by Susan Stoker
Smiling, Aimee told him, “No, but if I ate even a single mint I would explode.”
They shared a laugh and Tony drank the rest of the water out of his bottle and placed it on the table in front of him. He also sat back, obviously replete and satisfied now that he’d eaten.
“Thank you for not only bringing dinner, but for coming over.”
“I wasn’t sure you still wanted me to show up.” Tony repeated what he’d told her at the door.
“I wanted you to show up,” Aimee reassured him firmly. “I’m so tired, I think I could fall asleep standing up, but I know the second I close my eyes, I’ll most likely relive everything that happened today.”
Tony didn’t move, but put his arm on the back of the couch and turned his head to her. “If it helps, I feel exactly the same way. Any chance you’d let me hold you for a bit?”
Without thinking about it, knowing she wanted to be in his arms again more than she wanted her next breath, Aimee scooted over on the cushions and curled into his chest. She brought both feet up and braced them on the edge of the couch and snaked one arm behind his back, the other over his stomach. She immediately felt his arm, which had been on the back of the couch, come down around her shoulders.
“How’s the arm? I should’ve asked that before I attacked the food,” Aimee murmured, shifting into him, getting more comfortable. She felt his words reverberate against the top of her head when he answered.
“Good. The bullet just grazed me. Bled like a stuck pig, but it wasn’t life threatening at all.”
“I’m glad. You were lucky.”
“We were lucky,” he returned.
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the feel of the human contact.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Aimee said gently, “but are you really okay after today? It’s obvious you were affected by the gunshots…more than the average person.”
Aimee felt Tony sigh under her. She didn’t dare look up at him. She knew that sometimes it was easier to talk about tough things when you didn’t have to look someone in the eye.
“I can’t talk about most of it, but yeah, I get reminded of my time on the teams almost every day. A student drops a book on the floor, a car backfires, someone smacks their hand on a desk…it’s not one thing that I remember…it’s more a collection of all the missions I’ve been on. It seemed like it would be a lot easier to get past it all when I was talking about getting out, huddled in a bombed-out building in the middle of some godforsaken village overseas than it’s been in reality.”
“You’ve seen a lot.”
“I’ve seen a lot,” Tony confirmed in a tortured voice.
“Thank you for your service,” Aimee told him, sitting up and looking at him, wanting him to see her sincerity. “I know I’ve said it before, probably too much, but I mean it. I told you that I was never deployed when I was in, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get it. I appreciate you and all of your comrades more than I can say. I know I’ll remember today and what those shots sounded like for the rest of my life, but it’s different for me because the outcome was for the most part, positive.”
“I’m here if you ever need to talk about it,” Tony told her immediately.
“Thanks. I’m sure I’ll need to. I appreciate that more than you’ll know,” Aimee sighed, snuggling back into his side.
“Do you think you can sleep?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“No! You said you didn’t want to be alone either. Are you comfortable? We’ll sleep like this. If that’s all right?”
“Yeah.”
Aimee closed her eyes, expecting to see the crazy look in Bill’s eyes as he pointed his guns in their direction, but instead all she saw were Tony’s eyes. She inhaled deeply, pulling his unique scent into her lungs, and relaxed farther into him.
“You smell delicious,” she murmured sleepily.
“Eau de soap,” Tony teased.
“It’s soap, but it’s also you,” Aimee insisted.
He didn’t respond, but she felt his arm tighten around her back and his other hand come up to rest on her arm lying on his belly.
She didn’t remember falling asleep and didn’t dream at all.
Chapter Eleven
It took Aimee a moment to remember what had happened when she woke up a few hours later. Somehow, after she’d fallen asleep, Tony had shifted them so they were both lying down on her couch. His head was resting on the end of the sofa and he was holding her secure in his arms. Their legs were tangled together and her back was resting against the couch.
She never felt more comfortable in all her life. Aimee fit against Tony perfectly. Lifting her head, she gazed at Tony’s face without feeling self-conscious about it because he had no idea she was watching him. His mouth was open as he slightly snored and she could see his pupils moving back and forth under his lids. His hair was strewn about his shoulders in disarray, making him seem even sexier.
Aimee lifted her hand and did what she’d been dreaming about for months. She put her palm on his cheek and felt his beard against her hand. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but the hair was soft and Aimee felt a shiver run through her. Her dirty mind immediately wondered what it would feel like against her inner thighs, or her stomach, or even against her lips.
She eyed his lips, curious as to how it would feel to kiss someone with a beard. Her fingers unconsciously stroked against his cheek, learning the contours of his face while enjoying the feel of his facial hair on her skin.
“What time is it?”
Aimee jolted, taken by surprise at Tony’s soft words. She immediately removed her hand from his face, embarrassed she’d been caught touching him without his permission. His arm moved and he put his palm over her hand, pressing it back against his cheek, nuzzling into her touch.
“I’m not sure,” Aimee told him, answering his question. “It’s still dark outside.”
“You okay?”
Loving that one of his first thoughts was to ask how she was doing, Aimee said, “Surprisingly, yeah. You?”
“I’m good. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this comfortable.”
