Chapter Six
“What are you doing tonight?” Aaron asked. He felt so damn stupid. He’d made himself that fucking promise years ago—Never get involved, Aaron. Stay away from anything other than a one-night stand. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to settle down. Eventually. But he didn’t even know where he was going to be next week, let alone long-term. And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way her hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves. How her smile made his chest squeeze. Hell, she walked into the damn room and he could barely breathe. And when he heard about that will? The thought of her hooking up with some random guy to get money didn’t sit well with him. Not that he could do anything about it. There was one thing that he could control, though. And it started with picking up the phone and holding her to her agreement to another date.
Yep. He was fucking stupid.
“I didn’t have much planned,” said Jill. “Just taking Emily to dance at four, and then I’m free the rest of the night.”
He took a deep breath. He’d long since shed the gawky teenager persona. “Can you get a sitter tonight?”
A long paused lapsed on her end. “Why?”
“I’m taking you out to dinner.” It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t giving her an easy out. He needed to prove that he wasn’t like the rest of them, that she could trust him, even if only for one more night. He didn’t give himself time to think about why it was so important to him.
Just the way she responded to him, he could tell she hadn’t been doted on in a very long time. He may only have one more night with her, but he’d treat her like the queen she was.
“Is that so? You didn’t even ask nicely,” she teased.
“I didn’t think you liked when I asked for things nicely.”
Her throat cleared on the other end of the line, and Aaron smiled, pleased to know he could elicit a reaction over the phone.
“I’ll put a few calls out and see if I can find someone to babysit.”
Aaron frowned, thinking about how much work it was for her just to go out to dinner. So much responsibility on her shoulders. The conversation about that stupid will kept playing over in his head. If she was that strapped for cash, he’d gladly lend her money, although Jill would be too proud to take it. Maybe he’d bring it up tonight at dinner, because it never hurt to offer.
…
Aaron fixed the top button on his dress shirt for the fifteenth time and stretched his neck, staring at the doorbell. As his sergeant had always hammered into him, talk was cheap. Let your actions speak for themselves. He’d forgone his typical T-shirt and jeans and went with a button-up and khakis. He’d tried to put Jill’s problem in the back recesses of his mind, but he’d just gotten more pissed the more he thought about the situation.
He jammed his finger onto the doorbell and shoved his hands in his pockets while he waited for her to open the door. Aaron’s breath lodged in his throat as the door swung open, revealing Jill in a pencil skirt and a red top that dipped into her cleavage, the swells of her breasts on full display.
He was staring. But dammit, he’d never seen anyone so beautiful. Say something, asshole.
“You look amazing,” he said, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Not too bad yourself. A button-up just for me? I’m impressed.”
“I can clean up when the occasion calls for it.” This was what he’d been missing with other women. The comfort. The back and forth that he could keep going.
“I’m ready if you are.” She held out her hand.
He took it in his own, her palm so small and delicate beneath his.
She looked up at him with those big, brown eyes, and he swallowed hard. You’re getting in over your head, asshole. “Do I get any hints on where you’re taking me tonight?”
“It’s a surprise.” In fact, he’d never let anyone know how long he’d debated over where to take her.
“This isn’t where you take me to a dark alley and steal my worldly possessions, is it?”
“If I wanted to do that, I’d just walk into your house right now. No need to waste my gas.”
She swatted his chest. “Ass.”
He smiled. Her easy banter had always made him smile.
After helping her into the truck, he got in on his side and started down the freeway. Any other guy might take her out to a fancy Italian restaurant, but they’d be making a cardinal mistake—she hated Italian. Or at least, she did when she was in high school. He reckoned her taste buds hadn’t changed that much since then.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that had been a favorite of theirs when they were teens. In fact, he hadn’t been there since graduation night. The next morning, he shipped off to basic training and hadn’t looked back.
He glanced over at Jill, decked out and way too fancy for a dive bar, and wondered if he’d made the wrong choice in taking her here.
His doubts faded when she eyed the sign and a smile spread across her face. “Iguana Mia! I haven’t been to this place in years.” It still held the same sun-faded sign. The neon lettering below was still missing the “M” in the name. The food more than made up for the building’s tacky facade.
“Figured it’d be nice to singe off at least a few of my taste buds while I’m in town.” He breathed in the maize, spices, and savory meats that were cooking in the kitchen toward the back of the building.
