Military Romance Collection: Contemporary Soldier Alpha Male Romance (122 page)

“I don’t know. I guess maybe I thought, in the light of day and in the face of a holiday, you might be having second thoughts about entertaining a stranger.”

Eve put her fork down and stared at him. “Are you kidding me? Aidan, I wouldn’t have invited you if I thought I would regret it. I didn’t have any particular agenda in mind, and I wasn’t looking for a fling, but you never know how things are going to turn out, right? As for entertaining, I think you’re the one who’s entertaining me.”

He blushed, and Eve studied him, surprised. As she considered him, Aidan stood and walked over to her, pulling her to her feet. “I have a confession to make.”

Suddenly, Eve was anxious. She really didn’t know anything about the guy. He was supposedly a cop on his way to Bellingham, and he was amazing in bed. He’d been doomed to a lonely Christmas, just like she was, but that could have just been a ploy to make her open up to him. “Tell me you’re not married. Or a serial killer who killed a cop and took his badge.” She was only half joking.

“None of that.” He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. But his smile faded and he gave her a very somber look. “This is going to sound really lame, so bear with me for a minute.”

Eve wondered what he would think of her sudden fantasy that they ended up falling in love and spending the rest of their lives together, but she didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue.

“Before I left Portland, I was feeling really lonely and really depressed. I’m tired of being alone, and I wanted something different this year, something that showed me where I wanted to go with the rest of my life. I’m not the kind of guy that believes in miracles. Hell, I’m a co, and I see the worst in people every day. But I just wanted something better. And when the storm started and the car broke down, all I could think was that maybe that was the answer. Maybe death was better.” He swallowed hard and finished, “Then you opened the door.”

Her breath caught in her throat. It was a completely romantic thing to say, and it was the perfect idea of a Christmas miracle. But Eve couldn’t even begin to fathom it could possibly be true. Then again, she’d been upset about being alone for Christmas, feeling resentful toward everyone else having someone they loved with them when she was alone. And suddenly, Aidan had appeared on her stoop.

Apparently, there were either some very major coincidences driving this situation, or something like a miracle was still possible. Not knowing what else to say, Eve told him, “I didn’t want to be alone, either.” She took a deep breath and stepped away from him. “But maybe we should take it easy. I mean, you aren’t from Seattle, and in a couple of days, you’ll be on your way. I doubt I’ll ever see you again.”

She wanted him to argue, but he stood there, saying nothing. Finally, he put his hands on his hips and dropped his eyes to the ground as he nodded. “You’re probably right.” In a show of surrender, he held his hands up. “I’ll keep my hands to myself. It’s best for both of us, I’m sure.” He laughed and shook his head, but there was no humor in it. “I didn’t even ask if
you
were married or in any other way attached.”

Thoroughly disappointed, Eve fought to keep the tears prickling at her eyes from falling. “No, Aidan,” she said softly. “I’m not married. I don’t have a boyfriend. My sister got a role in a big movie and left the country. My best friend got a girlfriend. My parents died. It’s just me. And you.”

One tear spilled, rolling down her cheek, and she didn’t bother to brush it away. “I took a chance on asking you inside, Aidan, and I’m not sure what made me do it. Maybe I thought I was better off dead than alone. But since you showed up, I’ve finally felt alive for the first time in months.”

“You’re confusing me, Eve.” Aidan stared at her with an utterly baffled expression. “I’m not sure what you want.”

Eve threw her hands up in exasperation. “I don’t know what I want! How can I tell you that when I’ve known you for, what, twelve hours? And we’ve spent half of that time sleeping and the other half having sex. I don’t know anything about you, except that you are amazingly sexy and incredible in bed. And you showed up at my door the night before Christmas Eve like my life is some damn ABC Christmas special! I don’t know what I want. What do you want, Aidan?”

“Honestly?”

“Honestly!”

A boyish grin spread over his lips. “I want to kiss you again.”

