“We got it,” Aiden called back.
She hurried to clear the table and put the leftovers in plastic containers, shoving them into the refrigerator. Giving the counter a final swipe with a wet sponge before tossing it into the sink, she raced around the bottom of the stair rail and took the stairs two at a time. Stopping for a second to catch her breath so it did not look like she had been running, she heard voices coming from Emily’s room.
“I like the taste of toothpaste, don’t you?”
“I don’t know, I guess I never thought about it,” Aiden replied.
“At the dentist, sometimes they use stuff that tastes like bubblegum. Or it’s supposed to taste like bubblegum, but I think it’s yucky. I like the minty stuff Mama buys.”
She stuck her head around the corner and peered into Emily’s room. Emily had crawled under her covers with her favorite doll and favorite stuffed animal on either side. Aiden was kneeling on the floor by her bed, pulling the covers up. Emily yawned widely again.
“You did really good today,” Aiden said. “You should be proud of yourself.”
She watched as Emily held Aiden’s gaze and a nervous expression crossed her daughter’s face. “But what if I don’t do so good when I play with everybody else?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve struck out lots of times. I’ve fouled out lots of times. Nobody hits the ball every time they’re at bat, so it’s fine if you miss. It should always be about having fun and trying your best, no matter what happens. I just think you’re amazing for trying.”
She blinked as tears filled her eyes, lifting her fingers to press against her lips to keep the sob from bursting forth. Emily yawned once again and smiled up at Aiden.
“Sleep tight, little darlin’,” he said softly, bending over to kiss Emily’s forehead. “I’ll send your mom in to say good night—”
“I’m here,” she said, walking into the room. Bending over, she held her daughters gaze as she said, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
With a final kiss goodnight, she stood and followed Aiden out of Emily’s room, flipping the light off as she left.
They walked silently down the stairs, but as soon as they entered the living room, Aiden turned to face her. He immediately reached out, snagging her waist and pulling her close. She went willingly, her hands reaching up to clutch his shoulders.
She stared up at his face, seeing longing mixed with uncertainty. She wanted to give into the first and wipe away the second. Lifting on her toes, she moved closer, feeling his arms band tightly around her waist.
“I want to kiss you more than anything else, but I want to do the right thing, here,” he said, his gaze searching hers.
“Then kiss me,” she said, her words sure and steady.
Without hesitation, his lips met hers, scorching in the intensity of her overwhelming desire. One of his arms still held tightly to her waist, pulling her against his body, while the other slid up her back, pulling the clip from her hair. As it tumbled over her shoulders, he clutched the back of her head, his fingers tangled in the tresses. Angling her head, he slid his tongue through her lips, delving into the warmth of her mouth.
Stepping backward, pulling her with him, he moved until the back of his legs hit the sofa. With his arms banded tight around her, he tumbled them down so she lay atop him, keeping his lips on hers. The feel of him, the taste of him, the sensations rocking through her…all combined into a lust-filled flame. She felt as though she had been holding back forever and now the dam had broken.
Aiden sensed the change in Lia as her body yielded, her soft curves aligning with his hard planes. He slid one hand down to cup her ass, kneading the soft flesh as he pressed her closer to his erection.
Forcing his mind to stay on her pleasure, he slid his hand up over her hip, past the dip in her waist, and up her back, finally cupping her face. Taking the kiss deeper, he swallowed her moan as he plundered her mouth. His thumb swept over the soft, apple of her cheek and focused on the delectable taste of her tongue tangling with his.
She groaned and spread her legs so that her core was pressed against his upper thigh. She ground herself against the coarse material of his jeans, seeking all the friction she could gain.
Moving his hand from her face, downward, he felt her pulse beating wildly at the base of her neck. Skimming his palm over her breast he slid his hand further down until he was able to sneak it under the bottom of her shirt. He tried to tell himself he just wanted to touch her bare skin but he knew that was a lie. The instant his fingers touched her warm, silky skin, they slid upward to just underneath her breasts.
His cock was painfully aware of how close her core was as she continued to press on his upper thigh. Ignoring the desire to rip her yoga pants down her legs and take her on the sofa, he reigned in his desire, wanting this to be about her…all her. He could not remember the last time he was determined to give everything he had to a woman’s pleasure, without any thought to his own, but this was the gift he wanted to give Lia. Only Lia.
With that in mind, he shifted her slightly so that his hand was able to skim up over her lace covered breasts, filling his palms.
Lia groaned, the electricity jolting from her nipples to her core causing her to grind harder against Aiden’s thigh. She had not had sex since Carl and considering that he had been away for much of their marriage, it had been almost four years since she had been with a man. For a brief second, she wondered if she should be afraid, or hesitant, or even filled with doubt. But, remembering who she was with, she was never more sure of anything in her life. She wanted to be with him.
Leaning back slightly to see his face, she instantly missed the feel of his lips on hers. Meeting her gaze, his hand stilled on her breast. Seeing the question in his eyes, she smiled. “I want this. I want you,” she whispered. She turned her head toward the stairs and sighed. “Emily. We have to be quiet…and careful, in case she wakes up.”