Iguana Mia didn’t have a hostess, so Jill and Aaron chose a booth in the corner.
As he sat there across from her, it finally sunk in. Shit, he was on a date. An actual date with Jill. He clutched his menu harder. Hell, he’d decided what he was going to order before he even entered the restaurant, but needed something to do with his hands. His heart rate ticked up several notches, and Aaron gritted his teeth, cursing that he’d knotted his tie too tightly. Calm the hell down. It was dinner, not security detail. This should be a piece of cake.
A server brought chips and salsa and two glasses of water, and left them to figure out their order.
Jill took a sip of her ice water, and that furrow between her brows returned. What was going on in that head of hers? He hadn’t been at this level of alertness since his tours overseas. Which was ridiculous—he wasn’t going to war. He was on a date. They’d grown up together. This shouldn’t be awkward. “I’m glad we’re doing this,” she said.
“Me, too. Last time ended a little abruptly.”
“Which time? Where you valiantly saved me from car troubles, or when you terrorized me in my Mama’s house?”
He folded the menu and flattened it on the table. “I’d hardly say I terrorized you.” If so, that wasn’t his intention. Her breathy moans and the slickness between her thighs told a different story. His dick turned to granite at the thought. He cleared his throat and chose a safer topic. “How’s your car?”
“It’s been running great the past week.” She mashed her lips together and looked up at him through thick lashes. “Thank you, by the way.”
“Because it’s not on death’s door anymore,” he mused. “It was really no trouble.”
She worried her bottom lip. His thumb itched to reach across the table and release it from her teeth. To take her mouth in his own. To press every inch of him against her soft curves.
“You’re always there for me—you know that?” she said. “These past few months have just been a head-fuck. With Grammy getting sick, Emily’s new school, and starting a second job, it’s been a whirlwind. So, thank you for taking my mind off that for a few minutes.”
“If it’s cash you need, I’m more than happy to lend you some.”
Both brows shot up her forehead, like she couldn’t believe someone would offer that up to her. “I can’t take your money.” Her voice hitched on the last word.
He saw it in her eyes. How damn tired she was. The look of someone defeated. He’d seen that look on soldiers halfway through tours and after video chats with their families. And even if he’d known that answer was coming, he still couldn’t shake the feeling he needed to help her. This woman deserved a fucking break in life.
“C’mon, Jill. No strings attached, I can loan you whatever you need.”
“I can’t. I just wish there was some way to get around this whole will thing.”
It was pride holding her back from taking him up on his offer. He just couldn’t sit back and watch her work herself to the bone, and the thought of her hooking up with another man to get her grandmother’s money grated against him like steel on steel. He’d rather put his hand in a blender than see her do this to herself. He couldn’t let that happen. There had to be a solution.
And then it hit him.
“Marry me.” What the hell just came out of his mouth?
Her eyes bugged. “What?”
Shit. Abort mission. “I—” He couldn’t take it back now. He’d said it aloud. And even if it was only a half-formed idea, it was an actual solution. A stupid one, but one nonetheless. “Grammy dealt you a shit hand with the will…” He trailed off. This was insane. Certifiably fucking insane. It overstepped on so many levels, and yet, the words were coming out of his mouth. “Let’s just do it. You’ll get the money fair and square, no loans.”
She stopped chewing her chip and gaped at him. “You—want to marry me?”
“It’d be a means to an end. It’s a shitty situation, but why not capitalize on it if you can?” He slid his hand down the droplets of water on his glass. This was not how he saw getting married, or asking someone to marry him. Then again, he hadn’t exactly been planning on asking her.
She finished chewing her chip, took a sip of water, and a long moment passed where she stared him down. “That is the shittiest proposal I’ve ever gotten.” Aaron realized how very stupid it was to offer. Jill wasn’t one to take favors. He was surprised she let him fix her car. She cleared her throat and said, “And that’s saying a lot, because Lenny had Frito breath when he asked me in high school.”
“Lenny didn’t know his dick from his asshole. I’m surprised he could stop looking at himself in the mirror long enough to ask you properly.” Jill had horrible taste in men. Besides Mia and Kate, Aaron had been her shoulder to cry on. He could fill a damn swimming pool with the number of tears she’d spilled over boys.
“He might have had a pocket mirror behind me, who knows.” Her lips twitched. “All joking aside—are you serious?”
He saw the questions swirling in her eyes. Why are you doing this, Aaron? What’s in this for you?
