The porch light was out, making it
hard for Katie to unlock the front door. Thankfully, she had left
the lamp on in the living room, the warm glow inviting. She began
to brew a pot of tea when she heard a knock at the door. Too late
for a delivery, the only reasonable conclusion was one of the
neighbors needing something.
She considered the possibility of
teens playing a prank, but quickly erased that idea from her mind.
Whoever was on the other side of the door was persistent, knocking
without pause. Katie hurried to the foyer, rested her head against
the door, and with a voice filled with hope asked, “Who is
it?”
“
It’s me,” Aidan
answered.
Katie exhaled, her shoulders slumping
in disappointment. After a moment of gathering herself, she
unlocked the door and swung it open.
Aidan held a large bouquet of red
roses. “May I come in?”
“
You should’ve called
first. I don’t have time.” Katie started to shut the
door.
“
Katie!” Aidan held the
door open. “I’m sorry lunch didn’t work out. Today was a horrible
day and you caught me in the middle of a disaster.” Aidan slowly
stepped inside and shut the door. “One of the nurses made a
terrible mistake with one of my patients. I fired her only minutes
before you walked in, which left me short two nurses.” Aidan
stepped closer and ran his hand down Katie’s arm as he
spoke.
“
Mi mujer
hermosa de ojos verdes
, me
perdonas?”
Katie raised an eyebrow and folded her
arms. “Did you just call me a smart ass again?”
“
No,” Aidan laughed. “My
beautiful, green-eyed lady, forgive me?”
Katie relaxed, feeling the tension
from the day slowly leaving her body. She placed the roses in a
vase filled with water. “I was just making some tea, would you like
a cup?”
Aidan took Katie into his arms. “What
I really need right now, is you.”
***
Katie spent the morning on the beach,
watching families play in the surf. Her attention was focused on a
couple with their young son, lifting him up over each small wave
near the shore. His giggles made Katie smile every time. She
couldn’t help coveting what they had. Her mind traveled into the
forbidden abyss, and although she knew she shouldn’t go there, the
pull was too great to resist. As the lump grew larger in her
throat, she wondered if her child had been a boy or a girl. For a
moment she allowed herself the luxury of imagining Branson on one
side and her on the other, lifting their son over the waves as he
giggled with delight.
Tears slipped down her cheeks,
breaking her daydream. After wiping them with the back of her hand,
she gathered her things and walked back to the cottage.
After a long hot shower, she started
to pick up her book and settle in for an hour of reading. She
glanced at her phone to see a missed call and voice
message.
“
Hi beautiful, are you
free for dinner tonight? Call me.”
Katie looked herself over in the
mirror once more before opening the front door. As Aidan stepped
inside, Katie smiled. He was devastatingly handsome in khaki pants,
and a black cotton shirt that enhanced his strong upper body and
made his eyes look dangerous. Just what she needed to distract her
from her self-deprecating thoughts.
“
Ready to go? I’m
starving.” Aidan twirled her around slowly. “You look amazing. I
like this dress.”
“
Good. I’ll let you borrow
it sometime.” Katie grinned, feeling more like her old self, and
started for the door.
“
That mouth is going to
get you in trouble.” Aidan whirled her around to face
him.
Katie’s grin quickly faded when she
saw the predatory look on his face. She backed up, feeling for the
wall with her hand and leaned against it for support as her
equilibrium was put to the test. Aidan’s hands rested on either
side of her head as he inched closer to her. She barely felt his
lips brush against hers, teasing, seductively. Closing her eyes,
she breathed him in. He wore just enough cologne to entice her
senses—a masculine, earthy scent that must have contained just the
right amount of pheromones to drive a woman wild.
“
Shouldn’t we go?” Katie
said.
Aidan didn’t answer, instead he
pressed his lips to hers. He moved tenderly at first, and then the
kiss became more powerful. His scent, combined with the way he was
manipulating her mouth, was doing a great job of convincing her to
skip their dinner plans. She felt his hand slide down her waist,
around to her ass. A low groan escaped her mouth, vibrating across
their tongues as they explored each other.
In one swift motion, Aidan lifted her
up, wrapping her legs around him, and carried her to the bedroom.
“Hold on to me,” he commanded, crawling onto the bed. He guided
Katie’s head down onto the pillow and trailed kisses up her neck
until he reached her ear. Pausing there, he let his soft breath
linger on her ear, until she emitted the moan he’d been waiting
for. “Tell me what you want.”
Katie paused, not sure what he was
asking, or how she should respond. No one had ever asked what she
wanted. Wasn’t it obvious?
“
I want you, Katie, but I
need to know you want this, too.”
Unable to form the words, she
nodded.
Aidan ran his hand up her smooth leg,
watching her reaction as he teased her through lace panties.
Feeling how turned on she was only intensified his hunger. Helping
her sit up, he removed her dress before laying her back down. She
worked the buttons of his shirt as he hovered over her, stealing a
kiss as she finished the last one.
Katie’s head was spinning with desire
as Aidan removed her bra and traveled over her body with his hands
and mouth. She reached for him, desperate to make him feel the way
she did, but he held her arms overhead and grinned mischievously.
Being restrained had a suffocating effect on Katie. She gasped for
air and tried to wriggle loose. “No, stop.” She began to cry.
“Please, stop.”
“
What happened?” Aidan
asked, wide-eyed. He released her arms and sat up, searching her
face for answers.
Katie couldn’t speak, she only shook
her head as the hot tears streamed down the sides of her face into
her hair. When she finally settled down enough, she tried to
explain in a shaky, high-pitched voice that was barely
audible.
