by Nina Crespo
“But you left him to form Kingman Partners.” As her gaze drilled into him, accusation and hurt tinged her voice.
He couldn’t take another moment of her hating him. He had to tell her all of it. Harsh memories from a little over five years ago rose from a deep, dark place inside of Aiden and engulfed him along with the blazing heat. Only he, King, and their mother knew the details of what he was about to confess, and they damn well didn’t talk about it with one another.
“My father had an affair with a board member’s wife,” Aiden finally said, unable to look Delanie in the eye. “When he got tired of her and broke it off, she tried to blackmail him with information about his other infidelities. He squashed the blackmail attempt with her, but what he hadn’t counted on was me and King finding out about it and getting copies of the incriminating audio tapes. We did what we do best—negotiated terms. We agreed not to air his dirty laundry. In exchange, he didn’t contest my mother’s petition for a divorce and the settlement she asked for, and King and I left TriRoyal with his blessing—at least on the surface.”
Aiden took a few steps away from the fire and faced Delanie. “This was two years after Clearmount. I thought it was too late for us. I didn’t think I could win you back. Hell, who am I kidding?” He scrubbed at the tightness along the back of his neck. “When we broke from my father, it was the first time I had to truly face myself. Just me, without my father’s influence. I didn’t like who I was. There were things I’d done for his approval that I was ashamed of—like not fighting harder for Clearmount. I doubted that I was good enough to even try and get you back. It was easier to tell myself that too much time had passed and that you were better off without me. But you were always with me. I’ve never been able to be with another woman and not see you. They were all just sad attempts at finding a replacement for who I really wanted then and still do now. You.”
Delanie averted her gaze. She blinked rapidly and stared at the fire. As silence stretched between them, it illuminated the internal debate reflected in her face. “Even if I can try to accept why you didn’t come back, I don’t know what it means for us now,” she said. “I don’t understand what you want from me.”
“What do I want?” Raw emotions he couldn’t interpret warred inside of him as he pulled her up from the couch. “I want you to kiss me without it being some test of your resolve not to be with me. I want you to stop hiding behind this deal with Echo Pines and pretending that five days ago was just a hookup and that it didn’t matter.”
Doubt shadowed her gaze, and as he gripped her shoulders tighter with emotion, he had to remind himself not to hold on too hard. But he couldn’t lose her again. He had to make her see that his feelings for her had never changed. “I’m sorry for not fighting harder for you then, but I’m here now.” He cupped her cheek and aligned his gaze with hers. “If there’s a small part of you that still trusts me, that can see that we’re still good together, what I want is for you to let that lead the way instead of the shit you’re holding on to.”
nineteen
DELANIE CLOSED HER eyes, blocking out Aiden’s face. She couldn’t think when he stared at her like that. As if the only thing that mattered in the world was her . . . and what they shared.
Aiden laid his forehead against hers and whispered, “Please . . . don’t shut me out.”
She inhaled his words. They expanded inside of her, filling her to the point where it was hard to breathe. Delanie laid her hands on his chest. His heart beat under her palms. She couldn’t deny that they were good together, but that was so long ago. How could she trust that it wouldn’t all blow up in her face again? The answer was obvious. She shouldn’t take that risk. Right? Desire and doubt pulled her in opposite directions. But she was tired of denying that she still cared for him. Delanie dropped her hands from him.
Aiden released a harsh exhale as if she’d gut-punched him. As he stepped back, his face grew devoid of expression. “So there’s no chance.” He spun on his heel, went to the couch, and gathered up the comforter. “I’ll be in the office for the rest of the night.”
“Don’t . . . that’s not what I’m saying.”
He paused and looked back.
She hadn’t figured everything out, but she’d do what he suggested. She’d rely on that part of her that actually did trust that he desired her as much as she desired him. That could lead the way for the moment, and she wouldn’t judge her decision as right or wrong.
Delanie couldn’t stop her hands from shaking as she unbuttoned her sweater. As she laid it on the coffee table, he faced her. He stared, rapt by her movements as she stripped off her T-shirt and bra and laid them aside as well. “What I’m saying is that I want you just as much as I did all those years ago.”
He dropped the comforter and it slipped from the couch to the floor.
The blatant want radiating from him and filling the gulf between them prompted her to slow down and draw the moment out. Wasn’t the anticipation of being together part of what made their connection so special? She unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down. As she took off her blue bikinis, she did a slow shimmy as she glided them down her legs.
Aiden didn’t move. He just stared.
Had he changed his mind? For a brief moment, she became that vulnerable girl standing in the hot tub facing heartbreak. A sense of being totally exposed almost made her wrap her arms around herself. But she wasn’t that girl anymore—the one who didn’t understand life. She knew what she was doing now and what she was getting into with him. She was plunging into an unknown future. She was setting aside the history they couldn’t run away from and facing the attraction they couldn’t ignore.
Delanie walked to Aiden.
Just as she reached him, it was as if he snapped out of a spell. He wrapped his arms around Delanie and crushed her against him.
