Wake Me Up (Love Knows No Boundaries)

by Michelle Horst

  “I’m nothing without Mom. I won’t make it without Mom. Ever. Please hold me Mom. Don’t let me go.”

  Now add whimpering, trembling and the look in her eyes I’ve been trying to place the whole damn night, and I’m not so sure she meant those words in the way most would take them. I think I’m starting to get an understanding of why she did what she did last night.

  ~*~

  I’ve only heard of the ‘boy meets girl’ and then BANG, scenario. I always thought it to be some stupid story. That was, until Zac and Laurie happened. They got married three weeks after they met, damn near gave Mom a heart attack eloping the way they did. But they stayed in love until Laurie passed on four years later, and it was their story that changed my point of view.

  I broke it off with Megan, because I knew she wasn’t the one, and there was just no point in wasting her time and mine. But now this? Emma Walker. I can’t let her leave until I’ve figured out why I don’t want her to leave. And that just sounds plain insane for someone that’s normally as level-headed as me.

  My phone starts vibrating on the counter, and I leap for it. Please let it be Zac. I need my brother-in-law’s advice. I grin wide when I see his name on the screen.

  “You’re a godsend.”

  I sink down into one of the couches in the living room.

  “I am? You haven’t sounded this happy to report back in some time.”

  He sounds lazy, but then I don’t blame him. We’ve been at this case for far too long, and I’m sure he’s in a hurry to head on home.

  “Actually, I need your advice on women,” I start, and I hear something drop in the background.

  “Hold on. I just kicked my coffee over,” he mumbles. I hear him shuffle some things around. “Now say that again. You, Aiden Holden, need advice from me, on women? You do realize I’m the one stuck between four walls the whole day. You’re the one out there between them.” I can hear the laughter in his voice.

  “Being surrounded by them and takin’ an interest in one is two different things,” I say, a little too sharp, and I rub my face. “We’re workin’ a case. I’m not even a real damn student. But … she’s,” I stop to think how I’m going to word this. “She makes me want to fall. Did Laurie do that with you?”

  There’s silence on the other end, and for the longest second I think maybe it’s too soon. Maybe two years is still too soon for Zac.

  “Yeah, she made me fall so hard that I’m still fallin’.”

  I take a breath, regretting that I brought it up.

  “Sorry, Zac. I shouldn’t have-”

  “No, if you can’t talk to me, who you gonna talk to? Besides, I’ll be falling till the day I see her again. The day I saw Laurie come up those stairs and I stopped her, telling her I was gonna marry her before I even knew her name, I meant it. I meant it because the second I saw her everyone else faded away. That’s when you know, Aiden, when everyone else fades away. That person wakes you up, rattles your cage and makes you fall all at once.” Zac sounds lost in his own words, but I know what he means.

  “I have a fight tonight.” I change the subject back to our case. “It’s getting close to the end of the year, so things should start heatin’ up.”

  “Good, we need to bust this open and wrap it up. Your roommate is coming tomorrow, right?”

  I glance at Emma’s closed door.

  “She landed yesterday,” I say, keeping my voice neutral.

  “She? What’s gone and happened to the he? I remember you clearly sayin’ it was a he.”

  “He turned out to be a very, very hot, British she.” I take a deep breath and lean back against the couch.

  “Is this where all the questions are coming from?” he asks, and I nod.

  He can’t see me nodding like a dumbass, so I answer quickly, “Afraid so.”

  “Could she help the case? If you played this right, she could make your cover more solid.”

  I start shaking my head before he even finishes his sentence. But I’d be a hypocrite if I said I hadn’t thought of it myself.

  “What? I go up to her and ask her to play along, possibly put her life on the line. Hell no. Katia has already taken an interest in her. I’m not dragging her in deeper.”

  As I say the words I close my eyes, because I know Katia, and what Katia wants she goes after, unless…

  “Then my advice to you is simple. Get a new roommate,” he states, as if it will solve the problem.

