If they resisted and tried to recapture his attention, he just ignored the advances. It had always been the same, every time she walked in. He’d smile and watch her with intent eyes and ignore every other woman there. Why? Raeve knew he was desired by others, had heard it more times than she cared to admit, and each time it grated on her the way the other girls spoke of him. Wondering how amazing the sex with him would be or what kind of woman he preferred in bed. It sickened her to hear it. Each one took turns trying to seduce him and claim him as their mate. Each time Raeve heard the latest rumor of who was with him, it stabbed another hole in her heart. She didn’t understand why it bothered her. He hadn’t made any overt advances to her. She hadn’t heard from anyone in the surrounding crowd that he was interested in her, and still she hoped without reason that he had an eye for her. However, the sad truth was, Aidan wasn’t hers and she honestly believed he never would be.
She knew she wasn’t the prettiest, by far. Years of a less than desirable life had taken its toll on her. Scars decorated not only her heart and soul, but her skin as well. Raeve didn’t exude confidence like the others, she didn’t care for showing off to impress the local males, and hell, most of her guy friends treated her as if she was just one of the guys. She remained laid back and didn’t bother with the cattiness of popularity. Money was something she lacked as well, except for what she earned working herself to near exhaustion on a regular basis. No, she didn’t consider herself an ideal mate. Especially not for Aidan, yet every time he looked at her or spoke to her, her heart tripped over itself, and she flushed a deeper shade of pink, while her heart pounded against the confines of her chest.
His deep voice, even when spoken in a whisper rumbled through her like a herd of stampeding bulls as the words spilled out of his supple lips. How she longed to taste them and feel them brush over hers before he sank into the depths of her mouth. Raeve found herself wondering how strong his soft hands would feel raking through her long dark hair, and down her back. Aidan crushing her against his hard body as he kissed her senselessly, before looking deeply into her eyes and telling her he wanted her above all others. It was a stupid dream, nonsensical at best, yet she longed to be something more than just friends.
Fretting about her clothes, Raeve pulled her shoulders back, sucked in a deep breath, and resigned herself to the inevitable truth. She wanted him, and she needed to know if she stood a snowball’s chance in Hell with him. The night was just getting started for her, and she had a feeling it was going to be another long night of nerves clawing up her insides.
Stone Temple Pilots blared from the jukebox as Raeve entered through the heavy wood doors. She was assaulted with loud voices, people shouting out hellos, the normal crowd standing perched at their usual tables, and friendly faces smiling as she walked past. The heat of his stare burned her alive as she stepped further into the room. Coyly she slid a sideways glance over her shoulder to see him standing there, rigid, his impossibly adorable impish grin splashed across his chiseled features. Her gaze locked with his, and damned if she could break away from the heat of his gaze. He took her breath away, but something seemed different this time. His gentle stare toiled with a haunted secret she couldn’t distinguish. He held his soldier’s stance as his protective aura radiated from him in menacing droves warning everyone to stay away. Raeve barely noticed his friends standing behind him, laughing and staring at him staring at her.
A feverish lick of heat tasted every inch of skin as her body flushed in response to him. He overwhelmed her, casting a sweet seductive smile. Her body felt like lead, trapped in his gaze by an unforeseen force. Her heart thundered so loudly, it was a wonder no one within a fifty foot radius heard the sound. Her nerves twisted her stomach into knots as she tried to catch her breath. Closing her eyes against his heated intrusion, she said the only thing she could to snap her out of the trance he’d put her in. “He’s too good for you.” The weight of that thought settled over her, scratching and gnawing in her mind. Forcing her feet to move took more effort than she realized as she walked past him and down to meet her usual group of friends.
The day’s gossip was in full swing as she sidled up to the table. Hugs and smiles were passed around, as she tried to keep herself occupied. The last thing she needed was to get caught staring at him, again. Biting her lip to keep herself in the moment, it took every ounce of her self-control to keep from turning around to get another hazardous eyeful of him. Her palms grew slick as she balled them up at her sides. Her head could only stay in the moment for so long before random thoughts stole away her attention once again. Aidan was becoming an addiction, and dear God, she hoped to hell there was a cure.
