by B. A. Wolfe
I shook my head.
“Stay here,” he said.
I couldn’t move if I tried.
Several minutes later, feet shuffled in the grass behind me. Aidan carried two loaded plates with condiments tucked to his sides like a pro. “You didn’t have to do this,” I said, meeting him halfway and grabbing a plate from his hand.
“You need to eat, Sweet Tea.”
I nodded, lowering myself beside him on the grass.
“We can enjoy a moment out here.” His words had my eyes darting to his.
“A moment?” My voice was quiet as I asked him, making sure I understood him correctly.
“Yeah, you like to enjoy your moments. Well . . .” He stopped, his hands showcasing the grass. “We’ve got grass, one of Jase’s favorite foods and now a moment to enjoy.” He lowered his lashes, winking at me.
“You’re good, Aidan. I don’t care what they say about you,” I teased.
His head swayed back and forth as he laughed. “Just eat your burger.”
I grabbed the mustard and watched his face practically turn green. “Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.” I squirted the mustard by my fries.
For some reason, whether it was him watching me or because my guard was down and I was having fun, I told him to open his mouth.
A grin appeared on his slightly scruffy face. He hadn’t shaved and I more than liked it.
“Okay,” he drawled.
His intense stare created a knotted pretzel out of my stomach. The longer I held his gaze the more I forgot I held a fry doused with mustard in my hand. A quick blink of his lashes brought me back.
“Are you ready?” My lips spread wide with a smile that wouldn’t go away.
He inhaled a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The beats in my chest were out of control as my fingers neared his mouth. Was I really feeding him? Yes; yes I was.
“That’s a lot of mustard,” he complained, and then opened his mouth with a grimace as if I were about to insert a bug for him to eat. His eyelids snapped shut as the fry dropped in his mouth. I laughed.
“Just try it, you big baby.” His lids flickered open one at a time as he closed his jaw and chewed ever so slowly. “Good, right?” My voice grew excited. The disgusted look that crossed his features was more than an indication how much he hated it.
He nodded as he finished gulping it down. “Delicious, Cassie.”
“Liar,” I said, laughing again. I handed him his drink to wash down the aftertaste he clearly didn’t enjoy.
He pulled the cup from his lips. “I lied. That was gross. You really have to love mustard to enjoy that combo.” A smirk took over his face. “I’m pretty sure you have to give ketchup a go for me now. It’s only fair.”
My features dropped. “No way, no how. I can’t stand ketchup.”
The grin on his face didn’t look as if he really cared how much I hated it. Aidan turned his back and returned with a fry covered in ketchup. “Open up.”
I pursed my lips together and shook my head in double time.
“Then you’re going to get ketchup all over this pretty face.”
My heart thudded and without thinking, my mouth popped open and his steady hand dropped a fry inside. The ketchup hit my tongue without mercy, spreading its tangy tartness as I chewed and swallowed as fast as possible.
He eyed me, his brow raised. “Delicious, right?”
Using his line I mocked it and said, “You really have to love ketchup.”
He laughed. Hard.
I could tell by the way my body relaxed that I was having more fun than I ever thought possible eating French fries. “Did you see Jase inside by chance?”
“Mom still has him.” He took another sip of his drink. “You’ll never get him back now.”
I popped another fry into my mouth. “It’s so good to see him have this, though.” I thought of the two people who should be like Trish and Bart, but clearly weren’t. “My parents still haven’t met him. I called them the day I had Jase, but the call went straight to voicemail. I did receive gorgeous flowers with an unsigned card that said Congrats, you’re going to make a great mom. I thought it might be them because the only people who knew about Jase were Mel and Moose, and it wasn’t either of them. Trish would have signed the card. I never heard back from my parents, and I still don’t know who sent them.”
He twisted his neck, and looked at me. “It sounds like someone just wanted to do something nice for you.”
I set my napkin on my plate. “A stranger doing something nice for someone they don’t know?”
