"Erika."
Aiden's husky whisper warmed her from the inside out.
"I'm glad you came."
"I couldn't stay away."
She sensed his words meant so much more than just staying away this evening. Turning, she leaned against the railing. He looked so damn fine, damn near perfect except for the white swatch of bandage at his temple where he'd hit his head. The soft breeze ruffled his hair, making her fingers itch to bury deep in the dark locks.
"I need to—"
"I have—"
They both spoke over each other.
"Ladies first."
Inhaling deeply, she gathered her thoughts. She'd never been one to pull any punches, and she didn't plan to start now, not with so much on the line. “I love you, Aiden. I've loved you for so long, I can't remember not loving you. I want us to give this,” she gestured between them, “a chance. I want you to stop pulling away."
"Erika, I—"
"I'm not done yet. Colonel Covington has asked me to take a new position with the AFSA, a supervisory position. I wouldn't be in the field anymore, not much anyway. I've worked hard to prove myself and it's paying off. But if I don't have someone to come home to, well, I'm not sure. I want to come home to you. You accept me for who I am. And you love me. I know you do."
With the light from the room at his back, shadows hid his eyes. If he didn't say something soon, she'd be forced to hurt him.
"I do, Erika. I love you. I've never loved anyone but you. I wasn't scared of dying when Sonny held that gun to my head; I was afraid of dying without having lived, or having told you that I love you. I'd stopped living when I left active duty. I was so afraid of failing, that I just stopped living. But I kept right on failing, for the same reason. Until you blasted back into my life. But I allowed Nancy to cause me to doubt myself, and us."
"I think I hate that woman."
Aiden chuckled. “As I stood there this afternoon with two guns pointed at me, I realized that if I made it out alive, I owed it to myself, to us, to live. You're not the only one who spoke to Colonel Covington about a job."
He piqued her curiosity. He was too old to go back on active duty.
"I'm going to apply to be a civilian member of the JAG."
A part of the Judge Advocate General Corps. A lawyer for the Air Force.
"With any luck, it'll work out. It'll enable me to be a part of the Air Force, something I didn't realize I missed until now. And it'll enable me to be with you, wherever you go."
Be with her? Wherever she went?
He dropped to one knee, taking Erika's stomach with him. Snagging her left hand, he rubbed his thumb over her ring finger. “I may never make partner in a prestigious law firm and God knows I won't get rich. But we'll be together, if that's enough for you. It's more than enough for me. Your engagement ring is in a safe deposit box in Ohio. If you say yes, I'll have them overnight it here. But you have to say yes first. Erika, will you marry me?” His voice cracked, a heartwarming sound.
"I thought you never wanted to do this again?"
"Now is not the time to throw my words back at me, Erika.” Tension resounded in his words.
"You still have my engagement ring?” Tears burned her eyes. Her heart skipped and twirled in her chest; her soul soared.
"Yes."
"You never got rid of it?” Gazing down at his face, he'd never appeared more handsome, even if he did look like he was about to panic.
"You're killing me here, Erika."
"Yes. Oh, God, yes."
Aiden pushed to his feet and swept her into his arms in one smooth move. His lips swooped down to capture hers as his hand cradled the back of her head. Love spilled from him, filling her, his kiss soft and promising. He traced her upper lip with his tongue, tickling her. She giggled, the sound allowing him to lick into her mouth. His other hand slid down her spine, inch by inch, until he cupped her butt in his palm. Bracing her, he ground the ridge of his hard erection into her soft belly, mimicking the motion with his mouth.
Her arms twined around his neck, allowing her to press her body even closer. She wanted more; she needed more. Tangling her fingers in his hair, she stroked her tongue along his, reveling in the deep rich taste of his kisses. She was ravenous, wanted to eat him alive, but he kept the kiss gentle, romantic.
All her fears from earlier in the day flooded her mind—the fear Sonny would kill him—the fear she'd kill him—the mind-numbing terror that she'd never hold him like this again. The need to feel him, every inch of him inside her, took control. They were alive; they were together, and it was time to celebrate.
The first order of business was shedding their clothes. He'd thrown a t-shirt on but still wore the obnoxious trunks she'd bought for him. She tugged at the tail of the shirt, freeing it from the waistband. Her hand immediately crawled underneath, reveling in the feel of soft skin and hard muscles. Tracing every delineated muscle, she worked her way up to his chest, rubbing the crisp hair.
His kisses stuttered, faltered, as she flicked his nipples. A sharp thrill raced through her at the power she wielded over him. Drawing back from the kiss, she skimmed the shirt up and off, tossing it to the floor. She reached inside the waistband to untie the string, brushing the top of his erection as she did. He sucked in a breath and shivered. He toed off his sneakers and stripped out of his trunks with speed and agility, leaving him standing breathtakingly naked in front of her. She was wet and ready at the sight of him.
