by K E Osborn
He looks deeply into my eyes. “You deserve so much more,” he says and leans over and gently kisses me. I exhale and roll over onto my back with my hands under my head. I gaze up at the beauty surrounding me, Aiden on my side and above me the starry night.
“Do you think all men are the same?” I ask, though the question is directed more to me than him.
He tilts his head. “No, I think most men give us good guys a bad name.”
“Isn’t that something a bad guy would say to a girl just to have his way with her?”
“Um, yes, I guess it could be seen that way.”
I sit up. “Ha! So you are a bad boy then?”
He sits up at the seriousness of my question. “No, I’m one of the good guys.”
I bite my bottom lip as he moves his hand up to cup my face. He brushes my lips with his thumb and caresses my cheek.
“What’s brought this on?” he asks. I move my head, looking down. He pulls my face back up with his hand so my eyes meet his. I swallow the lump in my throat.
“I just...” I mumble as he looks at me.
“It’s okay. You can talk to me.”
I exhale. “I have major trust issues with men. My dad left before I was born. My ex... well, he cheated and left me. I can’t just trust that you are who you say you are. I mean how do I know that you won’t treat me the same way?”
He sighs. “Trust issues, huh? I can work with that.” He smiles, lightening the mood. “Let’s take this one day at a time. I don’t plan on hurting you. I don’t think I ever could. Trust is a big thing. It has to be earned. I’ll do my time until you trust me. I’m not planning on going anywhere. I don’t know about you, but for me, there is something here, and I’m willing to wait and work at it to find out what that is. That’s if you want to?”
I can’t help but smile. “I think there’s something here as well, and with time, I’m sure I’ll trust you.”
“I can live with that.”
“Wow! That got serious real quick,” I say, laughing. He nods in agreement. “Aiden,” I say softly.
“Yes, Jeni?”
“Kiss me!”
He lunges toward me, pushing me back to the blanket. He places his hand under my head to stop it from colliding with the ground. He moves on top of me, and we both laugh as he strokes my hair. Softly and steadily, he kisses me with passion. I feel him smile as he starts to move, and then before I know it, he’s tickling me. We both laugh hysterically as we roll around on the blanket like teenagers. In this moment, I feel pure happiness. I haven’t felt this way before. This man makes me feel warm and safe. This is how I want it to stay, forever. We spend most of the night talking about our lives, our families, and indulging in general chitchat until we fall asleep in each other’s arms under the sparkling night sky.
Chapter 9
I wake with my head on his chest and his arm around me.
“Morning, beautiful,” he says to me.
“Morning,” I say sleepily. Then my eyes shoot open. “Morning? Did we fall asleep?”
He starts to stroke my hair. “Um, yeah. We were staring at the stars and cuddling. Next thing I know I wake up and you’re all over me.” He chuckles as I slap him on the stomach. I pull my head up to look at him. His hair is disheveled but in a very attractive way. “Gotta love that panda-eye look in the morning,” he says, handing me a hanky. I sit bolt upright and turn away from him. He laughs as I try to grab the hanky without looking as my hand flails around trying to find his. Finally he puts the hanky in my hand, and I wipe the mascara and eyeliner from underneath my eyes.
“Oh my god, I must look horrible,” I say under my breath.
He sits up behind me, moves the hair from my neck, and gives me a tender kiss. “You look beautiful.”
The sun is rising over the trees in the field. I sit there with Aiden’s arms wrapped around me. I feel elated that I’m here in this moment.
“Technically, we’ve slept together,” he whispers in my ear.
I laugh with shock. I turn to face him and kiss him gently on the lips. “You wish, Mr. O’Connell.”
“I said slept together, as in sleep. What are you talking about, Miss Taylor?”
My cheeks flush crimson with embarrassment. “Moronic Smart-ass,” I say with a smirk.
He kisses my forehead as he exhales. “Guess I’d better get you home,” he says, sounding disappointed.
“How about some breakfast first?” I ask him shyly.