She’d been burned by enough men in her lifetime; it wasn’t surprising she didn’t trust many people. Weren’t they a damn pair.
“I’m serious. I’ll be there for you, no matter what, you know that—no strings attached.” It killed him to say those three words, but he wanted her to say yes. Needed her to. This woman needed a break in life, and dammit, he’d be the one to give it to her.
She waved a chip around. “Then you’re going to have to do better than that. Even a fake, impromptu proposal should have some grandiose element to it.”
He chuckled and got down on his knee. “Fine. You’re right. Where are my manners?” He grabbed his straw wrapper, made a loop, and twisted it into a makeshift ring, tucking in the ends. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “Jillian Jane Michaels, will you take me to be your fake husband for an undetermined amount of time? It’d be my honor to cheat the system with you.” He slipped the wrapper onto her ring finger.
Before she even had time to answer, Mariachi music blared through the sound system set up in the corners of the small restaurant and the employees came out clapping, donning sombreros. Everyone in the restaurant clapped, and Aaron realized what a bad idea it was to do this in public. Of course, people loved proposals.
“Oh, a happy couple, congratulations! Let me see the ring!” one of the servers said.
Jill turned a deep shade of red as she displayed her left hand and the wrapper.
The server turned her gaze to Aaron, and he didn’t need to be a mind-reader to know what she was thinking behind the daggers in her eyes.
“Spur of the moment decision,” Aaron added as the server gave him a speculative look. Yeah, lady. If the time comes when I’m actually ready to settle down, there’ll be a big rock on my woman’s hand. This wasn’t that time.
After the music stopped and everyone went back to eating, and they’d finished their own meals, the server brought an empanada for the two of them to share.
Jill took a bite with her fork and groaned. “We should get engaged more often. Maybe we can do it at Chipotle? You think they’d throw in free guac?”
“You’re taking this working the system mentality to a whole new level.”
She took another bite of the dessert and smiled. “Why think small, my friend?”
“You’re right. Next time I’ll think on a larger scale. We’ll con the entire food industry.” He set down his fork and swiped at his face with his napkin, just to give himself something to do. “You never gave me an answer. Are you agreeing to this?” The thought of having a wife scared the shit out of him, even if this thing was a sham.
She scooped up a dollop of whipped cream, and Aaron unapologetically stared as she licked it off the tines of her fork, thinking about what she’d done with her tongue while his cock had been in her mouth. His dick twitched in response. Maybe this whole thing didn’t need to be terrifying. There had to be some perks.
“It depends,” she said, sucking off the remnants from the tines. Dammit, did she know what she was doing? He’d take her here on the table if he thought he could get away with it.
“On?” he managed to say.
“What do you get out of the deal?”
He shook his head. “I don’t need anything.” He ignored the bruise to his ego that she didn’t even trust him. Even if he did just spring this on her, it wasn’t like he was in this to fuck and then run at the first opportunity.
She raised a brow. “Bullshit. Everyone has ulterior motives. Even a saint like you has to have some reason for getting roped into such a crazy scheme.”
He laid his palms flat on the table. “Nothing.”
She raised a brow. “Absolutely nothing?”
“Well, I mean, if you throw in a few shortbread cookies, I wouldn’t object.”
She drummed her nails on the mottled surface of the table, taking a moment to process. Jill never did things the easy way, especially negotiating anything. It took them at least forty minutes of back and forth to decide on where to eat when they were kids. “Not buying it. You’re a good man, Aaron. But even good men want things in return.”
The hesitation in her eyes was a sucker punch to the chest. Her resignation to bad men coming in and out of her life made Aaron want to beat down every last person who did her wrong. Even if this whole situation was jacked, he didn’t want to be lumped into the same category as the other guys.
“Jill, I don’t know what I can say to make you think otherwise, but I’m here for you. I mean, I’m all for the perks if you are.” He lifted a suggestive brow. “But only if you want it.”
The way her face flushed, pink blooming from her cheeks down to her neck, she liked the idea of that. She mashed her lips together and played with the straw wrapper still on her ring finger. “I suppose there could be some benefits. But I have some parameters of my own.”
“Name ’em and they’re yours.”
“I’d like to keep Emily out of this as much as possible. She hasn’t had a father figure around, and no offense, but I don’t want her getting attached.” A fire blazed in her eyes, and he knew without a doubt she’d burn the world down if someone fucked with her kid.
