Stay

by B. A. Wolfe

  He smirked. “You’ll see.”

  I glanced down at his feet and then back up at him. “I like the cowboy boots, by the way.”

  The lines around his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “You do, huh?”

  “Yeah, I do.” My heart pitter-pattered and my cheeks heated. Yep, I definitely liked the little addition to his wardrobe.

  We had the road to ourselves as he drove us east. Every few minutes his hazel eyes would swallow me whole with their seductive gaze. He’d have me melting into the passenger seat and then look ahead at the road as if he hadn’t done anything. I’d calm down and then he’d do it again. He smirked. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

  “Hey!” I exclaimed, recalling a question I’d been meaning to ask him since I got to Keaton.

  He peered over at me, his eyes wide as bottle caps. “Are you okay?” His voice was panicked.

  I nodded. “Yes. Sorry. I just wanted to ask you something.”

  He palmed his chest and shook his head. “You scared the shit out of me.” I couldn’t help but laugh with him. “What’s up, Sweet Tea? And no, I’m not telling you where we’re going.” He lowered his lashes as he gave me that I’m-not-budging look.

  “Your mom.” Those two words had him stiffen as he gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles growing pale. I gulped. “She was overly eager for us to go out tonight.” My words and voice trailed off as I tried to gauge his mood. Was this a bad topic?

  “She knows,” he whispered.

  I sucked in a short breath and my hand clung to my seatbelt as if it were going to help me.

  His head slowly turned and the car started to slow down as he did. “I told her, Cassie,” he confessed as he pulled the car off to the side of the now dirt road.

  “Without me?” I asked. My voice sounded hurt, crushed. I wanted to be there with him. Well . . . I didn’t, but I knew I should be. I had been with Jason. Jason! My heart squeezed tight. And now Aidan? What did she think of me? I needed to know what she said, and why he told her without me. My eyes pinched tight as I ran through all the things she might have said.

  His hand cupped my chin and with gentle force turned it to face him. “Open your eyes.” I shook my head hard. “Please, will you look at me?” His soft words echoed through my mind and with two deep breaths I did as he asked. “There you are.” His fingers left my chin and brushed the side of my cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell her with you there. I did it to protect you. I didn’t want you in the line of fire of her anger and wrath. I didn’t expect it to go well, Cassie.”

  I shuddered at his words. Oh, God. I knew it would go bad. She had to hate me. I lifted my hands to cover my worried face, but before I could, Aidan grabbed them and cradled them between his.

  “It didn’t go as I thought.” My heart accelerated at his words. I stared at him. A smile splashed across his lips. “It went better.”

  “What?” My voice was so hushed I almost didn’t hear it myself.

  He chuckled. “I don’t know how or why. But it was like she already knew. She . . .” He paused and appeared lost in thought.

  “That’s why she was so eager tonight?” My words came out more like a statement.

  His eyes returned to mine and he nodded. “My dad still doesn’t know. I’ll deal with him this weekend. I don’t want you worrying about this. They’re my parents. They love you and I want them to continue to love you. Let me do this for us.”

  The last word had my skin tingling and my heart calming. “Thank you.”

  His lips pressed to mine with a brief kiss. “Shall we?” he asked as he re-adjusted in his seat, his hands returning to the wheel.

  I nodded, my insides dancing the mambo, they were so relieved and excited.

  Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a place I never thought I’d see again. The wheat out front gave it away. It was their farm. My chest constricted as I sat patiently while he put the car in park and turned it off. My lungs filled with air as I breathed in deeply. I could do this. Right?

  His warm hand grasped mine and all my doubts and worry ceased. His finger drew an X on my palm before he pressed his lips to that very spot.

  “You looked like you needed a kiss.” He smiled and let my hand go before stepping out of the car.

  The sky grew dark as the sun set, releasing bright oranges and pinks into the sky like a show. Aidan rushed to my side and opened my door, taking my hand to help me out.

  “I thought you had a reservation.”

  The sexiest grin I’d yet to see him wear adorned his face. “I do.”