His eyes drifted to his lap. “Maybe the person knows you. And he or she thought you deserved flowers after the year you had and after you delivered Jase.”
My brows lifted. “Sounds like you might know this person.”
He glanced up and released a lengthy sigh. “Just throwing out guesses, Cassie.”
I chewed on my lip, disappointed that he didn’t have an answer, either.
“Did you enjoy them?” His mouth formed a warm smile.
I looked ahead at the tree. “More than that person will ever know.” The huge bouquet of spring flowers had warmed the hospital room full of distressed emotion. I’d stare at them and think how beautiful they were. It killed me that I didn’t have a clue who to thank for them. I gazed back at Aidan. I swore his eyes were smiling.
“That’s really all that matters.” His hand inched toward me and then finally touched the corner of my lip. A soft sigh escaped me as his thumb swept across my lower lip. “You had a bit of mustard,” he muttered.
My chest pounded. “Thank you.” I had to change the subject. “Are . . . are you going home tonight?”
He shook his head and a hint of amusement twinkled in his eyes. “No, tomorrow morning. You?”
Why did this make me happy? “The same.”
Aidan smiled at my answer.
“Hey, Cass.” Moose’s voice grabbed my attention. My stomach immediately did a somersault.
I jumped to my feet. Aidan did the same as if we were teenagers caught having a forbidden moment.
“Is Jase okay?” I asked, a bit of panic lacing my voice.
Moose held his hands out. “There’s no fire. Calm yourself.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart starting to slow.
“Just need to know where you put the diaper bag. Jase needs a change.”
“Oh, I’ll come do it,” I answered him. I turned to face Aidan. “Thank you for dinner.”
He buried his hands in his pockets and fidgeted a moment. “So, did you enjoy your moment?”
More than he’d ever know. I returned his smile. “Yeah.”
“Me too,” he said, his voice barely audible.
I followed Moose back to the house, dragging my feet across the grass. If I didn’t leave now, I was afraid I never would.
Nineteen
Cassandra
I GLANCED AT JASE sleeping in his crib. He’d grown fussy at Grandma Maggie’s not long after dinner so we decided to head home early. Which wasn’t a bad thing—I was exhausted and ready to get some sleep myself. I evened Jase’s blanket and smoothed his curl. I hated to leave him while I washed my face, but I’d only be a few minutes, I assured myself before I ventured to the other side of the basement.
Opening the bathroom door, I stepped inside and there stood Aidan, a mere two feet away in the hot, steamed-filled room. Tall, delicious, and covered in only a towel wrapped around his narrow waist. The gleaming look that lit his eyes told me he wasn’t nearly as embarrassed as I was to bump into him in this way.
Leftover shower droplets beaded his torso. “Hey there,” he said with a shameless smile.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.” I stood rooted, unable to form other words. My hand felt as if it should be covering my eyes, as if this were a forbidden rendezvous and he was the freaking statue of David.
“It’s okay. I got done running
and Mom was using the bathroom upstairs. No one was in here, so I jumped in the shower. Hope you don’t mind.” He ran a hand through his wet hair.
Mind? Nope. Every second that passed, my eyes found more of him to admire. Everything was so hard and chiseled. Not overly done, but from now on, every time I saw him clothed, I’d know exactly the perfection that hid underneath.
What was I doing?
Ogling him as if he were an ad in a Fitness magazine felt sinful. “I’ll just come back,” I told him, still lusting over each ab, rippling up to his toned chest. I dug deep and found my willpower, forcing myself to turn. As I reached the door handle a large hand covered mine, and a tingle ran the length of my spine.
“Don’t go.” His voice was husky and demanding.
Cassandra, leave.
He spun me around to face him. My free hand landed on his bare chest, moving relentlessly to the rhythm of his breathing.
Up, down, rise, fall, hard, fast.
I refused to look up at his eyes. If I did, I’d be putty in his hands. I couldn’t have that. It was hard enough standing on two shaky legs, being this close. My pajamas and his towel were the only things separating us from the growing ache I had for him. All it would take is a quick flick of his sloppy knot and I’d have sweet dreams for years to come.