“None taken.” Aaron loved kids, even wanted some of his own one day, but he’d never want to hurt one by leaving. Because that was what he planned to do—stay with Jill long enough that she could get her money, find a replacement to take over his dad’s business, and then have a fresh start at his new job.
“What about your mom? You’re just going to drop that bombshell on her?”
“She won’t have to know.”
“We are talking about the same person, right?” Somehow he doubted she wouldn’t catch on to this. “Won’t she notice if you’re suddenly not hurting for money?”
“I can handle her.” She swallowed hard. “I think.” She looked up at Aaron with those big, brown eyes, and his chest tightened. “The only person who needs to know is the lawyer. He’ll see our documentation, and then I can get the inheritance.” She paused and pushed a piece of empanada around on her plate with her fork, the tines scraping against the ceramic. “That sounds awful when I say it out loud.”
“It’s bullshit that she put you in that position. I know she was just trying to do right by you, but it’s your choice when and if you marry. And putting a time limit on it did you zero favors.” Jill deserved a good man. Someone who could give her the moon and stars and whatever the fuck else she wanted.
“I just wasn’t planning on getting married, you know?” She frowned. The urge to do anything to take the sadness out of Jill’s eyes hit him in the gut with tactical precision. “It was going to be me and Emily, just the two of us.”
“I wasn’t, either, but we’ll make this as quick and painless as possible.”
“It did say one thing in the contract…” She trailed off, suddenly very interested in cleaning her fork with a napkin.
“Yeah?”
“We need to be married for at least two months. I guess she was trying to make sure I didn’t, you know, try to find a fake husband for a week.”
Aaron would never speak ill of the dead, but dammit, Grammy didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. Anyone with two eyes could see that Jill had her shit together. She didn’t need a man to take care of her—she was doing that on her own. He’d wanted to be that man once. Wanted it badly. It seemed completely fitting that he was in no way ready for a relationship at the moment, not when he had a new job waiting for him. “I think she knew you pretty damn well.”
“True, but…oh God.” She dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. “This is just such a mess.”
He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb along the inside of her wrist. She shivered beneath his touch, and it took everything in Aaron to keep his mind on the task and not drag her from the table to his truck and have a repeat of last weekend. “We’ll take care of it. Together. A power couple.”
She chuckled. “Like those couples who work out together and use each other as weight-lifting equipment?”
Just seeing her laugh made his stomach drop. He’d do anything to make her smile, and that thought scared the living shit out of him. “If you ask me to wear matching spandex, I rescind my offer.”
“I could really see neon green being your color.”
“Good to know.” He smirked. “Where is Emily tonight?”
“With her grandma. She was more than happy to be a babysitter when she found out you were taking me out.”
“She really seems bent on you finding someone.” It didn’t surprise Aaron. Ever since Jill moved next door to him, it was hard to ignore the way Mrs. Michaels would snipe at her daughter. That was probably why Jill snuck out in high school and did everything humanly possible to piss off her mom.
“Yeah, she’s just upset about how things ended up with me and Jake.”
Aaron remembered him from high school. He was a couple of years older than both him and Jill. The fucker would always talk about girls like they were a piece of ass. He epitomized what people referred to as “locker room talk,” even though he and a couple others were the only ones who talked that way. When Aaron was on the football team, he talked mostly about the playbook, parties, and yeah, the occasional girl. But the way Jake talked, Aaron wanted to knock his teeth out. If he were still alive, he just might do that.
“You were better off without him. Emily is a great kid.”
“Yeah, she is. That school of hers is going to be the end of me, though. Always a different fee. Singing, new books, hell, even a fee for bathroom supplies.”
“No shit.”
She snorted and took another sip of water. “No pun intended, right?”
“Pun was definitely intended. Sounds intense.” No wonder she needed the money from the will so badly.
“I’d say my bank account is crying, but it’s so dried up, its tear ducts are clogged. You doing this is doing me the ultimate favor.” The pain in her eyes made Aaron’s stomach clench. He couldn’t imagine feeling that desperate. Dammit. He wished she’d just take some money from him right now, but he understood.
“It’s really no problem.” Aaron hadn’t even been in a stable relationship in years, since he was overseas. But how hard could a fake marriage be?
“Seriously, where were nice guys like you back in the day?”
