Rocky Ground

by Kaylea Cross

  She grunted. “He might have. But my husband is seriously like a human vault. I have to pry things out of him with a crowbar and explosives most of the time.”

  Tiana had come to appreciate his tight-lipped tendencies with respect to what had happened with Brian and Ella. “Well, anyway, Aidan disarmed the guy, head-butted him and kneed him in the nuts. Dropped him like a bad habit right there in the middle of the street.”

  “Oh, that’s how he cut his forehead? I thought it was from something falling during the quake.”

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “When that guy came out of nowhere holding a gun, I was too scared to move and everything happened so fast. Aidan was like an action hero in a movie.”

  Sierra’s smile was full of fondness. “Ah, yeah. These guys can sure handle themselves when things go sideways.” She sighed, waggled her eyebrows. “Sexy, right?”

  No point in denying it. “At the time I was too scared to feel anything else. But after I had time to process it, yes.”

  “You definitely deserve wine. Feel like helping feed a kitten or two? I’ll pour us a glass.”

  “Love to.”

  She helped feed two kittens and chatted with Sierra while waiting for Aidan to come back. Hard to believe how much she’d come to trust and rely on him in the past thirty-six hours.

  She’d gone from being wary to trusting him with her life in that short space of time, from feeling a bit awkward around him to wanting to tear his clothes off. It was more than a little jarring. But there was no denying it.

  She spotted Aidan pull into the driveway through the laundry room window. Having broken in the quake, Beckett had covered it with plastic. “Aidan’s here. You stay here and help Miss Sierra, all right? I’ll come back to get you once we’ve cleaned up and made sure it’s safe to go home,” she said to Ella. “If it gets too late, you’re going to sleep over here.”

  “Okay.” Her daughter didn’t even look up from feeding the little black and white kitten. Bruce. “Isn’t he the most adorable thing, Mom?”

  Tiana withheld a chuckle, glad to see Ella was once again on the pet campaign trail. “He’s pretty cute, all right. Bye, sweetheart. Love you big.” She kissed the top of Ella’s head, said goodbye to Beckett and Sierra and headed outside, excitement and nerves skittering through her at the prospect of being alone with Aidan again.

  “Is your place okay?” Tiana asked as she got into his vehicle. He’d changed into a T-shirt. The fabric hugged his muscular chest and shoulders in the most delicious way.

  “Mostly. I’ll be needing new dishes and some glass for a few windows. The supports for the carport collapsed. Noah’s already been in contact with the insurance adjustor. They’ll come out to assess the damage soon as they can. He and Poppy said to say hello. They’re both doing fine, and saw Jase, Molly and the baby earlier. None of them were hurt.”

  “Thank God. And you’re welcome to stay with us until everything’s fixed. I mean, provided our place is safe enough,” she added, flushing.

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” The heated look he slanted her sent a flurry of tingles racing over her skin.

  She found herself holding her breath as they neared the bungalow she and Ella had called home for the past year and a bit. It had been built in the sixties and needed some upgrades to bring it into the twenty-first century, but it was cozy and…home.

  The sun was sinking toward the ocean, enveloping the front of the house in shadow. She got the flashlight from Aidan’s glove compartment and scanned the darkening exterior anxiously as they got out of the SUV. “Can I go in?”

  “Aye, Beckett’s already checked to make sure the structure’s sound. It’s safe.”

  The front door creaked a little as she swung it open, bracing herself for what she would find inside. Even from the entryway it was evident that there’d been a major earthquake.

  In the kitchen, all the cupboards and drawers were open by varying degrees. Her heart sank a little at the sight of all the broken glass and dishes strewn across the floor but she shook herself because all of that could be replaced.

  A bookshelf had fallen over in the living room. The painting Lizzie had given her as a college grad gift lay facedown on the rug in front of the couch, glass fragments glittering in the beam of the flashlight. Framed photos from the mantel lay strewn on the floor.