  “Don’t be a dumbass,” I snap. “I can protect her better if she’s here. Let’s see what Katia and Colton do. If they go for her I’ll consider it. Let’s just see first.”

  I’ll consider what exactly?

  “It’s your call. Let me know how tonight goes down.”

  I can hear him smiling. I know he’s smiling because I’m using this case as an excuse to let myself get to know Emma.

  I set out two mugs for coffee after I’m done with the call. Not sure how she takes hers, I decide to test the waters.

  I knock three times, but I get no answer. Easing the door open, I step in halfway.

  “Emma,” I call, but there’s still no answer.

  I walk in, and glance at her phone buzzing on the bed. She has the phone on silent and it goes to voicemail, and then I see it. Eight missed calls, just before a little envelope pops up, nineteen messages.

  She is either ignoring someone, or someone is desperately trying to get a hold of her. The phone starts to buzz again, flashing mum.

  “Aiden?”

  My head snaps up to where she’s standing, steam filling the bathroom behind her. My mouth dries right up and I force my eyes to hers. She’s gripping the towel real hard, and I try not to think that she’s wearing absolutely nothing under the towel.

  “Coffee,” I manage to get the one word out. “I wanted to know if you’d like some coffee. I’m making some.” I have to stop right there.

  The phone starts buzzing next to me again, and I glance down. It’s mum again.

  “You should take that call. It’s been going at it for a while.” I’m not going to mention I know who it is, that might come across as stalker-ish.

  “Coffee will be nice. I’ll be out in a second.” She sounds tense.

  I go tense in places I shouldn’t when she walks toward me. She stops next to me and picks up the phone, then turns it off. I frown, but this is none of my business. I should leave it and walk away. But I don’t, because it’s in my nature to ask questions, to dig until every piece of the puzzle is solved.

  “You’re not going to answer?”

  “No.” She doesn’t give me anything more to work with.

  “Coffee it is, then,” I say, and let it go, for now. “How do you take it?” I remember to ask what I actually came to find out.

  “White coffee … um.” Her cheeks flush slightly. “One sugar, and milk, or cream, or none, depending on what you have here. I’ll run to the shop later … the market.” She looks uncomfortable and I’m not sure why.

  It could be because she’s standing in a towel and I’m taking forever to leave. I should leave now. Leave, Aiden! I turn around before she can see the dumbass grin on my face. She comes out not even five minutes later. Given her hair is still wet, it’s got to be some kinda record. And she looks great in those shorts and t-shirt.

  It’s the longest I’ve ever taken to make coffee, but I didn’t want it to get cold. I place her mug a few inches from me. This way she has to come closer.

  “I’ll take you shopping,” I offer, when she steps in close to take the mug. “It will save you from trying to figure out where to go.”

  “Thank you.” She takes a sip and smiles. “It’s really daft. I actually Googled what you call things here before coming over, and now I can’t remember any of them.” She doesn’t make eye contact as she admits this, which only makes this admission of vulnerability somehow even more adorable.

  “Just say it as you know it and we’ll figure it out between the two of us. It’s not like you’r
e speakin’ another language,” I try to encourage her.

  She glances up. “A chemist? I need to go to a chemist.” She pulls the most adorable face, but I think I spoke too soon.

  “Chemist,” I repeat. All I’m thinking now is chemistry, and I don’t think that’s what she means. “What do you need from there? Maybe it will narrow down the place.” I’m grinning, stupidly.

  She flushes and looks down at her bare feet, and I’m back to thinking chemistry right here on the kitchen counter. Then she looks up and she’s all smiles. Dammit, she has a beautiful smile. Yeah, there’s more chemistry flashing through my mind, the kind we had in the car.

  “Where you go for medicine.” She sounds relieved that she found a way to explain it.

  “You mean a pharmacy? Y’all call it a chemist?” Okay, another language it is then.

  “I think I’ll Google it again and write them all down. I don’t want to have to explain rumpy pumpy and French letter to you.”

