Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015

by Melinda Curtis

  “Screaming made you want to date me?”

  Hannah’s thumbs twirled round and round each other now, faster and faster. The rest of her fingers were clamped tight, but those thumbs looked like they were the lead cars in the Indy 500. She watched them like it was the most intense race she had ever seen.

  “It made me let down my guard. I guess after I let go of all that garbage I was hanging on to, there was room to let you in. I just never thought I’d do that again …” The thumb race must have finished because her thumbs stopped moving. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes as she finished the sentence. “… let another man into my life.”

  Aaron just stared at her. She couldn’t read a single emotion in his face. He didn’t blink, didn’t smile. His jaw held firm but didn’t look tense. She’d never play poker with him, she realized. Not with her cheeks that fired up at the slightest suggestion.

  She rested her head on his chest as a long stretch of silence sang out into the night. Had she surprised him with that confession? Was he letting her words sink in?

  Hell, maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. Honestly, Hannah wasn’t sure why she had told him that. It just seemed like the right thing to do. And there was so much more she wanted to say to him, but she just couldn’t find the words, especially now in the silence. He was so still, she couldn’t even hear him breathe or feel the rise and fall of his chest.

  “So what are you thinking about?” she asked, throwing his words back at him to break the long silence and be sure he was breathing.

  “How much I wish I wasn’t a gentleman right now,” he said as he pulled her tighter into his body.

  “Wouldn’t that be refreshing,” she replied with a note of sarcasm. He could strip her down right here on the porch and that would be fine by her. Hannah was desperate to pick up where they’d left off last weekend. No, scratch that. She wanted to start all over. This time, though, she wanted to finish. It wasn’t just about getting him naked. It was about losing herself in his touch. God, she wanted that, wanted him.

  Another long stretch of quiet echoed between them. At least he was breathing now. The rise and fall of his chest felt more controlled than natural. Was he crawling in his skin, too? Aching to touch her? As much as she was aching to feel his touch? The long silence and the sexual tension were killing her. Hannah had to know if it was getting to him, too. There was only one way to find out.

  ~*~

  “Do you want to spend the night?” Hannah asked, her head still resting on Aaron’s chest. Her fingers had stopped doing that twirly thing she always did when nervous.

  No, she wasn’t fidgeting at all now. Instead, she teased as her fingers traced sporadic patterns high on his thighs, driving him crazy, making his jeans tighter by the second. Spending the night was at the top of his wish list. As he stared up at the star-filled sky, Aaron knew if he saw a dozen shooting stars tonight, he’d wish that exact wish on all of them.

  He’d been holding himself back all week. Ever since he saw her beautiful curves wrapped up in that stretchy lace thing she had worn. Then in the tank top and shorts she wore as pajamas. Ever since he had slid his fingers inside her and discovered just how much she wanted him. And ever since he realized she wasn’t ready to take that leap.

  It wasn’t just sex. If it had been, he would have ignored the slip and made love to her anyway. No, he was in love with her and wasn’t about to take advantage of her. Aaron wanted it to be right, so he had held back. He barely touched her, afraid that even a gentle caress would open the path for his hands to do more, and the rest of his body to follow.

  What she’d just said, how she opened up, it changed everything. She cared about him, maybe even loved him. Aaron could see it in the way she looked at him – feel it in her touch, but it was missing in her words. Not only that she loved him, but that she was letting him into her heart.

  She must be scared now, after admitting she had never intended to let a man into her life. She had let him in though. Long before tonight, she had let him in. Now she was admitting it. That meant she had accepted it herself and that was what Aaron had been waiting for.

  If Tabitha wasn’t sleeping just feet away, he’d take Hannah right here on the porch. Finish what they had started a week ago. Ready or not, he’d have her. She was ready now. The only thing keeping his self-control in check was the little girl asleep in her bedroom and the threat that she could wake up and walk out at any moment.

  He let out a heavy sigh. “I want to spend the night with you,” he finally said, “but I’m not going to.”

