by C. S. Gunn
She looks up at me. “Calle? How?”
“She used to date their cousin. She told me about the farm when I ran into her at the gas station.”
“Will you tell her I said thank you?” I nod, holding her tighter.
I hold her for a while longer, just feeling her against me puts me at ease in a way nothing else ever could. We finally get washed up and get out just as we begin to lose the hot water. I help Aspen get dried off and bring her a clean shirt, then I get myself dressed. I gather our bloody clothes and toss them in a plastic bag, they’ll have to be burned. Then, I sit on the couch next to her and pour us both a shot. “What’s this?”
“We both need one.”
She takes the shot and shivers, she’s still my adorable Aspen. “What do you think Ashe did to Jake?”
“Not sure. But whatever it was, Jake didn’t survive it.”
“Good. I hope he suffered.” I look at her in slight shock, I didn’t see that coming. “What? He deserves it for what he did to me, what he planned to do to me.”
“I know baby, I’m sure he suffered.” I tuck a strand of her wet hair behind her ear.
I have to tell her, she may hate me, she may never forgive me, but she deserves to know the kind of person she gave her heart to. I’m fucking terrified. “Stone? What’s wrong baby?” Seriously, she just went through hell, because I left her, and she’s worried about how I’m feeling? Fuck, I love this woman more now than I ever did, if she decides to walk away from me, that will be the end of me.
“I have something I need to tell you.” I pour us both another shot and slam mine back, after some hesitation, Aspen takes hers too. “That picture, of you and your brother, I’m sorry I reacted like that. You didn’t deserve that shit, I was just so scared that if you found out what I had done……”
“What are you talking about baby?”
“He was my best friend….I’m….I’m the reason he’s dead.” Tears fill my eyes as I choke the words out. She sits in my lap and throws her arms around my neck….not the reaction I was imagining, but I hold onto her tightly anyway. “Aspen? Did you hear me? I killed your brother.” I whisper into her hair, holding her tighter, fearing that she might still run.
“No, you didn’t.” She pulls back to look into my eyes. “He died of a brain hemorrhage.”
“How do you know? You weren’t even there.”
“Actually, I was.” I stare at her, in complete shock, that’s impossible, Chase would have said his sister was coming, and I would have noticed someone like her. There’s no way she was there. “I came to surprise Chase, but my flight was delayed so I missed the fight. By the time I got there, he was already at the hospital.” She cups my cheeks in her tiny hands. “I spoke to the doctor, Stone. Chase had a brain tumor that I don’t think he knew about, his brain was going to hemorrhage whether he was in that fight or not. You didn’t kill him baby.” What? It wasn’t my fault?
“I…..I didn’t kill him? All these years I thought…..” I feel a weight being lifted off me, I can finally breathe. I pull her into me again, sobbing into the crook of her neck. All the hatred I’ve felt toward myself, all the years I’ve kept people at a distance, afraid to let anyone get too close. It was all for nothing. Why didn’t I go to the hospital, why did I run? Why do I always run?
“I’m so sorry you carried that with you all of this time.”
“Thank you.” I kiss her lips softly.
“For what?”
“For everything….for loving me.”
“I’ll always love you, nothing with ever change that….even when you’re being a jerk, I’ll still love you.”
“Good, because I can’t stop loving you.”
“Oh my god!”
“What?” I ask startled at her sudden change of her tone.
“You’re Stone!”
“Are you sure you’re okay angel?” Did she hit her head?
She laughs. “No, I mean, you’re that Stone. Chase told me all about you. He wanted me to meet you, said that you were the best man he ever knew. He really loved you. I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together sooner!” She gets up and grabs my hand, pulling me with her as she walks toward my bedroom. “Come on.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to make you feel better, and then I’m going to let you show me just how much you love me.” She smiles the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen. Since meeting Aspen, she’s brought me back to life, she’s shown me how to love again, but what she did for me tonight I’ll spend my life repaying her for. Tonight, she gave me something I thought was lost to me forever, tonight she gave me peace.
Chapter Eighteen
Aspen
“Stop.” I giggle and playfully swat at Stone’s arm. “I’m going to be late.” He’s hovering over me, kissing my neck. You can guess what he wants.
“Come on, be my dirty angel.” He says in a low rumble against my skin, it’s so tempting just to stay in bed with him, but I can’t, not today. It’s not just about work, I have other things to do today, something I’ve been planning.
“You have no idea how badly I want to, but I’ve got to get up.” I giggle again.
“Okay, fine. Get your sexy ass in the shower, I’ll get the coffee started.” He stands up and helps me out of bed before leaving the room.
I go into the bathroom and start the water before undressing. I catch my reflection in the mirror as it begins to fog, I look so normal, no one would even guess what I went through just a week ago. On the surface, it’s almost as if it never happened, save for the bruises that were left on my wrists and ankles from the ropes. I’m shocked that there’s no bruise on my face where Jake hit me. I feel like they’ll never go away….even though their beginning to fade. I can’t help but wonder what Ashe did to Jake, all I know, is that the whole farm burned to the ground that night. The fire trucks weren’t able to get to it in time, so any evidence that would have been there was lost in the fire. I asked Stone about the bullets left behind, he said not to worry about it, Ashe handled it. I get into the shower and let the warm water wash over me when I hear Stone’s voice. “I’m glad I went with the sheer shower curtain.” He removes his boxers and steps in.
