Naughty & Nice

by J. S. Scott

  And that was exactly how it felt—like he was escaping.

  She told herself to be understanding. Even if she was experiencing a post-orgasmic bliss, it didn’t mean he shared her feelings. Though it hurt, she knew he had issues he was struggling with. After all, it’d been three years since he’d last been with anyone. And as good-looking as he was, she was sure he hadn’t been celibate all this time because he couldn’t find anyone to sleep with him.

  Telling herself to pull up her big girl panties and just deal with it, she tossed on his flannel shirt and then padded across the hall where she’d stashed her bag. It didn’t take her long to find her own sweats and a pair of rag wool socks. Though the generator had kicked on and the heat seemed to be working, there was still a bite to the air.

  She found him in the kitchen with his back turned to her, bent towards the counter with his arms outstretched and his head hung low, looking utterly broken and defeated. Though he hadn’t said anything to push her away, he felt so incredibly distant, and given how close she’d just felt to him, it was impossible to ignore the growing ache in her chest.

  Unsure of what to do to make this better for him, and not wanting to make things worse, she decided to give him a bit of space, and climbed onto a stool. Without a word, he grabbed two bowls from an overhead cabinet and ladled the chili into them, before grabbing some shredded cheese and sour cream. He set a bowl in front of her, along with a spoon and then sat in the other available stool without a word.

  “Thanks.” She stirred the chili and took a spoonful, but her appetite had soured, and she could barely stand to look at the bowl in front of her. She forced a few bites in, knowing she was indeed hungry, and yet she couldn’t manage anything more, upset as she was.

  “What’s wrong?” He barely looked at her between spoonfuls.

  She told herself not to say anything. To just let it go. And yet her mouth seemed to have a mind all its own. “What’s wrong is that you look miserable. We just had sex and instead of looking happy, you look absolutely wretched. And I get that you have issues you’re dealing with, but…” She shook her head with a weary sigh and dropped her spoon in her chili.

  “It has nothing to do with you. Okay? Just leave it.” He shook his head and shoveled in a bite, his eyes pinned on his meal.

  “Yeah…I’ll leave it.” She shook her head, feeling like a fool as tears stung her eyes. But she would not cry. She refused to get upset and show weakness, just because he was being a thoughtless jerk. Besides, she had her own problems to deal with. This was supposed to be her attempt at a perfect Christmas. Instead, she was stuck on an island with no hope of getting off it before the holidays.

  Yet another chance for her to disappoint her father. Yet another chance to not be there for her family. Another chance to not be good enough.

  It seemed to be the theme of her life. She told herself she shouldn’t care. Told herself none of it mattered. And yet, Aidan only helped to reinforce that thought, making her feel as if she’d been nothing more than a colossal mistake.

  The lights flickered, just as a sob escaped her. Mortified that she was getting so emotional over something that didn’t matter, she could think of nothing but escaping to her room when Aidan grabbed her arm and slowly pulled her close.

  “Chloe…truly, it’s not you. And I’m sorry that I’ve involved you in any way. I shouldn’t have.” He ran a hand down her back and then held her close. “I should have known better.”

  “And by involved, you mean you shouldn’t have slept with me.” She pulled herself free of his grasp and hopped off the stool. “It’s not like I want anything from you, but shit…some common courtesy or manners wouldn’t go amiss. Even if you didn’t enjoy yourself, you can at least try pretending so that I don’t feel like a miserable piece of crap.”

  “Chloe, stop…” He made a grab for her, but she sidestepped him and bolted for the stairs, not wanting him to see her tears as they finally spilled over, especially when her own problems were partly to blame. Locking herself in her room, she threw herself on the bed and wondered how the hell it had all gone so terribly wrong.

  And damn, but she was a fool for even letting any of this get to her. She knew what she was getting into when she decided to sleep with Aidan, though she supposed she’d expected a few blissful days of hanging out while the blizzard raged. Getting the cold shoulder moments after sleeping with him hadn’t exactly factored into her snowed-in fantasy.

  It didn’t help that she was emotionally on edge to begin with, since she really had been hoping for a perfect Christmas with her family. Instead, this would be one more opportunity for her father to give her that look of his…the one that said she still hadn’t managed to live up to his expectations. That she hadn’t managed things as well as her mother had, she wasn’t as dedicated as her two brothers, and she’d only thought of herself when it came to going to college.

  Just one big disappointment. Never quite measuring up.

  And she knew better than to pay it any heed. She knew she was better than what her father—or Aidan—saw in her. She had a good life, and was a good sister and daughter, even if her father refused to see it. So then, why was she always trying to convince him of that? Why the hell was she wasting her time and energy when he’d only ever see what he wanted to?

  Feeling chilled, she crawled under the blankets and snuggled in, while vowing to stay positive and not let things get to her. She couldn’t live her life trying to please others—her father and Aidan included. All she could do is try to live her life by her own moral code, and hope she measured up to her own expectations.

  As for Aidan, she hadn’t been expecting much, but…what the hell? Well, lesson learned. He got to scratch his three-year itch before turning back into the grumpy bastard who’d answered the door when she first turned up. It’d been fun while it lasted, but she’d be damned if she’d be going down that road again if that was going to be his reaction.

