Torn (35 page)

Thirty-Six

“
Are you up for an
adventure?” Aidan asked as they finished an early dinner of arugula
topped with pear, asiago cheese, walnuts, and thinly sliced
steak.

“
Sure, what’ve you got in
mind?”

“
You’ll see. Yes or no?
Once you commit, there’s no backing out.” He threw her a wicked
grin, enticing her daring side.

Katie was intrigued. What
could he offer that would be too frightening to go through with?
She thought of the possibilities. Swimming with sharks would be
scary, but thrilling. A night of karaoke didn’t sound fun as she
couldn’t carry a tune, but if liquor was involved, she’d get
through it. At this point in her life, the only thing that
terrified her was cats and experiencing the pain of a broken heart
again. The latter could easily be crossed out, as she would never
fall so deeply in love again. A wall had been erected, fortified
with rebar, and filled with concrete. She was perfectly content
with what she and Aidan had—lust, intrigue, and
their
version of love, which was
more of a friendship with benefits. Well, they didn’t share the
benefits part of the equation . . . yet.

“
I’m in,” she answered
confidently. “No matter what.”

Aidan took her hand and led her to the
garage. When he opened the door, she saw the motorcycle. “Wow.” She
exaggerated the word. “What kind of bike is that?”

“
Harley Davidson, Fat Boy.
Have you ever ridden?” he inquired, pride evident in his voice as
he ogled the bike.

“
No.” Katie circled the
bike, afraid to touch it. The gas tank and fenders were the color
of merlot, and the sleek black leather seat sat atop the shiny
chrome workings of the engine, exhaust, and whatever else was
needed to make it run.

Aidan handed her a helmet and helped
her get it fastened. After sliding his own on, he straddled the
bike and waited for her.

Katie’s eyes traveled over the bike
and then to Aidan. He looked like a biker—dangerous and masculine.
A wave of distrust washed over her and she began to chicken out.
She imagined watching the pavement come up to meet her, the pain
that would sear through her as the road cut into her flesh, leaving
horrific scars and broken bones. She remembered the feeling of her
mangled chin from last night’s dream and shivered.

“
Are you afraid?” Aidan
taunted.

“
No!” She lied. The only
thing worse than road rash was letting him know she was scared. She
slung her leg over the bike and slid in behind him, wrapping her
arms tightly around his waist.

“
I haven’t even started
the engine.” He laughed, enjoying her failed attempt to hide her
timidity.

The engine came to a roar, startling
Katie as she squeezed around his waist again. He slowly pulled out
of the garage onto the driveway and waited for the door to
close.

“
Hold on tight,” Aidan
warned before barreling out of the driveway onto the empty
road.

Katie made sure every part of her body
was clinging to him as he sped down the road. With the wind against
her skin, the landscape speeding past her, and the roar of the
engine, her heart raced with a mix of fear and adrenaline. As they
traveled further down the road, her body calmed and she began to
trust his ability to ride. She concentrated on the way his body
felt against hers. Focusing on the specific pressure points—his
toned abs beneath her arms, where her knees hugged into his thighs,
and his strong back against her chest.

Aidan traveled down NC-12 and turned
around in the Hatteras Landing Shopping Center. The ride back was
more leisurely as he took the scenic route. He enjoyed the
sensation of Katie pressed tightly against him on the back of the
bike. She was dependent on him for her security and the feeling was
invigorating. When they returned he pulled into the garage and shut
off the engine. Before he could ask what she thought of the ride,
she climbed off and removed her helmet.

“
That was freaking
awesome!” Katie exclaimed. She set her helmet on the shelf and
walked back to Aidan, still sitting on the bike. “Let’s go again
tomorrow! Can we?”

“
Sure.” Aidan put his
helmet away and led Katie to the kitchen. He poured two glasses of
Pinot Grigio and grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet. “Let’s
catch the sunset.”

They walked hand in hand along the
sandy path leading to the beach. Once a perfect spot was settled
on, Katie spread the blanket on the sand, sat down, and took her
glass of wine. They watched as bold shades of red, orange, and
purple were painted across the sky, eventually becoming muted as
the sun sank lower and lower. Just before the large orange ball
melted into the sea, Aidan lifted his glass for a toast.

“
To an unforgettable
weekend.”

Katie clinked her glass against his
and swallowed the last bit of wine. The weekend hadn’t started out
as she planned, but they had two more nights in the house, and
after the motorcycle ride, she had high hopes for it getting
better. Aidan jogged back to the house and came back with the
bottle of wine. He refilled Katie’s glass, and then his own. When
she was halfway through the second glass, he encouraged her to
finish it. Aidan set the glasses in the sand and pulled Katie onto
his lap facing him, wrapping her legs around his waist. He took her
chin in his hand and gazed into her eyes for a moment before
kissing her.

With arms wrapped around his neck,
Katie enjoyed the kiss until he started to remove her T-shirt.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” She quickly pulled her shirt back
down.

“
We’re alone,” he assured,
and pulled her in for another kiss, while he slid the shirt up and
over her head.

“
What if someone sees us?”
Katie whispered, her heart beating against her chest.

“
It’s dark.” He lifted his
own shirt over his head and tossed it aside before traveling over
her breasts, kneading each one as their kiss became more
ardent.

“
Take off your shorts,” he
commanded, rolling her off of his lap.

Katie had never been modest . . .
until now. She felt like a schoolgirl sneaking around. At the same
time, she felt alive . . . and hungry for his touch. “Can’t we move
this inside?”

Without saying a word, he picked up
the glasses. Katie’s shirt was already back on when she picked up
the blanket, shaking the sand off. With a hurried pace, they made
it through the glass sliders and dropped off the items from the
beach.