  She made her way through the rest of the rooms, taking quick inventory of the damage. The bathroom was a mess. Her bedroom had the same kind of damage as everything else. And in Ella’s room…

  She sucked in a breath when she saw the armoire lying across Ella’s bed. “Oh, God.” Ella routinely spent free time on the weekends lying across her bed, reading. She put a hand to her chest, feeling sick at the thought of what would have happened if they’d been home when the quake hit.

  Footsteps crunched on glass out in the hall. She didn’t turn around as Aidan came up behind her. “Beckett’s bringing us some extension cords so we can hook up the generator,” he said, coming to stand beside her. He glanced around, then frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “The armoire. I’d meant to anchor it properly into the wall. But I kept putting it off.”

  His warm hand settled on her shoulder. “She’s all right, lass.”

  Tiana nodded, drew in a shaky breath, his touch easing her inner turbulence. “Yes.” She cleared her throat. “Is Beckett on his way now?”

  “Aye.”

  “Then I’ll get started cleaning up.” She got the broom from the utility closet and started in the kitchen while the guys got the generator hooked up.

  “And Aidan said, let there be light,” he announced from outside the kitchen window.

  Seconds later the sound of an engine fired up, and light flooded the kitchen. “Wow, look at that,” she called out.

  “I know, I’m a miracle worker.” He came inside and immediately began helping her with the cleanup. It went way faster with the two of them working.

  Partway through they both froze when another aftershock hit. Aidan wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him but it was minor and only lasted a few seconds.

  “God, I hate those,” she said, willing her heart to climb down from her throat.

  They put the kitchen back together as much as possible and moved on to the bedrooms. First Tiana’s, then Ella’s. Aidan muscled the armoire off the bed and moved it across the room where it couldn’t hurt Ella if it fell again. “I’ll anchor it tomorrow,” he promised.

  “Thank you.” It was so incredible to have him here to help.

  She paused in the midst of picking up a row of fallen books when she spotted Ella’s favorite stuffed toy lying on the carpet. The little gray elephant had been crushed by the armoire. Its trunk was permanently bent, its face flattened.

  The sight of it shook her, serving as another reminder that it could have been Ella crushed beneath the weight of the armoire. Every last charge against her as a mother piled up in her head. Things Evan might try to use against her to get custody of their daughter.

  She didn’t realize she’d made a sound until Aidan’s hands closed around her waist from behind. The heat of him bathed her spine, helping to chase away some of the ice inside her. “It’s my job to keep her safe,” she blurted, tears flooding her eyes. “And yet every time I turn around, I’ve done something else to put her in danger.”

  Aidan made a low sound and spun her around to face him, taking her face in his hands. “You’re talking nonsense because you’re tired.”

  “No, I’m not. If we’d been home when it hit, she might be dead right now.”

  “Lass.” He pulled her to his chest and hugged her tight, his cheek resting against the side of her hair. “She’s fine, and up at Beckett’s place right now. She’s fine.”

  She nodded, still holding the elephant to her chest. It scared her to think of how close she was to losing control. Of losing full custody of Ella.

  Of losing control over herself.

  Her emotions we
re stretched too thin and Aidan was far too tempting, too close, everything about him making her want to throw caution aside and live in the here and now. Take what was right in front of her.

  She struggled to contain everything. Not let him see how much she wanted and needed him. How terrified she was of being hurt again. Although from a legal standpoint, there was no crime in dating someone—and if the courts looked into Aidan, he was a stand-up, respectable former Royal Marine.

  Being with him shouldn’t hurt her if Evan pursued custody, and they’d been through so much together over the last two days. Their ordeal and the way he’d protected her had forged a bond unlike any she’d ever experienced.

  “I…I should probably take this up to her, to help her not be scared,” she said. “It’s her favorite—Lizzie gave it to her the day she was born. She can’t sleep without it, I can’t believe she left it behind…” She was babbling, couldn’t seem to stop.