“When I bought the couch I made sure I tested it by lying on it before deciding.”
“It’s not the sofa that’s making me comfortable,” Tony told her, chuckling a little.
Aimee didn’t say anything for a moment, understanding what he meant but slightly embarrassed by it nonetheless. Finally she said, “I have to say that you’re the best pillow I’ve ever had.”
He chuckled louder now and Aimee felt his chest move under hers. “You like the feel of my beard?”
Tony moved his head a little, rubbing against her hand, and Aimee shivered. “I’ve never felt one like yours before. I mean, I’ve felt a five o’clock shadow, but not like yours. Not many men can pull it off like you can. I like it.”
“Good.” He was quiet for a moment, then said, “I want to kiss you. Not as part of a bet, but because we both want it.”
“Yes, please,” Aimee sighed, knowing somehow that her life was about to change…for the better.
Tony didn’t immediately lunge at her or otherwise attack her. He stared up at her in the darkness of the room. A light in the kitchen was still on, so they could see each other. He brought one hand up to her hair and smoothed it over her head, caressing her back as he went. His hand stopped at her lower back and pressed her into him.
Licking her lips, Aimee could feel his heart beating strongly under her. She waited with bated breath for him to make a move. Finally, he put his free hand under her chin, tilting her head up toward him. His head slowly came toward her own, stretching out the moment until Aimee thought she was going to scream, “Get on with it already!”
Aimee kept her eyes open until the second his lips touched hers. She inhaled deeply, smelling the delicious scent that was uniquely his, and surrendered herself to Tony.
Their first kiss was chas
te and sweet, a mere touching of lips together. Aimee felt him smile before his lips were covering hers again. He put gentle pressure on her chin, moving it to the side to give him more room. He nipped and sucked, then finally she felt his tongue ease inside her mouth.
Meeting it with her own, she dueled with him, learning the taste and feel of his mouth. What had started out as a sweet get-to-know-you kiss, quickly spiraled into something more elemental and desperate.
The feel of his mustache and beard was heady and an interesting stimulant. Sort of a tickle, but not. She hadn’t lied, she hadn’t ever been kissed by someone with a beard like his…but she found that she liked it. Hell, she flat out liked him.
Tony pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “In case it’s not obvious, I want you. No, that’s not right. I need you, Aimee O’Brien. My first day of work at Gerry Linkous, you shook my hand and looked me right in the eye, welcoming me. You didn’t care that I was a man in a female-dominated field. You didn’t care that I was a bit scary looking with my long hair and beard. The more time I spent around you, the more I realized what a good person you are.” He pulled back to look her in the eyes.
“Then I noticed how you filled out your shirts and pants. The first time you bent over to grab a stray dodgeball, I lost my cool and had to leave so you, and the kids, didn’t see exactly how much you affected me. Over and over, you’ve proved yourself to not only be the kind of person I’d be honored to call my friend, but one I craved with every fiber of my being. Today was the icing on the cake.”
“I was scared,” Aimee protested, biting her lip.
“So was I. It’s a person’s actions when they’re scared that tell the most about them. Your first thoughts were for the kids. Then me. I chickened out so many times in asking you on a date. But no more. Life’s too short. I knew that but didn’t act on it, and I could’ve lost you today. I want you. Not for a quick fuck, but to date. To spend as much time with you as you’ll let me. Waking up with your hand on my face was something I’d only dreamed about in the past. Please tell me I have a shot.”
Aimee didn’t hesitate. “I want that too. You took my breath away that first day. You walked into the room as if you owned it, but not in a conceited way. I saw behind the beard was a good man, one who cared about the students in his class and who wouldn’t get bogged down by the politics in the school.”
She glanced down, embarrassed, but determined to be honest with him. “I may or may not have dropped things in your presence on purpose.”
Tony smiled, his teeth gleaming brightly in the dim light. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. I was too embarrassed to make the first move, so I thought maybe if you liked my…assets, you might ask me out. Stupid, huh?”
“No. Not at all. Your assets are definitely liked. In case it’s not clear, I’m asking you out now, Aimee. I want to make you breakfast in a few hours, then stick by your side over the next few days as we have to deal with everything that has happened.”
“What about at school?”
“What about it?” Tony questioned, sliding his hand under her shirt and resting it on the small of her back.
Aimee shivered at his touch. His hand was warm and when he started caressing her with his thumb, she was lost. She shifted her legs, pushing herself against him in the process. Lord. She forcibly brought her thoughts back to what she was saying. “Do you want to keep our dating a secret when we’re at work?”
“Absolutely not.” He mock shivered. “You’d let Marci keep hitting on me?”
“No.” Aimee’s voice was hard and flat. He smiled.
“Exactly. I don’t care who knows that we’re together. We’ll be careful around the kids, but I can tell you right now, several of my students have flat-out told me that I should take you out.”
“What? Really? I swear kids are growing up way too fast these days.”
“Really. And I agree about leaning too much too fast. But, Aimee, I’m not eighteen. I want to date you with the intention of seeing where it can go. If that means marriage and kids and a dog or two—”
“I’m a cat person,” Aimee interrupted him with a smile.