“Sounds good to me,” he says as he stands up. He puts his hand out for me to take, and as I do, he pulls me up from the ground into a tight embrace.
We walk hand in hand back to the car.
“Has Mike been here all night?”
“Yes, he would’ve been waiting for us.”
I look at him in surprise and raise an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? He stayed here all night waiting for us? Oh, man, I feel terrible,” I say sullenly.
“Don’t worry about Mike. He would’ve gone to sleep in the car.”
I feel ashamed that Mike had to spend the night out of his own bed so we could spend the night together. Aiden looks at me and stops walking. I stop and look at him.
“Honestly, he wouldn’t mind, I promise. Plus I got to spend the night with you in my arms. That’s a pretty good way to spend the night in my opinion.”
I look down, suddenly feeling very shy. He lifts my chin so our eyes meet. I inhale slightly at the sight of those beautiful blue eyes as he gently kisses me. I start to relax.
“It was pretty good to spend the night in your arms,” I say quietly as he pulls me in for a hug.
He sighs. “Was it as good for you as it was for me?”
I feign a look of shock on my face as I slap him on the chest. “Behave, Mr. O’Connell.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a small laugh.
We start to walk toward the car again. Mike is in the Cadillac, sprawled out along the back seat, snoring. I look at Aiden as an idea comes to mind.
“Why don’t you drive us to a café for breakfast and let him continue his sleep?” I whisper to him. He nods, walks me to the passenger door, and opens it. I quietly get in, and he shuts the door. He walks around, gets into the driver’s seat, and closes his door quietly.
“I’ve always wanted to drive a Cadillac,” he whispers.
I giggle as he starts the car; I turn around to see Mike. He’s still fast asleep with a slight snore echoing from his mouth.
“What about the picnic blanket and telescope?”
“I own the land.” He says it casually, like it’s normal for people to own such a great piece of prime property.
“You own the land?”
He looks over at me and smiles. “I’m good with finances, remember?”
We drive down the hill and back through the gate to meet the main road. As he turns off the dirt track, he leans over and takes my hand from my lap to hold. I turn occasionally to see if Mike has woken, but he sleeps soundly in the back seat of the Cadillac.
“Anywhere in particular you want to go for breakfast?” he asks.
“I chose dinner; you choose breakfast.”
He looks at me. “I know just the place.”
We pull up at a little café just off the main road. It’s a cute little spot. Wind chimes dangle along the roofline, chiming in the slight breeze. We leave Mike asleep in the car and head inside. We sit at a table for two next to the window. An elderly woman with short silver hair comes to greet us.
“Good morning, Aiden. You’re out and about early this morning, and who is this lovely young lady you’ve brought to meet me?”
He smiles at her lovingly; he obviously knows her well. “Morning, this is Jenifer. We had a late night, which seems to have merged into morning. We needed some breakfast, so I thought that I’d bring her to the best café in the state.”
She pats him on the cheek. “Nice to meet you, Jenifer,” she says kindly, holding out her hand for me to shake.
“Nice to
meet you too. Um, sorry. I don’t know your name?”
“Just call me Nana,” she says, winking at Aiden.
“Nice to meet you, Nana.”
“Breakfast for my favorite customer, I can do. I’ll be right back. Would you like anything to drink, Jenifer?” Nana asks me kindly.
“Um, I’ll have a coffee and some orange juice. Thanks.”
“Coming right up,” she says as she walks off toward the kitchen.
I look at Aiden. He’s watching me intently.
“She’s lovely.”
“She’s the best.”
“How long have you known Nana?”
“A long time,” he says with a grin.
“This place is wonderful,” I say as Nana comes back over with my orange juice and coffee for both of us.
“Here you go, kids.”
“Thanks, Nana,” Aiden says, touching her gently on the arm with affection. She places her hand on his.
“Anything for you, darling,” she says as she walks off.
I take a sip of my freshly squeezed orange juice; it’s delicious. Aiden takes hold of my hand, and our thumbs stroke each other’s. I look out the window, and at this moment, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I definitely don’t want it to end.