The semi-course texture of Aiden’s sweater abraded her sensitive breasts. His jeans grazed her thighs. His rock-solid length pushed into her belly. She wanted him so badly.
Aiden threaded his fingers into her hair as his lips descended to hers.
Expecting urgency and possession, she was blown away by the slow, sensual exploration of her mouth. He glided and curled his tongue over hers, allowing her oxygen to breathe and holding her up so she wouldn’t fall.
He eased out of the kiss. As he lifted his sweater over his head, the reveal of tight muscle kept her mesmerized. He unfastened his jeans and slid them off along with his boxer briefs and socks.
She glided her hands over his chest. A light sprinkling of hair brushed her palms.
Aiden wrapped an arm around her and brought her close. “You haunted my dreams so many nights, Delanie. I woke up hurting because all I wanted to do was touch you.” His free hand caressed from her shoulder to her breast. “Feel your skin . . . smell your perfume.” As he nuzzled and kissed her neck, Aiden skimmed his hand down her belly. “I wanted to be so fucking deep inside of you, that neither one of us would know where we began or ended.”
Delanie’s knees grew weak as he slipped a finger inside of her then two, stroking slowly, circling her clit, sliding back inside of her and curling upwards.
He tapped slowly and rhythmically against her G-spot in the way that he used to. No one did it the way Aiden did. The way he zeroed in had always gotten her off.
Ohh . . . Delanie couldn’t stop her shallow breaths. Flushes of warmth spread over her chest and rose from her feet. She threw her head back and arched her hips into his strokes as she fell into the abyss of ecstasy. “Aiden . . .”
“You feel so good, so wet. Is all that for me?”
“Yes . . . yes. You know it is.”
He slid his fingers out then plunged into her sex. He found the spot again. “Then come so I can taste you.”
In her mind, Delanie replaced Aiden’s hand with his mouth. An orgasm exploded through her, blinding her to nothing but his touch.
Suddenly, she was on the comforter, lying on her back with Aiden widening her legs
with his shoulders. The warmth from his mouth heated her inner thighs. A shiver of anticipation rocked her to the core. Fantasy became reality with his tongue circling her clit.
Aiden alternated between the flicks and deliberate strokes with his tongue into her spasming sex.
Delanie couldn’t stop herself from moaning his name. She closed her thighs around him, urging him to go deeper.
He cupped her ass and speared his tongue into her.
Delanie’s legs shook with strain. Just as she reached the edge of climax, he moved away.
She wailed an objection.
His ragged breaths puffed between her thighs. “I want to be inside of you.”
The question he was really asking cut through the sensual haze. “There’s a condom in my purse.”
Aiden jumped to his feet and grabbed her purse. He dumped it out on the coffee table.
Relief and need made her grip the comforter when he found the last of the piña colada condoms.
He slipped it on, partially covering her body with his, and drove his thick length inside of her. His hips pressed tightly to hers, skin on heated skin. Unlike their last time together, this wasn’t about punishment or selfish need. Delanie allowed herself to feel him, to experience every inch of him and stay present with the moment.
Having him inside of her like this felt more than just right. Inexplicable tears leaked from the corners of Delanie’s eyes. What if she lost herself again in Aiden, in her fears or in her hopes for too much?
“It’s okay.” Aiden captured her tears with light brushes of his lips to her cheeks. “I promise not to ask for more than you’re ready to give me. I just want to be with you, Delanie. That’s all.” He pulled out and surged back in.
She gripped his biceps, unable to stop from arching up. “Aiden . . .”
He swept more kisses along her temple as he cupped her ass and moved slower, pushed deeper. “I’m here, Delanie. I’m right here—just let me in.”
twenty
COFFEE . . . THE SCENT of it wove into Delanie’s dreams and lured her from sleep. She could almost taste it. She pried open her eyes.
Aiden smiled as he lay on his side next to her, propped on his elbow, fully clothed. He held up the mug of Colombian brew. “I knew this would wake you up.” He took a sip from the mug.
Delanie unwound her legs from the comforter and sat up holding it to her chest. “If you’re that smart, you also know you should hand it over.” She reached for the mug.
He held it out of the way. “What about me having to hike to a freezing kitchen at dawn to do all this work? Don’t I deserve some kind of reward?”
“Ha! You just boiled water.”
Aiden raised his brow.
She followed his glance over his shoulder to a plate of food on the coffee table. “Waffles?” Her favorite. She couldn’t stop a grin. “Where did you find them?”
“The freezer.” He gave her the coffee and stood. “You should eat before it gets cold. I heated up some strawberry jam for syrup since there’s no fresh strawberries.” Aiden picked up the plate. He stared at it and then the mug in her hand. “Trade you.”
Delanie took a long sip of coffee then handed it over for the plate. She took a bite of waffle and savored the buttery-flavored goodness. “Thank you. I can’t remember the last time someone served me waffles in bed. Well, kind of a bed.”
Aiden sat beside her. “What about your ex?” He kissed her bare shoulder. “Didn’t he ever make them for you, or was he not the cooking type?”
