Cautious (10 page)

"I don't have to operate it. I have a crew for that." He wasn't going to let her say no this time.

"And what about your injuries? You can't just disappear for a few days without access to medical help if you need it."

"I'll hire a nurse to go with us," he said with determination. "Please, Misty. I want you all to myself for a few days.
Besides, the fresh air will do me good."

Misty smiled then nodded. "Okay."

"Really?" He hadn't expected her to agree so easily.

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "I'll pack some stuff while I’m at home and we can leave right from here after you're discharged."

"Perfect." He gave her a kiss and watched her leave. The idea of spending a few days on the boat with her, uninterrupted, was fantastic. They could make love whenever they wanted. They could sleep whenever they wanted. And most importantly, he could finally tell her that he loved her.

Misty lay in a lounge chair on the upper deck of Aaron's boat. The setting sun was still warm, the water was calm, the air was breezy, and she was in heaven. She and Aaron had been on the boat since yesterday afternoon when he'd been released from the hospital. They'd spent most of last night making love until they were both too physically exhausted to continue. Then Aaron had just held her and listened as she told him all about her sister and Richard. He suggested that she take a few days to calm down then talk to Amanda. Misty had refused. There was nothing for her to say. She shook the angry thoughts from her mind. She would not let the situation with her sister ruin her time with Aaron.

All morning and most of their afternoon had been spent sleeping. It wasn't until four o'clock when they finally dragged themselves out of bed, ate, and then showered. Aaron, who had been true to his word, was now getting checked out by the nurse he'd hired. His bruises were quickly fading and his burn was healing as it should. He claimed his rib was just fine, too, but there had been a few times Misty
had caught him wincing in pain. So long as he was healing that's all that mattered.

She stood and went to the railing, lightly gripping it and looking over the side. The water looked as peaceful as she felt. Aaron said that tomorrow he was going to take her to a secluded spot where they could swim and picnic. He said there was a small waterfall there too. She was really looking forward to that.
Misty closed her eyes and let the warm evening breeze caress her face. She wondered if this is what it would always be like with Aaron.

"Hey, beautiful," he said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her stomach. "What're you doing?"

"Just watching the water, it's so calm and peaceful," she said leaning back against his solid chest. "So, what did the nurse say?"

He nuzzled her neck, kissing the sensitive spot right behind her ear and she smiled. "I'm perfectly fine," he said nibbling on her earlobe. "But I'm still going to need round the clock care."

Misty laughed. "It's gonna cost you." She tilted her head to the side and savored the feel of his hot breath on her neck.

"Oh yeah?" Aaron gathered her hair in his hands and brushed his lips across the nape of her neck. "What exactly is it going to cost me?"

"I don't know," she said playfully, her eyes closing of their own volition. "That feels good." God she loved it when he kissed her neck.

"How about this for starters?" he whispered slipping his hand down the front of her bikini.

She sucked in a breath when his finger quickly and expertly found her clit and began to circle it with just the right amount of pressure and speed to have her writhing against his hand. "That's good," she whimpered. It never ceased to amaze her how attuned he was to her body, how he could make her beg for release so damn fast.

"And this," he said his voice husky.

Misty heard the sound of his zipper and her pussy tensed with the knowledge that very soon she'd have his cock buried inside of her.  She was beginning to crave these moments, live for them, for the times she spent connected with him in the most primal way. His cock was poking her now, rubbing along the crack of her ass, and she pushed back, desperate to feel more of him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I do." That was an odd question to ask right now, she thought.

"Good." He removed his hand from between her legs and she groaned in protest. "
I want you to hold on to the railing and don’t let go, okay?" She nodded. Aaron pulled down her bikini bottoms, guiding her right foot then her left. He slowly kissed his way up her legs, stopping between her thighs long enough to tease her with his tongue before once again standing behind her. Lifting her right leg he propped it on the bottom rung of the railing and entered her with a hard thrust.

Misty screamed and clung to the railing so tight her knuckles turned white.
Aaron put one arm around her stomach and put the other between her legs; his fingers finding that sweet spot on her clit again. The urge to grab his hand and push it harder on her clit was strong, but he'd told her not to let go of the railing and she wanted to obey him and please him. She'd never wanted to give up control before--Even all the years she'd spent with Richard she'd always been in control of their sexual relationship. But with Aaron, she found relinquishing control to be fun and erotic. It was a turn on to have him take control and pleasure her until she was mindless.

"You're so wet, Misty. Do you like this?" he crooned at her ear.

"Yes, yes," she said nodding her head and moaning.

"I like it too, baby. I like feeling your pussy wrapped around my cock, feeling you squeeze me as you come, milking me until my knees are weak."

His words were so raw and dirty. She should be embarrassed by them, but it only served to make her hornier, if that were possible. "Oh, god, Aaron." Her body was on sensory overload. "I can't take anymore."

"So come, Misty. Right now, just let go. Give it to me, baby. Let me feel you come on my cock."

He pounded her harder and she screamed as her orgasm crashed through her body. Her knees were wobbly and her arms were shaking. She continued to hold onto the railing as Aaron jerked and shuddered behind her, his release a welcome intrusion of her body. He showered her shoulders with soft kisses as he pulled out of her and set her leg back down on the floor. Her body was damp with sweat, the light breeze making her shiver. "I could go for a hot shower right about now. Want to join me?"