Aidan took her hand in his and led her
upstairs, shutting the bedroom door behind them. Resting his arms
on either side of her head, he locked her in place against the
wall. He gazed at her for a long time, enjoying watching her squirm
impatiently. Her breathing became shallow, causing her chest to
rise and fall in a chaotic rhythm. His patience was replaced with
an untamed ferocity. His plan to linger on her, taking his time to
tease her until she was ready to explode was fading. He fought for
the control he was on the verge of losing, when she focused on his
lips.

Leaning into her, he skimmed his thumb
across her bottom lip, watching her mouth part slightly. Inches
from her face, his mouth brushed against hers. Katie arched her
back, pushing herself off the wall, pressing against his body. Her
hands came up to feel his chest, but Aidan grabbed her wrists
before she was able to touch him, and placed them on the wall above
her head.

A soft moan slipped from her mouth
when he pressed his body into hers so she could feel his
excitement.

“
Tell me what you
want.”

“
You,” Katie pleaded. “I
want you, Aidan.”

With his free hand he
swept her hair around to the side, exposing her neck.
His hot breath tickled and burned her skin. She
angled her head to the side, granting him more access. He nibbled
on her earlobe, and then trailed down her neck with his tongue,
sending ripples of desire through her.

His mouth never broke contact with her
flesh as he worked his way up to her mouth. She was lost in his
kiss, his scent, his bold confidence. She pulled back slightly,
searching his face. Her mind was flooded with things she wanted to
say—things she needed him to understand before they took this step.
But with his mouth sealed over hers, and his tongue mingling with
hers in a heated frenzy, she couldn’t pull away, or form
words.

Aidan gripped the hem of Katie’s shirt
and lifted it over her head, tossing it aside before removing her
bra and traveling over her breasts. He unbuttoned her shorts,
letting them slide to the floor, and waited for her to step around
them.

She ran her hands over his bare chest,
framing his outline as she took him in with her eyes. Her fingers
gently glided down his abdomen to his khaki cargo shorts, and
unfastened the button and zipper. Carefully, she moved the fabric
over him, until they dropped to the floor. Her breath hitched when
she realized he wasn’t wearing anything under the
shorts.

Aidan’s strong hands rested on her
hips for a moment before sliding up, following the curve of her
waist, and over each breast. Her soft moan was the invitation he
needed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the
bed.

Katie swept her hair up onto the
pillow as Aidan gently laid her down. The way he looked at her with
intense black eyes and a slight knowing grin sent a surge of fear
through her veins. Her body tensed, trying to push back the
memories that now haunted her.

“
Are you okay?”

“
Mmm hmm,” she answered,
keeping her eyes closed so he wouldn’t see the lie behind them.
“Wait.” She laid a hand on his chest, pushing him back far enough
to look into his eyes.

“
You can trust me,
Katie.”

His eyes softened and Katie tried to
relax, realizing he wasn’t the reason for her nightmares. He knew
nothing of her past, and wasn’t treating her as if he had any clue.
“I know,” she said, sliding her hand around the back of his head
and pulling him back down to her. He traveled down her neck to her
breast, flicking her nipple with his tongue and taking it between
his teeth until she whimpered. When his lips met the flesh just
above her ankle, she lolled her head back in pleasure and gripped
the fabric of the comforter.

He took his time tracing his fingers
up her leg, gently kissing her most tender areas. She had no idea
that a man’s lips just inside her knee could cause such a
spine-tingling sensation. By the time he got to her inner thigh she
was sure she would detonate. “Oh God, Aidan,” she cried
out.

He continued the exquisite torture,
sending a sensation through Katie’s body that she could only equate
with the feeling of lava spreading through her muscles.

“
I want you, baby.” Aidan
breathed into her ear.

“
Take me,” she
pleaded.

Reaching down, he trailed over her
stomach until he reached her lace panties. Katie heard the fabric
snap on one side and then the other. In one quick motion, Aidan
slid the remaining material from underneath her. He dipped two
fingers inside of her, plunging deeper with each of her moans.
Pulling out to drag his fingers across the bundle of nerves,
holding all of her sexual tension, she cried out as the orgasm
spurred her to body to quiver.

After tearing open a foil packet to
make sure they were protected, Aidan lowered himself over her,
resting on his forearms, and at the same time his mouth met hers,
he was inside of her.

Wrapping her legs around his back, she
encouraged him to move faster, harder. With each thrust, she
whimpered in pleasure, hoping he would never stop. Her body began
to shudder in frenzied spasms as another powerful orgasm soared
through her, reaching every part of her body.

Aidan groaned into her ear as he found
his release. He rested his forehead beside her on the pillow and
let out a slight chuckle. “Damn, that was amazing.”

“
Mmm hmm.” Katie kept her
eyes closed, savoring the sensations that lingered in her body.
Aidan caressed her skin and held her in his arms for the better
part of an hour before taking her again.

Thirty-Seven

Afternoon rolled in like a speeding
train. Katie lay in the sun soaking up the last bit of their time
in Cape Hatteras, thinking about a future with Aidan. He brought
feelings she had never experienced before—danger, intrigue, an
intoxicating adrenaline rush, and he was constantly pushing her
limits.

She sipped on her ice cold Bay Breeze
and watched Aidan step out of the pool and walk over to her, all
male and muscle. He leaned over and shook the water out of his hair
onto her stomach, the wet spray cooling her off and making her
giggle.

“
Anything you want to do
before we go?” he asked, lying back in the lounge chair next to
hers.

“
This is pretty
blissful.”

“
It’s been a great
weekend, right?”

Katie agreed. The entire weekend was
magical and unforgettable. They rode horses along the beach, swam
and enjoyed cocktails by the pool, took long rides on the
motorcycle, and relished exploring each other. She wondered how
things would progress once they left the Cape.