Big Tempation: The Complete Collection (Big Temptation)

by Skye, Aubrey

  I drove by to check on you and saw Aidan's truck there. Can't say it didn't piss me off and scare me. I miss you. I'm worried about you. Text me. Please.

  The second one was from another number I didn't recognize. It was a different one from the one that had sent me the previous mysterious text.

  It doesn't matter what Aidan does. Everyone will still choose him over you. You are still with Rob, and I can prove it. Change your ways or I will send Aidan pictures. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, Tara. Think.

  Not really thinking, I forwarded the message to Rob. I followed it with my own text to him.

  I don't want to stay away, but it looks like I have no choice. What the hell am I going to do now? Please help...

  ~Volume Three: In Too Deep~

  It doesn't matter what Aidan does. Everyone will still choose him over you. You are still with Rob, and I can prove it. Change your ways or I will send Aidan pictures. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, Tara. Think.

  I was in so much trouble now. Whoever knew about me and Rob was not going to back down. The person was watching my every move, and now he or she had pictures! How was I going to stay with Aidan when I knew the next time he got mad he might hit me? How could I still be with Rob when someone was either following him or me and knew when we were together? I would be better off alone at this point. If I broke up with Aidan, the whole town would hate me. This person even said everyone likes him better. I could lose everything and have to leave the town I had called home since I was a teenager.

  It was days like these that I wished my parents hadn't moved to Florida when they retired. I could really use my mom right now, and I knew my dad would protect me no matter what. My dad was a retired fireman who helped to train Aidan, and if he knew that Aidan had left bruises on me, he would make sure that he paid for it. I hated to burden them with my grown-up problems when they were enjoying their lives down there, but I needed someone. I picked up the phone just to hear my mom's voice.

  "Hi, Tara? How are you, sweetie?" My eyes pooled with tears the second I heard her speak.

  "Hey Mom. I hadn't talked to you in a few days, and I just wanted to say hi." My voice cracked a little bit, and I was afraid she was going to pick up on it.

  "Well hi! How is everything? Are the kids treating you okay?"

  "School is fine. The kids are still teenagers, but they're doing fine. Good days and bad days, you know?" I dreaded the next question I knew she would ask.

  "How's Aidan? Did you two set a date yet?" I took a deep breath and tried to decide what I could say to her.

  "We actually bought wedding bands last weekend. He said he doesn't want to wait anymore, and he is ready to settle down and start a family. I was thinking maybe in October."

  "That's great news, Tara! Your father will be thrilled to hear that you're marrying his protégé. We better get planning if you want to have it in nine months!" This was a great diversion to what I was really feeling, so I just went with it.

  "I know. We'll talk this week and finalize everything, then I'll let you know. It's just been busy around here with Christmas coming up."

  "I know! We can't wait to come up and see you and Lauren. We're coming on the 23rd to try and beat the rush. Most of our gifts should be arriving at your house over the next week. We did all of our shopping online this year. So much easier!" My phone beeped, signaling that I had a new text.

  "Well, Mom, I should get going. I have some papers to grade tonight before bed. I'll call you in a few days. I love you. Give Daddy a kiss for me."

  "I will, baby. And congratulations on the wedding. Maybe we can shop for dresses when we're there. Love you!" We hung up, and I already felt better. I might be a grown woman, but sometimes I still needed my mom. I checked my messages and saw that the text was from Rob.

  Whoever this is must know nothing about Aidan. If everyone knew what I knew, then no one would side with him. You are safe with me. I will protect you from all the bad if you'll let me. I hope you are okay. Is Aidan still there?

  My stomach flipped a little bit at the thought that he wanted to protect me. Part of me wanted that too.

  No, Aidan left. He was full of apologies and promised never to do it again. But he's giving me space now.

  Yeah, space to be watched, I'm sure. That's probably him sending those texts, or his brother. They're trying to manipulate and scare you. It will be fine.

  I hope so, but I don't know. I'm just gonna get some sleep. Talk to you soon.

  Sweet dreams, beautiful girl. I'll be waiting.

  I went up to my bed with my stack of papers that needed to be graded by the end of the week on Romeo and Juliet. I hoped those would keep my mind off of my own problems. No such luck. The doomed love between them made me think of me and Rob. All of the violence and the two sides fighting made me think of Aidan and all of the cops and firemen and all of their connections. My life was one big mess of Shakespeare. And it could end up being a complete tragedy if something didn't give. I felt the weight of the world on me, and it gave me a splitting migraine. The kids would just have to wait another day for their papers, because I needed to sleep.

  I made it nice and dark in the room and took pain medicine. I laid down and put a cold wash cloth on my forehead, willing sleep to come quickly. I practiced some deep breathing, and the next thing I knew, it was 6:00 am.

  Thankfully, my headache was gone. I got up and took a quick shower and went down to have some breakfast before I got dressed. When I wake up from a migraine, I need to eat as soon as possible so I don't get another one. I heated up a breakfast sandwich and had some orange juice. When I turned my phone on, I had three texts and a voicemail. The first two texts were from Aidan.