All the bluster and frustration disappeared, and Eve was left staring at him in disbelief. “Seriously?” she asked.

He shrugged. “You wanted me to be honest.” He held out a hand to her, and she gazed at it for a moment. But the man was irresistible, and she took it, letting him pull her into his arms and kiss her. It was a searching kiss, not an attempt at seduction but just an exploration of what else they might find beneath the physical attraction. And Eve felt purely invigorated by it.

When they came up for air, Eve smiled and said, “Do us both a favor and don’t try to keep your hands to yourself. I like them much better on me.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “So do I.” Laughing, he pointed out the window and asked, “Do you want to see if some of those clothes you have fit me so we can go build a snowman in the backyard?”

***

With the storm having blown through, it didn’t feel nearly as cold outside, but the system had dumped nearly two feet of snow on the city, which Eve thought was probably a record. Her father had been a hefty man, so his sweater was huge and baggy on Aidan, but it was adorable and served its purpose.

Eve attempted to build Frosty, but his head was more oblong than round, and Aidan just shrugged and said, “So, he’s Olaf from Frozen. Hug him. He likes that.” She did, and he took pictures with both their phones, the batteries dying right afterward. With that task accomplished, they had a snowball fight, and then they walked to the front of the house, Aidan’s arm around her shoulders, to see what the roads looked like.

Eve could hear cars on the larger roads nearby, but the street was still impassable. “So, where exactly is your car?” she asked.

Aidan pointed. “At the far end of the block and around the corner to the right.”

It wasn’t far, and she knew that, if Aidan wanted to leave, he could have gone to look at his car and maybe gotten it to start. Eve didn’t know why, but she wished time would stand still, and he would never leave. It didn’t make sense, and she knew she needed to do something to distract herself before she let her mood slide. “Hey, I’ll race you to the tree in the back.”

“Oh, yeah?” he asked.

She nodded and started running, calling back, “Ready set go!”

“Oh, you cheater! I’m gonna get you for that!”

Eve looked over her shoulder and squealed to see him chasing her. He was so close and she tried to pick up speed, but he lunged and caught her ankle. She screamed as she fell, and he was on top of her, pinning her in the snow with a triumphant laugh. Breathless, she squirmed beneath him, but his hold was tight, and she was stuck tight.

He locked eyes with her, and Eve’s stomach churned. It wasn’t desire, exactly, and it wasn’t nerves. She couldn’t define it, and as his lips met hers, she decided it wasn’t important. It was a beautiful feeling, and Aidan’s lips gentle on hers relaxed her and made her feel like she wasn’t alone anymore. Not physically and not emotionally.

But as they fell into the moment, Eve forgot there was a world around her, forgot they were in the cold snow, and all she could feel was the heat of Aidan’s body and the growing arousal in his pants. There was no way to be this close to him without that sexual need exuding from both of them.

“We’re melting the snow,” he whispered against her lips. “We should go inside.”

She didn’t need him to say it twice, and they hurried through the back door, stripping as they headed to the bedroom. She was down to her panties when he lunged for her and they landed on the bed, his erection hard against her thigh. She gasped as one hand slipped between her thighs, and Aidan fingered her folds, teased her cleft. She poured over him, and he groaned, his cock twitching against her.

But she didn’t want him to control the situation this time. She was too eager, and she pushed him off, rolling him to his back. Sliding her panties off, she straddled him, filled with a confidence that was new to her. And as she found the right angle, she impaled herself in a single, long, slow downward thrust of her hips.

Aidan’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he made a strangled noise, but that didn’t stop her. Rather, she was encouraged, and she repeated the motion, then again, and a third time. Rolling her hips back and forth, she found a rhythm that brought her to the edge of release and held her there, in that sweet spot. Aidan clutched at her hips, but she didn’t let him drive the pace. She could tell by the pulsing in his cock and the way it seemed to swell larger inside her that he was on the brink of eruption, and she bounced up and down, driving herself crazy as she could almost picture the tidal wave waiting to crash over her.