  My eyes scanned our surroundings. There wasn’t a restaurant in sight, only a wheat field and a barn. “Where?”

  A knowing grin flashed across his face as he took me by the waist, pulling me to him. His cheek rested against my head and I let myself melt into him as he whispered in my ear, “Under the stars.”

  I held onto him tighter as I soaked the moment in. The night air breezed around our hugging bodies as if we’d created a force field to protect each other. Releasing me after a few minutes, he opened the back passenger door and returned with the blue quilt. I watched him with curiosity as he sprawled it out on the ground. “Sit.” I did as I was told with an amused expression. He was too much.

  Aidan opened the driver’s side door, turned on his headlights, and then opened the trunk. He carried a large, flat box with what I could only guess was pizza. I thought I had smelled an Italian aroma in his car. I chuckled to myself as he set the box beside me with a smirk.

  “Not done yet.” His hazel eye flashed me a wink. He closed the trunk, emerging with a bottle of wine and two cups. He shrugged shamelessly. My lips bowed as he sat next to me and poured glasses for each of us.

  The pizza steamed between us as Aidan and I shared it straight from the box. It came from the only pizza place in town called Tomato Tomah-to. I had heard about it from Moose, and now I knew why Aidan loved it. Denver had amazing restaurants, but none could compete with the sauce recipe this family had handed down for generations.

  Putting the leftover pizza back in his car, Aidan returned with the most adorable boyish smile splashed across his face. I was so focused on his damn lips that I didn’t even notice the box he held until he sat down.

  Before I could ask what it was, he knelt in front of me, his hands framing my face. A whimper escaped me as he slid them back, his fingers sinking into my loose curls. My lips welcomed his as they brushed against mine, almost feeling as though it was a stolen moment between us.

  “What was that for?” I asked breathlessly, my cheeks warm.

  “I couldn’t help myself.” His smirk vanished as his eyes searched my face. ”You just look so . . .”

  “Happy,” I answered for him.

  He ghosted his nose down my cheek. “So damn happy.” His soft voice melted into my ears. So damn happy.

  “Where’d you come from?”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Did your mom not teach you about the birds and the bees?”

  I laughed and smacked his bicep. “You know what I mean.”

  “I’ve always been here, Cassie.” A long sigh slipped from between his lips.

  I wished I’d met him sooner. For once in my life I felt so calm and relaxed, yet so exhilarated at the same time. He sat back in his spot and I grabbed his hand. His eyes questioned me as I put it to my chest.

  “You’re the only one who keeps me calm and makes my body tingle all over at the same time. I don’t know how you do it but . . .”

  With his hand still on my heart, his gaze lifted to meet mine. “But what?”

  “But I don’t want it to stop. I don’t want that feeling to go away. I need you. I want you. I never thought I’d get close to anyone ever again, but I have and I can’t imagine it being anyone but you.” I was pouring my heart out and I couldn’t stop, nor did I want to. “What we have scares me in the best possible way. You push me. You make me a better person. I’m in way too deep. Please, don’t ever leave me.”

&n
bsp; With my final plea, Aidan removed his hand from my chest, scooped me up like a child, and held me against his car, my dress bunched up and my legs hooked around his waist. I didn’t even get a chance to catch my breath before his lips seized mine. Warmness traveled the length of my body as he continued to claim my mouth. I parted my lips, clutching tighter around his waist. His tongue found mine instantly, caressing it with a gentle need.

  “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured against my lips.

  “I disagree,” I whispered.

  Aidan had a distant look in his eyes as he glanced out at the wheat.

  “Tell me something.” I urged him with a gentle voice.

  He slowly turned his gaze back to me. “What do you want to know?”

  My fingers stroked the hair on the back of his neck. “Anything. Why did you bring me here?”

  “I used to come out here with Jase all the time. We’d play hide and seek, talk, and just be boys for hours out here.”

  I smiled as I looked out at the wheat. “You miss him.”

  “So damn much.” His fingers brushed my cheek. “I know you do, too.”

  I regretted bringing it up. ”It doesn’t bother you when I talk about him?”