“Excuse me…a dog or two, and a cat…then so be it. I’m not perfect. I’ll probably always have to deal with my PTSD, but I think with you by my side, and in my arms, I’ll be able to manage it a lot better.”
“If Marci hits on you, I’ll tear her hair out,” Aimee said resolutely, then smiled, ruining the stern countenance she was trying to project. “Make love to me, Tony. Please. I’ve imagined it in my head so much that I feel like we’ve done it hundreds of times already.”
Tony groaned and pushed his hips up into her stomach. “Lord, Aimee. I’m so hard I’m not going to last. The second I get inside you, I’m gonna lose it.”
“That makes me feel better, because I’m so wet right now…listening to you tell me how much you want me only made it worse.”
The hand that had been on her back slowly eased down until he’d pushed under her sweats and undies and was palming her backside. Aimee arched her back, pushing herself up into his touch.
“I do have a perfectly good bed, you know,” she teased.
“We aren’t going to make it,” Tony informed her seriously as Aimee’s hand snaked between them and stroked his engorged cock. “Especially if you keep that up,” he warned. “I wanted to go slow, to inspect and learn every inch of your body.”
“Later,” Aimee moaned, as Tony’s free hand made its way up the front of her shirt. She leaned up, looking down at the man who she’d wanted for ages, hardly believing that he not only wanted her too, but was interested in a long-term relationship as well. It was like her birthday and Christmas all wrapped into one sexy package.
Shifting suddenly so she was straddling him, Aimee braced herself on his chest and looked down. “I want you, Tony. Here. Now.”
“I didn’t expect this and I’m not prepared. Condom?”
“I’ve got a box in my bedroom. If I get up, do you promise not to move?” she asked.
“Not an inch.”
Not dragging it out, Aimee eased off of Tony, and as soon as she cleared his lap, ran into her bedroom and grabbed the box of condoms out of her bedside table. She spared a glance at the expiration date—good, she was still within the safe zone. She’d bought them forever ago, “just in case,” and hadn’t ever even opened the box.
Racing back into the living room, she saw that Tony hadn’t moved at all, except for his hand; he was now stroking himself lazily. He’d popped open the button of his jeans to give himself room and was caressing his cock through his boxers. She moved to the same position she’d been in one minute before and held up the box.
“Not that I expect we’ll use them all tonight, but it was faster to bring the whole thing here. They’re good for another two months so we’re good,” she told him, rushing her words together in order to get them out faster. She wanted to get to the good stuff.
Tony didn’t say a word, but took the box from her and quickly opened it and took out a strip. He tore one off with his teeth and dropped the rest unheeded to the ground.
He didn’t make a fuss out of using the prophylactic, which Aimee appreciated. Leaving the condom between his lips, he moved both hands to her hips and pushed at her sweats. “Lift up,” he mumbled around the foil.
Aimee did as he demanded, shivering in anticipation as he pushed her clothes down as far as they’d go while she was still straddled over him. Unless she stood up, or did some acrobatic move to remove the sweat pants, this was going to get interesting.
Keeping one hand at her hip, Tony moved the other between her legs, testing her readiness. She hadn’t lied, she was wet. Just the thought that Tony was so anxious to get inside her, and he wasn’t taking the time to get to the bedroom or even fully disrobe, did something for her. His thumb pressed over her clit and Aimee thrust her hips toward him without thought.
“Yes, Tony. God, that feels good.”
; She glanced down and saw that his gaze was fixed between her legs. He couldn’t see her clearly because of the dim light, but it was apparent he more than liked what he could see…and feel. He hadn’t said a word, maybe because he was still holding the condom between his lips, but Aimee thought it was more that he was so far gone in desire for her, he couldn’t find the right words.
Aimee writhed on his hand a bit more, feeling herself get more and more slick as he continued to play with her clit and spread her wetness around. Abruptly he removed his hand and lifted his hips under her, forcing her to sit up straight over him. Tony shoved his own pants and boxers over his hips until his cock bobbed out, and then he ripped open the condom packet.
Smoothing it over his erection, he took hold of Aimee’s hips again and helped her move into place over him. It was awkward with her sweats pushed down, and not off, but they were both determined to do this. Now.
“Guide me in,” Tony demanded in a guttural voice.
Aimee couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. They were both almost fully dressed, their important parts barely revealed. She reached between them and found his hard cock. She caressed it once, cupping his balls at her downward stroke.
“Aimee, I swear to God if you don’t quit it, this’ll be over before it even begins. Please. Put me in.”
Wanting him inside her as much as he apparently wanted to be there, Aimee had mercy on the man. She grabbed his thick erection and scooted forward enough so that the head was nestled between her slick lips. Without waiting for more direction, she pushed her sweats out of the way and slowly eased down, engulfing his hard length into her body.
It was a tight fit, it’d been a while for her, but Aimee didn’t stop until he was as far inside her as he could go. She felt her sweats pulling against her legs, and knew she’d have marks when they were done, but at the moment nothing could’ve forced her to move away from him.
“God,” she breathed, the same time that he hissed a breath out between his teeth. “You fit perfectly.”
“You are so hot and tight, I can’t…I won’t…”