  The second she says it her eyes widen slightly. She turns her body half away from me, taking big gulps of her coffee. This should be a very interesting learning experience.

  “Now you have to explain.”

  Last night she was intoxicated, now it’s different story. If last night is anything to go by, then she’s definitely feeling the attraction between us. It is something I’d like to explore.

  I lean in against the counter, so I’m facing her and it places me inches from her. The flowery scent is stronger, maybe the soap she uses, or body wash. I’m back at the shower scene, which is hardening muscles that shouldn’t be hardening right about now.

  She shakes her head. “Nope, no way of that ever happening.”

  “Then we Google.”

  I lean even closer to her, reaching for my phone. I get close enough that my shirt brushes against her knuckles. Her eyes dart from my chest to my face, to my hand taking hold of the phone.

  “Google?” she whispers, looking torn between embarrassment and desire. It’s so easy to read her, which is refreshing for a change. I don’t have to try and figure out some hidden meaning.

  “Google,” I murmur.

  I activate the search engine on my phone. She sets the mug down and takes hold of the counter, gripping it tightly. Wouldn’t mind if she grabbed hold of me right now.

  My smile widens on my face, as I type in ‘British words’ and it brings up a few sites to look at. I keep glancing at her and she starts to chew on the inside of her bottom lip, drawing it into her mouth, and I almost abandon my mission to find out the meaning of the words.

  She glances up at me, and my eyes jump between her mouth and darkened green eyes. She’s without a doubt on the same page as me. But I want to make this last, so I scroll down the long list of words, taking in a few as I look for “French letter” and then I laugh.

  “Really? Where do y’all get these words from? Why not just call it a condom?” I keep scrolling down until I find “rumpy pumpy”.

  “Sexual intercourse.”

  I’m struggling not to laugh. I have a one track mind, because all I’m thinking is the course I’d like to inter with her, sexually.

  I catch her moving out of the corner of my eye and reach for her. I just react to her rosy cheeks and slip my arm around her waist. I pull her back, bringing her body right up against mine, and I can feel her heart racing against my chest. It’s arousing, knowing I’m having this effect on her. This barefoot, wet hair, green-eyed girl is doing something to me and I like it.

  She’s not relaxing against me like she did last night. There’s no melting.

  “Don’t go all tight on me now, Emma. We kissed. It was good. We might even do it again when I get you drunk enough,” I tease to lighten the air.

  She glares up at me, but there’s no potency in her eyes, not with the shy smile playing around her lips. All her drunken bravery is gone, and now it’s just Emma, the one she said I’d really like. She was right. I trail my hand down the side of her face, taking in the feel of her soft skin.

  “I’m never touching that poison again,” she whispers.

  She’s trying hard to build some sort of wall up around me. She’s failing even harder. Her breath comes faster, and I’ll lie if I say it’s not a turn-on. She wets her lips and my eyes drop down to her mouth, now moist.

  “So you’re not denying that we’ll kiss again.”

  I should stop, but kissing her was really good, and it’s all I can think about, that and her naked on my bed, and then some.

  Her eyes settle on my mouth, and because I want it, I don’t tell myself why this is wrong on so many levels. I start reminding myself of how good she tasted.

  I pull her up against me, and seeing the moment she realizes I’m going to kiss her spark in her eyes makes it even sweeter. I lean down, crushing my mouth against hers. Whether she wants to say something or just breathe, I don’t know, but I slip into her mouth as she opens it. She doesn’t freeze up like I would’ve thought. Instead, she throws herself into the kiss, making it so much hotter.

  I move my hands down to her backside and take hold, lifting her onto the counter. Once I have her in front of me, I slide my hands to her hips. I press against her knees and she opens for me to move closer, but it’s not close enough. I dig my fingers into her butt, and tug hard. She gasps as we collide, and I know she can feel how much I want her right now.