"That's a tempting offer, but you go ahead. I'll be waiting for you when you get out."

Misty turned around and looked at him. "What're you up to?"

He grinned. "Nothing."

"Okay," she said not believing him, but going along with it anyway. Giving him a quick kiss she made her way toward the cabin and the shower. The smile never left her face as she stood beneath the hot water, warming her from the outside in. Wrapping a large, fluffy towel around her body, she stepped out of the shower and into the bedroom. She was greeted with dozens of lit candles and Aaron lying on the bed in nothing but a pair of silk boxers. She took a moment to admire the planes of his chest and stomach, his well-defined abs, and strong powerful legs.

Aaron crooked a finger at her. "Come here," he said. Misty went to him and lay down beside him. He rolled onto his side and propped himself on an elbow. "Feel better?"

"Yes." She could tell by the look on his face that something was up. "What's going on, Aaron?"

"My father called earlier. My sister is coming for a visit and she asked to see me specifically, which she has never done before and it's really bothering Dad. So we have to head back tonight. I'm sorry."

She placed her hand on his cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I know, but I was really looking forward to spending the day with you tomorrow."

"So was I, but we've got plenty of other days to spend on this boat, right?"

Aaron laughed. "Yes, I guess you're right." He leaned over and gave her a passion filled kiss that left her lips tingling. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Okay, so tell me." Something in the tone of his voice and his demeanor gave her pause. He was acting strange. Then a horrible thought took root in her mind. What if he was going to tell her that he didn’t want to see her anymore? She could feel her heart rate increase and the color drain from her face. That was the absolute last thing she could handle hearing right now.

"I love you, Misty."

She stared at him, stunned. He loved her? No, there was no way in hell he'd just said that. It wasn't possible.

"I know we haven't known each other that long and I probably sound crazy to you, but I'm not going to deny it. I. Love. You."

Her brain was screaming at her to say it back, but her voice failed her. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Damn it," Aaron muttered running a hand through his hair. "I knew it was too soon. I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry, Misty, I didn't mean to—"

She silenced him with several short kisses. "Say it again."

Aaron smiled. "I love you, Misty Bauer."

"I love you, too, Aaron."

"You do?"

The look of utter shock and disbelief on his face made her laugh. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Well, I am. I didn't expect it, especially after you told me that things had to slow down
."

Misty snuggled closer to him. "That was before I learned the truth about Richard and Mandy and before I saw Sara in your hospital room trying to whisk you away to her house so she could play nurse with you."

"Are you jealous of Sara?" he teased.

"Will you think less of me if I say yes?"

He laughed. "Absolutely not, and I assure you, you have nothing to worry about, baby. You're the woman I love, not her."

That was just one more thing she loved about him—he always knew the right thing to say at the exact right time.
His constant assurances made her feel better, they made her feel secure and that was something she hadn't felt in a really long time.

"I would spend every second of every day with you if you'd let me," he said with a laugh.

"Well," she said putting her finger to his lips. "Maybe someday we can arrange that."

After a reluctant goodbye, Misty left Aaron at the marina and headed back to her apartment with the promise that they would get together first thing tomorrow morning. It was going to be a long night without him by her side, especially after the last three nights of their intense love making marathons. The rest would do her good though. She unlocked her apartment and walked inside. Amanda was sitting on the couch and Misty's good mood vanished. "What the hell are you doing here?" Misty asked, dropping her overnight bag on the floor.

"I want to talk to you, Misty. You took off and never gave me a chance to explain," Amanda said.

"There's nothing to explain. You cheated on your fiancée with my husband and got knocked up." Misty knew she was being a bitch, but didn't she have a right? She went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water.

"I didn't sleep with Richard until after you'd left him."

"So that makes it okay?" Misty twisted the top off the water and took a long drink.

"No, of course not, but you have to know that I would never do something like that to you."

Misty shook her head in disbelief. "You know my divorce wasn't final until the day I left Carnegie. You were clearly sleeping with him while I was still legally married to him."

"Technically, yes, but you two weren't together, Misty. You didn't love him."

"Why Richard? Huh, Mandy? Of all the guys you could've had, why Richard?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. It was only once. I ran into him at the bar. He was upset that you left him and I was listening to him complain. I swear I was just trying to be nice, but then one thing led to another and we ended up back at his place."

It was obvious that Amanda wasn't going to apologize, that she'd come here to make excuses, and beg for forgiveness. "So what did he say when you told him you were pregnant?"

"At first he denied it was his then he told me if I wanted to take care of it, he'd front me the cash. When I told him I wasn't going to do that, he made it clear that he'd sign off on all his parental rights because he doesn't want anything to do with me or the baby."

Misty watched Amanda's bottom lip tremble as tears coursed down her cheeks and Misty felt pity for her sister. Amanda truly was all alone in this situation. Richard had bailed, that was no surprise. Scott had left her, couldn't really blame him. And their mother wasn't being supportive in the least, that wasn't a surprise either. Misty sighed. Sure she was angry, but it wasn't nearly as strong as she thought it should be or as it had been the night she'd found out the truth. The damage had been done. What was the point of harboring so much hatred? Misty had a good life now. She had Aaron and she was happy.

"I'm sorry, Misty. I never meant to hurt you. Last week was fun. For the first time in my life I felt like I had a real sister. The thought of losing that now…"