  “I had a feeling you were going to say that,” she said, her disappointment as clear as the sky.

  Aaron didn’t want her to feel bad. “Hey, weren’t you the one who said it wasn’t going to happen while Tabitha was within a 500 yard radius?”

  She continued to draw patterns on his leg. Higher, then lower. Then higher again. “Yeah, I don’t really care about that right now.”

  Aaron thought about the little girl sleeping in the house. That was the only way he could keep his wits about him. Oh, and use words as an actual part of his vocabulary.

  “Sure you do,” he said. “Your bedroom make-over doesn’t change the fact you’re still a responsible and caring mom.” He stroked her hair, hoping to comfort her a little. “Don’t rush it, Hannah. We’ll be together. Hey … all this anticipation will make it that much better.” He hoped the reassurance worked on her because it wasn’t doing much for him. Waiting sucked.

  “Be honest with me,” she said as her fingers came to a halt low on his thigh. Relief and disappointment filled him in equal measure. “Are you sure this has nothing to do with me bruising your ego? Are you really just trying to be the good guy?”

  “I would never take advantage of you. Not intimately, not emotionally.”

  Maybe a little of it did have to do with his ego. He wanted it to be his name on her breath. He wanted to be sure she knew who she was with. He could wait for that, would wait for that.

  “You’re like the only guy on the planet that doesn’t want to get laid,” she said, that signature sarcasm making him laugh.

  If it was just about getting laid, he would have had her naked on their first date.

  “What can I say, I’m a good guy.”

  “Sometimes I wish you weren’t.”

  Yeah, me too. He held her tighter and watched the stars. The gibbous moon was getting ready to set behind the mountains and the stars high up in the sky grew brighter. It was a perfectly clear night. Not a cloud in the sky and too many stars to count. It was also quiet, now that the carnival had shut down.

  He wanted to stay out here forever, holding Hannah close, the smell of her vanilla shampoo filling his senses, but when her body grew a little heavier against his chest, he knew she was nodding off. He hated to leave her, but she was exhausted. He had to get home and get his camera ready for tomorrow. There was a memory card to upload, pictures to peruse, captions to write, all while it was still fresh in his mind. Any longer here with Hannah and he might be tempted to forget all about his assignment.

  “Hey,” he said as he lifted her off his chest. “How ‘bout I tuck you in?”

  “Mmm, ok,” she said as she looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

  Aaron sat at the end of her bed while she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into the tank top and shorts. He smiled when she came out wearing the sexy pajamas, wishing he didn’t have any willpower.

  Hannah climbed into bed and he kissed her on the forehead as he brought the blankets up over her shoulders. “I’ll meet up with you after the parade,” he said, confirming the plans they had made earlier.

  “You can stay,” she said before pulling him into her for a passionate kiss. It was clear what she wanted when her tongue plunged into his mouth, searching and hungry.

  Aaron indulged her – and himself – for a minute. Yeah, he wanted to stay. Really. Wanted. To. Stay. But he wouldn’t. Not tonight.

 
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said after using every ounce of willpower to pull away from her delicious mouth. He almost hated himself for it.

  Chapter 15

  Hannah stood in the basement kitchen of the church behind one of the large tables, a big serving spoon at the ready, waiting to pile the next plate high with mashed potatoes. That was her job tonight. Aaron worked the dining area, delivering plates of turkey dinner as people took their seats. She supposed there were worse jobs. She had volunteered. Mashed potatoes seemed less disastrous than say, gravy. It didn’t require a lot of skill. Fill the spoon, plop the potatoes on the plate, next.

  The Bath church held a supper one Saturday a month. Hannah had learned Aaron always served food at the monthly supper and this month he had invited her along. The ladies who put together the dinner always welcomed volunteers. It sounded like fun. Plus, it was more time with Aaron.

  He appeared in the window to the kitchen every few minutes, grabbing a couple more plates to deliver to the diners. Each time he smiled. She returned the warm smile and watched him as he walked away, so casual, so relaxed. He seemed to know everyone. Perhaps he was just comfortable making conversation, even with strangers. It was a skill of his trade. As a reporter, Aaron often had to talk to people he didn’t know to get them talking.

