Chapter 9
LEAH
Finally, it’s time to bring my mother home from the hospital.
She’s reacting well to the new medication and feels better than she has in months.
I glance down at Aaden’s hand holding mine.
We’ve been hanging out almost every night, talking, going to the movies, and having dinner on a regular basis.
The more time I spend with him, the more I fall for him.
As scary as that is, I feel like my life is finally returning to normal.
“So, have you told your mother about me?” Aaden asks as we walk to her room.
“I may have mentioned you a time or two.”
“Really?” He grins. “And what did you say?”
I smile up at him as we stop just outside of her room. “That you’re my sex slave, and you do whatever I ask.”
Before he can reply, I push open the door and walk inside. My mom is sitting in the chair, dressed and ready to go.
“Somebody’s impatient,” I say as I bend down and kiss her cheek. “Looks like you’re all ready to go.”
She hugs me gently. “You have no idea how ready I am.” She glances up at Aaden and then back to me.
“Is this the young man you’ve been telling me about?”
I smile as I wrap my hands around his bicep and gaze up at him. “Mom, this Aaden.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ward,” he says, stepping forward, carefully taking her hand, and kissing the back of it.
“Oh my,” she says with a shy smile. “I think he’s a keeper, Leah.”
I bite my lip and blush as Aaden gives me a wink.
“Well, let’s get you outta here.” I pull my gaze from him and bend down to pick up her bag.
Aaden steps to my mother’s side and gently helps her stand.
After getting her into the wheelchair, he takes her bag from me then runs to pull the car around as my mother signs the last of the paperwork.
A few minutes later, the nurse and I wheel her down and help her into the front seat of my car.
After a short drive, we arrive at my mother’s house, and Aaden hurries to open her door. He holds her hand, the other on her elbow, and walks her inside while I follow behind with her bag. After getting her settled in her recliner, I lay a blanket across her lap and go to the kitchen to fix dinner.
“Need an extra pair of hands?” Aaden asks as I’m pulling vegetables out to chop.
“I never turn down kitchen help.” I chuckle. “You can cut the onion. It makes me cry.” I toss the onion to him and point to a drawer where the knives are kept.
“It’s my mission to never see you cry again,” he says as he brushes by me.
I can feel my face flush crimson, and I quickly return to the task of chopping celery. He still makes me nervous. I’ve placed a few chicken breasts in the oven and already have a large pot of water heating on the stove.
“What are we making anyway?”
“My famous chicken noodle soup.”
He stops chopping and folds his arms as he looks at me. “If it’s famous, why haven’t I had it before?”
I turn to him and cross my arms to mock his stance. “I only make it for special people.”
He cocks an eyebrow as he reaches over and picks up half of the onion. “Oh really?” he grins. He lunges forward, holding the onion up to my face. I squeal and grab at his arm as he tries to shove the onion under my nose.
“Are you okay in there?” my mother calls from the living room.
We both freeze, staring at each other playfully with stupid grins on our faces. “We’re fine,” I yell, still holding his wrists and giggling.
I let go, and he retreats. “See what you did? You got us in trouble.” He grins. I stick my tongue out at him then giggle when he tosses an onion skin at me.
After an hour, the soup is ready, and Aaden helps my mother to the table. I ladle up three bowls then settle next to her as I watch Aaden lift a large spoonful of soup to his mouth.
He closes his eyes and smiles. “Remind me to call you when I’m sick.”
“I taught her everything I know about cooking,” my mother says as she pats my knee under the table.
I look at her and laugh. “You never cooked.”
Her face twists into a confused expression. “Oh yeah. Well, I don’t know where the hell she learned it from then.”
Aaden chuckles as he scoops in another mouthful. I grin as I watch my mom take her first bite. She’s like her old self again, and I can only pray that it lasts for a while.
After dinner, my mother excuses herself, and I help her get ready for bed. She gets worn out easily, so we have to limit her activity. By the time I return, Aaden has cleared the table and washed all the dishes.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I say as he places the leftover soup in the fridge.
“Didn’t want either of you to have to worry about it.”
I slip my hands around his waist and press my cheek to his chest. “Thank you.”