“What are you thinking?”
“That this is the best date I’ve been on, and the longest.”
“Yes, for me too. Thank you for the entertainment.”
“Entertainment?” I look at him, puzzled.
“Yes, entertainment. You’re very entertaining, Jeni. You’ve fallen for me, banged your head for me, fallen into the car for me, all very entertaining.”
I gawk at him. “I’m glad you find my clumsiness amusing.”
“Very amusing,” he murmurs under his breath.
“I heard that,” I say. We both laugh as Nana comes out of the kitchen with a tray full of food.
“Good to hear some laughter this early in the morning. I have your breakfast ready.” She places plates of bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausages, and hash browns in front of us. I look at the plate in awe as my stomach grumbles.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Nana!” Aiden says to her, making her smile.
“You never bring girls in here. I’m guessing this one must be special, so I made a special breakfast for the two of you.”
He blushes. Aiden embarrassed, that’s something I didn’t expect to see. “Okay, that’s enough, Nana. Stop embarrassing me.”
I laugh, as does she. “No, keep going, Nana. I want to hear more embarrassing things about Aiden.”
He glares at Nana, and she laughs.
“I like this one, Aiden. She has flair.”
“Thanks, Nana,” I say as she looks across at Aiden, who is staring at the two of us in amusement.
He scratches his head and chuckles. “She certainly does.” He grins and winks at me, making me blush this time.
Nana smiles and walks off to the kitchen.
“Wow, this is a feast,” I say to Aiden.
“Yeah, I never get fed like this when I come here by myself. I’ll have to bring you here more often.”
I laugh as I pick up my knife and fork and dig into some bacon. Everything tastes delicious. Just like home-style country food. I keep shoveling the food into my mouth until I realize Aiden is watching me. I raise my head in confusion.
“You really are hungry, aren’t you?” he says, holding his coffee.
I look down at my nearly empty plate. “Oh my god, I was enjoying it so much I didn’t even realize I was full.” I sigh and put down my knife and fork, feeling quite bloated.
“Oh no, don’t stop on my account. You’re entertaining me again.”
I look at him like he’s being ridiculous. “No, I was actually full ages ago. I’m eating for the sake of eating. I didn’t want to offend Nana by not eating it all.” Good save.
“Nana wouldn’t get offended if you didn’t eat it all.”
“Well, I’ve definitely had my fill for this morning.”
I look at his half-eaten plate of food. I look up at the clock on the wall, seven o’clock.
“I really should message Sarah to let her know I’m okay. Excuse me.”
He nods and takes another sip of his coffee.
I pull out my cell phone and text Sarah.
OMG Sez, I’m still with Aiden. It’s all good, talk to you when I get home xoxo.
I hit Send. I don’t expect a message back as it’s early on a Saturday morning. I put my cell phone away.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine,” he says as he takes my hand, stroking his thumb against mine.
Nana comes over to clear our plates. “How was it, dear?” she asks Aiden.
“Magnificent as always.”
She bends over and kisses him on the cheek.
“Thank you. That was amazing,” I say as Aiden and I laugh at my use of the word amazing again. Nana looks at him questionably.
“Inside joke, Nana, never mind.”
“Will you come by another time soon, Aiden?” Nana asks hopefully, grinning at him.
“Of course,” he says, smiling his bright smile at her.
“And you, Jenifer, are welcome anytime,” she directs at me.
“Thank you,” I say shyly.
Aiden stands up and gives her a hug. I put my hand out to shake hers, but she pushes it out the way.
“Don’t be silly,” she says as she grabs me in a tight embrace. She stands back, holding me at arms’ length. “Any friend of Aiden’s is a friend of mine,” and she pulls me back in for another embrace. I let out a small laugh.
“Okay, okay, Nana, let’s not smother the poor girl.”