  “Of course not. He’s my brother. I don’t like that some other man had you, but if it were to be anyone else, I’m glad it was him. I know he took care of you.” A pained look hid behind his soft eyes as he spoke. I didn’t want it to be awkward talking about it, but I understood how it could be. It was a fine line, because it wasn’t just some other guy, it was Jason. He’d always have a place in my heart. But so did Aidan. ”He did. But, Aidan . . .” I held his warm cheeks between my hands and gazed into his eyes.

  “You don’t have to say anything, beautiful. I know he was a part of your life. I don’t want to change that.”

  A smile erupted on his face. His expression was so genuine. If I stared at it any longer, I knew I’d dissolve in his arms. How was this caring, passionate man here in front of me and not with someone else?

  “I love the way you take care of me. The way you kiss me . . .” I pressed my smiling lips to his. “The way you hold me . . .” I pulled him closer and let my body sink into his arms. My head rested on his shoulder. “The way you are with my son. I love . . .” I bit back the rest of the words. I wasn’t ready to say them yet, but clearly, something inside of me was. “This is real, Aidan.”

  He leaned back, breaking our embrace. “When you say stuff like that I have to make sure it is real. That you’re not just a dream. Because sometimes it feels like it is. One day I’m going to wake up and you’ll be gone.” His voice sounded so guarded.

  I pressed my forehead to his. “I’m real. This is real. And it’s amazing and breathtaking, just like this night. I don’t think the stars could get any brighter or more perfect than they are right now.”

  He didn’t give a verbal response and he didn’t have to. I put my hand to his chest and could feel his response throbbing underneath my palm.

  “Tell me something else. Something fun.”

  His lips formed a wicked grin. My cheeks heated as I stared, waiting for his answer.

  “I lost my virginity in that wheat field.”

  I laughed. Not what I had expected. Even though it had me cringing as I thought about him and another girl, I loved how honest he was with me. “How old were you?”

  “Seventeen. Now, you tell me something.” His grin never faltered.

  “I was nineteen. It was completely awkward as hell, and in a bedroom. Nothing awesome like a wheat field. What about the barn?”

  He shook his head nonchalantly. “Never made it to the barn.”

  “Well, that’s a shame.” It seemed like the perfect place. It was away from everything. A couple could get lost in each other in that red barn.

  His lips swept to the side, doing funny things to my stomach. “Not really.”

  “Why’s that?” I tilted my head, eyeing him curiously.

  “I’d rather share the barn with you.” His mouth was on my neck and his lips instantly marked my skin, followed by his tongue. “God, I wish I were your first.”

  “Why?” I asked breathlessly.

  His mouth left my neck. “So when you look back, you always remember you and me.”

  I smiled as if I had a plan. “This may not be my first time, but—”

  His lips pressed to mine, interrupting me. “It’s your first time in a barn.”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Mine too.” His lips captured mine with passion as he kissed me, his tongue caressing mine all the way to the barn.

  He yanked open the wide wooden door and we made our way inside, my body still wrapped tightly around him. It was dark except for the light that snuck inside from the headlights he’d left on for our picnic. He walked us over to the side and lowered me onto a bale of hay. A sexy grin splayed across his face as the hem of my dress fell to cover my legs. “Are you sure?” he asked as he knelt in front of me.

  I nodded, more sure of this than anything. My stomach muscles pulled inward as the look in his eyes turned seductive.

  He took hold of my feet as he wrapped his fingers around my ankles. His eyes were trained on mine as he slid my sandals off, setting them to the side. He never broke eye contact; in fact, the green vanished and a dark chocolate hue took over.

  A soft breath left my lips as his hands returned to my legs, inching my dress back up my thighs. He swept it across my lap and lifted a leg to his mouth, kissing each square inch and then doing the same to the other. With a devious smile, he forced my dress up further. His lips touched my knee, trailing kisses closer and closer until he reached the apex of my thighs.

