Wake Me Up (Love Knows No Boundaries)

by Michelle Horst

  ‘I can’t escape this now unless you show me how.’ It’s the sentence that sticks. Is this her way of telling me she’s ready to fight?

  ~*~

  Fight. That’s what we do the second she tells me she’s seeing Katia later for some girls’ night out.

  “Dammit, Emma. There is no way,” I say again. We’re in the living room and she’s still pale. I want her in bed, but she won’t budge. “You’re not going out with that woman. Do you not understand? Must I spell it out to you? I am working here. They are dangerous. Women go missin’, as in we haven’t found them. I’ve stood in front of their parents while Zac told them there’s no news. Do you know how long we’ve been working this case?” I don’t wait for her to answer, but launch right back in, “A whole year! First South Carolina and now here. It’s the only reason we’re here, workin’ it. Cause it started in our county. This thing is big, bigger than us. We’re talkin’ about people’s lives. It’s lives, Emma.”

  “I can help. You’ll have someone on the inside with Katia.” She must be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.

  I pace the living room. I’m pacing like Zac.

  “How am I going to make you understand?” I take her hand and pull her up. “Come here.” I lead her to my room and sit her down on the bed. I open my laptop and type in the password. The screen lights up. Frustrated, I log into the missing screen and bring up the girls.

  “Look at them, Emma. I don’t want your face next to theirs. I need to focus. I don’t want another face added to this screen. I need to wrap this up. I have two more fights. Actually one, then I’m at the one where this happens, where they go missing. Just three more weeks and this is done. Stay away from them unless I’m with you.” I really hope I’m getting through to her now.

  “Yes, Aiden,” she looks up at me, “but what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Who will cover you?” She really looks worried.

  “Zac, my brother. Like he’s been doing all along. I have a partner, Emma. You don’t need to worry,” I say, trying to ease her mind.

  “Alright, so you have a partner, but I didn’t see him at that fight when that bloke got beaten halfway to the heavens and back. If that was you, then where was he?” She gets up and stares down at me. “I’ll be bloody damned if you’re going to be lying there and I’m here, and I can’t help you. You don’t get to come into my life and then do something like this and expect me to just stand by the sidelines and hope to God you don’t get hurt. Not when I can help.”

  I stand up so I can face her.

  “It’s my work. You can’t always be there, Emma. Things might go wrong and they might not. This is what I do. Life is a gamble,” I try to explain.

  Her face pales even more, and it looks like she just realized something big.

  “My mother said those same words,” she murmurs. “I think I understand.”

  She starts to walk away, but I reach for her hand.

  “You understand what?”

  “Life is a gamble, and you can only win if you’re a player. I’m not a player. I can’t sit and worry whether you’ve been shot or whether you’re … I’m selfish. I need to know you’re safe.”

  I pull her to me and wrap my arms around her. She’s scared, and I don’t want her being scared.

  “Let’s forget about this for now.” I drop kisses into her hair, but I know there’s no forgetting. My career has just become an issue, again.

  ~*~

  The week goes by fast, and my side heals some more. The next Saturday comes cloudy and windy, and I feel uneasy.

  Things have been great between Emma and me, we’ve even gone to the movies once. She made me eat candy with my popcorn. It tasted damned weird.

  I’ve been up since three a.m. I’ve learned that’s when she starts to dream, and if I catch her in time and kiss and soothe her, she seems to skip the nightmare altogether and just ease into a peaceful sleep. I couldn’t go back to sleep.

  I’m up against Colton. I’ve watched him. He fights recklessly. He fights for Katia. Whoever wins will go through to the finals, and I haven’t told Emma, but they’ll be watching her. If I lose they’ll go for her, and Zac just better be ready, or all hell will break loose.

  I just need to get behind Colton. I have training and patience.

  “You look so worried,” Emma whispers behind me. When she leans over the couch, her hair falls over my shoulder. She trails her fingers down my chest and I close my eyes, so I can focus on her touch only. “Don’t be worried. Relax,” she whispers, her breath warming my neck.