He wanted to say Being nice was the problem. That was how he got delegated the best-friend status when he was younger. Not anymore. He didn’t have a problem speaking his mind. “Who knows? But I’m here now.” And he was a bastard, because although he was doing Jill a solid with the whole will addendum, this was still selfish as hell because he’d do just about anything for her—even if it meant going along with a fake marriage scheme. “I actually have one condition.”
He was hoping his parents would be able to overlook the fact that their only son was getting married and divorced without them being any the wiser. He did feel guilty about that. But he’d make it up to them if and when he finally decided to settle down.
Jill’s teeth grazed her bottom lip as her gaze raked over him. Mine. The instinct to claim her hit him so hard he nearly dropped his fork. He’d be hers for two months, enough time to get his father’s place sold and a new job lined up. “So, what are these conditions?” she asked.
“I want to take you out once a week. To dinner. I’d like to take you back to my bed, too, but that’s up to you.”
Jill shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. By the flush climbing up her cheeks, Aaron could safely assume she was thinking back to last weekend. Hell, the look on her face when she came undone would forever be imprinted on the backs of his eyelids. “Dinner once a week? That’s it?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
She drummed her fingers on the table and stared down at her plate, looking to be in deep contemplation. “I can manage that.”
“And Jill?”
“Yeah?”
“Just know, if you take up the second part of my offer, I’ll make sure Alcatraz remains a distant memory.”
She swallowed hard. “Good to know.” Her eyes flicked to his, lust written all over those flushed cheeks. “Are you tired of staying in that motel?”
“Nah.” Fuck, yes. If he had to listen to that goddamn ice machine at two a.m. for one more night, he’d likely lose his shit. But he didn’t want to think about that right now. He planned on making good on his other offer. “When do you have to pick up Emily?”
“I’m supposed to pick her up at ten.”
That gave him another two hours. He’d make good use of that small window. “Good. We have time, then.”
“For what?”
“The second part of our date.”
…
When Aaron said he had plans for the next part of the night, she didn’t envision having to keep her eyes closed to find out where she was going. It was beyond sweet that he took her to one of her favorite restaurants, and she kept thinking there had to be some catch, kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Aaron couldn’t just be this nice, even if she really wanted to believe it.
Just let it go.
Yeah, it was easier to dole out advice to herself than actually take it.
“Can I peek yet?”
“I see your patience level hasn’t changed in the last decade. Just a couple more minutes.”
“One of my many endearing qualities.” Why did his truck have to smell so good? Its leather held hints of sawdust and soap. She breathed in deeply, memorizing the scent.
“Maybe we have different definitions of endearing.”
She reached out and swatted his chest, still keeping her eyes closed. Her hand hit his stomach, and she might have broken a bone in her pinky. “You know, you could really hurt someone with those.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time you hit me.”
He caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips. The warmth of them as they grazed her skin sent her pulse racing. He kissed every knuckle, delicately, and then set both their hands in the space between them. Her insides turned to goo.
An image of a much younger Aaron departing for basic training flashed behind her eyes. The excitement that twinkled in his eyes as he hauled a single bag over his shoulder. And now, she could tell by his tone that he missed it. Made her wonder why he was discharged in the first place. “Why’d you leave the military?”
He maneuvered to lace their fingers together, and Jill fought to remember the last time she’d held someone’s hand, what it felt like to have her hand engulfed by one that was twice as large and calloused. He squeezed gently, and a flutter went through her. It was silly. This was such a simple contact, and yet it held an intimacy, a vulnerability. She squeezed back. And even though she had her eyes closed, she could feel his smile.
“It just wasn’t a good fit anymore. I want to do new things. Still feels like I’m deciding what those things are”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later. They say your twenties are for experimenting, and that your thirties are when you actually start to figure shit out. I’m looking forward to the next decade.”
“Two months in and I don’t feel any wiser.”
She smiled and leaned her head back against the seat, still keeping her eyes closed. Like this, she could tell him anything. Just like it used to be in high school. With him, she wouldn’t be afraid to share her secret desires, her dreams. The air in the truck cab pulsed with Aaron’s energy, a deep, low thrum that was packed with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
“I’ll figure it out eventually,” he said. “Just need to get my dad’s company in order first, and then start the new job.”
The tires of the truck rolled over gravel, and Aaron stopped and put the car in park.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
As soon as she opened her eyes, Jill was immediately transported back to high school. Sitting shotgun in Aaron’s car as they rode around town after football games. Sneaking out of their houses and making late-night trips to the beach. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered one night when they’d gone skinny dipping at the lake, the moon their only source of light as they swam.
