by Honor James
Unable to help herself, Piper moved closer to him. She wrapped her fingers around his neck and pulled him close, her forehead to his. “You mean so much more to me than I ever thought was possible. You are integral to my life, I need you, and not because you keep me safe but because you are you. I want to keep you, Aeron Cutter.” Forever, that word was left unsaid, but it hung in the air between them.
He eased the truck to a stop at a light, then turned his full attention on her. One hand slid up into her hair, and he pulled her in for a kiss. “You have me for however long you want me, Piper. I fucking adore you, woman, you are the perfect other half for me. I want to say more, but I also don’t want to send you running for the hills. I know you haven’t exactly had the best luck with relationships. I get it, trust me, I do. But I’m not planning on ever going somewhere else, sweetheart. Not when the absolute best woman possible in the world is right here, in my life.”
“That’s a good thing.” She nodded, pulling back from him and back to her side. Putting her seat belt back on, she slipped her hand back into his and gave it a squeeze. “I think that I want to know more about how you feel for me. Tonight, after we’ve eaten and are in bed together?” She was hopeful that he felt the same way she did. Prayed that she wasn’t going out on a limb again only to be hurt. “Because I more than adore you, Aeron.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he told her. He shot her a quick look as he got them moving once more. A few minutes later he pulled into the parking lot of the store. Finding a spot, he got them parked, hopped out, and came around to help her out. “Do we need anything other than eggs, and of course more condoms? Oh, bread, we definitely need more bread. I ate the last of the loaf this morning.”
“Butter, I think that we have to be close to the end of the container of it. So butter, oh, and jelly.” She added to the list. “Also maybe we should get a roast or something?” The chili that he had made her had been fabulous, and she had wanted to kiss his mother for the amazing recipe, but they had eaten all of it and now needed to go on to something else. “I think that putting a roast into the crock pot is good. Thoughts?”
“Now there’s a plan. We can get a decent-sized rump roast, or something of the sort. We should get some potatoes, maybe some onion, and some of those little carrots, too. Drop it all in there. That would be good. Oh, if we’re doing that, maybe I’ll pick up some extra stuff for a stew. I’ll throw it into your crock pot tomorrow, or the next day, and let it simmer while we’re off at the bar for the night.”
“Sounds good. Oh and some Hawaiian rolls, too. I love those things. You just pop them into the oven. Yummy.” She couldn’t believe just how hungry she was getting with the discussion of food. “Okay, and we won’t tell anyone we have food, either.” The chili had gone faster than she expected. She had given Aeron a hard time because he made such a huge pot of it, but the moment the team learned that he made his mother’s chili the whole team seemed to stop by, even if it might have been one by one.
“I told you not to tell anyone,” he said. “I said we could freeze it, saving it for later on, but no, someone just had to mention it to Yoshi. I still can’t believe that they actually managed to get passes to come all the way to the States for some of the chili. Fucking Yoshi and his big mouth,” he muttered. Though he did throw her a glare, which she deserved. She did sort of initiate the entire thing.
She at least flushed and nodded. “Well I guess I did sort of do it to myself, huh? I just had to feed Yoshi, I never would have thought that he would have told everyone and their brother. I was shocked when even the general showed up for some. Crazy people, I tell you.” She was snickering now. Couldn’t help herself. “I think that the look on your face was priceless, though. Admit it, you were more than a little surprised.”
“I was shocked, even mildly horrified. Fucking man brought the joint chiefs over, Piper. Who the hell brings the joint chiefs for chili?” He pulled a cart from the lineup and headed down an aisle.
“Sounds to me like he does.” She was grinning and walking along at his side. She knew that she looked silly with the smirk on her face, but she couldn’t help it. “I think that they said something about contacting your mother to get the recipe themselves, that they were all kinds of miffed at you because you wouldn’t give it out. Think that they got it out of her?”
“Not unless they hold a séance,” he told her. He stopped to grab a bag of potatoes. He set them inside the cart and shot her a look when she stayed silent. “She passed away a couple of years ago,” he told her. “My dad followed about six months after. Mom had ovarian cancer, but I think my dad died of a broken heart. They were quite the pair. You’d have liked them, and they would have loved you.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” She felt like an ass. “I’m so sorry.” She placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. “I want that kind of love and commitment. I know what a silly thing that is to say, but I want to love someone so much that I couldn’t live without them.” And she had a feeling that she could have that with Aeron. She was already most of the way there. Already she couldn’t see her life without him in it. “I didn’t mean to make you hurt. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek, and with a light touch drew her in closer. “You didn’t know, sweetheart. I don’t like to talk about it. I knew she wasn’t going to live forever, not with the cancer taking its toll on her. I should have told you, though, I’m sorry I didn’t. It’s not exactly something I can just throw into a conversation, though. At least nothing that we’ve spoken about so far. I wasn’t keeping it a secret. I want you to know that.”
