Choosing You: The Pierced Hearts Duet: Book Two

by M. Robinson

  What was more surprising, they were all dressed and ready for the day ahead.

  Jackson shrugged, as I grabbed Journey out of his arms.

  “We’re making Mary Poppins breakfast. You know, for her birthday today or whatever.”

  I smiled. “I’m sure she’s going to love that.”

  He cracked an egg in the skillet, scrambling them up. “It’s just some eggs and toast. It’s not a big deal.”

  I nodded, it was a huge deal. My oldest son came into this world a pain in the ass. He arrived two weeks past his due date, always needing to do things on his own time and pace.

  Some things never changed.

  Although he gave Camila a hard time with all his pranks, he still loved her. Jackson showed his emotions through his rebellious ways. It was how he coped with what he was feeling.

  In the same way he’d always done with Harley.

  My boy was a little shit like that.

  Things between Camila and I were strained since last weekend on the beach. I didn’t get to finish what I wanted to say. What I needed her to hear.

  Jackson and Jagger had interrupted our moment, and I’d been swamped at the hospital all week. Never having a moment alone with her since, my hectic schedule once again taking over my life.

  “Did you know today was her birthday, Dad?” Jagger questioned, pulling my attention to him.

  “I do.”

  He grinned. “Did you get her anything?”

  “Did you?”

  “Yeah. I made her this.” He handed me a homemade book stapled together. “It’s from the both of us, Jackson.”

  “What? Breakfast is my gift. What the hell did you do?”

  “Jackson, watch your mouth.” I turned the pages of what looked like a coupon booklet for cleaning his room, the bathroom, and so on. “Jagger, this is very thoughtful of you.”

  “I made mom one before, remember?”

  “I do.”

  “Mom loved it, so I’m hoping Camila does too. She’s been so down this week, not acting like herself at all. I mean I only saw her shake her ass maybe two or three times. That’s really unlike her.”

  “Jagger, mouth,” I reprimanded, handing his present back to him.

  “Yeah, she has been down this week now that you mention it. I thought I was the only one that noticed. She didn’t give a rat’s as—”

  I glared at Jackson, halting his choice of words, but only for a second.

  “She didn’t care about my latest prank. Shit, I hope I’m not losing my touch.”

  Before I could chastise him yet again, Journey chimed in, “Da!”

  “I know, baby.” I peered down at her. “Your brothers need their mouths washed out with soap.”

  “Ma!”

  I laughed. “Maybe Ma will do it.”

  My sons’ eyes were wide when I looked back up at them.

  “What?”

  Jagger answered, “Dad, you just called Camila, Ma.”

  “I… I… well shit, I did, didn’t I?”

  And I wondered why my boys had foul mouths.

  “Why is everyone up and in the kitchen?” Cami questioned, abruptly making us all turn to face her.

  “Ah, shit!”

  “Jackson!” she scolded, as I stood there in a state of shock.

  I can’t believe I just called her Ma, and I didn’t even notice.

  “On three,” Jagger instructed. “One, two, three. Happy birthday, Mary Poppins!” they greeted together, causing her and Journey to jolt, taken by surprise.

  “They made you breakfast for your birthday.”

  Her eyes shifted over to me. “Did you make them do that?”

  I shook my head no, still trying to recover with how easily “Ma” flew out of my mouth.

  “You guys did this for me? Because you wanted to?”

  “Camila, it’s not a big de—”

  She burst into tears.

  “Ah, shit,” Jagger repeated.

  “I’m going to let that cussword slide, because I can’t believe you did this for me! Oh my God! You do love me!”

  In three strides, she was pulling them both into a loving hug.

  “Oh, come on, Mary Poppins! This is completely unnecessary!”

  “I love you too, Jackson,” she sniffled, closing her eyes and holding them as tight as possible to her body.

  Reluctantly, Jackson hugged her back, hiding his smile. “Yeah, whatever…” he grumbled under his breath. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

  “Wait.” She pulled away. “You didn’t do anything to it, right?”

  “You’re going to have to find out.”

  “Jackson!” Jagger smacked his arm. “No. I made sure he didn’t. You’re safe for at least this meal.”

  Wiping away her tears, she sniffled some more. “Thank you, guys. This is the best birthday ever.”

  “You’ve been down all week,” Jagger stated, making her and I briefly lock eyes. “We just wanted to see you smile.”

  Within a moment’s notice, she avoided my stare, glancing away.

  “We’re giving you the weekend off too. Noah’s picking us up soon. Skyler misses Journey and he’s taking us to the Monster Truck rally. You won’t have to pick up after us till tomorrow night. The house is all yours.”

  “You didn’t have to do that, Jagger. I love having you around.”

  “Just giving you a break from that asshole.” He nodded to his brother.

  “What the hell? Why you dragging me under the bus, bro?”

  “Jackson and Jagger.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “Hell is not a cussword. God says it in the bible.”

  Before they spoke another word, I left to take a shower in the hall bathroom. Giving them some alone time with her on her birthday.

  To say I wasn’t a little stunned my boys put so much thought into her day, would be a lie. They used to do this for their mother on every holiday, and to see them do it for another woman completely caught me off guard.