  Aidan reached between them to gently pry the toy from her clenched fingers. “Look at me.” His tone was like a velvet caress, weakening her battered defenses.

  Tiana closed her eyes, anxiety and need and arousal all battling for supremacy inside her.

  She was afraid to look at him. Because once she did, there was no stopping this. And if she took this next step with him, she wouldn’t be fine.

  In fact, deep down she was certain that she would never be the same again.

  So you’re willing to let him walk away?

  No. She wasn’t. Not after everything they’d been through. Not after all he’d done for her and Ella.

  She turned around, ready to risk it all.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The molten hunger in his eyes sent a torrent of heat rushing through her body even as her old fears bubbled to the surface again. “Aidan…” she murmured, dropping her gaze to his chest.

  She’d done it. Given her unspoken consent. Now her heart was trying to pound its way out of her chest.

  His hand came up to stroke her hair away from her face. She leaned into his touch, craving more. Craving this wonderful, incredible man that for some reason wanted her in spite of all her imperfections.

  Her heart beat an erratic rhythm against her ribs. She’d never experienced anything like this before. Not with this level of intensity. This was…something she’d only read about before. Was it because of everything they’d gone through together? Because she’d relied on him for survival?

  His fingers stroked against her scalp in a drugging caress that had her eyelids drooping. “What are you so afraid of?”

  She looked up at him again. God, he was beautiful. And strong. And brave.

  He was also going to rip her heart out when he left.

  It wasn’t easy to voice her insecurities aloud, but she felt comfortable with him. Close to him in a way she’d never felt with another man. “Of making another mistake. Of getting my heart broken again,” she whispered.

  He cupped the side of her face to run his thumb over her cheekbone. “I’ll not hurt you, lass.”

  Her insides squeezed at the tenderness in his voice, the yearning in his eyes. No, he wouldn’t hurt her intentionally. “But you’re leaving soon. In another few weeks.” That was going to leave a scar, no matter how gently the cut was made.

  “Aye,” he agreed, his gaze locked with hers. “But I’m here now.”

  His words reverberated in the deepest recesses of her heart. He was right here in front of her, and he wanted her.

  Any other arguments she had stored up vanished in the space of a single heartbeat. Before she could think herself out of it, she gave free rein to the need pulsing inside her, took his face in her hands and pulled him down to her waiting lips.

  Aidan made a rough sound in the back of his throat and caught her around the hips, hoisting her in the air and turning them. Her back pressed against the wall and then the hot, hard length of him pinned her there, his hands spearing into her hair while his tongue delved into her mouth.

  She wrapped her legs around him, rubbing the hot ache between her thighs along the ridge of his denim-covered erection. Now that she’d temporarily pushed aside the worry and guilt, she was free to give full rein to her need and focus on nothing but sensation. He felt incredible and smelled of clean, male spice. She couldn’t get close enough. Couldn’t touch enough of him.

  He rubbed his hips against her in slow, sensual circles, the counter pressure she provided making the throb in her core worse. She tipped her head to the side when his mouth slid over her jaw to her neck, the prickle of his whiskers sending chills across her skin.

  More. More. She wanted to escape everything else and just experience this. Being with Aidan, a man no others could ever compare to.

  The hot stroke of his tongue made her gasp and tighten her hold on his shoulders, the taut muscles there flexing beneath her fingers. One big hand slid down to her shoulder, following the curve of her ribcage until his palm came up to cradle her breast. He squeezed gently, slid his thumb across the straining nipple.

  She moaned and strained in his hold, pushing into his hand. “Want to see you,” she managed, her fingers impatiently tugging at his shirt. She wanted to memorize everything about him so she could always remember it in the lonely months ahead.

  “Aye.” Aidan released her only long enough to peel the soft fabric over his head, his hips still wedged between her thighs to hold her in place, and tossed the shirt aside.