And then, Aidan screamed, forcing her down hard on him as he came with an explosion, causing ripples through her body that were thunderous and evoked a reaction so strong she nearly passed out from the pleasure. The wave smashed into her and choked her so she couldn’t breathe, and she arched her back, gasping with the sheer force of the mutual ecstasy.

She lost track of how long it lasted, and it didn’t matter as she finally grew weak and fell on top of Aidan’s chest. He ran his hands up and down her back, giving her goosebumps and chills of delight as small quakes continued to rack her body with small convulsions.

It was a strange buzzing noise that finally got her attention, and she sat up just as the power came back to life. Lights turned on, clocks started to flash, and various appliances beeped with the return of electricity. Eve was almost disappointed, afraid the return to reality would break the spell that had been cast over them. Couldn’t it have at least waited one more day so she could have Christmas Eve?

Aidan made no move to get up, but Eve climbed off him, wincing as he slid out of her. She was sore in a very lovely sort of way that she wasn’t used to, and rather than pull on anything that might irritate her crotch, she pulled a sleep shirt out of the drawer and draped it over her body. He pushed up on his elbow to look at her and asked, “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“I thought I’d plug our phones in so they get charged, in case we have cell service.” She hoped he didn’t want to leave right away, but she had to be ready for anything.

She didn’t wait for a response as she padded into the living room, where she found both phones. She plugged hers into a charger by the television and carried Aidan’s to the kitchen to put on the spare charger. She felt the heat from his body behind her before she heard him. “I’m not leaving unless you want me to, Eve. Power doesn’t make any difference.” He spoke in  comforting whisper, and as he rested his hands on her elbows, she let herself fall back against him, her eyes closing.

She was on the verge of telling him she wouldn’t keep him from his business, but a knock at the door startled her. She felt him tense behind her, and she pulled reluctantly away from him, curious who might be there now. “Are you good with numbers?” she asked quietly.

“Sort of. Why?” He looked confused.

“What’s the probability of another stranger stranded on my street and knocking at my door?”

“Slim to none,” he answered instantly.

She didn’t particularly want to answer it, but the visitor knocked again, more insistently, and checking to make sure Aidan had his jeans back on, she tiptoed to the front door, gasping as she glanced through the peephole. Immediately, she threw the door open, her eyes popping out in surprise. “Delia! What are you doing here?”

“Well, that’s a fine way to greet your sister!” She threw her arms around Eve’s neck, laughing. “Surprise!”

“How did you even get here in the storm?” Eve asked, laughing with delight. She glanced up at Rupert standing behind her little sister, overwhelmed with shock and joy.

“The producers surprised everyone with tickets home for Christmas. We were supposed to land early this morning, but we got rerouted and had to wait it out. And we got chains for the tires on the car we rented. Are you going to let me in or what?”

Eve stepped back, letting the two unexpected guests come in and closing the door behind them. “I tried calling, but your phone went to voicemail.”

“It was dead the power went out, and…” Eve stopped talking as Delia’s gaze flicked away to a point over her shoulder. She knew right away what her sister focused on. Eve might have, too, if she’d been staring at a topless man who looked like Aidan in her sister’s house, having been given no warning she would find him there.

For the first time, Delia took in Eve’s attire, and there was a teasing glint in her eyes. “Am I interrupting something?”

Blushing, Eve shook her head and bit her lip, whispering, “No, but you would have if your plane had been on time.” She wasn’t sure exactly how to introduce Aidan. She wasn’t the sort to have flings with strangers, and she didn’t want Delia to think she’d lost her mind. But she moved back to stand beside him, searching for a valid explanation. “This is Aidan. Aidan, this is my sister, Delia, and her boyfriend, Rupert.”

As they shook hands, Delia asked him, “Now, why haven’t I heard about you before? It looks like things are…going well.” She eyed Eve’s gown again and then Aidan’s bare chest.