  Once was more than enough and quite frankly, she didn’t need that sort of complication in her life. If he didn’t want her or want anything to do with her, then she’d get out of his hair and out of his way.

  The Siren Song Inn might not be open for business, but she was sure there were other places to stay close by on the island, like a bed and breakfast. So that was exactly what she’d do. If Aidan wanted to be left alone, then she’d grant him his wish.

  Chapter Five

  After spending a restless night tossing and turning, Aidan finally pulled himself out of bed, though he was far from ready to face the day. It was the day before Christmas, and that meant this was the worst day of the year. The day his life had forever changed.

  As if this day couldn’t get any worse on its own, he now had the added guilt of having been an ass to Chloe. It’d been a mistake to sleep with her when, emotionally, he was in no shape to do so. He should regret it. And yet he didn’t regret sleeping her—just for being a jerk when there was no reason for it.

  All she’d really done is try to help him out and be understanding, sympathetic. She hadn’t asked for anything in return. Yet, instead of finding a way to be more sensitive, more respectful of her and the good time they’d shared, he’d let his bad mood take over and make them both miserable. He hadn’t even made the effort to go after her or check up on her, despite knowing that she was upset, and it was his fault.

  He took a quick shower to help wake himself up, and then got dressed before taking a peek out the window. The snow hadn’t let up one bit. If anything, it seemed to be coming down even harder, blanketing everything and blocking out the sun.

  He knew he’d have to make it up to Chloe for being a jerk, though he hadn’t a clue as to how to go about it. It was going to be a hard enough day as it was, and he didn’t need her to be miserable and upset with him on top of it all. The door to her room was open, but she wasn’t there. Nor was she downstairs.

  What the hell? Where was she?

  Paisley trotted behind him as he went through th
e house, calling out her name. When he turned up empty, panic seeped into his chest as he expanded his search for her. He went out his front door and was relieved to see that at least she hadn’t taken her car anywhere, though she’d moved it down towards the barn. It was a small SUV and likely had all-wheel drive, but with more than two feet of snow, he didn’t care what she was driving—it wasn’t safe.

  Hannah’s accident flashed into his mind—an icy road late at night, pieces of her car scattered everywhere, the cop lights blinding him, and strong arms holding him back as he struggled to get to her.

  But this wasn’t Hannah. It was Chloe.

  Suddenly he was desperate to find her, and needed to make sure she was safe. There…footsteps from her car to the barn. They’d been partially blown away by the fierce winds, but he could still make out their outline, deep as the snow was. How long ago had she left the house?

  He raced over and pulled open the barn door, immediately spotting her. She was asleep in an office chair with her head on the desk he’d built for her father. His pulse finally started to slow as a wave of relief washed over him.

  He ran his hand over her dark hair and bent over to kiss her cheek and found her ice cold, his pulse racing once more as he tried not to panic. She must have come out here in the middle of the night. And for what? Why? She could have frozen to death. The barn might have protected her from the winds, but it wasn’t heated unless he was running the wood stove.

  Squatting at her side, he gave her a gentle shake to try to wake her. “Come on, love. We need to get you inside. Get you out of the cold.”

  She started to stir and come to, but she still seemed drowsy and Aidan knew he had to get her warm. He scooped her into his arms as she mumbled and her head lolled around before settling against his shoulder. Still holding her, he fumbled with his key, but managed to get the door unlocked, quickly settling her in front of the fireplace, desperate to get her warm. He stoked the fire and added several more logs until it was blazing and throwing off a good amount of heat.

  There wasn’t a hospital on the island, though if need be, he could get the sheriff to open the bridge and take Chloe to the one on the mainland. Was the doctor even on the island, or had he gone to see his daughter in Portland for the holidays?

  His mind raced knowing he needed to get her core temperature up, though he was unsure as to what method would be best. Keeping her dry in front of the fire with the blankets piled on her? Stripping both of them down and trying to warm her skin to skin? Or maybe he should try the hot tub?

  She shook her head as if trying to clear it from a fog. “Hey… What happened?” Her words were spoken as if mumbled through pea soup.

  He wanted to yell and scream at her. Tell her she’d nearly gotten herself killed. That she’d scared him half to death. Instead, he took a deep breath and brushed her dark hair from her pale, cold skin. “You were in the barn, love. What the hell were you doing there?”

  “I was going to try to get the desk in my car and then go to a local bed and breakfast. I found one online, so I emailed them last night…didn’t want to be in your way here. But the desk was too heavy.” Another shake of her head. “And there was so much snow.”

  “Exactly! The roads aren’t passable, Chloe—not even for driving around the island. What the hell were you thinking? You could’ve ended up driving yourself into the ocean or wrapping your car around a tree.” Unbelievable. She could’ve gotten herself killed. “You’re staying here until this storm blows over. Do you hear me? It’s not up for debate. And we still need to get you warmed up. Why you didn’t come back into the house is beyond me…”

  “The doors…they locked behind me. I didn’t realize…”

  Just as he was getting ready to yell at her about not ringing the goddamned doorbell, she drifted back to sleep, her body still too cold to waste energy with remaining conscious. And then he wondered if she had indeed tried to wake him, but he just didn’t hear it. He usually slept like the dead, and there was a good chance she likely pounded on the door and rang the bell repeatedly without any luck.