  She moves. For a second she breaks contact before she climbs on top of me. I can’t help but smile when she straddles me. Her fingers start at my temple and trail down the side of my face over my day-old stubble.

  “You look your age when you don’t shave. You look really mean at the moment. All ink.” Her voice is husky, and my body comes alive. Damn, her voice is such a turn on. She could give my brain an orgasm. “Why do you look so worried?” She breathes the question against my neck, and I take hold of her hips.

  I don’t want to think about tonight any more, not with her on top of me. I push her down, hard, and her breath rushes out over my collarbone. She drops her head against my chest and I keep her there. I keep her still for a moment before I sit up straight and hug her to me.

  “I’m up against Colton tonight. I’m just going over all his moves, trying to find his weak spot,” I say into her hair. She pushes back and frames my face with her hands.

  “Katia is. Let me go with. I can help. She cheered him on. He was watching her, the way she was with me, as if he’d get off on the idea of the two of us getting all heated up. Maybe if I grab her, he’ll be distracted enough.” She’s serious.

  I stare. Because that’s all I can do.

  “You’re willing to get it on with a woman so I can win a fight?” I ask, flabbergasted.

  “If it means you can beat the bloody hell out of Colton,” she pauses, “but then you better move your arse and get her off me before she takes it far.” She smiles as if she has just solved all my problems.

  “You’re so hot right now, and that might be many a man’s dream, but I don’t want another person touchin’ you. You’re coming with, though, so I can keep an eye on you. I need to know you’re safe.”

  She leans into me, and her lashes lower over her eyes as they drop to my mouth.

  “I’d like to do something, but you have to promise me something first,” she says.

  “What?”

  “I have this curiosity, and I was wondering if you will just let me explore it? she asks, and there’s a faint blush on her cheeks.

  “That depends on what it entails,” I say, a little breathlessly as her hand starts to drop down to my abs.

  “You just have to sit still,” she whispers as she scoots back. “But you have to promise not to break my concentration.” She smiles timidly.

  “Okay,” I breathe.

  Her hands press hard into my hips. My head takes on that spinning thing it was doing a few weeks back, and when her fingertips slide into my waistband I’m back to feeling like a damn headless chicken. Her eyes instantly dart up to mine and she smiles a tad wider.

  Do I look nervous? Me, Aiden, nervous? Seriously! I’ve faced a war-ridden country. I’ve been shot. I’ve watched my sister die. I’ve certainly done this before.

  Still. Emma on my lap has my heart going a mile a minute.

  She lets go of my pants and cups my face. Her eyes are a soft, moist green when they lock onto mine.

  “You. Are. The. Most. Stunning. Being. I. Have. Ever. Seen.” Her lips are a mere feather touch against mine and, dammit – I’m not allowed to break her concentration, so I’m stuck just sitting here, taking what she’s giving.

  I’m all about control, and as amazing as this is, I really want to crush her mouth to mine right now. But she continues her feather kisses up my jaw to my ear, and I close my eyes so I can find
a little self-control and not grab her.

  Her teeth tug at my earlobe, sending shivers racing over my skin, and my fingers curl into her hips, digging into her skin.

  Dammit. This is going to be all kinds of hard.

  And then she hums lightly as she continues to press kisses down the side of my neck, and I can’t help but lean toward her. Her hands come up against my chest and she presses me back. I feel her smiling. I grab her, pulling her against me. Because damn, just damn – her tongue darts out and it’s just ahh ….

  “Uh-huh,” she breaths against my neck, and she tugs at my arm.

  I chuckle, she’s just being plain wicked. “You can’t tell me to not touch you.” I breathe hard into her hair. “Let me at least hold you?” I groan.

  “No. If I give in, then you might keep asking for liberties, and this is about you, now ease back, Mister,” she says in a demanding little voice, and I melt at the tone.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I drawl, and she grins.

  She resumes her sweet torture and scoots back, sliding hard over a way-too-ready me, and I’m back to grabbing her hips.

  I clench my teeth and exhale hard, blowing wisps of her hair into the air, but she doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. She pushes against my hands, and her teeth sink into my neck.