“I thought you were getting the coffee ready.”
“I started the pot, it will be ready when we’re done. Hand me the shampoo.” He takes the bottle and squirts some into his palm, then begins to gently message it into my hair. Just when I think that I can’t love him anymore, he does little things like this and proves me wrong. “Rinse.” I do as he asks, once the shampoo is fully rinsed out, I hand him the conditioner, and he repeats the process. “I still miss him, every day.” He whispers.
“Me too.” I lean against him. “Do you think he would have approved of us being together?”
“I know he would have.” I hope so.
“Have you thought about getting back into MMA? I mean, now that you know.”
He pauses for a moment. “No, but I think I might like to in some capacity. Why?”
“I don’t know, Chase said you were good, the best. I figured you must miss it a little.”
“I never thought that I would, but I guess I do.” He raises my wrist to his lips and lightly kisses it. “You’re beautiful, even with the bruises.” I open my eyes and look up at him, he must have been watching me before I got into the shower. “You’ve never been more beautiful to me.” I love that he always knows what to say to put my mind at ease. He leans down and places a kiss on my lips. “Move in with me.”
“What?” I blink a few times in shock, not sure if I heard him correctly.
“You heard me. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up to you every morning.”
“What about Aly?”
“She’ll be married soon, and you’re here a lot of the time anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything. I love you, Aspen. I don’t want this to
just be my apartment anymore, I want it to be our apartment.”
“Okay.” Tears fill my eyes. “I would love to live with you.” I bring my lips his, kissing him with all the love I have for him.
He reaches around me and turns the water off, then slides the shower curtain open, he steps out and picks me up and carries me to his bed…our bed. He gently lays me down, our bodies are still dripping wet but neither of us care that the sheets are getting soaked. I watch his beautiful body as he climbs over me, I know I said I didn’t have time for sex, but it’s hard to deny him when he looks at me like the sun rises and sets in my eyes. He raises my arms over my head and holds my wrists with one hand, my legs fall open, inviting him in. He lowers his lips to mine as he slowly enters me. I can’t help the moan that escapes into his mouth, everything this man does to my body only drives my need for him higher and higher. He starts to move, taking it slow, I feel every inch of his thick cock slide in and out of me, each time feeling better than the last. “I love you, Aspen.” He whispers, his other hand caressing my cheek. We stare into each other’s eyes as we gently rock together, the emotion overwhelms me, and I can’t help the tear that slides down my cheek. This is where I belong, this amazing, sexy man is my home. And I couldn’t be happier.
“I love you too, Stone, so much.” We make slow love, savoring each other, feeling every part of each other’s bodies. I’m going to be late to work, but being with him like this is more than worth it…..it will always be worth it.
***
Stone
Ashe and I had a some interviews we had to conduct this morning, I was late to the first one, but I didn’t give a shit….I needed Aspen, and nothing was going to stop me. Now that she’s moving in, she’ll be in the bed with me every morning, my cock is getting hard just thinking about the different ways I can wake her up. The interviews were mostly shit, the first guy was too damn small to work at a place like this, the clientele would have eaten him alive. The second was a fucking pervert, there’s no way in hell I’d let him in the same room as Aspen. The third was a hot girl with an impressive resume, but I know Ashe, and we would have a sexual harassment suite in no time if I hired her. Not to mention I don’t think Aspen would like the idea, even though she has nothing to worry about, she’s all I’ll ever want. The forth is who got the job. He’s built like Ashe and me and looks like he can handle himself in a fight, so none of the drunks here will scare him off. He seems quiet, not shy, just quiet, like he’s hiding something. Whatever it is, I don’t fucking care, as long as it doesn’t affect my business. And the best part, he’s a man. No, I’m not sexist, but I also don’t want to have any issues because Ashe’s dumb ass can’t keep his hands to himself.
“You think you can handle working tonight?” I ask Kane, our new hire, after I give him the rundown on what he’s supposed to be doing.
“Yeah, shit seems pretty easy.”
“Ashe and I will both be here with you tonight, but we’ll let you serve most of the customers. We’ll show you how to open and close the place over the next week, then after that, we’re going to throw you to the wolves.”
“Cool.”
“And one more thing.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“When Aspen comes in here, she gets whatever the fuck she wants, and if I see you flirt with her, I’ll cut your dick off and make you eat it.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know who Aspen is? I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“Believe me, you’ll know.” Ashe chimes in as he walks out from the office. “She’s hotter than most of the girls that come in here, and when she walks in, Stone will have a love sick puppy dog look in his eyes. It’s embarrassing to watch.” Asshole.
“She’s not hotter than most of the girls that come in here, she’s hotter than every girl that comes in here. But if you call my girl hot again, I’ll knock your teeth out.”
“Okay, okay.” He puts his hands up in defense. “I won’t call your hot girlfriend hot anymore.” Ashe is lucky I like him as much as I do, and he’s even luckier that I know how he feels about Aspen.