“You know he watches you everytime you’re here. Ever notice he’s the last one to leave?” Shane whispered into her ear, holding her in an unusually long hug as he spoke to her.
“Raeve, that man wants you. I’ve watched him. I see the way he watches you, the way he follows you around with his eyes wherever you go when you’re here. That guy’s got it bad for you, ya know. He doesn’t leave until he sees that you’ve left the parking lot. He watches you from the window to make sure you’re all right when you leave.”
Pulling back from him, Raeve felt a rush of blood flood her cheeks. Shaking her head in disbelief, Raeve wasn’t ready to make a fool of herself. Folding her slender arms across her chest, she considered him with a wary eye. “No, you’re wrong. She knew the truth. Hell, everyone in the place did. Every woman in this place wants him. They take bets on who will get to be with him. It’s friggin’ disgusting.”
Raeve couldn’t help but notice the sincerity in his eyes as he nodded to her. “No, you’re wrong, Shane. It’s just his nature to watch over people. It’s who he is. He looks after everyone like that.”
“Bullshit! How do you know that? Do you even realize he watches over you the entire time you’re here? He doesn’t let you out of his sight. It’s like he’d jump in front of a speeding car to save you. It’s intense. Please” he softly pleaded, “tell me you see this.” Shane glanced back to Aidan. Raeve followed his stare and saw Aidan tense up.
She saw his jaw muscles clench tight and start ticking before he snapped his eyes away.
“See, he’s very protective of you.”
Raeve swung her head back and forth between Shane and Aidan, she hadn’t had the faintest idea anyone else noticed. Up to this point, she thought it had been her imagination, thought she was just overreacting, verging on extreme wishful thinking. Biting down on her plump lip, Raeve slipped one more glance at Aidan’s stoic expression and wished she had the nerve to go up to him and just tell him how she felt.
“He’d be good for you Raeve. He’s a good guy,” Shane offered, as he returned to finish his dart game.
***
The night carried on, and Raeve caught herself too many times glancing back at the pool table where Aidan and his friends where shooting. The hours passed, and the real contemplation of leaving was becoming a reality. Angry with herself for chickening out, she sucked in a heavy breath and told herself ‘some things weren’t meant to be.’ Reaching for her purse, she heard Shane’s voice call out, challenging Aidan and his friends to a game of darts. Her heart tripped as the leather strap fell from her shaking hands. A ball of nerves twisted and grew as Aidan finally wandered over to join the rest of the crowd for a round of darts and shooting the shit with everyone. Nerves washed over her as the tingle of his nearness shot down her spine when he stepped next to her. The scent of his natural dark spices wafted around her head, inhaling deep was enough to make her feel dizzy.
“Hey Raeve.” He smiled, that deep resonating voice permeating every cell in her body. Electrifying her in ways, that sent a rush of searing heat licking through her body.
“Hi.” Her fingers sought out her drink, hoping to occupy herself for a moment and focus on something other than his nearness. His broad chest and smoldering stare suffocated the room, as the din of voices dissolved around them. “How’s it g
oing?”
“Not bad. You? Haven’t seen you around lately.” The gentle accusation made her wonder if he really had noticed her absence, or if he was just trying to strike up conversation. Her hands found the cool bottle a comfort as she twisted it around to keep herself from jumping into his arms and crushing her lips down on his.
“Fine, I mean great. Been busy you know.” Nodding her head, her words were slow to come, catching in the deep recesses of her throat. “Yeah, I’ve been working a lot lately. I’m saving up to go back to college. What about you?”
“Heading back to Fort Hood soon, then I might be shipped overseas…. So how long have you and Shane been together? I thought you were single.” His eyes stared hard into hers. The intensity sizzled the air between them, as fear of her answer hedged around the edges.