“It’s okay,” I say as Nana lets me go. “Thank you, Nana,” I say sincerely. She beams and walks us to the door. “Oh, we have to pay. How much do I owe you?”
“No, dear, you don’t owe me anything. Just seeing how Aiden looks at you and seeing that you make him happy is payment enough.”
Aiden rolls his eyes. “Nana,” he says abruptly.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I’m sure,” she says, walking us to the car. “Nice car. Where’s Mike?”
I laugh and point to the back seat of the car. She bends down to look in the window and sees Mike sprawled out as she lets out a little giggle.
“He’ll be horrified when he wakes up,” she says to Aiden.
“I know,” he says with a cheeky grin.
Nana gives us both a kiss on the cheek and bids us farewell. Aiden starts the car, and we both wave out the window as we drive away.
“She’s nice.”
“She’s the best,” he says, taking my hand in his. We drive along the main highway, and Aiden turns the radio on low so we can hear but not loud enough to wake Mike.
“He’s a heavy sleeper,” I say, gesturing to the back seat.
“Surely seems so. I’m guessing I should take you home.”
“Yeah, probably,” I say with a frown as I give him the directions to my house. We pull into the driveway, and he stops the car.
“What, what? I’m up,” Mike mumbles as he sits up abruptly. I laugh as he tries to straighten his tousled hair with his fingers. “Sorry, sir, I didn’t realize you were awake.”
“It’s okay, Mike.”
“Sorry about last night. We fell asleep,” I say to him.
He shakes his head, trying to wake up. “It’s fine, miss ... ah, Jeni. I don’t mind at all. I like spending as much time with this baby as I can before I have to take it back to the rental company.”
“Thank you for driving me around yesterday.”
“It was my pleasure, miss ... ah, Jeni.”
I laugh as he rubs his eyes. I look back in Aiden’s direction.
“I’ll walk you to your door?” he asks me softly. I nod as Mike gets out and opens my door.
“You didn’t have to do that, Mike,” I say sincerely.
“It’s my pleasure,” he says as I shake
my head and wait for Aiden to join me. Mike hunts around the back of the car to find his hat.
Aiden is at my side and takes my hand. I look over to Mike, who is now sitting in the driver’s seat, looking into the rearview mirror, straightening himself out. I let out a small laugh. Aiden looks over at Mike then back at me, taking both my hands in his and turning me to face him.
“Thank you for the best night of my life,” I say, immediately thinking I’ve overstepped the boundaries. He smiles at me and puts his hand to my cheek, gently caressing it.
“Thank you for the best night of my life,” he says back to me.
Those horrid butterflies make their appearance in my stomach again. He moves closer to me, still with his hand on the side of my face. I inhale sharply, and I stare at his soft kissable lips. A lump forms in my throat as I wait for the inevitable goodbye kiss. Slowly he moves in closer, putting his hand around my waist and pulling me to him. I let out a little giggle. Suddenly his lips are on mine softly, slowly, and passionately. I get lost in the moment, and it feels as though we are kissing for an eternity. A very good eternity.
Eventually we come up for air. Our foreheads rest against each other’s, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. My hand is holding the collar of his shirt, and my other is tangled in his hair. I stare into those eyes, bright blue and full of lust. My hands move to his shoulders.
“Jeni,” he whispers.
“Mmm,” I murmur.
“You’re amazing,” he says with a smirk, making me laugh as we let go of each other.
“We really need to find a new word.”
He kisses my forehead. “I better go or else I’m never going to leave,” he says.
Then don’t ever leave. “Okay,” I say with a pout.
“Now that’s too cute,” he says as he comes in for another quick kiss. As he pulls away, I put my index finger down the front of his pants, pulling him back to me.
“Whoa, and you think I’m the cheeky one?” he asks, laughing before I kiss him again, this time feverishly and with force. I feel him grinning as we’re kissing. Our tongues intertwine and caress each other as he forces me against the door, both of us breathing unsteadily. My arms tighten around his waist, and his hands are in my hair on either side of my head. He suddenly pulls away.