  Been thinking about you nonstop. It killed me to walk away from you last night. I'm getting ready to start my shift, and all I want is you. I'm such an asshole.

  The next one was just as sweet.

  You're my everything, Tara. I will not be happy until I have you in my life forever. I messed up, and I know I don't deserve you, but I hope you will let me take care of you. Have a great day. I love you with all of my heart.

  I choked up after reading that one. We had so much history, and part of me just wanted to forget everything that had happened. Then I would have a flashback of his face when he was full of rage, and I would be filled with doubt. The best thing to do was give it time and see if he could really change. I wrote him back a quick message.

  Thinking of you too. I love you so much. We both need to keep thinking good thoughts.

  The last message was from Rob.

  Hey pretty girl. Thinking about you and the past few days all the time. Hope you are safe and happy. I'll be here whenever you want to talk...or anything else.

  That one made me smile and made me a little excited. That man knew exactly what to say to make me want him. He was sweet and sexy at the same time. The kind of man I never knew I wanted. He wasn't big and muscular like Aidan, but he was tall and he had a great smile. Plus, I knew he would never put his hands on me without my permission. But someone was still threatening us. And Aidan was still here. I didn't want to be present if the two of them ever came to blows. I sent him a response.

  Thinking about you, too. I'm still scared but am trying to be strong. I'll be in touch...and thinking of your touch.

  Since my phone had been off, I couldn't see who had called me. I dialed my voicemail and put in my pin and waited.

  "Hey Tara. It's Jack. I have a few things I need to talk to you about. Call me when you get a chance."

  It was my future brother-in-law. What the hell did he want to talk to me about? We were never close and only hung out with each other when Aidan was around. I had to admit that I thought he was kind of an arrogant jerk. He loved being a cop and used it to his advantage. He bullied people and was only friends with cops and firemen. What if he was the one who had been texting me? Was he going to threaten me again? Was he ready to tell Aidan all my secrets?

  I nee
ded to get ready for work, so I didn't have time to call him back. I didn't really want to anyway. I threw on a black wrap dress, black textured tights, and warm black boots. I got to school early and graded more papers to keep busy. The day was crazy, and I didn't have much time to sit and think about Jack. I knew I would have to face it eventually, though. When the last bell rang and my classroom was empty, I sat back and took a deep breath. I still wasn't ready.

  I gathered up my stuff and headed to my car. As soon as I got in, I got a text from Rob.

  Drive to Fayville and park your car at the grocery store, near the front door. I will be there parked in my truck. Leave everything in the car and come get in. I have a surprise for you.

  I knew it would be risky to go, but I really wanted to. I looked around to see if there was anyone obviously watching me. I searched the school lot for police cars or any of the cars that the guys from the fire station drove. Satisfied that I saw nothing I recognized, I put the car in drive and headed toward Fayville. It was about a 10-minute drive, so I turned the radio to my favorite country station and sang along. It made me think of Rob because he loved country, too. He was my redneck boy. Well, he wasn't really mine, but he was the only redneck in my life.

  I kept checking my mirrors to see if anyone was following me. There was an elderly man right behind me, but I couldn't see any other cars. There were butterflies in my stomach from knowing that I could get in trouble for this. Still I didn't turn around. A short time later, I turned at a green light and headed into the parking lot of the grocery store. I parked as close to the entrance as I could get and looked around. A couple of rows away, I saw Rob's truck. I checked myself in the mirror to make sure my makeup was still okay, grabbed my purse, and got out.

  The lot was slippery from freezing rain we had gotten earlier in the day, so I was careful as I made my way to his truck. I opened the door and climbed up into the truck the best way I could with a dress on.

  "Hey pretty girl. Thanks for coming." He leaned in for a kiss, and I didn't pull away. Damn he was bold. He knew there could be people we knew in that parking lot even if we were two towns away. He obviously didn't give a shit who saw.

  "Well, hello yourself. So what's the big surprise?" I gave him a sweet but nervous smile as I waited for his answer.

  "You'll see. Buckle up, babe." I did as he asked and sent a quick text to Lauren letting her know where I was and to cover for me if anyone came looking. She told me to be careful and have fun.

  Rob reached for my hand and rested our hands together on his thigh. It was nice and warm in his truck, and I tried to relax while he found our destination.

  "How was your day? I thought about you while I did some engine work, and it was damn hard to concentrate! The guys wanted to know where my head has been at the past couple of days. I told them I was just tired."

  "It was pretty good. I'm trying to get a bunch of 14-year-olds to understand Romeo and Juliet. It's never an easy task, but I let them watch the newer movie version. Of course, we had to skip the sex scene." He started laughing when I said that.

  "Well, if you want to recreate that scene just let me know. I have to admit English wasn't my best subject in high school, though. I just wanted to fix cars for as long as I can remember."