“I know that.” She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, soaking up the heat of his skin. “I just hate that you lost her far too early. And don’t say it wasn’t. Any time that they pass when you are as young as you still are is too early.” He wasn’t even forty yet, so that was young, and his parents had been young as well. “I’m just happy you are here with me. For now, though, let’s hurry and get out of here so that we can get home and have our conversation?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a nod. Suddenly she was pulled into his arms, and he was hugging her close. Only for a moment, though, then they were off once more, their grocery list growing as they went. Obviously, shopping while hungry was a seriously bad plan. God only knew where the hell they were going to put half of what they’d purchased. Last stop was for condoms. Aeron shot her a quick look and tossed six boxes on top of everything else. Another look, and two more boxes before he started wheeling the cart to the front of the store, whistling softly under his breath.
“Oh, you are so bad.” She teased him, but didn’t pull any of the boxes out of the cart. Hell, if he was up for using all of those boxes, so was she. “At least that’s enough for a couple of weeks.”
“Couple of weeks?” he asked. “Where the hell have you been, sweetheart? I see that maybe lasting us a week, tops. You are a horny little beast after all,” he said. The woman in front of them huffed and moved over to a different line. Aeron was grinning devilishly as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Not that I mind in the least, but you know you should wait until I’m at least fully awake before you have your way with me. It lets me enjoy it a smidgen more, after all.” The man directly in front of them turned and gave Piper a speculative look.
“Well, come on, you can’t be in bed with me looking as amazing as you do and being as hard as you are without me attacking you.” She had looked around to ensure that there were no children around before she spoke. “Besides, you know that you wake me up just as often as I wake you. How many times have I awakened to you with your face between my thighs? In such the best way, too.” She felt her panties grow wet at the thoughts of how he woke her on mornings like that and loved it.
The guy in front of them was now, quite obviously, eavesdropping. Hell, he was practically leaning on their cart in an effort not to miss a word. The cashier, the same woman they’d had each time th
ey came to the market, was pointedly trying to ignore them.
“Many, many times, I admit. Are you telling me you don’t like that little trick I do with my tongue to wake you up? ’Cause, if you don’t, you and I will be having some words later.” He was grinning down at her as he pulled her in close to his side. “I’m thinking that once we have dinner doing its thing I show you some other tricks I know with my tongue.”
“Oh, I love that thing that you do.” She licked her lips then. They felt dry and tight. “Goodness.” She had to fan herself because what started as teasing had her turning hotter faster. “Right, well then when we get home and have time I want to do that, please. You to show me what more you can do with your tongue.”
“Gladly, sweetheart.” He grinned at their eavesdropper and winked. The man blushed at being caught listening in, paid his bill, and, grabbing up his bags, dashed out of the store. Aeron started unloading their items onto the conveyor, and nodded to the cashier. “Hello again,” he said, stacking up the eight boxes of condoms.
Piper just laughed at the look on the woman’s face and began to pile the rest of the food onto the conveyer as well. She didn’t say anything, just grinned and smacked Aeron’s hands from her ass more than once.
“What?” he asked when she did it again. Laughing at the look she shot his way, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he drew her close to his side while they waited on the cashier to ring through everything. She could feel the kiss he pressed to the top of her head as he held her to him.
She relaxed against him and just smiled. She was happy, deliriously happy, and that was strange given all she was dealing with right then. Once they had paid for everything and were on the way home, she leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes, her hand in Aeron’s as she typically had it as they drove. She only had five days left on the timetable that was etched onto the back of her father’s Silver Star, but she couldn’t seem to find it in her to really muster a great deal of fear. Not with Aeron being there at her side.
Sometime later he squeezed her hand. “We’re home,” he said softly. “You still awake over there, sweetheart?” he asked. When she opened her eyes, she saw him watching her with a crooked grin. “I think you might have actually dozed off a bit.”
“I think I did as well,” she admitted. She yawned and moved her head from side to side. “I just relax so much when I’m with you that I can’t seem to help but drift off and into sleep when we are in a place of peace and calm.”
“I’m glad that you feel comfortable enough with me to fall asleep like that,” he said. Another quick squeeze to her hand before he let go. Jumping out, he came around to her side. “Why don’t you take in the stuff for the roast and get it started? I’ll bring everything else inside while you are preparing it for the pot.”
“Fair enough.” She took the bags from him that he passed her and took them inside, unlocking the door and turning off the alarm. She walked in and dropped the food on the counter, turning and grabbing the mail. She gasped when she felt the dripping on her hand. Her eyes went wide when she turned the large 8”x11” envelope in hand and saw the words written there in what she could only assume, or hope, was tomato sauce. Tick-tock, time is almost up. I’m coming for you and not even the blond Marine will stop me. Piper screamed, tears flowing down her face at the realization that there was truly danger out there and not just her mind overreacting.
Aeron was there mere seconds after she screamed. One strong arm wrapped around her waist while his free hand caught her hands in his and forced her to let the mail go. He tossed it onto the counter as he turned her in his arms.
She instinctively wrapped her arms around his middle and sobbed while being held close to him. She shook her head and whispered, “I didn’t think that it was really so in-your-face. I didn’t think that it would happen. I hate this.” She was crying so hard that she began to hiccup. “I had almost made myself forget that there was an issue,” she admitted to him.