  Her arms slide around my neck and I inch my hands up under her shirt. I should take it slower, but then she shudders in my hands and I kiss her harder, our tongues twisting greedily. I slide my hands up higher still, brushing against the bottoms of her breasts. She doesn’t do anything to push me away, and I push her shirt up and off, breaking the kiss.

  Her eyes are glazed over with desire, just the way I want them. I reach behind her with one hand and unclasp her bra. Then I dip to her neck, pressing soft kisses all along her creamy skin, over her collarbone. I slip the straps off and duck lower, taking her breast into my mouth.

  Her hands fist at my shirt and she almost comes off the counter, pressing into me. Damn, she’s sensitive. I pull her legs around me and lift her up. As I walk her to my room I keep kissing her neck, not wanting to break the trance that’s been woven. I ease her onto the bed and drag my shirt off fast, needing to get back to her.

  The way she looks at me, I can look at her all day long, looking at me – it’s with such wonder and it makes me feel damn near invincible.

  I unsnap her shorts and hook my fingers into the sides of her underwear, tugging them both down. I breathe deeply as I ease my hands up her quivering legs, and then I crawl back over her. I slip my arm in under her to move her up to the middle of the bed, and kiss her forehead.

  She looks nervous. I start dropping kisses on her cheeks, her jaw, her neck, and then move back to her mouth. Only then does she place her hands lightly on my arms. She’s very nervous.

  I kiss her slow, nipping at her bottom lip while I keep one hand still on her stomach. Her hand moves up behind my neck and she bites at my lip. Demanding little thing that she is. I smile, and comply by moving my hand down and cupping her. She gasps into my mouth, and when she doesn’t stop me, I take it further still.

  “Dammit, Emma,” I can’t help but groan. I’m groaning more words, of which some are ‘tight’ and ‘wet’, and she’s really hot. Her body quivers against mine, and then a sweet moan escapes her lips.

  I let go of her for the second I need to get my pants off, and then I’m back over her. Her eyes are wide and it looks like she’s switched over to the highest gear of nervousness, and I’m no rocket scientist but … “Emma, are you ready?”

  She nods, fast, and that’s just not good enough for me.

  I place a kiss on her neck, and my arms on either side of her head, and then I look into her wide eyes. “Babe, is this your first time?”

  She swallows hard and after a few seconds she nods. I’ve been many things in my life, but an ass is not one of them. I may want her badly, but not like
this.

  I smile gently. “Then it should be more special.”

  But I won’t leave her like this either. Today I’ll make it about her. Who knows what the future holds, and whether I’ll be the one to make that day special for her?

  I kiss her tenderly and move my hand back down, cupping her heated core. I pin her leg with my own, and then slip my finger back in. She’s back to gasping a few seconds later. I duck my head low, and taking her breast in my mouth I taste her sweet soft flesh. I open her wider and listen to her breaths come faster, short sweet gasps. I press down harder and hit her sweet spot. She arches up against me, her nails digging into my shoulders. I can’t keep from groaning, as her body quivers against mine.

  When she curls into me, small and trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure, I once again have that feeling, invincible. She makes me feel invincible.

  ~*~

  Chapter Five

  Emma~

  I’ve never felt something like this. For the longest time it felt like something was building deep inside me, building up to torture me, and then the sweetest release came.

  And now I can’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. He’s bloody perfect. Fancy that. The one bloke I run into and I offer myself up not once, not twice, but three times, and he says no. But then, I have to be honest - it wasn’t a ‘no’ as in ‘Bloody Hell No.’ He made it all sweet, saying it has to be special. The only problem with that is - I don’t believe in special.

  Again, I’ve read books and I’ve watched movies and normally the men start pulling back seconds after. There was no after for him, so he should really be pulling back by now. It’s been close to ten minutes, and all he did was wrap his arms around me and hold me. And he’s still holding me.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. He’s holding me. I’m not sloshed. I didn’t force myself on him … this time. Pretty sure he came onto me in the kitchen.

  It’s ten minutes later.

  And we’re lying on his bed.