My preoccupied mind wandered to the scrap of terrycloth that covered him and all the goodness that bulged against me from underneath it. By the feel of it hitting my lower stomach, there would be no disappointment. Oh. God. I willed myself to snap out of it, to think of anything other than his body pressed to mine, but it was useless. I couldn’t. Whether it was the steam or his intoxicating aura, nothing would let my clouded mind release anything to do with Aidan.
Aidan captured me with a quiet stare as he stepped forward until I was flush against the closed door. The minute my backside hit it, a rush of courage struck and my eyes finally dared to meet his.
The second they did I knew I wouldn’t be able to look away, nor did I have the desire to. His dark, hooded eyes showed the primal being he’d become as they held my limbs and body captive, pinning me to the door. The very door I’d opened.
His firm hands tightened around my hips. He had a way of making tingles dance along my skin when he touched me. With every quick breath I released, my chest brushed against his. It had me suddenly remembering the bra I took off when I slipped on my pajama top. His chest continued to rub friction against mine, my hardened nipples thrusting against my thin shirt.
I released a soft moan. My insides were caving to his touch.
He leaned his forehead to mine, pressing his bare chest into me harder. His lips parted and he sucked in a slow breath. My heart thudded against him.
“Aidan, we shouldn’t be doing this.” My voice was coated with desire. Desire I couldn’t afford.
“I know,” he whispered. The tingly smell of mint on his breath tickled my nose.
He pulled away. His eyes burned deep into mine, taking away every last ounce of self-control I had. He knew and I knew—the position of our bodies, the angle of our mouths, it was a disaster waiting to happen. But the thoughts that circulated in our minds weren’t correlating with our actions. My body tensed as his hands traveled from my hips and leisurely worked their way upward.
“Aidan . . .”
“Shhh,” he responded, his palms hungrily gripping either side of my face. He stroked his thumb pad over my lips as his eyes scanned my face. “God, you’re so fucking gorgeous.”
I’d never heard a whisper that felt like it came from a megaphone until then. It took all my strength to leave his towel on his body and be the good girl I knew I should. But the heat that rose in my flesh had me melting against the door, and all the strength I once possessed had exited the minute he said ‘don’t go.’
My mouth nervously yet steadily awaited his arrival. His lips hovered over mine for what felt like eons. Teasing, playing hard to get, tempting me with the promise of a kiss, but never following through.
Torture. Pure unadulterated torture.
“I want you,” his voice whispered, his mouth nibbling on my ear lobe as his tongue drew a line around it.
“I want you too.” My reply sounded more like a whimper than anything else. My mind screamed at the top of its lungs that I was an idiot for admitting such feelings to someone I knew I couldn’t—or shouldn’t—have. But the beats pounding against my ribcage overpowered all of the shouting.
His hand ghosted over my shoulder and all the way down to my stomach. My eyelids lowered as I disappeared into his touch. He traced light circles on my quivering skin beneath the thin cotton of my pajama top.
I couldn’t take it anymore. My frozen hand thawed and found refuge in his hair as I gripped it tightly, moaning as his fingers touched the band of my bottoms. My stomach trembled as he reached my belly button. The torment continued as his fingers trailed lower and lower, my skin tingling as they traveled downward and finally hovered over the very spot between my legs that craved their presence the most.
“Tell me how badly you want it, Cassandra.”
Everything inside me wanted it, more than I’d ever known a person could want something. Badly wasn’t near the word for how much I needed him, his touch. For him to continue to give me exactly what I desired since the moment he’d pulled my hand back.
“Cassandra? Cassandra?” I opened my eyes at the sound of my name being repeated over and over again, and confusion set in.
Peering around the bathroom, I realized nothing appeared as it should. My body wasn’t up against the door. It was still open as a half-naked Aidan stood grinning in front of me.
“You okay? I lost you for a minute.”