  His mouth hovered over my white lace panties. He lifted his eyes, locking them on mine as his fingers ghosted up my legs, gently brushing against my skin as they reached the band of my panties. He hooked his index fingers on either side and slid them down. I lifted my ass to help and within seconds my underwear lay next to my sandals. He splayed his hand across the lower half of my back. His other hand crept slowly up the inside of my leg, widening them as his hand made its way to the place that ached for his touch the most.

  I breathed in anticipation as his middle finger teased the outside of my core until finally he slipped two fingers inside. I arched into him, and his mouth claimed mine as he continued to flutter his fingers, moving them faster with each of my moans. The buildup was slow and deep, searing me from the inside out.

  “Come, baby,” he whispered, his lips pressed against my shoulder. He drove harder, pushing me past the brink as I gripped his shoulders. Oh, God. Fog swarmed my mind as I let go into his hand. My chest heaved and my lips released moan after moan into the air between us. I drew in one last heavy breath and lifted my head. I needed more. I need him.

  I reached for the buttons of his shirt. I took my time undoing them, peeking up at him as I slipped each button through its hole. His eyes flickered with amusement as he watched me. I was halfway done when I slid my hands over his hard torso. I scooted toward the edge of the hay and brought my lips to his warm skin, brushing them across his chest as I continued to unbutton his shirt. A low growl rumbled in his chest.

  When the last button was freed, I lifted my lips to his neck and nibbled my way up to his jaw, and then hovered over his grinning lips. I traced the band of his jeans with my fingertips. His stomach muscles contracted under my touch and I loved it. My lips welcomed his as he lurched forward to seize them. My fingers undid his button and then finally his zipper. I forced them as low as I could before he removed his lips from mine and stood. He kicked his shoes off, then his pants, and lastly, his boxers. I sighed as I stared at the gorgeous man in front of me.

  He bent over and kissed my forehead. “Stand up.” I placed my hand in his and he helped me up. He circled my body and stood behind me. His warm breath tickled my neck as he lowered my dress.

  He let my dress fall to the ground in a puddle at my feet and in an instant, a breathless mo
an escaped me. His lips touched my spine. My insides quivered as he moved his mouth over each vertebra. Sweeping his fingers across my neck, he scooped my hair into his hand and laid it over one shoulder, exposing even more of my skin. His lips finally reached the base of my neck before he turned me around. The heaving of our chests matched breath for breath, dragging air into our lungs as if it was the first time we’d ever made love.

  He reached around and grabbed my butt, lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, hooking my ankles and securing myself completely against him. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his mouth grazing my ear.

  He bent down, spreading out his shirt underneath me. My eyes riveted on his and for a moment I stopped breathing. Desperation took over and I crashed my lips onto his. Never before had I needed him this badly. I tangled my hands in his hair, pulling at strands with my fingers, forcing our mouths closer as if there were still any room left between them.

  Our kiss never broke as he lowered me down on top of his shirt. He released his lips from mine and met my gaze. A possessive and carnal look veiled his eyes as he pressed against my entrance.

  “Oh God, Aidan,” I moaned as he eased in, filling every inch of me.

  His muscular arms bracketed either side of my sweating body as his mouth marked the skin on my neck. His hips started moving, rocking in and out of me with steady thrusts. My mouth released breathless whimpers as he moved deeper, hitting places I didn’t even know were reachable.

  I pulled his hair as each thrust grew harder, greedier. My name escaped his lips as he drove faster, my legs hooking around him tighter than ever before. Each movement brought me further to the edge, to the brink of glorious explosions that I’d craved since our first time.

  I released his hair and let my fingers travel down his neck. His mouth nibbled on my ear lobe as I dug my nails into his back, gripping him for dear life as he pounded against me. We met thrust for thrust. With each plunge, sensations from deep within me rose to the surface, begging for release.

  “I’m so close . . .” I muttered between panted breaths.

  My name wafted through my ear before he pounded into me with everything he had. I screamed, moaned, and yelled from the rooftops as the orgasm that had built finally let go. It crashed through every vein, hitting each part of my body with pleasures I’d only know because of Aidan. Tingles spread across my skin. I was impaled from head to toe.