“We can stop,” he said immediately. “I don’t want you to feel awkward and I certainly don’t want Emily to be upset.”
She settled her gaze back on his face and her heart melted that he cared so much about her and her daughter that he would halt what they had begun.
“If we’re quiet, I can hear her, although she sleeps so soundly every night.”
His lips curved in a smile that matched her own and his fingers gently slid the cups of her bra down, exposing her rosy-tipped nipples. He shifted her again, this time allowing him to kiss his way down to her breasts, his mouth latching onto one aching nipple. He sucked deeply, tugging and pulling, causing her to groan once again.
She clung to his hair, holding him to her breast as he slid his fingers down to the front of her pants, slipping them underneath the waistband. Dragging them through her wet folds, she had to stifle her cry of pleasure, not wanting to wake Emily.
Aiden plunged his fingers inside Lia’s sex while continuing to suck her breasts, moving from one nipple to the other. He concentrated on the amazing way her body was responding to his touch and, like tinder to a flame, she quickly blazed hot for him.
Pushing her hips up toward his hand, she urged him to continue. His fingers scissored inside as his thumb pressed gentle circles on her clit.
“Yes, please,” she begged.
“Come on, baby,” he encouraged, feeling her inner core tightening on his fingers.
She jolted, rearing back as her orgasm rushed through her, sparks flying outward from her core in all directions.
“That’s it,” he said, mumbling against her breasts. Sliding his head backward he peered into her face, loving her closed-eyed expression of bliss. “Ride it out, baby,” he encouraged.
Lia continued to thrust her pelvis against Aiden’s fingers until the last of the tremors subsided and she settled her body heavily on top of his. After a moment of her entire body feeling blissfully weightless, her eyes fluttered open met his, staring straight into hers.
Grinning widely, he slipped hi
s fingers from her wetness and brought them up to his mouth, sucking deeply. She had thought in the early days of her marriage that she and Carl had had a healthy sex life, but she had never witnessed a man take such pleasure in simply giving her pleasure.
The sight of Aiden sucking her juices off his fingers had her mesmerized. He had just given her the best orgasm she had had in her life and had not even gotten off himself. The idea of what he could do when they actually had sex had her anticipation heightening, wondering if it would be possible to die of an orgasmic overload.
Aiden watched the play of emotions cross Lia’s face before settling into a smile. His heart warmed and he leaned up, kissing her gently while allowing her to taste her essence on his tongue.
After several minutes he pulled back, lifting his hand to tuck wayward strands of hair behind her ear. “You okay?”
Her smile widened, and she said, “Oh, yeah. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so okay.”
Kissing her lightly once more, he shifted them upward, gently pulling her bra and shirt back into place. Seeing the surprised expression on her face as her eyes dropped to his crotch, widening at the sight, he laughed. “This needed to be all about you.”
“But…what about you? You didn’t…uh…get off.”
“That’ll come, sweetheart, when you’re ready. When we’re both ready. But I want the time to be right for everything we do, and tonight, I just wanted you to feel pleasure. And believe me, it was great for me too.”
He watched as she bit her lip, her brows lowered in thought. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Lia. I never want to just assume and then make the wrong assumption.” He had her settled in his lap, his arms banded about her, holding her close.
“I never meant for this to be all about me,” she said, her hand cupping his jaw. She rubbed her thumb along his rough stubble and held his gaze. Though she blushed, she pressed on with what she wanted to say. “It’s been a really long time for me. I haven’t been with anyone since Carl and, quite frankly, he was overseas a lot of our marriage. So much of my focus over the last few years has been on Emily…I was beginning to wonder if I had become un-sexual, if that’s even a word.”
He chuckled, staring into her beautiful face. “Babe, you came alive at just the touch of my fingers. You flamed brighter than anything I’ve ever seen just from our kisses. Believe me, there is nothing un-sexual about you.”
Her lips curved slightly. “For a while, Aiden, I was scared. Scared of feeling things for you that would not be reciprocated. Scared of feeling things that I thought you might be incapable of feeling for me. Scared of taking a chance on something, and now that I’m a mom, knowing that I can’t just think about myself.”
“And now? Are you still scared?”
She stared into his blue eyes, seeing concern, but not fear. She shook her head slowly and her lips curved into a gentle smile. “I learned after Emily was born that we cannot always plan our lives perfectly. And learned after Carl’s leaving, and then his death, that I don’t want to just sit on the sidelines. I’m ready to take a chance again and I want to take that chance with you.”
Her words snaked through him, warming him from the deepest part of his soul. He moved in, his lips touching hers, this time not in lust but as a promise.
“I want you, Lia,” he said. “I want both you and Emily. And I’ll do everything in my power, if you place your trust in me, to be the kind of man you both deserve.”
She pulled him in close, holding his cheek upon her chest, as their arms wrapped tightly around each other. After a moment, he said, “I can feel your heartbeat against my face.”
She did not hesitate to confess, “When I was unsure that Emily was able to hear me tell her that I loved her, I would place her so that her cheek was right next to my heartbeat. I always wanted her to feel it even if she couldn’t hear it. She still does that, even now, and I always tell her she can hear my heart…it’s the sound of my love.”
