Cautious (5 page)

She felt
a sweat bead on her forehead and her heart rate steadily increase. He'd claimed her—ferociously--while they'd been making love. Her whole body screamed at her to just accept it, but her mind was putting on the brakes. Richard had claimed her, too, when they'd first started dating, and look how that had turned out for her. Richard was the reason Misty had trouble trusting people. Richard was the reason Misty had sworn off men, and Richard was the reason she'd promised herself never to let another man claim her. Yet when Aaron had claimed her she screamed her consent. What the hell was wrong with her?

She wasn't ready to get involved with anyone let alone a man like Aaron. There was no choice. She had to
tell Aaron that she couldn't see him anymore. Amanda would be a good excuse. With everything going on in Amanda's life, Misty had to be there for her. That's what sisters did. Surely Aaron would understand and accept that wouldn't he? Of course he would. Aaron was a compassionate and thoughtful and understanding. Yes, first thing tomorrow, after she'd gotten some sleep, she'd let Aaron down easily. Finally her eyelids closed and she drifted into darkness…

"I'm talking to you, woman!" Richard hollered as he stomped through the house and up the stairs toward their bedroom. 

Misty cringed at the way his deep baritone voice echoed through the house. She knew that tone all too well and she knew it meant he was angry—with her. And when he got angry with her it never ended well for her.

He stopped, his imposing frame blocking the doorway. "You are mine, Misty. Mine!" Richard emphatically pointed at his own chest. "That means you are not allowed to even entertain the idea of another man. You are not allowed to look at them or talk to them. Hell, you can't even think about them. Is that clear?"

She'd heard this spiel before. Richard would yell at her, threaten her, and sometimes he'd try to intimidate her with his size, but it always ended the same: Richard apologizing profusely, begging for her forgiveness, and then the two of them ending up in bed having glorious make-up sex. It was their ritual every time he came home drunk, which lately, seemed to be all the time. "Go fuck yourself, Richard."

A slow, lopsided grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. "That's what I have you for, babe."

"Not tonight you don't." She shoved a pillow and a blanket into his hands. "You can sleep in the spare room."

He let them drop to the floor. "Aw, come on, Mist, don't be like that." Richard approached and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. 

Misty stood ramrod straight, her back stiff, her arms hanging limp by her sides. The last thing she wanted right now was to have Richard pawing at her. His breath stunk of whiskey and cigars. The combination always made her stomach churn.
"Not tonight," she said, involuntarily moaning as his lips made contact with her neck. Her body started to relax. He had that effect on her. A single touch, a single kiss, sometimes a single look could crack even her toughest resolve and have her yielding to him.

"You taste heavenly," he said, licking the soft spot behind her ear.

She tilted her head to the side giving him greater access when she noticed his normally dark hair was now sandy blond. What the…?

Misty forced her eyes open
and was greeted by the most unforgettable pair of blue eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful," Aaron said with a sexy grin.

It took her a moment to get her bearings. She was in her own bed in her own apartment. Richard had just been a dream. But Aaron was here, lying on his side staring at her, smiling. "What're you doing here?"

"Your sister let me in." He was laying on his side, head propped in his hand, and a smile on his face that could only be described as deadly—not in the 'I'm going to hurt you' sort of way, but more of a 'I'm going to devour you' way. "Oh, she wanted me to tell you she was going for a jog to clear her head and would be back in an hour or so."

Misty knew that when Amanda went jogging that meant she was trying to make a difficult decision and after what Misty learned last night, it was no wonder Amanda was out running. She'd deal with her sister later. Right now she had to deal with the deliciously tempting man lying in her bed. "Thanks, but that still doesn't explain why you're in my bed," she said stifling a yawn. "Uninvited," she added.

"Late night?" he asked with a cocky raise of his brow.

She fought to hide her smile as her body responded to not only his proximity, but to the memory of their date last night. "What happened to giving me a day and letting me call you?"

He draped his free arm over her waist and pulled her to him. "Has anyone ever told you how cute you are when you sleep?"

"Aaron," she said her voice laced with impatience.

Laughing, he said, "Did I forget to mention I'm not a very patient man?"

It was her turn to laugh. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible? Telling him to back off was going to be so much harder than she had originally thought. But, she'd made up her mind and she was going to do it one way or another. "Look, Aaron, you're a terrific—" He cut her off by pressing his mouth to hers and slipping his tongue between her lips. Tucking her tightly to his body he rolled his body on top of hers, successfully pinning her beneath him.
One final kiss wouldn't hurt anything would it? It was a goodbye kiss--nothing more. Yeah, right, you keep telling yourself that, girl. You know damn well this ain't no goodbye kiss.

Aaron
took both of her hands and pinned them above her head, spread her legs with his thighs, and pushed his very noticeable jean clad erection against her sex—which was covered with nothing but a thin pair of cotton panties. He deepened the kiss, his hunger for her growing with every flick of her tongue over his, and she moaned. It should be downright illegal for a man to kiss as well as Aaron did. Hell, everything about this man should be considered a Class A felony.

"I know what you were about to say, Misty," he said keeping her firmly pinned with not only his body but his gaze. "
And I'm telling you right now, don't say it."

There was so much determination and vehemence in his voice it gave her pause.
"I…it's just…Amanda…”

He silenced her with another mind numbing kiss that had her moaning and wriggling beneath him, almost to the point of dry humping his crotch, which was still very erect and very firmly tucked between her bare legs.
When he finally released her from that kiss she just laid there, her lips parted on a sigh, and her body craving more of him. "You just came into my life and I'm not letting you go, not without one hell of a fight anyway."