***
Aspen
“You ready? We have to meet the realtor in fifteen minutes.”
“Yeah, I just got to save this real fast.” Aly saves her document to her computer then locks it. “Done. We’re stopping for lunch on the way back, right? I’m starving.”
“Of course we are, I’m starving too. I just don’t want to be late, I’m really excited about this.”
“How do you think Stone will react? I mean, this is huge.”
“I don’t know, I hope it makes him happy though. He deserves it.” He deserves that and so much more. “Oh, um….I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay, what?”
“Well….Stone asked me to move in with him this morning.”
“Are you going to?”
“I really want to. I already told him yes, but I’m worried about leaving you.”
“Don’t be, I’ll be fine. I’ll be living with Jay after the wedding anyway.” She pulls me in for a hug as we reach the car. “I’m so happy for you, Aspen. Really, I am.” I can hear the sadness mixed with the happiness in her voice, and I don’t think the sadness is completely because I’m moving out. I’m not sure if it’s because things with Jay aren’t going the way she thought they would after his proposal, or if it’s because Ashe still refuses to talk to her, or if it’s a combination of both. I need her to know that whatever happens, I’ll be there for her, nothing will ever change between us.
“You can call me or come over whenever, you know that, right?”
“I know, and I will.” She smiles. “Okay, let’s go or we’re going to be late. No more of this sappy stuff.” We get in the car and head to meet the realtor. I’m going to miss living with Aly, but I can’t wait to start my new life with Stone.
***
Stone
It’s five fifteen, and Aspen should be here any minute. I haven’t see her all day, she didn’t even come in for lunch, I guess she had to do some shit with Aly today….fuck I miss the shit out of her. Maybe living with her will curb this need I constantly feel for her, but I doubt it, she consumes every part of me.
“Damn. Who the fuck is that?” I hear Kane say quietly.
“Don’t dude, that’s Aspen.” Ashe warns. This kid better watch himself.
I walk around the bar and pull her close, crushing my lips to hers, kissing her possessively. Mostly because I’ve been dying to taste her lips all day, but partly because I want Kane to know that she’s mine….and he better fucking remember it. She tastes so fucking good, it takes every bit of my willpower to just end the kiss instead of hauling her upstairs and ripping her clothes off with my teeth. “Hey sweet girl. How was work?”
“Huh?” I chuckle, I love that I still have that effect on her. “Oh, it was fine. Who’s the new guy?”
“Kane, hired him today.” I lean down for another quick kiss. “Gives me more time for you.”
“Mmmm, I like the sound of that.” She presses her body against mine firmer. Fuck me…she makes it so damn hard not to be inside her 24 hours a day.
I hear Ashe clear his throat in the background. “You two do realize you’re not alone, right?” Nope, I actually forgot they were even here.
“Sorry. What can I say? The man does something to my brain.” That’s not the only thing I want to do to her, but the rest will have to wait until later. She walks up to the bar and extends her hand toward Kane. “Hi, I’m Aspen.”
“Kane.” He takes her offered hand and shakes it. They’re just introducing themselves, and the gesture meant nothing, but I can’t help the growl that escapes me when I see her hand slide into his. Jealously is a motherfucker.
“Calm down baby, it was just a handshake.” She says with a smile.
“Are you trying to get the kid killed?”
“No, I was trying to say hello.” She turns her attention to Kane. “Dirty m
artini, please.”
“You got it.” He starts to get the ingredients out.
“I’ll make it, I know how she likes it.” Aspen rolls her eyes. I know, I’m acting like a jackass, but I don’t want anyone else making my girl happy. I told you, jealously in a motherfucker.
After Aspen finishes her drink, I leave Ashe and Kane down at the bar and follow her upstairs. Ashe doesn’t need me there to teach Kane anything else. I’ve got Aspen lying naked in my arms, this is the only place I want to be right now. “Can you take next week off? I have somewhere I want to take you.” I ask her while running my fingers over the soft skin of her stomach.
“The whole week?”
“No, just a few days.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” One I hope doesn’t piss her off. What I want to do isn’t just for her, it’s for me too, and I’m nervous as hell about it.
“Is it far?”
“We’ll have to take a plane to get there, so I’d say it’s pretty far.”
“You’re not taking me to a remote island to keep me all to yourself forever and ever are you?” She frowns, but I see the teasing glint in her beautiful eyes.
“Would that be a bad thing?”
“Not at all, I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself either.”
“I don’t need to keep you on an island angel, you’re already mine.” I climb on top of her and settle myself between her open legs.
“I’ll always be yours.” She pulls me down and kisses me, and I slide my length into her, the feeling of her heat enveloping me is a better high than even being in the octagon. Nothing feels better than this, nothing even compares.
***
Aspen
“Come on sweet girl, we don’t want to miss our flight.” Today is the day Stone is taking me on a plane to show me the surprise he has for me. I’m excited, but I’m also crazy nervous, I have no idea what kind of surprise requires a seven hour flight.
“I’m ready. Do I look okay?” I want to look appropriate for whatever he has planned.