  By the time I walked back into the kitchen, she was sitting at the table by herself. Deep in thought. The kids must have left with Noah already, the house was oddly quiet.

  Slowly, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the archway. Wanting to remember her in this moment.

  With her messy bedhead.

  With her pouty pink lips, swollen from sleep.

  With her thin cotton robe wrapped around her body.

  There was no taking my eyes off her. I couldn’t, and I didn’t fucking want to.

  She was breathtakingly beautiful sitting there. Her dark brown hair gleamed in the rays of the sunlight coming in through the bay window. Her soft, creamy skin flawless as ever.

  She looked like a dream.

  My dream.

  She didn’t turn toward me or even acknowledge I was there. Lost in her own little world. A world I desperately wanted to be a part of.

  I gazed at the side of her gorgeous face, willing her to say something, but her eyes remained front and center toward the middle of the table. While mine remained on her.

  “Happy birthday, Cami.”

  Finally, she peeked up at me through her lashes. “Thank you.”

  The breeze blowing through the thin white curtains did little to cool the surge of heat between us.

  “If you’re hungry, I can make you something to eat.”

  “I’m fuckin’ starving.”

  She quickly stood, walking over to the fridge. I caught her wrist, the momentum causing her to fall into my chest.

  I didn’t waver, adding, “For you, my Tiny Dancer. I’m fuckin’ starving for you.”

  “Oh…”

  “Oh?”

  “I thought… I mean… last Saturday and you’ve been—”

  “Hung up at the hospital?” I paused, contemplating what she was going to say.

  I could see it in her eyes. The doubt, the insecurity, the sadness for me. Everything I shared last weekend, continued to weigh heavy on her
mind. It was one of the reasons I didn’t like talking about Bailey. I hated the expressions on people’s faces.

  There was nothing worse.

  I wanted to recall the way she looked at me then, rather than the way she was looking at me now.

  I had no idea where we went from here. Camila was my biggest weakness, and at the same time my greatest strength.

  There were so many “what ifs” racing through my mind.

  So many consequences and scenarios that could happen.

  So many fucking choices that could be right or wrong.

  Unable to help myself, I reached over and caressed the side of her face. She leaned into my embrace like she had been waiting for me to do so, since the second I walked back into the kitchen.

  Her eyes closed, melting into my touch.

  One thing I was sure of in this instant. She missed me this week, just as much as I missed her. Although she was never far from my thoughts.

  When I was with her, there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

  “Aiden…”

  My heart sped up and my cock twitched, hearing my name roll off her Spanish tongue. Never hearing that tone come from her lips before.

  The smell and feel of her was all around me, making me burn with desire to claim every last fucking inch of her heart, body, and soul.

  I wanted to capture this moment and hold onto it for as long as I could. I wanted to remember her just like this.

  For me.

  Mine.

  “I didn’t get to finish what I wanted to say to you last weekend.”

  Her eyes snapped open with so much fucking emotion, it almost knocked me on my ass.

  “You make me forget about the pain in my heart. About the life I had and lost. About the woman I loved, who left me.”

  Her breathing hitched when my thumb pulled on her bottom lip. My hand suddenly moved to grip the back of her neck and bring her toward me.

  “You make me laugh, smile, feel like I’m living again. You make me want to be a better father for my children, a better doctor for my patients, a better man… for you. Do you have any idea how much you affect me? From your eyes, to your words, to the way you are with my kids, my family… To the void, the hole, you fill in a heart I didn’t know could belong to someone else. I tried to break this hold you have over me, but I can’t. And the truth is, Cami… I don’t fuckin’ want to. Because at the end of the day, I want to choose… you.”

  I knew there was no coming back from this but fuck it. I threw caution to the wind.

  It was her birthday and I wanted to make it as memorable as I could.

  Groaning against her mouth, “I’m going to kiss you, my Tiny Dancer.”

  Her lips parted to say something.

  “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”

  Before she could reply, I kissed her.

  I fucking devoured her.

  Beckoning her lips to open for me.

  They did, releasing a soft moan when she felt my tongue in her mouth.

  I’d always been a man of few words. To me, actions always spoke much louder and clearer than any sentence could provide.

  Yet there I was, laying it all out for her. Word by word, sentence by sentence, making my thoughts and emotions known.

  Why?

  Because for the first time in my life, I saw a future with a woman who wasn’t my wife.

  Hurting and healing me all at once.

  Chapter 19

  <>Camila<>

  “Whoa. I mean wow… ummm, did that just happen? I think it did but maybe—”

  His lips fell upon mine again, slowly, sensually working my mouth and my body in ways I never felt before. My lips tingled, my knees went weak, and shivers crept up my spine from the feelings he was stirring inside me.

  Slowly easing back, he rasped, “Go get dressed for your day at the spa, Cami.” He pecked my mouth one last time, released me, and walked away toward his office.

  What the fuck was that?

  I needed a minute to think with my head and not with what was in between my legs. Wanting to gather my thoughts, my emotions, my soaking wet core.