“
I—I’m sorry, I don’t know
w—why I’m crying.” She turned her head into the pillow. “I wanted
this to happen—I—I really did.” Her body began to shake as her
crying turned to sobs. “I told you . . . I’ll—I’ll always be
broken.”
Aidan lifted her into his arms and
held her trembling body against his chest. “Shh, you’re not
broken.” He gently stroked her hair as she wept, and talked in a
soothing voice until she tapered off and finally stopped
crying.
“
Well,” Katie wiped her
tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hands and scooted to the
edge of the bed. “That’s a story for your buddies. You can tell
them about the lunatic you were dating.” Not able to look him in
the eyes, she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her
legs.
“
Were
dating?”
“
Please don’t try to be a
hero, Aidan—just go. You deserve a whole person, not someone you
have to piece together with super glue. I’m sick of being the
injured party and I know you’re sick of being the healer.
”
“
Actually, I spent most of
my adult life studying how to heal, so . . .” he trailed off, not
sure how to fix this situation. Women had always been easy to read
and he never had to put much effort into wooing them to bed. Katie
was the exception. “C’mon, I think we could both use a stiff
drink.”
Katie pulled her robe on and followed
Aidan to the kitchen, watching as he poured two fingers of Dewar’s
into each glass. “Thank you,” Katie said, “for the scotch, and for
being such a wonderful man.”
Aidan tapped his glass
against hers, the sound of the ice cubes clinking against each
other echoing through the small kitchen. “You’re worth waiting
for.”
Although I don’t think I can handle
another episode like that.
Katie finished her drink and asked for
a refill. She felt foolish about what had happened, and her body
was still swirling with a mix of desire, heartache, and
shame.
Aidan topped off her glass, and then
his own. “Know, that when I ask this, it’s because I care for you,
Katie.” He swirled the liquid around in his cup. “Are you going to
let that asshole destroy you?”
“
Excuse me?” Katie gripped
her glass so tightly, she feared it would shatter.
“
When’s the last time you
went for a run, or played tennis? Have you allowed yourself to do
any of the things you once enjoyed, or are you avoiding everything
that might remind you of him? I know he’s the reason you cringed at
the mint chocolate chip ice cream. It’s his favorite, isn’t
it?”
Katie wiped the tears with the back of
her hand. She was surprised he knew so much. Had she really been
that transparent? At least he didn’t know the entire truth. “I
haven’t avoided everything. He breathes, and I’m still taking in
oxygen.” She tried to laugh, hoping to cease the conversation
before it got any deeper, but it got stuck in her throat, mimicking
a sob.
“
I’m sorry,” he said,
pulling her into his arms. “Maybe I’m wrong in rushing you, but I
believe you need someone who will shoot straight with you. You’re a
strong, capable woman, and you need to forget about that jerk so
you can start enjoying life again.”
Katie’s head was spinning. She drew in
a deep breath, and before she could filter her thoughts they came
out of her mouth. “Do you think the Stepford Wives facility is
still in operation? Maybe you can order up your perfect mate
there!”
Aidan released her and stepped back.
“What are you talking about? I don’t want to mold you into
something you’re not. I just want to help you heal.” He blew out
his breath and shook his head. “Tell me what to do,
Katie.”
Of course he didn’t know what she was
talking about, and he never would. Emotion almost got the best of
her, pushing her to tell him everything, but thankfully she hadn’t.
“When I figure it out, I’ll let you know,” she said, exhaustion
settling into her bones. “Maybe we should call it a
night?”
“
Yes, of course. Good
night, Katie.” He kissed her cheek, a sweet gesture, presenting an
undertone of friendship rather than romance.
Katie was pleased to have anything
after the night she’d offered him. “Good night, Aidan.”
Standing alone, Katie
pondered what had just taken place. After another glass of scotch,
she realized everything he said was true. She used to be strong and
confident. If she could just heal her stubborn broken heart, and
come to terms with her past, or at least block it from her memory
again, then she could be everything he needed
.
Katie picked up the phone and started
to dial Maggie. She longed to talk to her best friend. She was
desperate to hear her voice, get her advice on Aidan . . . ask
about Branson. When she realized how late it was, she set the phone
down and paced the room. As fatigued as her body felt from the
crying jag, a chaotic restlessness possessed her. It was too late
to go out or call anyone, and there was nothing on television.
Without thinking it through, she picked up the phone and dialed
Aidan’s number.
Crap, what am I
doing?
She was ready to hang up before he
answered, but it was too late.
“
Hello?”
“
It’s me.” Katie
grimaced.
“
I know.”
“
I’m sorry about
tonight.”
Aidan paused, searching
for the right words. “I’m just ready for you . . . for
us
to move
on.”
***
Two cups of coffee and a long soak in
the tub erased most of Katie’s headache. As the storm clouds moved
in, she was happy for a reprieve from the sun and an excuse to stay
inside finishing her book. Stuck on the same paragraph, reading it
six times in a row, she picked up the phone and dialed
Maggie.
“
Maggie,” Katie sighed.
The comforting yet upbeat sound of her best friend’s voice pricked
at her heart and filled her eyes with tears.
“
Katie? What the hell?
Where have you been and why haven’t you called? Are you
okay?”
“
I’m fine. It’s so good to
hear your voice.”
“
Answer me, Katie. Why
haven’t you called me?”
“
I couldn’t, Maggie.
You’re my best friend, and I trust you completely, I just couldn’t
talk about what happened.”
“
Are you ready to talk
about it now? What did he do to hurt you so much,
Katie?”
“
I don’t want to talk
about . . .
him
,
okay? We can talk about anything and everything else, just not
him.”
“
Okay, but you should
know—”