  She remembered how easy he was to talk to that first day she met him. Despite the electric attraction, she had still felt comfortable telling him about Steven and their experience with cancer. Awareness, she thought. That was her mission. Hannah was used to sharing Steven’s story, but with Aaron it was almost like he had been there, like he completely understood what she and Steven had been through.

  When the six o’clock rush came through, Hannah lost track of him. She was doing double duty on the potatoes, serving the plates to go out to the dining area and preparing the take-out orders as well. As the seven o’clock hour approached, the bustle slowed down and she found herself spending more time watching him work the dining room than scooping potatoes.

  “Why don’t you grab yourself a plate, dear, and go enjoy some dinner – Aaron, too. We can handle the stragglers.” Betty was in charge of the kitchen and wasn’t to be argued with. If she told you to go eat, you said yes ma’am and went on your way.

  “Thank you,” Hannah said to the stout elderly woman with the commanding demeanor. She grabbed two plates and found an empty table. Aaron spotted her and came over.

  “Betty said we needed to enjoy some dinner. I didn’t think it was wise to argue with her,” she said as he sat next to her.

  “Smart woman,” he said as he brushed her hair off her shoulder.

  They dug into their dinner and Aaron gave her the low down on some of the people who still remained in the basement dining hall of the church.

  Mrs. Dacie made the best molasses cookies Aaron had ever tasted in his life. Mr. Drispolt made fantastic wood carvings out of old tree stumps. Mrs. Clough was the church gossip. Nothing got by her. Aaron told Hannah he was sure the whole town probably already knew he brought a date to help serve this month’s supper.

  “Wait, we are dating now, right? We’re not just hanging out anymore?” he teased.

  Hannah laughed. “Yeah, I think it’s safe to say we’re dating.” She hoped the confirmation would open him up to the idea of sex again, because she was antsy.

  Aaron continued talking as they finished their dinner, clearing their plates when they finished.

  As she watched him walk away, her eyes traveled the entire length of his body. Oh, yeah. She wanted him. In those Levi jeans and that Harley shirt. She knew what hid underneath, was dying to see the rest of him.

  He returned to the table. “Betty has excused us from clean-up duty. It’s starting to rain, so I better get you home before it comes down too hard.”

  “Was rain in the forecast?” she asked as they headed to the door.

  “I don’t know. It was such a clear afternoon, it didn’t occur to me to check the weather for tonight. My truck’s in the shop, all I had was the bike anyway.”

  Sheets of rain poured down. Hannah smiled at Aaron. “Looks like we’re going to get wet.” She didn’t mind the rain, but the temperature had dropped and the rain was cold. She was going to need a hot shower to warm up when she got home. Hmm … maybe a hot shower with him.

  They both looked up to the sky when thunder roared in the distance. “My house is just on the other side of the river,” he said. “About a two minute ride. Let’s head there and wait out the storm.”

  It should have felt strange that she’d never been to his place. Tabitha probably played a role in that. She had homework and a strict bedtime, so it just seemed easier to hang out at her house. Hannah wouldn’t have spent nearly as much time with him if they hadn’t been at her place, since they sat on the swing talking and kissing for countless hours after Tabitha had gone to bed.

  She was excited now, though, to finally be seeing this side of Aaron. And relieved to not be going to her house where there were all those haunting memories of Steven. Maybe Aaron’s cabin was the right place. Maybe the waiting would be over.

  The ride was short, but the rain was coming down so heavy and hard Aaron had to take it slow. Usually when they rode, one hand held an almost constant vigil on her thigh, but tonight he kept both hands on the bike. Even the heavily wooded driveway that led to his small log cabin didn’t provide much shelter from the rain. The two of them were drenched from head to toe by the time they stepped onto his porch.

  Aaron held the door open, but Hannah hesitated. She didn’t want to drip water all over his house. “It’s alright. Go on in,” he said to her.