He remained silent, unsure if she spoke of love for just her daughter or if, perhaps, it might be for him too. But he quickly determined that, at that moment, it did not matter. Just the sound of her heartbeat against his cheek was all he needed.
18
Lia’s phone vibrated on the nightstand, jerking her awake. Rolling over quickly, she grabbed it. The screen showed it was just after two a.m. “Hello?” No answer. “Dammit, who is this?”
The call disconnected just before she was going to hang up, frustrating her even more. Replacing the phone back on her nightstand, she flopped on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling. Who on earth can this be? Prank callers? Teenagers? Someone who’s just trying to piss me off?
Throwing back the covers, she climbed out of bed and padded into the bathroom. Filling up a glass, she took a long drink of water. Sighing heavily, she lifted her eyes to the mirror, her gaze drifting over the slight razor burn down her neck and visible to the V in her silk pajama top. A grin slid over her face as she thought of Aiden’s stubble making the slight abrasions.
Putting the irritating phone call out of her mind, she flipped off the bathroom light and crawled back into bed. With thoughts of Aiden, and the next step she hoped they would take in their relationship, she grinned as she fell back to sleep.
“How’s the investigation going?” Scott asked, standing in Lia’s office doorway.
She rolled her eyes, but smiled her greeting as she waved him in. He had shed his suit coat, but she liked the way he always maintained his professional appearance, with a white button-up shirt paired with navy slacks and a light blue tie. His hair was neatly trimmed and brushed to the side. It was easy to imagine him being the elder, dapper Mr. Redding’s grandson.
“To answer your question, the investigation is simply…going,” she laughed. “While I was with a firm in Virginia Beach, I was used to going into larger companies to do an internal investigation into possible fraud. But here in Baytown, it’s so different. Everyone knows everyone else. No one really likes to see a forensic accountant coming, because they know that we’re looking to see if someone stole money, and if so, who did it. I’m just used to doing that with a certain amount of anonymity.”
He chuckled and nodded. “I remember my grandfather used to complain that, while he was completely professional in keeping everyone’s taxes and business accountings confidential, people would come up to him in the middle of a restaurant and start asking questions.”
“That’s what will be very strange here,” she said. “Whatever I find out with the fraud investigation, it will be someone that everyone in town knows. And even though it isn’t my fault, often it is the bearer of bad news that takes the blame.”
Scott appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before looking up and holding her gaze steadily. “And have you found anything definitive yet?”
“Not definitively, but I do feel like I’m heading in the right direction.”
“You know, no matter what, the Mayor will want things kept as quiet as possible.”
Shrugging, she said, “It’s not my say what happens. I simply turn over my findings to the district attorney whenever I’m ready. How the Town Council and Mayor want to handle that is on them.”
Standing, he nodded and walked toward the door. “Good luck with everything, partner,” he called out.
She stared at the doorway for a moment after he left, not sure what to make of that last comment, before her phone vibrating caused her gaze to jerk back to her desk. She had three calls already where no one answered. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed it up, and said, “Just stop. Just stop calling!”
“Babe?”
“Oh, sorry. Sorry,” she babbled.
“What the fuck is going on? What’s wrong?” Aiden demanded, his voice laced with concern.
She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “I’m just getting stupid prank, hang up phone calls that have gotten on my last nerve. I had one in the middle of the night that woke me up and two so far today. I didn’t even look to see who was calli
ng when I bit your head off.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“For the last week, but I just—”
He shouted, “For the past week? You’ve been getting hang-up phone calls for a week and haven’t said anything to me?”
Each word grew louder until she had to hold the phone slightly away from her ear. “It’s just prank calls, Aiden.”
“How do you know that?”
“What else could it be? It’s not like anybody is making any demands or asking anything of me. Nobody’s threatening me. Nobody’s breathing deeply into the phone. They’re just irritating the hell out of me.” By now her voice had risen as well, and she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly in an attempt stay calm.
“Babe, I’m coming over,” he stated emphatically.
“Aiden, there’s no sense in—”
“I’m coming.”
He disconnected and she stared at her phone for a minute, shaking her head. Part of her wanted to be irritated at his high-handedness, but the other part felt it was nice to have someone who cared. Looking back down at her files, she figured she would get a little bit more work done before he came.
Fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Markham appeared at her door. “Ms. Smith? You have a visitor. It’s Police Chief Evans.”
“Mitch?”
Mrs. Markham turned to the side, allowing Mitch to step into her office. “Shall I bring coffee?”
Mitch turned and shook his head toward her efficient secretary, and said, “No, thank you. Not on my account.”
She stood and offered him a chair, but before she was able to ask why he was there, Aiden came bursting in. Mrs. Markham was behind him, fluttering her hands, but she just nodded that it was all right.
“Good, Mitch. I’m glad you got here,” Aiden said, before walking over to her, placing his hand on her waist lightly and bending to kiss her cheek.
Staring up at him, eyes wide, she asked, “Aiden, what on earth have you done?”
Hear My Heart Page 14