“Oh,” she laughed. “We’re not together. He’s just my friend.” A soft blush started to burn her cheeks as she realized he was smirking at her answer. Noticing the subtle ways his body shifted closer to hers, the dip of his eyes as his fingers itched to find something to touch.
“So, I guess you’re not seeing anyone then?” The light in his eyes sparked as his smile grew wider in his classic impish grin.
That was just so Aidan, blunt and to the point. Shaking her head, Raeve felt his stare wash over her as her cheeks flushed a shade deeper. Her shy smile spread over her face as a rush of liquid heat punched straight to her core. His smile ignited every nerve ending to an unholy searing inferno that she languished in.
“What about you, any girlfriends down in Texas?” Her heart sank even at the thought he had found somebody. “When are you heading back?” Her hands shook as she waited for his answers, fear spread over her like a wet blanket.
To her surprise it was his turn to flush, as he lowered his face to hers. The scent of his cool breath skated over her lips. Staring at her through a fringe of thick lashes, he whispered that there wasn’t anyone.
“No, no girlfriend, and unfortunately, I head back to base in a couple of days.”
Raeve’s heart fluttered with the news. She was happy to hear he too, was single, yet saddened by the idea of him leaving. Are you nuts? Come on Raeve, no one would even think about starting something with someone who was leaving in just a few short days. Scolding herself, Raeve excused herself to get another drink. “I’ll be right back. Need another water. Would you like anything?”
Her fingers idly feathered against her throat as she watched Aidan lifted his beer to his thirsty lips. Her breath caught in her windpipe as she watched the long muscles of his throat work the liquid down in a couple of hard swallows. He radiated virile sensuality. Every move he made, he did with purposeful intent. From his rolling sinuous gait to his careful strikes with a pool cue or dart, there wasn’t anything he didn’t do without deliberate planning.
Setting the bottle down, he cocked a dark, slashed brow toward her. “Yes… To walk with you up to the bar. Seems I need another drink too.”
Raeve’s pulse quickened as she slid around the table, her eyes locked onto him as he slipped her a wink; a wink that read more like a secret they shared versus a flirty gesture.
He was a gentleman true and through as he held his arm out for her to maneuver around the crowd. As he walked beside her, Raeve could feel his eyes on her. Braving a glance up to him, her face instantly flushed when she realized she was right. Time seemed to stand still as he stared down into her eyes. She couldn’t remember if she was walking, felt more like floating as her breath hitched. “So when do you think you’ll deploy?” her heart instantly sank with the idea of him thousands of miles away. Biting her lip, she saw the reluctance in his eyes to answer.
“Not sure. Word is in a few months. Not looking forward to it.” Sighing, she almost felt relieved he didn’t want to go as much as she didn’t want him to leave. Moments turned into minutes before they realized they had stopped walking.
Her body had eased against the wall, with his immense body blocking everything from view. Didn’t matter, there wasn’t anything else she wanted to see. Her pulse sped up the closer his body came to hers. She could feel the sinful burn of his body heat rolling off of him when he leaned in closer. The brush of his fingers down her arm sent another shockwave of feverish desire lighting up every cell in her body. Her lip felt raw from the amount of gnawing on it she had done all night. Maybe he could kiss it better. She thought coyly.
“Hey guys!” Lisa called from the pool table next to them. “Wanna play teams?” The bubble exploded the instant her voice broke through. With a sharp nod of his head, Aidan answered the interruption. “Get a room you two,” She snapped back, and her laughter coated the air.
Raeve searched his eyes for the truth. Was he really this interested, or was he looking for one last fling before heading back to base? Another brush of his hand on her arm sent shivers down her body as she imagined what they would feel like holding her close, skimming under the hem of her shirt. His eyes stayed locked on hers as they shared another round of coy smiles. For those brief moments, the room didn’t feel so suffocating as the world just disappeared around them.
“How about that drink?” she murmured, as she tried to cut away from the hypnotic spell he held her in.