  With a weary sigh, he took another look at her. Her breathing was good. He just needed to get her warm as quickly as possible.

  She could yell at him when she was conscious again—because he was about to get them both naked, without her permission. He got himself undressed first and then made quick work of her clothing, with only the fleeting thought that this was far different to the first time he’d tackled the task. It made his heart ache with regret and frustration. Though she did stir a bit, she only mumbled a handful of words before going quiet once more.

  The sofa was pretty wide and could accommodate both of them, especially since they’d be pressed together to try to warm her. He slipped in behind her so she’d still get the heat from the fire, and then tried his best to cover as much of her as possible with his own body.

  Bloody hell, she was cold. He suppressed a shiver and held her to him, while trying to reconcile the events that led up to their current predicament. He knew it’d been because he was an asshole—and his actions had harmed another, yet again.

  It was why he lived alone and seldom dealt with people. So he could rage and hate himself without subjecting others to it. Without putting others in harm’s way. Once again, he should have paid closer attention, been more considerate, seen the signs. Yet he was too selfish, too absorbed in his own problems to see what was happening around him.

  He wondered if he’d ever learn. Clearly not, if Chloe was any indication.

  He’d just have to try to make it up to her. Because, truth be told, Chloe had actually made him feel more human—more like the person he’d been before Hannah’s accident. She’d made him smile, made him laugh, and even made him forget his demons, if for a short while.

  He felt a small spark of hope ignite in his heart, so precious and delicate that it’d take very little to snuff it out of existence if he wasn’t careful. The darkness within told him he didn’t deserve hope or happiness—not when Hannah was in her grave, and their unborn child never got to take its first breath. Even Chloe had ended up in danger after a mere day in his presence. Yet, his night with Chloe—and nearly losing her—reminded him of how it felt to be alive.

  He may not deserve happiness, but he was damn near exhausted of hating life and himself.

  ***

  Having drifted off into a light slumber, Aidan awoke when Chloe started to stir in his arms. Her eyes flickered open, and though she took a minute to focus her gaze, her eyes seemed clear, though still heavy with sleep.

  “Hey…” A lazy smile slipped onto her lips as she slowly closed her eyes again, nestling lower in his embrace, everything about her moving at a languid pace.

  He wanted to shake her awake, just so he could make sure that she was fine and hadn’t suffered any ill effects. But with relief washing over him, he instead kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold on her, debating whether or not he’d ever let her go.

  The thought caught him off guard, since he’d normally balk at such a thing. Instead, he found himself remarkably at ease with the idea.

  “You really had me scared there, Chloe.” He was even taken aback by his admission to her. “You were so cold…I can’t bear to think of what might have happened if I hadn’t found you when I did.”

  He’d been exhausted, tossing and turning after their argument, and he could have easily slept for several more hours—hours that could have made the difference between life and death. He didn’t want to think of the condition he’d have found her in if he’d awoken much later than he had.

  When she shifted in his arms to get comfortable, his body became acutely aware of her lush curves and how they molded to his body, not to mention the tiny detail of them both being naked. Wanting her had never come into the equation when he’d been so worried about her. But now that she seemed to be doing fine, his need for her seemed to overrule his other sensibilities.

  And she must have noticed.

 
; She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked up at him with a curious look he couldn’t quite pinpoint. “We’re naked.” It was as if she’d just realized it.

  “Indeed we are—though before you get upset with me, I only did it to try to get you warm. Skin on skin, and all that…” He groaned, sounding like an idiot.

  She let out a sigh. “Well, if that’s the only reason, then it’s a damn shame.”

  He pulled back as if he’d misunderstood, thought about asking her to repeat herself, and then let it go with a laugh. Forward indeed. “You need to regain your strength. And what sort of jerk would I be if I took advantage of you when you were barely conscious?”

  She kissed the hollow of his neck just above his collarbone, her lips soft and warm, sending a spike of need through to his core. “I’m conscious now.”

  “And you still need to rest and stay warm.” He should cook them breakfast, even if it was already past lunch time. She could probably do with a refuel after her body had expended so much energy to keep her from freezing.

  Her hips shifted against his hard cock, reminding him that he still had a hell of a lot of time to make up for after his three-year hiatus. “Sweetheart, I’m trying to be good, but you’re not making it easy on me.”

  She nudged him until he shifted onto his back, and then slipped a leg over to straddle his waist, so she could lie down on top of him. “See…you’re keeping me warm just fine.”

  With his cock trapped between the two of them and her slick heat pressed up against his hard length, he couldn’t help but run his hands down her back to grip her ass. “What I see is that your ass cheeks are like blocks of ice.”

  “Then maybe you should heat them up for me. Or…you could go in search of something warmer.” She shifted her hips along his hard length, so his cock rode the seam of her slick heat until he lost nearly all semblance of control. “Then again, there’s also something to be said about friction, since it seems to do a pretty damn good job, too.”