"One of us has on way too many clothes."
"It sure as hell isn't me.” Aiden flexed his groin muscles, causing his erection to bob.
"Then maybe I'd better get rid of this.” She gathered the skirt of her sundress in both hands and yanked it over her head, too anxious to play games. His whistle of masculine appreciation as she stood before him in a matching peach silk bra and panties set stroked her desire even higher.
"You can get rid of the rest of it, while you're at it."
She presented her back to him, beseeching him with a look over her shoulder. He didn't need instructions. He unhooked the clasp of her bra and shoved it down her arms, leaving her to shake it free. Bracing herself on his shoulder, she stepped out of the panties. The cool night air, tinged with salt water, nipped at her body.
"You are so damn beautiful. I can't believe you're mine. You deserve so much better."
"I deserve you. It's you I want. Now shut up and make love to me."
Aiden saluted her. “Yes, ma'am.” He leaned her forward to brace on the balcony railing. “I need you too much to be slow or gentle."
"We have the rest of our lives to be slow and gentle. Right now, I need you to fuck me. To prove to me that we're both alive."
Nudging her knees apart with his, he growled, primitive and possessive. With a grip at the base of his erection, he slid the head up and down, spreading her moisture and coating himself. His hands came to clutch her waist as he slid home in one smooth thrust. Oh, how he filled her. Not just her body, but her heart and soul. He rocked into her, his hold preventing her from pushing back at him. Every inch of his long, thick erection stroked her flesh, inflamed it, as he controlled the tempo. He moved with the crashing of the waves, keeping rhythm with the endless beating of the shore.
"Faster, harder.” She whimpered, pleading over her shoulder.
When he pulled all the way out and didn't return, she wanted to scream out her frustration. He spun her around and pressed her to the sliding glass door, cupping her butt with both hands.
"Wrap your legs around my waist."
She was only too happy to comply, especially when he impaled her. She did scream then, with pleasure. Aiden pushed her upper body back and tipped her hips forward, increasing the depth of his thrusts. Her eyelids fluttered shut as the feelings intensified, radiating from where he filled her all the way to the roots of her hair.
"Open your eyes. I want to watch you when you come."
If he kept going the way he was, she'd come any minute now. He
r clit and her nipples tingled, signaling her impending release. She wriggled her hips to align her clit better with his pelvic bone, to speed the progress of the molten lava building in her body.
"That's it, baby, go with it. Let it happen."
He flicked his thumb across her nipples, staring deeply into her eyes. She tumbled into his soul, into his love, and her orgasm took over her body. Her breath caught and held. Ripples of intense pleasure sparked along her nerve endings, shattering her mind and causing her to cry out. Fragments of pure color floated before her eyes.
Aiden's fingers dug into her hips, his thrusts jerky, rough, intense. Then he froze for a brief second. He pumped into her with four or five short bursts, his release claiming him.
"Erika.” His voice was a husky, awed whisper that had her blinking back the tears for the second time that evening. “I love you."
Unable to support them both, Aiden sank to the concrete, flipping so she straddled his lap. Resting her head on his chest, she listened to the thundering of her heart, his ragged breath blowing across her forehead in labored puffs, both of which matched her own. Sanity returned in small doses.
"I think this is how it all started.” Aiden brushed his lips at her temple.
"Huh?” Apparently, not all of the pieces of her brain had formed back up yet.
"Me, ass down on the ground and you on top of me."
Laughter escaped her, stirring the hair on his chest. Tipping her head back, she gazed into the eyes of the man she loved, the one she planned to spend the rest of her life with. She never thought she'd end up here. Not thirteen years ago, nor all those days ago.
Some things were worth waiting for.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Felicia Forella began writing in grade school with the help of a friend. She quickly gave up trying to be the next Carolyn Keene when she realized that she gave away the who-done-it by the third chapter. She became hooked on romance in high school when her mother bought her a (now autographed) copy of Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. (See what you started, Mom!) A long hiatus from writing began in college when she realized no one cared if she became the next Margaret Mitchell. She began writing seriously again in the late 90's and her New Year's resolution for the new millennium was to become a published author. She is proud to say this is one New Year's resolution she actually accomplished.
Felicia is a former Air Force brat, which might explain her obsession with men in uniform, who lived all over the South and in Spain. She now lives in PA with her hero husband and her hero-in-training teenage son, although, given her choice, they would be living somewhere down south as close to the ocean as humanly possible. They have a middle-aged beagle/border collie mix affectionately known as the Supermodel beagle, who is the only female in the house who responds to her husband's every beck and call.
Felicia loves to hear from her readers. Email her at [email protected] and visit here website at www.feliciaforella.com.
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The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 24