“Shh,” he breathed out. He was rubbing her back, trying to soothe her, she knew. “No one’s going to hurt you, Piper. Not now, not ever. I’m not going to let them. Come on, sweetheart. I need you to calm down before you make yourself ill. I have you, he can’t get to you, sweetheart. Slow your breathing for me, please.” He began to rock her slightly in his arms, his lips against her ear as he whispered soothing and gentle words to her.
“I’m trying.” She was gasping, tears flowing freely, and sniffing back the pain she was feeling. “I hate this.” She was feeling sick because of the in-your-face reminder of what there was coming for her. “Please don’t let me go,” she begged him and held him tighter, hugged him tighter.
“Never,” he said in a harsh tone. He was hugging her tighter, one hand at her nape, the other pressing to the small of her back.
“You two all right?” a familiar voice asked quietly.
“We’re good, but she got another letter, warning, whatever you want to call it. Check it for me, will you, Yosh? We both touched it so it’s already contaminated, but maybe what’s inside the damned thing will give us a clue to who this fucker is. Which reminds me, we need to get the general to get a lab crew to the bar. I found a room under the main space that looks like it’s this guy’s trophy room.”
“Copy that. I’ll give him a call now. I also brought in the rest of the groceries, locked up your truck and the front door. I’ll reset the alarm before making the call.”
“Thanks,” Aeron said quietly. “I’m going to take her up to her room and get her into the tub for a bath. If you need us, give a shout.”
“Can do,” the other man said. She caught the sympathetic and worried look Yoshi shot her way before he left them alone.
She let Aeron pick her up, her face pressed once more in the crook of his neck, and held onto him. She rubbed her cheek to his shoulder and clung to him tighter. “I don’t think I will be able to let you go. I’m sorry,” she whispered, and swallowed, hard. “Promise me that you won’t leave me right now?” He had already said that he would keep her, already said that he wasn’t going to leave her, but she was terrified to be alone right then. “I need you far too much. I need to keep you close to me because you are all that’s keeping me together right now.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Piper. You keep hanging on, as much as you need to, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek as they entered her room. He kept going, straight into the bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the tub, he somehow managed to get the stopper in place and the water going all while she clung to him.
She was shaking. She knew that she was in shock. Logically she knew that, but she couldn’t seem to pull herself out of the moment. “I hate that I’m so weak.” She was quiet now, at least the tears stopped. “Please tell me that was tomato sauce.” She didn’t know if she wanted to be lied to or wanted the truth.
“I could, but you know the truth,” he said. He was rocking her in his lap, back and forth in a steady rhythm. “You’re not weak, Piper. You’re reacting to a madman who is fucking with your life for no good reason. You’re allowed to have moments where you just want to curl up in a ball. We all have them. There’s no shame in that. It’s how you come back from what he’s thrown at you that shows your true strength. Now, I need you to get undressed, sweetheart. Then you and I are going to have a nice hot bath before we crawl into bed for a time.”
She nodded and pulled back from him. Leaning in, she kissed him impulsively and then hugged him once more before sliding off of his lap. “I am happy you are here with me. I’m glad that you are the one that chose to come into my life and not Yoshi. I like him, but you…” She shook her head and moved close to him, naked now. Her hand on his chest, she looked up at him and after several long minutes, finally whispered, “You I love.” She said it. She couldn’t believe that she had said it, but she did because it was how she felt.
He smiled at her, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek gently. “Neve
r thought you’d admit that,” he said. Leaning in, he kissed her. “I love you, too, Piper. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found you, sweetheart. I hate that it was this way, but I can’t regret having found you.”
She nodded at that and leaned into him. “I didn’t think that I would be able to admit it, either. I’m surprised to be honest, that I’ve fallen as hard as I have as fast as I have.” She moved her hand up to his neck and pulled him closer. “A bath and then bed for a while, please?” She frowned and cocked her head to the side. “Crap, our roast. We didn’t put in the crock pot.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have Yoshi just toss everything into the fridge or freezer for now. We can put the roast on to cook for tomorrow. Tonight we’ll keep it simple, I think. If we’re hungry, we’ll just do some finger foods. There’s no need for a big meal. Besides I doubt you’ll be up for it tonight.” Giving her a squeeze, Aeron drew back and began to strip down. “Into the tub, woman.”
“Okay, sounds good. Do you need to yell at him? Because I don’t think that I’m ready for you to leave me to go down and tell him.” She knew she wouldn’t be up for a big meal tonight. She wasn’t so sure that she would be ready for one the next day either, but she would go with it for the moment.
“Hardly,” he said. Folding up his jeans, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He quickly called down to Yoshi and gave the man the scoop. Aeron nodded to her when she shot him a questioning look. Hanging up, he tucked his phone away and moved back to her. “He’ll put everything away for us,” he said, giving her a hand into the tub. He followed, settling in behind her and helping her to sit down between his legs.
Once they were seated into the hot water, she leaned back against him and closed her eyes. “I never want to lose you, Aeron. I need you in my life. You know that, right? For more than just protection. I need you simply because I need you.” She hoped that made sense to him, at least a little.