  She had only a second to witness the incredible view of his powerful chest and stomach before his mouth was back on hers, stealing her ability to think or breathe. Instead she made do with mapping all the muscular dips and hollows by touch, trailing her hands over his smooth skin, caressing with her fingertips while she rocked into his erection.

  He gave a throttled groan and wrapped his arms around her bottom, lifting and turning to carry her down the hall. Her bedroom was dark by comparison, only the light coming from the kitchen and a tiny bit of moonlight allowing her to see his shape as he yanked the covers down and set her in the middle of the bed. She scrambled up onto her elbows and peeled her top off, tossing it aside before undoing her jeans and shimmying out of them.

  He helped drag them down her hips, his sharply indrawn breath slicing through the room when he realized she was bare beneath the denim. “Ah, lass,” he said thickly, stripping the jeans down and off her legs.

  The bed dipped as he came down on top of her again, his hands sliding beneath her back to undo her bra. Tiana arched to help him, her breathing erratic as he pulled the flimsy lace off her, exposing her breasts to his gaze.

  Aidan. She was about to feel his hands on her. His mouth. His body.

  Another low sound came out of him as he cupped her in both hands, the heat of his stare tingling along her skin. He kissed her once hard on the mouth, sucking at her lower lip for a moment, then skimmed his lips down the column of her neck and nuzzling the valley of her breasts, that delicate prickle of his whiskers sending another wave of heat punching through her.

  A soft, throaty cry came from her when his tongue swept over a taut nipple, followed by the perfect heat of his mouth as his lips closed around her.

  She writhed beneath him, glorying in the sensation of being pinned by this big, sexy man who seemed to take pleasure in making her feel good. Her fingers crept from his shoulders and up his neck to bury in his hair, holding him to her as she demanded more. So much more with him.

  Sensation zinged through her, coalescing in the hot glow between her splayed thighs. He was hard against the inside of her thigh, and she wanted him naked too. A sense of vulnerability began to rise but she shoved it aside. They’d been through so much together. He’d taken care of her in the worst of circumstances. There was no reason to feel vulnerable now.

  Still, her hands were unsteady when she ran them down his ribs to push at his waistband. He got the message, lifting up enough to allow her to undo the button and zipper and push them down, his mouth still busy at her breasts, as though he cou
ldn’t pull himself away from them.

  Finally she was able to reach into his underwear and close her hand around his rigid length. He froze, a long, low groan rolling from his throat. He pushed into her grip, nice and slow, and her insides clenched at the thought of finally being able to have him inside her. For him to fill her, take away this empty ache and end the terrible need he’d created.

  She twisted to the side to reach for the top drawer of her bedside table, gasping when his teeth scraped against her sensitive nipple. Somehow she managed to get the drawer open and grab a condom from the box but he took it from her and set it aside, his powerful hands now closing around her hips as he released her breast and eased lower.

  A low, soft growl came from him as he nuzzled her belly, his fingers digging into her flesh. “I want my mouth between your legs,” he said in a low, dark voice.

  Oh, God… She was so worked up the image was enough to melt her brain.

  Beyond the power of speech, she grabbed fistfuls of his hair and parted her thighs for him. His stubble scraped along the tops of one thigh down to her knee, then back up the tender inside, making her gasp as a million nerve endings shot to painful life.

  “Ah, God, you’re so wet,” he growled, his hands moving to her thighs now, pushing them outward to make room for himself.

  Panting, Tiana lifted her head in time to see the breadth of his powerful shoulders wedged between her open legs, his head moving toward her center—

  He settled his mouth over her core, gave her a slow, sucking kiss that had her arching off the bed and biting her lip as every muscle in her body went rigid. He held her fast, taking his time with slow sweeps of his hot, smooth tongue over her folds, making the swollen bud of her clit pulse, waiting, waiting for the moment he touched her where she craved him most.

  She let out a half-sob when his tongue stroked the side of it. Tender and slow, as though he was determined to take his time. She adored him for it. “Aidan,” she choked out, gripping his hair tighter. “Ohh…”