“God, yes,” she says right away. “That’s what my mom did. But it’s not that easy. Rescues are expensive, and I have vet bills to pay, so I’m stuck here. I refuse to believe it’s forever though.”
“I don’t believe it either.” I make a mental note to have Claire look into the expenses of horse rescues. Speaking of Claire, she’s motioning to me. “I have to get back to work,” I tell her. “I’ll call you again. You still have to tell me why you’re having a bad day.”
“It’s not so bad anymore,” she says softly. “And I’d like that. Bye, Aiden.”
* * *
The rest of the day crawls by. So do Wednesday, and Thursday, and even Friday. I’m not needed on set Friday, so I take a cocktail of Norcos, Ambien, and a shot of Scotch and pass out early Thursday night, after talking to Haley.
We’ve talked every day over the phone; I call her whenever I have spare time on set. It’s easy talking to her, and if a few minutes pass where nothing is said between us, it isn’t awkward. I’m not a fan of talking on the phone at all. Half the time when my own sister calls I decline it and just listen to her messages. I shouldn’t do that, I know. She still lives in London so I never see her, but fuck, I hate talking on the phone. With Haley, it’s different. Everything with her is.
Tonight, I’m taking her to dinner in Billings. She mentioned on the phone that she wasn’t sure what to wear, so I had Claire pick something out and send it to her house. Haley has no idea a designer dress will be waiting for her when she gets off work. A car is picking her up and we are meeting here, at the hotel.
I get out of the shower and get dressed, then sit at the foot of the bed, flipping through channels as I impatiently wait for Haley to arrive. I can’t handle the dark thoughts that swirl in my mind. I try to shut them out, but images of Haley dying in a car crash on the way to the hotel flash through my brain.
Then I think about what it would feel like to be in a crash. I see it all play out in slow motion, everything from knowing you’re going to die a moment before it happens. How long after impact would I suffer before I actually die? I feel the windshield break into a million tiny pieces and tear open the skin on my face. The airbag pushes the glass into my flesh even more. The car would flip and roll, and I’d be jostled into unconsciousness.
“What the fuck is wrong with me?” I mutter to myself and stand up, opening the top drawer of the dresser. I pull out a pill bottle and break a Tramadol in half. I take it with water, wanting to be coherent when Haley arrives. Coherent but calm.
She calls me when she gets into the hotel lobby. I stand, take a look at myself, then leave the room. My bodyguard, Frank, tags along to keep fans from taking unwanted pictures or getting too close. As much as I love my fans, I just want a nice night out with Haley.
I hardly recognize her when I leave the elevator and step into the lobby. She’s standing with her back to me, hair curled and pinned up to her head. The dress I bought her is midnight blue and tight in all the right places, giving her a perfect hourglass figure. She put on a black sweater that doesn’t quite go with the dress, and it pains me to remember the hint of scars I saw on her shoulder.
“Haley,” I say, and she turns around, smiling. The dress is low cut, and her breasts are pushed up. I can’t help but stare for a second—or a few seconds—before moving my gaze to her face. “You look beautiful.” I extend my hand for hers.
“Thanks,” she says as she links our fingers. “It’s thanks to you, though. This dress is beautiful on its own.”
I step in close and kiss her. It’s just as intoxicating as before, and I want to take her upstairs and into my hotel room, slowly removing her clothes and kissing every inch of her until she begs me to fuck her.
“You look nice too,” she says, arms wrapping around me. I move closer, my hips brushing against hers. I’m getting turned on from being so close, and she can feel my cock harden. Her eyes narrow, and she kisses me again.
Frank clears his throat. Right. I’m in the middle of the hotel lobby. People are watching, probably snapping pictures. I reluctantly step back and take Haley’s hand. “Are you hungry?” I ask her.
“I’m starving,” she says. “I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
I smile and realize it’s the first time I’ve had a date tell me she wants to eat. “I did eat after lunch, but I’m still hungry,” I tell her. “I’m always hungry.”