“Actually, he’s the opposite.” She cut a piece of waffle off with her fork and swirled it in a pool of syrup. “Day is a chef.”
“Oh?” Aiden reared back a bit. “That must have been . . . interesting.” He looked down and huffed a laugh. “Definitely a lot more interesting than frozen waffles.”
She set her plate aside and cupped his cheek. “I’m a sucker for any kind of waffle. You know that.” Delanie kissed him. A soft peck on the lips turned into a tongue-tangling kiss that made her skin flush. “Wow. It’s really getting warm in here.”
“Part of that may have to do with the power being back on. It’s stopped snowing and the sun is out.”
For the first time, she noticed the lights on over the front desk. The roads were also probably being cleared. They were one step closer to leaving and getting back to reality . . . but all she wanted to do was crawl back under the comforter with Aiden.
His expression grew pensive. “Tell me about him.”
“Who?”
“Day—is that his nickname or something?”
The fog of desire lifted from Delanie. He was going there now? A protest rose inside her. She tamped it down. Aiden had asked her to let him in, and although they hadn’t spelled it out, she assumed that meant honesty. He’d told her about what happened with his father and leaving TriRoyal. Like it or not, answering questions about her ex-husband was a fair trade. She fiddled with the button on Aiden’s shirt. “His name is Hideo Marquette.”
“I’ve heard of him. He’s in California, right?”
“Yes.” She popped open the button.
Aiden put his hand over hers and made her stop. “Pretty big deal being married to an up-and-coming celebrity chef.” The obvious next question hovered in his gaze before he asked. “You mentioned you were together for a while. What happened?”
“When Hideo and I got together, both of us were building our brands. As time went on, things got really hectic. We had different goals, so we grew apart.”
“You can’t marry my son. You’re headed in different directions.”
Eve told her that shortly after she and Day had gotten engaged, and Delanie had been shocked. She’d thought they were meeting at Eve’s house to discuss the guest list for the wedding reception they were planning at Day’s restaurant. She hadn’t expected Eve to veto the marriage.
“Eve, why are you saying this?”
“I’m not trying to hurt you, but it’s the truth. You want to build a career. He’s ready to put down roots and start a family. He knows what he wants. You’re still finding that out. A part of you is still lost. You know I’m right. Please . . . end it, before it’s too late.”
That day faded from Delanie’s mind, dropping her solidly in the present. Shame came with a flush of heat.
Aiden stared at her. “It was more than just your busy careers. What are you holding back?”
A big part of Aiden didn’t really want to know what had ended Delanie’s marriage, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking the question. The brief flash of sadness he’d just witnessed in her eyes told him everything and nothing at the same time. She had regrets. The ending of her marriage had broken her heart . . . and he hated Day for it.
What had her ex-husband done? Had the guy mistreated Delanie, verbally or physically? Anger simmered inside of Aiden. “Tell me.”
“I just did.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“You mean, physically? No, absolutely not. Day would never do that.” Delanie pushed Aiden back and wrapped herself more securely in the comforter. Her expression grew bleak during a long pause. “You want to know what ruined the marriage? I did. I hurt him.”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true. Damn it, Aiden. Stop looking at me like that.” She combed her fingers back through her hair.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re putting me on a pedestal.” Her eyes grew bright as if she were about to cry.
“I’m not. I just know you. You wouldn’t willingly hurt anyone.” He reached for her face.
She reared back. “Well I did, and he got hurt because I didn’t have the guts to face who I was.”
“What do you mean?”
Delanie shook her head. “Forget it.”
“No. You can’t throw something like that out and just leave it up for interpretation.”
A tear spilled down her cheek.
Shit. What was wrong with him? He hadn’t meant to
make her cry. He just wanted to understand. Aiden gathered her closer to his chest. “It doesn’t matter what I believe about you, but, Delanie, whatever happened—you can’t let it eat you up inside.”
“But he got hurt because I was selfish. When Day and I realized that we were growing apart, he made an effort to fix the marriage. He started working fewer hours at the restaurant so we could spend more time together. He even found us a couples’ therapist, but I made excuses. I kept canceling appointments and working late. I had clients to see and a company to build. Marriage and a family was his dream from the start, not mine. I can see now, I shouldn’t have married him.”
He hugged her tighter. “The key word in what you just said is now. We’ve all done or said things that we wish never landed in the world. When it falls on the people we care about, it’s worse. You never intended to hurt him.” Like he’d never intended to hurt Delanie. He could be speaking to himself right now instead of her. “Beating yourself up won’t change what happened. All you can do is learn from it and do better . . . be better the next time around.”
Delanie looked into his eyes. “I’m over Day, but it still feels bad. Does that part ever go away?”
Aiden kissed the back of her hand. “Some of the regret may still be there, but I don’t think it’s a punishment. I think it stays as a reminder to fight for the best for you and for other people. You still deserve to be happy.”
The crunch of tires close to the building came from outside.
Aiden hopped up and looked out the front door. He recognized the black logo on the yellow van pulling to a stop in the parking lot. “Someone from the rental car company is here.”
