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"Do you want a kiss as much as I do?"
Oh, yes.
He did not hesitate, and neither did she. He swooped in and captured her. She tried to resist her own traitorous desire, but the soft strokes of his lips and its sensual tenderness forced her surrender. He tasted of spices and nature, of power and strength. She relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her, as he supported them both as passion took hold.
She closed her eyes, yielding to his administrations. He pulled her against his hard and heated body, her petite softness splayed against 6'3" of pure muscle. His touch was everywhere, tracing her curves, branding her as his. How would she ever escape?
It would have been impossible… until he suddenly pulled back. She stared at him, and he at her. He was the first to move, and she stood motionless as he pushed the door. In slow motion, it opened wide, and wider still, until it came completely ajar, its contents for all to see. “Well, look at that," Aidan said in a whisper.
She couldn't stop a gasp as she swung her head towards the door. Was it Jeanie? Had he seen his daughter?
But no, the room was blessedly empty, albeit still a mess. She relaxed until he leaned in, his gaze pure desire andsuspicion. “No matter how you deny it, there's something between us, and it's making me even more determined to discover your secrets. I’m going to find out what you’re hiding.” Then he leaned back, and with the grace of a predator, turned and strode away. The world stole her breath as she stood motionless, as he walked downstairs and into the limo. And she continued to watch as he drove away.
I’m going to find out what you’re hiding.Standing out there in the cool night, the words echoed in her mind, without a doubt, true. Only one question remained:
How long did she have?
Chapter 7
“Rise and shine, Mommy!”
Laura opened heavy eyes, squinting into a room lit by artificial brilliance. Her wide-awake daughter hovered above her, a beautiful vision with a beaming smile and rosy cheeks. The tiny cutie proudly proclaimed, “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’m not going to let you sleep too long this morning.”
Laura suppressed a groan. Of course, she wouldn't want to suffer the indignity of sleeping past – what was it – yes, five thirty in the morning. “Honey, it’s not even six. We don’t need to be up quite this early.”
As her daughter’s lower lip jutted out, mommy guilt reared its head. “But I'm proud of you for trying so hard. Would you like to cuddle?”
Her smile renewed, Jeanie scrambled into bed beside her mother, wiggling excitedly under the down comforter. Laura laughed as the precious imp disappeared under the blanket, then popped her head out so only her little face was showing.
She had hoped her daughter would fall back to sleep, but unfortunately four-year-olds, or at least her four-year-old, never slept in. “Are we going to the carnival today, Mommy?”
“We sure are.” Laura smiled as her daughter squealed and clapped. The carnival was a special treat for the children of Pine Ridge. “You’re going with your friends from preschool, remember? Mommy has to work today, but I’ll see you for sure tonight.”
“Promise?” Jeanie held out her pinky.
“Promise.” As Laura pledged on the oh-so-solemn pinky, inwardly she cringed. She had spent more time away from her daughter this week than ever before, a necessary but heartbreaking precaution. Tonight would be all about her and Jeanie. The carnival today, however, would be a complicated endeavor.
Jeanie had been scheduled to go with her preschool, but unfortunately Aidan was also due to attend the day’s festivities as honorary VIP. In a town this small, the chances of him running into Jeanie were anything but miniscule. Although it was impossible to predict what would happen when he set eyes upon his daughter for the first time, she was not yet ready to take that chance. Thus, she planned to accompany Aidan to the carnival, sticking to his side as if her life depended on it, as it very well may. Hopefully, she would be able to steer him clear of Jeanie’s group.
Jeanie and Laura stayed in bed for an hour more, talking about serious topics such as the tastiest ice cream topping of all time (the consensus was ten thousand cherries) and the best way to source ten thousand cherries (the consensus was a pink bulldozer, naturally). As always, Laura inserted educational tidbits into the conversation, which her daughter, always thirsty for knowledge, picked up with ease. At six-thirty, they got out of bed and finally cleaned the kitchen, by now a much more arduous task due to the twenty-four hour delay. Jeanie tried to help, and only managed to slightly lengthen the process. Laura didn’t mind. They spent most of the time laughing.
After the room was returned to some level of decency, Laura asked her daughter if she wanted to make pancakes, for real this time. After an exuberant “Yes!” they had a wonderful time creating fluffy heart-shaped cakes. Moist and buttery, with all sorts of mixings like blueberries and chocolate chips, the pancakes soon filled the house with their sweet aroma. They enjoyed it with fresh Vermont syrup.
They finished their breakfast and headed to the preschool. Laura dropped off Jeanie, then drove to her parents' house. Her dad was waiting outside when she arrived, supporting himself heavily on a cane. She helped him into the car.
He didn’t bother with a good morning. "You can drop me off in front of the building. The office will send a nurse to help me up."
Laura pulled onto the street and turned towards the hospital. "I don't mind helpi–"
"It's not necessary." He breathed deeply, almost as if restraining himself. "A ride is more than enough."
She clutched the steering wheel tighter. Why couldn’t he see she wanted to help? That she wanted things to be better between them.That she wanted the man who was her first hero to accept her.
She wouldn’t give up. "I never mind helping, Dad. You always went out of your way for me when I was a kid." It invoked precious memories, yet he didn't respond. She pressed on, "Remember the time I lost my baby doll in Pine Ridge Lake? I still can't believe you waded into that green murky water to get it."
A smile, possibly the tiniest in the world, tugged the older man's lips. "What could I do? You cried for hours about little Lulu. Said you'd never sleep again."
"And I meant it," Laura deadpanned.