“You brought me to Strawberry Ridge? The make-out point?” Stars shone bright in the inky black sky, not a light to be found for a solid half mile. The lake in front of them glistened, its calm waters giving a perfect reflection of the full moon. She’d been here many times as a teen. Never with Aaron. She decided that she wouldn’t regret not taking a chance with him back in high school, because she was a completely different person then, one that probably wouldn’t have appreciated Aaron for who he was.
“Figured if we’re going to do this whole marriage thing, might as well start it off with the fun part of dating.” He gave a conspiratorial grin. He cleared his throat and had the sense to look sheepish. “That is, if you want.”
“How very brazen of you.”
“I made a career out of taking risks.”
“And taking me here is a risk?”
He gripped the steering wheel, closed his eyes, and let out a loud sigh. “To my personal sanity, yes. I brought you here because I find you irresistible, and I need my hands on you right now or else I might actually go insane.”
“I see that communications emphasis really helped you,” she teased, trying to keep the mood light.
“If you prefer, I can tell you in three different languages what I want to do to you.”
“I’d prefer one I understand.” She looked at him, his features lit in the pale moonlight. “Do you think anyone will come out here?”
“No,” he said. His dark eyes sparkled, glinting with mischief.
She toyed with the edge of her skirt, giving her nervous fingers something to do. “So, did you come here a lot in high school?” she asked.
He looked at her and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You remember that Ed Hardy shirt collection?”
She laughed.
“Guess I should make up for lost time?”
“Tell me what gets you off.” Did those words really just come out of her mouth? It wasn’t smart, heading down this road again, but she wanted to hear what he really thought.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Well, this past week, I’ve only been able to think about you.”
“And what have you done about that?” That question deserved a self-high-five.
He looked at her again, probably wondering if she’d gone out of her mind. Maybe she had.
After a moment, he gave one long perusal over her and said, “I’d stroke off in my shower just thinking about you taking my cock in your hands.”
Her fingers drifted to the button of his khakis, unbuttoned it, and slowly undid the fly. Her hand slid between his pants and his boxer briefs and wrapped her fingers around his dick. He sucked a breath through his teeth, and his eyes followed as she slowly stroked.
“And what would I do next?” She looked up at him, eager to continue.
He swallowed hard. “You’d take me in your mouth.”
She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted over, her hair rustling as she shifted. “Is this what you wanted, Aaron?” Her fingers tugged at the band of his boxer briefs, and his cock sprung out of his pants.
He caught her hand before she was able to make contact with his erection. “I need to know you want to do this. That you’re not doing this because I’m going to be your fake husband.”
“I want to do this.” At that, he released her hand, and she wrapped it around his hard length. “Tell me, what did I do next in your fantasy?” She did want to do this. She liked the way his eyes fluttered shut, how this big, stoic man lost his resolve under her touch.
“Take it in your mouth, and I’ll show you.”
Her fingers moved to the base of his cock, and she leaned down and took a slow lick around the head. He pressed the back of his skull into the headrest and clutched the armrest on his door. “Shit.” She smiled to herself. She wondered what other expletives she could make come from his mouth.
Her hair spilled over, brushing against the skin around his shaft, and the only sound in the car was the wet sound of Jill taking his cock to the base, then back up again, stroking in measured, steadied tugs. Aaron’s breath turned ragged.
“Enough, Jill. Any more and I’m going to come in your mouth.”
She pulled away, smiling, her lips wet and glistening in the moonlight. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“This was supposed to be my fantasy, right?”
“Right. So, what happens next?”
He shifted and slid her down onto the bench seat. His lips were on her skin, lighting a path down her shirt. His fingers made deft work of the buttons, and soon her bra was exposed, Aaron’s warm hands palming her breasts. His fingers slipped under the lace, and he took her nipple between his thumb and index and tweaked. A garbled sound escaped her lips as she levitated off the bench. Aaron’s touch made everything else drop away.
He laid her flat and looked down at her with greedy eyes. Just like that, he went from sweet to holy hell in a matter of seconds. She liked this side, how it made her skin turn to pins and needles. “Unhook your bra,” he demanded.
A thrill shot through her at his bossy words. She did as he said, no hesitation, and unclasped the front of her bra, exposing her breasts.
“Gorgeous.” He dipped his head down to take a nipple in his mouth.