  DAM-MIT!

  All my blood rushes right on down, and I press against her. If we weren’t wearing clothes right now, it would be over in seconds.

  She moans against my throat and I feel the vibration, and again I move. You can’t damn well blame me. I’m a man. She’s hot and moaning on my lap!

  I grip her hair, and I tug her back so I can crush my mouth into hers. This time she doesn’t stop me. Thank you for divine intervention!

  I plunge my tongue into her mouth to get to her sweet taste, to fall and not get back up. I just want to stay like this until tonight, glued to her. Her arms come up behind my neck, and she lifts herself off my lap, taking control of the kiss.

  I’m going to explode right here. She bites at my bottom lip, and then lightly pushes at me to fall back against the couch. It’s so the last thing I want to do. Her hands drop to my shoulders and she pushes at me again, and I go. Then her mouth leaves me, trailing over my jaw, down my neck and chest.

  I groan when she kisses my pecs, and then my eyes shoot open. Oh. Sweet. Hell. She’s moving down south.

  OH. HELL. OH. HELL. OH. HELL.

  Breathe. Aiden. You just need some blood and air in the rest of your body.

  I pull her down on the couch so I can hold her, because I made a promise to myself that the next time will be special, and now is not the right time.

  Now I just want to hold and kiss her, and I do just that.

  ~*~

  .

  Chapter Thirteen

  Emma~

  I think it’s finally starting to sink in that someone as wonderful and attractive as Aiden really cares a little about me. That he really doesn’t mind if I touch him. That he really does want to touch me. And maybe one day he can care half as much for me as I do for him.

  I’m starting to place him on a pedestal and I know it’s wrong, people on pedestals fall. But I’ve never had anyone to look up to, and he’s just everything.

  Tonight I’m not wearing jeans. I’m not doing casual. Aiden’s gone to see Zac, who I’d really like to meet one day.

  I’ve gone over my finances, and I have two thousand dollars to last me the next five months. If I eat sensibly, I can afford to get something for tonight at a thrift store.

  I take a bus into town. Chapel Hill is a neat town. You can get around anywhere using their free bus system. It’s a bonus. I find a real vintage one on West Franklin street. At first I’m a bit overwhelmed, the place is busy, but I join in the scavenger hunt and try to stay out of the other women’s way.

  I’m not one for browsing much, but I’m a little torn over what to get. I want to impress Aiden, but I also want to distract Katia and Colton, so I’m in a bit of a catch twenty-two. Alright, not the time to get my knickers in a twist.

  It has to be something that will show off legs and cleavage, so I head over to the pile of dresses and skirts. After searching through some horrid scraps that can not be classified as clothes, a dress catches my eye, and I go to try it on.

  I wriggle out of my clothes and into the dress, then turn to the mirror. I squeak. I think Aiden might just freak.

  It’s cream, but just as it reaches my bottom, it flares out into powder blue. The hem is embroidered in dark blue. It’s pretty, but the material sits tight. It reminds me of one of those Lord of the Dance dresses, a ballet dress. It’s too short. If the wind catches it, my crotch will show for the entire bloody world to see.

  But, it’s really pretty. I like the colors. There’s only one way to be sure about this. I take a picture and send it to Chloe, asking her opinion. True to her nature, she phones.

  “You look stunning!” she squeals.

  “Thank you, I was in two minds. You don’t think it’s a bit short?”

  “No, it’s about time you showed those legs off. They don’t see the light of day enough, if you ask me. Where are you going that you need a dress?”

  I can’t lie, especially to people I care about. “It’s a work thing with Aiden,” I say instead.

  “And how are things with dishy Aiden?”

  “Smashing, Chloe. It’s like those books I read. I just need to learn to keep quiet around him. For some reason I tend to blabber whenever he’s around.”

  “You don’t think it’s because you feel comfortable with him?” she asks, hitting the nail on the head.

  “I suppose,” I admit. “I have to go.”

  “You go and make yourself all pretty.”

  “How are you?” I ask quickly, before she can hang up.