  Aaron’s house was a modest size, but beautifully finished. She loved the hardwood floors and how they shined. A beige area rug covered the floor in the living room. She took off her boots on one of the throw rugs in front of the door so she didn’t track too much water over the beautiful interior of Aaron’s home.

  The kitchen was small but spacious, the illusion of space a result of the open floor plan. The living room held a couple chairs and a large bean bag, which sat directly in front of the brick fire place. Along the back wall, an open staircase led to a loft. How romantic, Hannah thought. How perfect.

  Aaron led her inside and down a short hall that extended beyond the kitchen. He directed her to a bathroom and she wondered if the door straight ahead led to his bedroom. “I’ll grab you a t-shirt to change into and you can put your clothes in the dryer. The dryer is right here in the bathroom.”

  He was trying to be polite, the perfect gentleman, as usual, but Hannah didn’t see the need for the t-shirt. She wanted him. Riding on the back of his motorcycle, pressed close to his strong body, holding onto him tightly under the unforgiving rain only made her want him more. God, all night during the nice church dinner she couldn’t stop thinking about being naked with him.

  She was ready, just hoped she hadn’t blown it after calling him Steven the last time they had started to make love. Even after her little confession a week ago, he still had hardly touched her. So she allowed him to lead her to the bathroom and graciously took the t-shirt he offered.

  Hannah stripped out of the wet clothes and dried off. She slipped on the light gray Harley Davidson shirt before putting her clothes in the dryer.

  Butterflies skittered low in her belly as her heart raced and hands shook. “Get a grip,” she said to her reflection. “Aaron. His name is Aaron.” She continued to say his name repeatedly in her head, hoping Steven’s name didn’t slip out again in the heat of the moment. Clutching her hands into fists, Hannah tried to force the shaking to subside and stepped out of the bathroom.

  Aaron crouched in front of the fireplace, trying to get a fire burning. He had changed into sweatpants and had brought a couple soft blankets out and tossed them on the bean bag chair.

  “I thought we could warm up by the fire while your clothes dry and we wait out the storm,” he said.

  Hannah was very aware how he hadn’t turned to lo
ok at her. She wondered if he was trying to avoid her. He had never avoided eye contact before, but then, she had never been half naked in his living room.

  Was he nervous too? Did he want her as badly as she wanted him? Or was he simply being the perfect gentleman? Hannah wasn’t going to ask. Every time she asked, he turned her down. Nope, there was no asking. Actions spoke louder than words. At least they would until an orgasm had her calling out his name.

  She moved over to him and skimmed her fingers across his back. His skin was still cool from the rain, his muscles twitching under her touch. The fire was ablaze in the brick fireplace now, but Aaron remained there, motionless in his crouch, poised like a gargoyle keeping watch from atop a building. But he wasn’t a statue. He was flesh and bone, heart and soul, and she wanted him.

  Hannah leaned down, kissing the back of his shoulder, her hands holding firm to his strong arms. She traced her lips and tongue along the twitching muscles of his back and smiled as she he sucked in a hard gasp and held his breath. When her tongue reached the edge of his ear, she whispered, “Aaron, kiss me.”

  He rose from his crouch and pulled her close. His mouth was on hers, his tongue searching, hungry. One arm held her tight across the small of her back, pulling her into his body. His other hand tangled in her wet hair, pulling her into his kiss.

  Not that she needed him to pull her close. Her hands, splayed on the bare skin of his back, were on the same mission, pulling their bodies together. He wanted her, too. His kiss revealed that the second his mouth found hers. There was no hiding his desire, the hard press of his erection against her belly revealed just how badly he wanted her.

  Her hands moved lower, attempting to push the elastic waist of his loose fitting sweat pants down his body. But as she did, Aaron pulled away from their heated kiss and looked into her eyes.

  “Hannah,” he said on almost a whisper, hesitation apparent in his voice. “This wasn’t my intent when I brought you here tonight. I don’t want to rush you.”