His smile drank her in as he nodded, slowly pulling away from her body. Every nerve was singing with a new intensity, leaving her breathless.
The night passed with more of the same: small talk, wistful glances, and sincere smiles, broken up by a few round of darts, pool, and mutual friends interjecting with frivolous talk. Didn’t matter, he was here…with her, if only for the night. Hours passed, and the crowd began to thin. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him. The sting of saying goodnight was something she wished she didn’t have to face, but it was inevitable, as the bartender called out, “closing time.”
“I guess I should probably head out.” Looking down at her watch, work was just hours away, but she knew sleep would elude her. Fidgeting with the thin bracelet-like time piece, she could feel his eyes on her once again. “It was really great to see you again.” She offered as her insides twisted. Shit, how the hell can I tell him? Grow some balls dammit! He’s leaving soon. Warring with herself, she knew nothing could come of it. He was leaving to go back to his base, had stated so earlier. Starting something that didn’t have any chance of going anywhere, beyond this, wouldn’t do either of them any good.
“Yeah, guess I probably should head out too. I’m sure the guys are ready to leave.” She watched as he cocked his head toward his friends. Following the direction of his gaze she saw the goofy smiles his friends shot back at them. “It was really great to see you too.” The sound of his voice rumbled through her like a tidal wave, even as she felt that knowing sting of goodbye waiting patiently on the edge of his lips.
“Good night, Aidan.” The words felt like whispers as Raeve wrapped her arms around his neck for a long hug goodnight she wished like hell would last for days. His tender embrace, so warm and sincere, had her melting into a puddle of wanting. Inhaling his scent deeply into her lungs, she silently vowed to remember this moment with each one of her senses. She wanted to remember the feel of his strong arms as they held her close and the gentle tone of his embrace, even as she could feel him wanting to squeeze her tighter, securing her body to his. Was it all in her head, just an over active imagination wreaking havoc on her? If that’s all it was, she’d stay in blissful denial for eternity.
“Good night, Raeve. Sleep well.” His breath caressed her cheeks as he slowly released her. She could have sworn his hands lingered a little longer than expected, as did his eyes. This one memory would haunt every treacherous night stretched out before her. The sudden chill she felt over her skin when her body realized his arms were no longer embracing her left a sting of solitude.
Fumbling to pull herself together, Raeve tugged her keys from her pocket and gave a final wave as she walked down the length of the room. Saying good night to the last of the crowd, her stroll was unusually cas
ual even boarding on slow. Her mind raced, wishing she hadn’t been a complete chicken-shit and had confessed to Aidan everything she wanted to say. Even as she walked the last few paces to the door, she secretly prayed he’d stop her from exiting, and pull her into his arms for a proper goodbye. Leaving her with the kind of kiss that ended with her breathless and blushing from head to toe. She braved one last look back at him, needing one more glimpse of the man she could only wish for. The gentle warrior type that made up the fairy tale endings every girl dreamt of. Her eyes locked onto his for an infinite moment as time stood still. Her will was shot, and she needed to leave before she made a spectacle of herself. She laughed silently at the idea of throwing herself at him like a pathetic lovesick goon begging for a kiss that would never happen. Reluctantly she turned back around and made for the door.
The swoosh of cool night air brought with it the impending chill of autumn, as she curled into herself shivering. She wasn’t entirely convinced it was the weather that gave her those chills. Still the blast of air and dark sky welcomed her as she walked out into the parking lot, heading to her car sitting idle amongst a few Chevys and Fords.
Raeve heard the crash of the building’s door open. The footsteps that followed after seemed hurried, “Raeve…” The deep voice called to her.
Nearly tripping over herself, Raeve stopped just a few feet from her car. “Raeve,…wait a sec,” he begged. His footsteps pounded against the cement, cracking the still of the night.
Slowly she turned around to see him, “Oh hey, Aidan, what’s up?” her palms grew slick with nervous sweat as she eyed him, and she hoped to hell her voice hadn’t betrayed her.
The Last Kiss Page 3