  To compose myself after what I could only define as the best kiss of my life.

  Once I found my legs again, I hurried to my room to shower and get dressed for my day at a spa. I’d never been to one before and the excitement was palpable.

  How a man could say so few words to me but such meaningful ones, was beyond me. Aiden did, said, everything right. I was beginning to think he was the perfect man, if there was such a thing.

  “You ready?” he asked, reaching for my hand at the garage door.

  I nodded, feeling like a giddy school girl.

  He drove me to my destination, holding my hand in the car the entire drive.

  It was the first time I’d ever been in his muscle car. The engine vibrating under my ass did very little to help my turned-on disposition.

  “Did you just buy this?” I questioned, noticing it was different than the one I usually saw him drive.

  “No. I have warehouse full of classic cars.”

  “Really?”

  He grinned, kissing my hand.

  “Why do you always drive the same one then?”

  “No one to impress them with.”

  I smiled, understanding his simple but powerful response. “Well, I like this one. What is it?”

  “A 69 Cuda with nitrous and a hemi engine. I built it a few years ago.”

  “You built it? You didn’t just buy it?”

  “Where would the challenge be in that?”

  I giggled. “You’re such a dude.”

  “I’m a man, Cami.” He glanced over at me. “And as you keep reminding me, an old one at that.”

  “How old are you anyway?”

  He arched an eyebrow. “How old do you want me to be?”

  “Based off the gray hair on your temples and in your beard, I’m going to say you’re somewhere around forty-ish?”

  “I’ll be forty-six in a few months.”

  “Really? You’re that old?”

  I blinked, and he was digging his fingers into my inner thigh, tickling the shit out of me.

  “Oh, God!” I thrashed around. “I hate being tickled! Stop!”

  “Not a chance. I’ll show you old, my Tiny Dancer.”

  “It’s okay! I like that you’re old!”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes! I swear!”

  “What do you like about it?”

  “Your maturity,” I gasped for air, trying to pry his hand off, but it might as well be glued to my leg with the luck I was having.

  “What about it?”

  “It’s… it’s… it’s…”

  He stopped. “It’s what?”

  “It’s sexy.”

  “I see.”

  “You’re sexy, Dr. Pierce.”

  He chuckled, pulling his arm away.

  “That is…” I paused for effect. “For a man old enough to be my father.”

  He growled deep in his throat with his eyes on the road, and I tucked my legs up to my chest, knowing the sass may have earned me another sneak attack.

  “You think that’s going to stop me?”

  I shrugged, wiggling my eyebrows. “I’m teasing, I’m not that much younger than you.”

  “I know how old you are.”

  “You do?”

  “Mmm hmm…”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I make it a point to learn as much as I can about you, Cami.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “Ah, we’re back to a question with a question. How I love these. It wouldn’t kill you to just answer me every once in a while, you know?”

  “Then how will I remain a paradox of contradictions?”

  My mouth dropped open. “You were eavesdropping on my phone call with Skyler?”

  “I like you talking about me. A lot.”

  “So… does
that mean you like me?”

  “You already know the answer to that question.”

  “Tell me anyways. My memory is horrible.”

  A sudden sense of loss came over his kind stare, but he recovered quickly. Throwing the stick shift into neutral, he nodded toward the spa behind me.

  I hated our time was over, and it must have shown on my face because he grabbed my chin, rubbing my bottom lip with his calloused thumb.

  “Do you want to hear me say the words? Which ones would you like to hear? How about I can’t wait until your spa day is over, so I can finally have you all to myself.” He leaned in, licking his lips. “It’s you and me tonight, Cami. Just you and me,” he promised with nothing but sincerity and dominance laced in his tone.

  I thought he was going to kiss me again, and I waited on pins and needles to feel his lips against mine.

  He didn’t.

  Aiden let go and backed away, deviously grinning. “Something you want from me, my Tiny Dancer?”

  Asshole.

  “Nope,” I stated, mirroring his expression. “Make sure to pick me up on time, Old Man.”

  He groaned instantly reaching for me, but I was faster.

  I got out of the car, slamming the door in his face.

  “You’ll pay for that later, Cami.”

  I leaned into the window, looking deep into his eyes. “I can’t wait.”

  For the next eight hours, I was treated like a queen at the most luxurious five-star, high-end spa downtown. Aiden didn’t hold back, I had the works. He must have spent a small fortune for my massage, my facial, my nails, and my hair… and I wasn’t just talking about the hair on my head.

  “I’m going to need you to get into the frog position,” the woman who waxed my legs instructed.

  “The what?”

  “The frog position, Ma’am.”

  “Wait, why?”

  “So I can wax your perineum first.”

  “My what? I don’t need that, my perineum is just fine. Thank you.”

  “Ma’am, Dr. Pierce paid for a full Brazilian.”

  “Well I’m Venezuelan, and I don’t find the need to be Brazilian.”

  “No, Ma’am. It means full wax.” She nodded to my lady bits. “Down there.”

  “Ah. la mierda.”

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  Let’s just say Dr. Pierce owed me, and I expected payment in full.

  I now understood the saying, ‘Beauty is pain’.