The Last Kiss (3 page)

“Oh,” she laughed. “We’re not together. He’s just my friend.” A soft blush started to burn her cheeks as she realized he was smirking at her answer. Noticing the subtle ways his body shifted closer to hers, the dip of his eyes as his fingers itched to find something to touch.

“So, I guess you’re not seeing anyone then?” The light in his eyes sparked as his smile grew wider in his classic impish grin.

That was just so Aidan, blunt and to the point. Shaking her head, Raeve felt his stare wash over her as her cheeks flushed a shade deeper. Her shy smile spread over her face as a rush of liquid heat punched straight to her core. His smile ignited every nerve ending to an unholy searing inferno that she languished in.

“What about you, any girlfriends down in Texas?” Her heart sank even at the thought he had found somebody. “When are you heading back?” Her hands shook as she waited for his answers, fear spread over her like a wet blanket.

To her surprise it was his turn to flush, as he lowered his face to hers. The scent of his cool breath skated over her lips. Staring at her through a fringe of thick lashes, he whispered that there wasn’t anyone.

“No, no girlfriend, and unfortunately, I head back to base in a couple of days.”

Raeve’s heart fluttered with the news. She was happy to hear he too, was single, yet saddened by the idea of him leaving. Are you nuts? Come on Raeve, no one would even think about starting something with someone who was leaving in just a few short days. Scolding herself,
Raeve excused herself to get another drink. “I’ll be right back. Need another water. Would you like anything?”

Her fingers idly feathered against her throat as she watched Aidan lifted his beer to his thirsty lips. Her breath caught in her windpipe as she watched the long muscles of his throat work the liquid down in a couple of hard swallows. He radiated virile sensuality. Every move he made, he did with purposeful intent. From his rolling sinuous gait to his careful strikes with a pool cue or dart, there wasn’t anything he didn’t do without deliberate planning.

Setting the bottle down, he cocked a dark, slashed brow toward her. “Yes… To walk with you up to the bar. Seems I need another drink too.”

Raeve’s pulse quickened as she slid around the table, her eyes locked onto him as he slipped her a wink; a wink that read more like a secret they shared versus a flirty gesture.

He was a gentleman true and through as he held his arm out for her to maneuver around the crowd. As he walked beside her, Raeve could feel his eyes on her. Braving a glance up to him, her face instantly flushed when she realized she was right. Time seemed to stand still as he stared down into her eyes. She couldn’t remember if she was walking, felt more like floating as her breath hitched. “So when do you think you’ll deploy?” her heart instantly sank with the idea of him thousands of miles away. Biting her lip, she saw the reluctance in his eyes to answer.

“Not sure. Word is in a few months. Not looking forward to it.” Sighing, she almost felt relieved he didn’t want to go as much as she didn’t want him to leave. Moments turned into minutes before they realized they had stopped walking.

Her body had eased against the wall, with his immense body blocking everything from view. Didn’t matter, there wasn’t anything else she wanted to see. Her pulse sped up the closer his body came to hers. She could feel the sinful burn of his body heat rolling off of him when he leaned in closer. The brush of his fingers down her arm sent another shockwave of feverish desire lighting up every cell in her body. Her lip felt raw from the amount of gnawing on it she had done all night. Maybe he could kiss it better. She thought coyly.

“Hey guys!” Lisa called from the pool table next to them. “Wanna play teams?” The bubble exploded the instant her voice broke through. With a sharp nod of his head, Aidan answered
the interruption. “Get a room you two,” She snapped back, and her laughter coated the air.

Raeve searched his eyes for the truth. Was he really this interested, or was he looking for one last fling before heading back to base? Another brush of his hand on her arm sent shivers down her body as she imagined what they would feel like holding her close, skimming under the hem of her shirt. His eyes stayed locked on hers as they shared another round of coy smiles. For those brief moments, the room didn't feel so suffocating as the world just disappeared around them.

“How about that drink?” she murmured, as she tried to cut away from the hypnotic spell he held her in.