A fantasy? It was a freaking daydream? Oh, hell. I lay my hand on my racing chest. My cheeks felt as if they’d been lit on fire as I watched his grin creep up to the side.
He inched closer and cupped my blazing face, igniting it to a heat that was almost unbearable. “You’re all flushed. Where’d you go?”
Someplace I could never tell him. I swallowed my embarrassment and answered, “I just got a little overheated. I’m good. I’ll come back when you’re done.”
Not allowing him to respond, I dashed out of the steamy bathroom and ran for the hills.
“Cassandra.”
My name bounced off the walls. His voice rang through my ears, but it still didn’t block the beating of my heart that I swore he could hear.
Oh god. This was it.
This was the moment my weak body and throbbing heart had only dreamed of. My breaths came in short, heavy spurts as I spun on my heels. The bathroom light illuminated the area where he stood, making his tall figure appear as clear as day.
“Don’t go.” His deep, desperate voice broke the silence as it traveled to me.
Those were the words. The ones I’d heard in my fantasy. I couldn’t believe each footfall that made its way to him were, in fact, my own feet. I wanted this. Every beating pulse in my body yearned for it, but was I prepared to reap the consequences of what I was about to do? I didn’t care. With one last step, my quivering body stood before him. Each breath I took felt like forever as my eyes traveled from his navel to his dark, hooded eyes.
“Aidan,” I said in breathless anticipation.
“Shhh.” He closed the gap between us, his dark pupils sucking me in. “Don’t say anything. Not right now.”
With a hunger I’d never known, he had his hands on either side of my face, sliding his fingers between my loose strands of hair. He used his grip on my hair to gently pull my head back and the instant I closed my eyes, his warm lips touched the delicate spot under my ear.
A soft exhale escaped my tremulous lips. The wetness of his tongue left evidence behind as he kissed his way to my collarbone. My head was completely fogged over, not a single thought was able to run through it, nor did I want to think. I wanted to drink in this moment.
His lips captivated me as they trailed their way to the other side of my
neck. I moaned, and was sure I heard a growl rumble deep in his throat. Each time his mouth pressed against my skin it felt like dynamite exploding, spreading shock waves to every single part of my body. Not one area felt neglected from his kisses. I clenched my thighs together as his hands left my face to hold my shoulders and then wrap around my waist as his lips continued their assault on my exposed flesh.
The passion behind his mouth was the most intense feeling I’d ever experienced. Every nerve in my body tingled; it wanted this unlike anything else. It craved this. My body and soul were on the greatest high of their life with each mark his lips left behind. My panties grew damp at the thought of his mouth pressed to mine. I needed it pressed to mine.
He stopped, and still grasping his head, I lifted my eyes to meet his intense gaze. The dark, hungry eyes he’d possessed only moments earlier were completely replaced with gorgeous hazel-colored irises that gleamed with green the longer I stared at them. My eyes slowly moved down to land on his perfect lips, red in color and so mesmerizing in touch.
“Why’d you . . . stop?” Uncertainty swamped me as I eased my chest away to catch a breath and my hands fell to my sides. I stared at the very lips I wanted so badly to be pressed against mine.
Aidan’s arms loosened, but didn’t release me. “I’m trying to talk myself in or out of what I am about to do.” His breathing grew deeper and harder.
I lifted my eyes to catch his. “Can I help you decide?”
“Maybe,” he answered with a huff. “But I have to be the one to accept that the moment I press my lips against yours there is no taking it back. I’ll have crossed a line I know I shouldn’t, but every heartbeat pulsating through my body right now is telling me to do it.”
Every word he said, I felt. It was the damn line that had settled itself between our two beating hearts.
“Do we cross the line, Cassie?” He gently tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, and then trailed his finger down my neck. Goose bumps erupted, not just on the area he touched, but over my entire body.
I held the answer on the tip of my tongue, but before I let it out, I allowed my mind to come to. I needed to think. We’d put the line there ourselves. Did we dare cross it? My eyes scanned the room around me.