She arched her back, pushing closer to him, greedy for more.
“I want you on top of me, riding my cock.”
He pulled a foil packet from his jeans, sheathed himself, and pulled her onto his lap. Her skirt pushed past her thighs as she straddled him, the bottom of the steering wheel digging into the small of her back. As he looked at her with hungry eyes, a dire need for him bloomed across the space between her thighs. She loved that he was so open, so honest. She trusted him. Why had she even thought he was like every other guy, with ulterior motives? She wouldn’t be making that mistake again with Aaron.
His fingers climbed up the inside of her thighs until his thumb reached the edge of her panties. “You know what drives me insane?”
“What’s that?”
“That you’re so fucking wet. How bad do you want this?”
She whimpered as his thumb circled her clit, her knees trembling on either side of his. His other hand gripped her ass. She found herself leaning into his touch, her hips bucking. “So much.”
With one quick tug, he ripped the delicate lace of her panties and threw the scrap of fabric to the floor. “Ride me, Jill.”
She edged over his cock, teasing it with her entrance.
Aaron’s hands gripped her sides and slowly guided her down his shaft. As he plunged into her, sparks flew across her lids.
“Shit.”
She looked into his hooded eyes, heat warming her whole body. Maybe this whole fake marriage thing wouldn’t be so bad. Aaron was sexy, confident, and someone that she could trust to help her when she was in a bind. Their pace increased, and the windows to the truck steamed up at the bottom.
His hand moved down to her ass and gripped hard. Jill groaned as the ecstasy of the rough touch made her clench harder around his cock. There’d be handprints tomorrow, and she liked knowing Aaron was leaving some type of mark on her, that she’d have something to remember this was real. His fingers massaged, working closer to her entrance, and she could feel the familiar rush of release building up. His other hand worked at her breast, and he took her nipple in his mouth, giving a hard suck. A moan ripped out of her throat. Sensory overload—so many things happening at once, her body didn’t even know how to respond. She realized that was what Aaron had done ever since he got back into town. He’d turned her whole world upside down.
She continued to work up and down his cock, on the edge, so close. His fingers slid back to her clit and pressed hard.
He swallowed her scream with a kiss as she rolled over the edge and rode out her orgasm. That was it. He had branded her with an invisible mark. One that said she’d be forever changed, that she deserved to be treated better. Hell, she deserved sex like this every time. She realized being married to the guy for two months really wouldn’t be that bad. Not at all.
After dropping Jill off at her house, Aaron drove back to the motel, sat in the parking lot, and pounded his head against the steering wheel of his truck. Marriage? Was he delusional? Completely. Because he lost all total fucking sense when it came to Jill Michaels. That’d always been the case, though. And now she was going to be Mrs. Jill Collins for a few months.
He allowed himself a second to let the name roll around on his tongue. He had to admit the name sounded good. He’d seen enough marriages go sour for his army buddies that he knew to stay far, far away from anything that required long-term commitment, at least until he was settled into some semblance of a stable career.
As soon as he managed to open his door, he threw the lock and then flopped down on the bed. The mattress squeaked in protest, and Aaron closed his eyes, still able to smell Jill’s shampoo on his shirt.
He was too keyed up to fall asleep, so he made his way to the bathroom and started the shower. Peeling off his clothes, he grinned as he observed the nail marks raking down his chest and across his back. He took pleasure in the fact that he was able to elicit a carnal reaction from her. He wondered if she had marks on her ass from where he’d gripped her. It was selfish, but he’d meant to hold her that hard, to give a reminder of his hands on her.
He moved to the shower and stood under the spray until his world started piecing back together. This woman pushed him to the edge of a space he hadn’t been in years—the place between sanity and desperation. Because that’s what Jill did to him, he realized. Made him desperate in a way he never knew was possible.
As soon as he finished washing up, he wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door to find his phone buzzing on the nightstand. Sam’s name flashed across the screen.
Aaron picked it up before it could go to voicemail. “Sup?”
“Haven’t heard from you in a week. Just checking in to see if you’re still alive down there.”
“Barely. I’m gonna need some more time down here. Possibly another month or so.”
“Take your time. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nah. It’ll all get taken care of.” Hopefully. This was turning into a fucking mess. “Thanks, man.”
“You all right? You sound different.”
With the prospect of delaying the start of his new job even more, he didn’t know what to feel at the moment.