"Aaron," she half sighed half groaned his name.

"Shh." His lips brushed over hers in a gentle caress. "Stop thinking so much, baby." He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "And stop fighting this." He began to kiss her neck and throat, his teeth grazing her sensitive flesh until they found her earlobe and tugged. "I know you feel it, Misty." His breath was hot against her ear. Christ at this rate she'd never be able to end things with him. "The undeniable attraction, the all-consuming need to be with me, admit it. You haven't stopped thinking about me since I saved your life."

He was right. How did he know? She refused to tell him, to give him anymore room in her heart. And she absolutely would not give him any more control over her. Last time she'd allowed a man to possess her so completely it'd nearly destroyed her.

"I know I haven't." Adjusting his grip on her hands so that both of her wrists were clasped in one of his large hands, he used his free hand to lift her night shirt until he was able to reach her breast. His rough calloused hands sent shivers through her body and she moaned softly. "You're all I've been able to think about, Misty, especially since you made me bring you home last night."

"Aaron, please." It was so hard to concentrate on what she wants to say when he was rolling her nipple between his fingers, making it hard and aching for more.

"Please what?" His mouth was on hers again, erotically nipping at her bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth and then repeating the onslaught all the while tweaking her nipple. "What do you want, baby? Hmm? All you have to do is ask."

That's all it took. Her brain turned to mush and she was like melted putty in his arms. "You," she whispered writhing beneath him. "I want you."

He smiled against her lips and for a brief moment she hated herself for being so weak. Honestly, though, did it matter that she admitted her desire for him? It had been a full year since she'd been with any man and way longer than that since a man had made her feel like Aaron did. Wasn't it about time she moved on?

"I'm all yours, beautiful," he whispered as his hand left her breast and coursed down her stomach toward her panties. Before he reached them his pager beeped. "Son of a bitch," he muttered, grabbing
his pager and glaring at it. "Duty calls," he said giving her a quick kiss on the nose. "Sorry, gotta go." He stood.

Misty sighed with frustrated relief and got out of bed. "
It's okay. I understand. Be safe."

Aaron pulled her into his arms and gave her a long sensual kiss. "Mmm," he said licking his bottom lip. "I'll come back as soon as I’m done."

"I probably won't be here. Mandy is taking me to get a rental car today and I have to go meet the insurance adjuster."

"
All right so call me when you get home." Aaron gave her cheek a firm kiss and then left.

Misty stared after him, her heart and mind in a tug of war over what to do about Aaron. Her heart, and right now her body, wanted him more than anything, but her mind was paralyzed with fear. She couldn't help but be terrified of allowing Aaron to lay any more claims to her. She didn't want to lose herself again and become so absorbed in him that
he took full control of her life.

Aaron had been calling Misty for the past eight hours and she hadn't answered once, nor had she called back. His text messages were going unanswered too. He'd gone to her apartment a few times but she hadn't been home. Over the years he'd developed a sort of sixth sense about the people he loved and he wasn't getting that feeling right now about Misty which led him to believe that she wasn't hurt, just avoiding him. His finger hesitated over the send button on his cell phone. Did he really just make reference to loving her? That wasn't possible. He'd only known her for a couple of days.

He blew out a breath and dragged a hand through his hair. Of course it was possible. When Aaron fell in love with a woman it was immediate and
intense. He was the type of man that loved with his whole heart and soul, fiercely and thoroughly and forever. It was the reason he'd only ever loved one woman. Her name was Sara and she'd stolen his heart the moment they'd met. Just like Misty had.

Sara was the
real estate agent who'd helped him buy his house. He took her to dinner the day he made an offer and every day after until the day he signed the papers. That night he asked her to move in and after she said yes they made love until the sun came up. Aaron was convinced she was the one he was going to marry and spend the rest of his life with, until four months later when she moved all of her stuff out of his house and left him a note stating she'd met someone else. After punching holes into three different walls and breaking a window he was calm enough to try and talk to her. That had been a colossal mistake. Sara had told him that she didn't want to be in a relationship with a man who was as controlling as he was. He'd been devastated and heartbroken.

He knew he was a lot of things, but controlling wasn't one of them. Sure, he was confident and he got off on dominating women in the bedroom, but he wasn't one of those controlling men who ruled every aspect of their woman's life. As time passed
, Aaron realized that it wasn't anything he had done and just an excuse Sara used to make herself feel less guilty about leaving him for another man. It had taken a long time for him to get over Sara. And once he had he swore never to fall that hard or fast for another woman ever again. He hadn't either—until two days ago when he pulled Misty from her car.

Now he was falling for her—hard. And she was avoiding him. His gut clenched at the thought of losing her before she ever really became his. No. He would not let that happen. Dialing her number again he silently prayed that she would answer and he'd be able to hear her
melodious voice. It went straight to her voicemail again and he had to refrain from throwing his cell phone at the wall.

***

Misty pushed the ignore button on her phone sending Aaron's call straight to her voicemail. It was like the four dozenth time he'd called. She knew it was mean and immature to ignore him, but she didn't have it in her heart to tell him it was over.

"Is there a particular reason you keep ignoring his calls?" Amanda asked.

"I'm scared." Misty pushed her rigatoni around on her plate. "I've known him two days and he's already trying to claim me."

"What's wrong with that? You like him don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I like him a lot. That's the problem."

"This is about Richard isn't it?"

Misty stood and took her plate to the sink. She dumped her food into the garbage disposal and turned it on before rinsing the plate. "Things went really bad with Richard."