I hold her hand as we walk out of the hotel, and Frank opens the door to a black sedan for us. I get in first, sliding over. Haley gets in next to me and looks around.
“This is so weird,” she says.
“Being in a car?”
“Being treated like I’m important.”
I smile. “I think you’re important.”
“Well, you’re one of the few. But thanks.”
I nudge her arm. “You’re important to your horses.”
Her lips curve into a smile. “I like to think so.”
I run my fingers up and down her arm. Haley relaxes and moves closer to me, reaching over and cupping my face. She wets her lips and kisses me. Holy fuck, the woman is driving me wild without meaning to.
Her hand runs down my chest, sweeping across my lap. She feels my hardened cock and bites her lip, turning away. I take her hand in mine, rubbing slow circles on her wrist the rest of the way to the restaurant.
We get seated right away, receiving collective stares from most of the restaurant. A hush falls over some of the patrons, and I watch Haley tense uncomfortably as eyes fall on her. She knows she’s being judged.
We show our IDs and I order us wine. Thankfully the waiter is professional and doesn’t gush over me. He’ll be getting a big tip at the end of the night. The lighting is low, and we’re in the back like I requested.
“Have you been here before?” I ask.
“Once,” she says, taking a drink of wine. “My dad took me out when I graduated high school.”
“So it was a while ago,” I joke.
She raises an eyebrow and smiles. “Not that long ago.”
“Your dad,” I start then realize it’s a rude thing to ask. I spent the night in a barn with her. We were past awkward and had moved to being able to ask personal questions, right?
“He and my mom split when I was really young,” she explains. “He lives on the east coast and has kids. It’s weird to think I have half siblings I’ve never met.” She shrugs. “I don’t think they know about me, actually.”
Having an estranged father was something I could relate to. “That’s kind of shitty.”
She takes another sip of wine. “I guess so. I get along all right with my dad, and he came and stayed with me for a few weeks after…after the accident. But he lives on the other side of the country and his kids are all under eight years old. I don’t need him, they do. I get it.”
“You’re a forgiving person.”
She shrugs. “I guess so, when it comes to that. The issue was with my parents, not me, but yeah, it still hurts to know he could so easily move on. But I’d rather forgive and move on as well than harbor hatred. It’s not worth it.” She looks up and smiles, and I feel like a plonker for once again bringing up a topic that causes her pain. I reach across the table and take her hand. Her eyes widen and she looks down. “People are taking pictures of us.”
“Relax,” I say. “You look amazing and have nothing to worry about.”
She smiles. “How do you do it so calmly?”
“You get used to it, really. I mean, I’m still aware of everything I say and do in public—for the most part, at least—and I think twice before I leave the house. You know, make sure I don’t have stains on my clothes and all that. It bothered me at first, but now I don’t care as much.”
“Right,” she says, tightening her grip on my hand. “It’s just you and me.”
“Just the two of us.”
Aiden
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I say, staring down the doctor.
“I’m
sorry, but no. You have pneumonia.”
“It’s the middle of July,” I say, like that will change the diagnosis. “People don’t get pneumonia in the summer.”
He takes the stethoscope out of his ears. “They do, more often than you’d think. And you said you spent several hours in a cold river?”
I nod. It was more than just hours, and the river wasn’t cold, it was fucking freezing. Yet we had to get the scene perfect. My chest hurts when I inhale, and I have a nasty cough. I don’t feel that bad though. I can still go out with Haley tonight. “Two days in a row,” I add.
The doctor nods and writes a prescription. “You need to rest. You’re showing signs of fatigue too,” he says, and that doesn’t surprise me. Two weeks has passed since I took Haley to dinner in Billings, and I’ve spent every minute possible with her since then. Exhausted? Yes. Staying up late, talking and fooling around, and driving back and forth from her farmhouse to the hotel wore me out. But it was worth it. “And stay out of the river.” He shakes his head, and I know he’s thinking we’re bloody insane if not completely stupid for going into cold water in the mountains just for a movie. But hey, wading through the rapids makes for a damn good rescue scene.