  "There's nothing wrong with that. You should do what you love. I love to read and write, and I love to teach what I love. So I guess we both chose the right profession." It started to snow lightly as he turned onto a side street. The town was lit up for Christmas, and I loved it since it was my favorite time of year. The falling snow made the town look like a framed picture, slow moving and peaceful. The kind of place where people want to settle down and raise a family.

  About five minutes later, he pulled into the beginning of a long driveway. I couldn't see a building for at least a mile, but when it came into view, I was impressed. It was a large, old home, what would have been considered a mansion 100 years ago. There was a sign out front that said "Fayville Inn." Rob pulled into a garage and parked the truck out of sight. I had been watching for headlights behind us, but there hadn't been any. He came around to my side and helped me out of the truck.

  "You're killing me in that dress, Tara. Hold onto me so you don't slip and fall." I grabbed his arm, and I expected us to head to the front entrance, but he led me to the back door. We headed up a small staircase and into a back entrance. We were standing just inside a fancy kitchen, and there were several people bustling about preparing something that smelled delicious. One woman to my right was drizzling chocolate sauce over a large piece of cheesecake. My stomach immediately started growling, and I knew I could eat a big meal if I got the chance.

  "What is this place? It smells amazing."

  "It's my grandparents' inn. It's kind of hidden back here, but those who know about it keep coming back. It's kind of a word-of-mouth place. My grandparents are away in Italy right now. They spend every December there with family."

  "I had no idea about any of this. This place is great."

  "Well, my family has money, but I don't like to tell people. I don't want them to think differently of me. Plus, these are my mom's relatives, so no one would match up the last names. Since not many people know this is here, I figured it was a great place for us to get away and be alone." With that, he took my hand and led me through the kitchen doors into the main dining area. The tables were full of people enjoying plates of homemade classics. There was chicken and biscuits, spaghetti, and fish fry. It was an impressive crowd for a Tuesday night.

  "I can't believe I haven't heard of this place! All of the food looks so good. Are we gonna get to try it?"

  "You bet, babe. I set up a special place for us in advance. I do have connections after all." He nudged my shoulder and gave me a wink. We headed toward a door on the far side of the dining room. When we went inside, he closed and locked the door behind him. There was a small table set up for two near a fireplace. There were three huge windows that gave a beautiful view of the snow falling outside. When I looked to my left, I also saw a large sleigh bed. This was apparently a bedroom that had dinner set up for us in it.

  "Wow, Rob. This is beautiful. I have never been any place like this, and I have travelled all over. I can't believe you set all this up for me."

  "You need someone to show you that you're worth it. You're worth the extra time and thought. You're worth every penny I have and more. You deserve to be treated like a queen at all times. You need to know that you are a gorgeous, desirable woman. Not in spite of your size, but because of it. Now that you know I have a lot more than I let on, please know that I want nothing more than to take care of you. I have the means to do it." He moved in and kissed me softly, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. By the light of the fire, surrounded by warmth, I felt my heart starting to go to him. After a few seconds, he pulled away.

  "We better sit down and eat before I get too distracted. We will have time when we are done for this."

  He held out my chair for me, and we sat down to enjoy spaghetti and meatballs. He told me the recipe for the sauce and meatballs were secrets of his grandmother's Italian family. They tasted perfect, and I pretty much cleaned my plate. When we finished, he revealed another plate full of chocolate-covered strawberries and a bowl of homemade whipped cream. He dipped one of the strawberries in it and motioned for me to open my mouth.

  I stuck my tongue out and licked some of the cream off. I watched his eyes burn with lust as I slowly bit into the berry. I grabbed one and did the same to him. It was starting to get hotter in there, and I felt a pull in my lower abdomen. Looking at his face made me so hot that I didn't want to hold back.

  "Rob, no one has ever done anything like this for me. I've only been in this phase with you for a few days, and I already feel so connected. You make me forget all my problems. I feel beautiful and safe. And you make me so fucking horny." His eyes got wide when I said that, and I made my way around the table to him. I told him to push himself back away from the ta
ble, and I swung a leg over his lap. Straddling him, I let my cleavage fall in his face for a minute. I felt his hot breath between my breasts and wetness was already pooling between my thighs.

  I sat myself all the way down on his lap and kissed him. Our tongues entwined immediately, and it was an automatic reflex to grind into him. He responded by putting his hands on my ass and pulling me closer. I could feel how hard he was already. He planted kisses along my jawline and down my neck while he continued to knead my ample ass. My hands were in his hair, guiding his trail of kisses. He made his way across my collar bone with his tongue, then licked down in between my tits. Suddenly, his hands went to the V-neck of the dress and pulled it down, revealing my black bra with pink lace trim. He cupped my full tits in his hands and licked all the way across the top of each one. Not satisfied with just that peek, he decided to pull the cups of my bra down, showing my large, erect nipples.