  “You know me, I’m a survivor,” she laughs, but she’s not pulling it off, I can hear the heartache.

  “Really?”

  “Nothing has changed. I’ll let you know if something changes.”

  I swallow hard. I know she needs to hear it. I’m standing in a bloody dressing room, for crying out loud! “Chloe…”

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you. You’re never alone.”

  It’s quiet on the other side, and I wait. Then her voice cracks over the line. “I love you, too, Sunshine. Without you I wouldn’t make it.”

  I blink fast to keep the tears back. “Same here. You know you’re the best, right?”

  “No, you’re the best.”

  I’m happy. I have Aiden, Chloe and my gran. What more could I possibly ask for?

  ~*~

  The flock of eagles is back. They’re pecking at my intestines. I’ve curled the tips of my hair. I’ve put on gray eyeshadow and even eyeliner. Lip gloss, the bloody works.

  I’m wearing the dress.

  And no matter how I keep tugging at the hem, it won’t get any longer. Suddenly it feels very, very short, like it might’ve shrunk on the way back, just to spite me. I also didn’t notice the low neckline. There’s just too much skin showing. Too much cleavage, and my back, I’m not even going there. I almost swallowed my bloody tongue.

  I’m not wearing those high heels the others wear. That should count in my favor. I’m wearing nice little sandals. Decent enough. I hope.

  I started early. I didn’t want to keep him waiting. The apartment is quiet as I open my door and peek out. When I hear his bathroom door open, I almost close the door; my nerves are all frayed and dangling like live wires inside me.

  I hear him moving around in his room and I freeze.

  Then a wisp of hair tickles my nose, and I blow at it as he walks into the kitchen. My eyes go wide, and I move in behind the door.

  “Emma.”

  He tilts his head and smiles. I can’t bring myself to move. He’s dressed in his sweater and slacks again. Maybe I’ve overdone it.

  “Hey, you?”

  “Uh-huh,” I squeak. I’m bloody squeaking. The dress ha
s reduced me to squeaking!

  “Why are you hidin'?” he asks, starting toward me.

  I squeeze in more behind the door, and then thud my head against it. I shouldn’t have put on the dress.

  OH BOLLOCKS. I have peas for brains.

  He nudges the door gently and I take a step back, but I keep hold of the knob, feeling the need to hold on to something.

  He steps into the room and his eyes drop to my legs. They travel up slowly, and he grinds his teeth. I snap my eyes shut, not wanting to see him angry.

  “Tell me,” he breathes, and he moves fast, pressing me up against the wall with his body, “tell me I can touch you.” His voice is hoarse. I open my eyes and look up at his charcoal ones. They’re smoldering, there’s no trace of anger.

  I nod, because I’ll just squeak again if I try to speak.

  He eases down, and his hands settle on the sides of my legs. Then they grip hold of me, and he lifts me up against the wall. I wrap my legs around him and he holds me there. He doesn’t move.

  “You look … exquisite,” he whispers close to my mouth. He moves my hair away and ducks to my neck.

  He bites into my neck, and when his tongue flicks over the slight sting I squeeze my legs together around him. There’s a delicious tightening down under, and I squirm to get closer to him. But he has me pinned and I can’t move. He has been torturing me like this the whole day.

  “Aiden,” I moan.

  He chuckles against my neck. “Emma,” he whispers teasingly, and his hot breath sends more tingles down, down, deep down.

  His hands slide up the sides of my legs, and he curls his fingers around the backs of my thighs, just below my bottom.

  He is so, so, so close.

  Then he eases me down and his hands move away. When my feet touch the floor, he pulls the dress down. I feel his fingers lightly trace up toward my hips, but then his hands swerves, and he brushes over me, there. I grab hold of his arms, my knees almost buckling out from under me.

  His hands travel up and travel lightly over the material, over the tips of my breasts, and then he cups my face and tilts me up to look at him.

  “I have to look at you wearing this tonight,” he breathes hoarsely, “which is so not fair. So it’s only fair that you think of me, and that when we get home I will take this dress off, and I will make love to you until you only breathe my name.”