, didn’t talk much and avoided looking at me. When about an hour later we heard the sounds of a car engine, we both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, God! You guys scared us half to death!” Owen said, as he entered the house and hugged me tightly. “Why the hell did you turn to the farm?”
It was the first time that Aiden and I had shared a glance since the morning incident with the phone. “It was my fault,” he said. “I thought….”
“It was actually my fault,” I interrupted him. “I suggested travelling around the traffic jam. I didn’t know the road was so bad.”
“Why didn’t you stay in the car?” Owen looked at our bare feet, frowning. Aiden’s boots were in the house, but they were too wet to wear.