“How long?”
“The weekend for sure, and taking it easy next week would be wise. Bedrest is best, but get up and walk around and take deep breaths as often as you can. You want to expand your lungs to keep them from getting even more filled with fluid.”
I sigh, already planning on not taking his advice. This movie lacks half the stunts I’m used to, and I’ve been sent to the ER twice already. I almost got out of going today, but my fever spiked, which made me lightheaded and dizzy.
I give Claire the prescription and we go back to the hotel. She objects when I tell her I need a car again.
“Aiden,” she says. “You’re sick.”
“It’s just dinner. I need to eat anyway. If you don’t get it for me, I’ll get it myself.”
She grumbles but digs her phone out of her giant bag and sets up a rental. We leave the hospital, stepping into the hot parking lot. I’m all cold and shivery, despite the warm sun. I roll my eyes. This is fucking ridiculous. I seethe the whole way back to the hotel. I don’t get sick often, which is surprising, given all the shit I put in my body.
I go straight to bed when I get to the hotel. I don’t want to admit it, but I’m hurting and I’m tired. I start to doze off when my phone rings. It’s Haley.
“Hi, Aiden. I got off early,” she tells me.
“That’s good,” I say and then cough. I turn my head, not meaning to cough into her ear.
“You sound awful,” she says. “Way worse than when we talked last night.”
“Yeah, I have pneumonia.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not that bad, but I did want to ask if you cared if we had a laid back night.”
“I don’t care at all. I prefer it, actually. Are you sure you want to do something? I understand if you don’t.”
I can’t stay here alone, and I want to see her. “I do. I go stir-crazy locked in this room, plus I’d like to see you.”
“I can make us dinner,” she offers. “I’m not a good cook though.”
I smile, loving how easy it is to talk to her. I don’t have to put up any fronts. I’m just me. “That sounds good.”
She gets in her car; I hear the engine rev to life. “I feel bad. I should come see you, but I…I can’t leave the horses.”
“Don’t feel bad. I really don’t like this room.”
“That helps. So I’ll see you soon?”
“Yeah. Soon.”
* * *
I put the car in park and rub my eyes. It took everything in me to stay awake on the hour drive. Maybe I should have asked Haley to come to the hotel. I shake my head, and wince at the headache coming on. Dammit. I don’t want to be sick.
I trudge up to the porch and ring the bell. My eyelids are heavy as I wait, but my heart still skips a beat when Haley opens the door. She’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Her hair is in a messy braid hanging over her shoulder, and she’s barefoot.
She’s absolutely beautiful.
“Oh, Aiden,” she says and reaches for me. Do I look as bad as I feel? Our fingers entangle and she pulls me inside and presses the back of her hand to my forehead. “You’re burning up.”
I just sigh instead of cracking a lame joke about being hot. I reach up and take her hands, letting her lead me into the living room. We sit on the couch. She rests her head on my chest.
“You sound all crackly,” she tells me.
“You can hear it like that?” Fuck. I must be sick.
She nods and looks up at me. “Yeah, but it’s hard to hear. And I know what to listen for. Phoenix had pneumonia from breathing in smoke. And we’ve had other horses with it before.” She rakes her fingers through my hair again. My eyes close.
“That feels good,” I mumble.
“You sound like you’re going to fall asleep,” she says with a laugh.
“I feel like it too. Sorry I’m a buzzkill.”
“I guess we can take turns being buzzkills.”
I open my eyes and give her smile. “That’s fair.”
Haley drapes a blanket over my lap and disappears into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol.
“Do you have allergies?” she asks and starts to unscrew the lid from the bottle.
“Not that I know of,” I say.
“Good.” She gives me two pills that I take right away, washing down with water. “Did you take any cough medicine?” I shake my head. “The only stuff I have has codeine in it and will make you sleepy.”