His smile drank her in as he nodded, slowly pulling away from her body. Every nerve was singing with a new intensity, leaving her breathless.

The night passed with more of the same: small talk, wistful glances, and sincere smiles, broken up by a few round of darts, pool, and mutual friends interjecting with frivolous talk. Didn’t matter, he was here…with her, if only for the night. Hours passed, and the crowd began to thin. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him. The sting of saying goodnight was something she wished she didn’t have to face, but it was inevitable, as the bartender called out, “closing time.”

“I guess I should probably head out.” Looking down at her watch, work was just hours away, but she knew sleep would elude her. Fidgeting with the thin bracelet-like time piece, she could feel his eyes on her once again. “It was really great to see you again.” She offered as her insides twisted. Shit, how the hell can I tell him? Grow some balls dammit! He’s leaving soon. Warring with herself, she knew nothing could come of it. He was leaving to go back to his base, had stated so earlier. Starting something that didn’t have any chance of going anywhere, beyond this, wouldn’t do either of them any good.

“Yeah, guess I probably should head out too. I’m sure the guys are ready to leave.” She watched as he cocked his head toward his friends. Following the direction of his gaze she saw the goofy smiles his friends shot back at them. “It was really great to see you too.” The sound of his voice rumbled through her like a tidal wave, even as she felt that knowing sting of goodbye waiting patiently on the edge of his lips.

“Good night, Aidan.” The words felt like
whispers as Raeve wrapped her arms around his neck for a long hug goodnight she wished like hell would last for days. His tender embrace, so warm and sincere, had her melting into a puddle of wanting. Inhaling his scent deeply into her lungs, she silently vowed to remember this moment with each one of her senses. She wanted to remember the feel of his strong arms as they held her close and the gentle tone of his embrace, even as she could feel him wanting to squeeze her tighter, securing her body to his. Was it all in her head, just an over active imagination wreaking havoc on her? If that’s all it was, she’d stay in blissful denial for eternity.

“Good night, Raeve. Sleep well.” His breath caressed her cheeks as he slowly released her. She could have sworn his hands lingered a little longer than expected, as did his eyes. This one memory would haunt every treacherous night stretched out before her. The sudden chill she felt over her skin when her body realized his arms were no longer embracing her left a sting of solitude.

Fumbling to pull herself together, Raeve tugged her keys from her pocket and gave a final wave as she walked down the length of the room. Saying good night to the last of the crowd, her stroll was unusually casual even boarding on slow. Her mind raced, wishing she hadn’t been a complete chicken-shit and had confessed to Aidan everything she wanted to say. Even as she walked the last few paces to the door, she secretly prayed he’d stop her from exiting, and pull her into his arms for a proper goodbye. Leaving her with the kind of kiss that ended with her breathless and blushing from head to toe. She braved one last look back at him, needing one more glimpse of the man she could only wish for. The gentle warrior type that made up the fairy tale endings every girl dreamt of. Her eyes locked onto his for an infinite moment as time stood still. Her will was shot, and she needed to leave before she made a spectacle of herself. She laughed silently at the idea of throwing herself at him like a pathetic lovesick goon begging for a kiss that would never happen. Reluctantly she turned back around and made for the door.

The swoosh
of cool night air brought with it the impending chill of autumn, as she curled into herself shivering. She wasn’t entirely convinced it was the weather that gave her those chills. Still the blast of air and dark sky welcomed her as she walked out into the parking lot, heading to her car sitting idle amongst a few Chevys and Fords.

Raeve heard the crash of the building’s door
open. The footsteps that followed after seemed hurried, “Raeve…” The deep voice called to her.

Nearly tripping over herself, Raeve stopped just a few feet from her car. “Raeve
,…wait a sec,” he begged. His footsteps pounded against the cement, cracking the still of the night.

Slowly she turned around to see him, “Oh hey, Aidan, what’s up?” her palms grew slick with nervous sweat as she eyed him, and she hoped to hell her voice hadn't betrayed her.