He holds me close and presses his lips to my head. “My pleasure.”
I close my eyes, loving the feel of being in his arms. The past week has been amazing.
“Come on, let’s watch some T.V.” I pull him into the living room, and we curl up together on the couch to watch a movie.
Aaden’s arm is draped around me as he holds me against his chest. We don’t even make it twenty minutes in before he starts kissing the side of my neck. “What are you doing?” I ask, smiling.
“Making out with my girlfriend on her mom’s couch,” he whispers as he runs his tongue up the side of my neck.
I lean back against him, enjoying the sensation. “You’re a bad influence.”
“Are you telling me you don’t like it?”
He bites my ear, and a tingling sensation shoots straight to my stomach. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I never said that.”
I turn to face him, smiling seductively as I take his face into my hands and kiss him.
His arms close around me. Our tongues slide against one another’s in a heated, sexy dance.
I can feel his heart pounding just as hard as my own.
The knowledge that I affect him as much as he does me gives me a sense of power, and without thinking, my hand slides down between us and rests on his crotch.
He sucks in a breath as I squeeze the hard bulge before I rub my hand up and down the length.
He makes a deep sound in the back of his throat and pulls away, his expression intensely serious.
“Leah,” he breathes. “If you don’t want this to go any farther, I think you better stop.”
With our mouths barely touching, I smile. “Maybe I don’t want, too,” I tease. I press a little harder, my hand still moving. His back stiffens as he bites his lower lip and closes his eyes.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me right now,” he growls.
“I can tell,” I smirk as I watch his face. I like this power.
“Leah, I’m serious.” He breaths deeply and opens his eyes. His pupils are so wide, his eyes are almost black. “You really need to stop.” My hand freezes, but I keep it firmly pressed against him. He shakes his head. “I really don’t want to do this in your mother’s house.”
And it’s those words that bring me to my senses. I take a deep breath and remove my hand. “You have a point.” I sigh as I sit up and move away from him to the other end of the couch.
He adjusts himself and releases a long breath. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” He grins.
Shit, what was I thinking? I frown and look down at my hands. “I’m sorry.”
He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing it. “I’m kidding, and you know I’m ready whenever you are. But I don’t think your mom’s house is the right place for our first time.”
I laugh. “Let’s just finish watching the movie.”
“Good idea,” he says as he pulls me back against him and wraps his arms around me once again. After the movie is over, I walk him to the door and kiss him goodnight.
“I’ll see you at work on Monday.” I lift up onto my toes and press a soft kiss to his lips.
“I’ll make sure to take plenty of cold showers between now and then.” He winks.
I giggle. “Thank you again for today.”
“It was my pleasure.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “I’ll see you Monday.”
I watch as he makes his way to his car and drives off. Once he’s gone, I close the door and head to my old room. After I quickly wash my face, I climb into my old bed and snuggle under the covers. My thoughts immediately turn to Aaden. God, I’m seriously falling for him.
So many emotions settle over me as I stare up at the ceiling.
I’m excited that this amazing man seems to genuinely be interested in me, but I’m terrified of getting hurt again.
I think about the past week and how wonderful and understanding he’s been.
He could have totally taken advantage of the situation tonight.
I turn over and squeeze my pillow. Ugh, am I ready to do this again?
Am I ready to trust someone with my feelings?
With my heart? I want this to work; I want an intimate relationship with Aaden.
He is the perfect guy in so many ways. And he wants me!
I toss and turn for what seems like hours, but I can’t stop thinking about him, about what we could have and how it could be so perfect or so wrong.
I drift off with these heavy thoughts and wake in the morning with an even heavier heart.
I dreamt of a wedding. My wedding, but Aaden wasn’t the man I was marrying.
My groom was Tyler Hale. Then he changed to Chase and then to Noah.
I’m confused as to why I would dream of anyone other than Aaden.
He is the one I want, not Tyler, not Chase, and not Noah.
That’s when it hits me. I’m feeling guilty about my dates with the three of them.
About kissing them and not telling Aaden.
I have been dodging their calls all week.
Sure, there was sexual attraction with each of them, but that’s all it is.
I don’t have romantic feelings for them. Not like the feelings I have for Aaden.