My eyes light up at the mention of the narcotic. “That’s fine,” I say quickly. “It won’t affect me.”
Haley’s eyes narrow ever so slightly, but she turns and brings me a medicine cup full of nasty tasting syrup. I take it and wash the flavor away with water. She sits next to me, and I rest my head on her shoulder, only to sit up and turn away to cough. “Are you tired?” she asks.
“I am,” I say. “I’m so much fun today, I know.”
Her arms go around me and she gently strokes my hair. “You’re sick. You’re not supposed to be fun when you’re sick.”
“Mhhh,” I mumble in response, relaxing more and more each time her fingers sweep down my scalp. We resituate and lay down together, and Haley keeps running her fingers through my hair until I fall asleep.
When I wake up, she’s gone. The sun is starting to set, and I have to pee. I get up to find the toilet and see the lights on in the barn. After using the bathroom, I go back to the couch, drink the rest of the water, and lay down. I’m feeling considerably better, thanks to the three and a half hour nap.
And Haley.
I close my eyes and wait, and think about taking another shot of cough medicine I get up as soon as I hear the door opening. I smile at Haley as she steps through, and she pauses, eyes meeting mine as she takes off her boots. I rush to her and wrap my arms around Haley, pulling her close. She steps in, hips against mine, and looks into my eyes. I want so badly to kiss her but I hesitate, not wanting to get her sick. But when she closes her eyes and tips her head to mine, I know she’s okay with the risk. Our lips meet and her hands go to my back, holding me tight. My tongue slips into her mouth, and the warmth and wetness start to turn me on.
I cup her face and kiss her harder as desperation takes over. We take a fumbled step backward. Then I spin her around and pin her against the door she just walked through. I couldn’t help it. Her soft lips crush against mine, and now her hands are moving down my back, taking hold of my waist.
I run my hand through her hair and over her collarbone, slowly making my way to her breast. I start getting hard when she slips her fingers under the hem of my shirt. Feeling her skin against mine sends shivers through me, and I want her so fucking badly.
My chest tightens and I struggle for air. I don’t w
ant to stop kissing her, stop touching her. I need her against me. We haven’t slept together. Not yet. Our time together has been fleeting, with one of us needing to go back to something else that requires our attention. I want her so much it hurts, and the last thing I want is to take my lips off hers. But dammit, I have to cough. I break away and turn my head. My chest hurts and I groan, resting my head against Haley’s.
“Aiden,” she whispers as she runs her fingers through my hair. She’s noticed that I love it. Her touch is so gentle. “You should sit down.” She presses the back of her hand to my cheek.
“I feel a lot better,” I tell her and lean in. “Promise.”
“As long as you promise,” she says with a smile and kisses me. I take her hands and lead her through the kitchen and into the living room. We fall onto the couch.
Then I grab her and kiss her again, pushing my tongue into her mouth and picking up right where we left off. My heart skips a beat, and all I can think about, all I want, is her.
Haley moves into my lap, straddling me. My hands land on her hips, and I push her down, grinding her against me. I flip her over, laying her down on the couch. I’m on top of her, between her legs. Her hands go under my shirt again then her fingers push past the waist of my trousers.
Bloody hell, I want her. Without taking my mouth off of hers, I reach down and pull up her shirt, exposing her breasts. I trail kisses down her neck and bury my head between her tits.
Her legs wrap around me and she arches her back. She wants this too, and I know it’s more than just physical lust. She needs to feel the connection, to be touched, just as badly as I do. My hands run over the smooth skin of her stomach. I unbutton her jeans and move back up, putting my lips to hers once more.
I slide my hands down, intending on taking off her trousers. I feel the scar tissue beneath my fingers and she flinches.
“Sorry,” I pant. “Does it hurt?”
She turns her head away and closes her eyes. “Yes.”
“I’ll be careful,” I tell her.
“I know.” She doesn’t look at me. “I’m just…”
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