“I, ah, I need to tell you something,” He began, licking his lower lip.

Raeve felt the rush of searing heat pooling in her cheeks as she briefly imagined those lips on hers, feverishly kissing her until all her senses reset themselves. She waited for him to speak again, anxious to hear his voice vibrate against the dark night, as he struggled for the right words.

“What's up? Are you okay? You look like you have a fever or something.” The sheen of sweat that broke across his forehead glistened as the silvery moon rays embraced the chiseled lines of his face. The impish smile that shyly came out only made the hard set of his jaw seem more handsome.

“No, I’m not fine,” he blurted, as his hand
caressed her cheek softly.

Raeve breathed against his hand as his knuckles brushed across her skin.

“I do have a fever, but it’s because of you. You’re like fire in my veins,” he admitted. “Raeve, I’ve wanted you for so long, but I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Her breath sawed in and out as she considered him with a wistful smile. “Really?” she finally managed to say after a few surreal moments. Her heart started to pound, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs.

“Yeah, and I’m a fool for not telling you sooner. Look, I know I’m heading back to base in a couple of days, but I’d like to see you again. Before I leave, I want to see you, Raeve…”

His eyes danced over hers, as she tried to catch her breath. Trying to focus on what he had said made the tilt-a-whirl look like child’s play.

“Raeve, are you okay?”

 
  “Yeah, I’m just shocked is all,” she confessed. Surprised when his eyes dropped and he stepped back. “What?”

“I guess you aren’t interested?”

The hurt in his eyes stunned her. How could she not be interested in him? He had plagued her dreams relentlessly for the past two years. “Aidan, I came here tonight to try and tell you how I felt about you. Surprised? Yes, but in a good way. God I’ve wished for this for so long. Every time I saw you here…” She could feel the heat burning in her cheeks as they flushed with a new shade of pink she hadn’t thought possible. “I wanted to walk up to you and say something, but I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”
His smiled turned innocent as he absently brushed his fingers down the length of her arm. “Afraid of me?”

Her fingers twisted into each other as she tried to distract herself from the burn of him.

“Yes...no…shit....kind of.” Aidan made her fumbling for words worse as he stroked her cheek. Her body closed the gap between them, like a magnetic-pull attracted their bodies, fusing her to him. “I see how the other girls react around you. I hear the talk. So, I guess I’m wondering why me?”

Pulling her closer still, his soft laugh reached his eyes as he stared deep into hers. “I’ve wanted to ask you out for as long as I can remember and just didn’t know how to.” The moment stretched out in silence as he wrapped his arms around the small of her back. “So, is that a yes then?” he asked as an
impish  smile started to spread across his lips.

Raeve thought for sure the blush on her cheeks could be seen from the NASA space station. When she nodded, Aidan pulled her up into the embrace she had been craving. As he nestled his face into her neck, she felt him inhale deeply. The tip of his nose softly traced the curve of her neck, sending shivers down her spine once again.

“I’d love to,” she whispered.

The feel of his arm around her back as he tilted her chin up to meet his lips, caused her stomach to jump as if butterflies had decided to reside there permanently and flutter around like a hurricane. His lips felt like warm honey as he kissed her softly at first.

Slipping her hands around his neck, Raeve, crushed him down on her. Slicing her way into his hot mouth, she needed to taste him, even if it was just this once. She had no illusions about this first kiss and how it could very well be their last kiss. Her heart thundered in her ears as he sank deeper into her mouth, approving of her need to consume him.

His arms embraced her tighter, crushing her breasts against him. Her nipples peaked hard like little diamond cutters against his broad chest. This was the moment Raeve had dreamt of. Something she had hoped for, for too
many nights. He wanted her― at least for the night.

***

Raeve nestled closer to Aidan, relishing the memories of that night. So much had happened since then. So much time had passed, and still this one thing hadn’t changed. She was still in love with him and dreamt of him every night he wasn’t in her bed.