Marissa was fully involved in pulling up the carpet in the small third bedroom, the sounds of Sweet Caroline bumping through the headphones covering her ears. Her bottom, clad in denim cut offs, wiggled in time to the music. Her pale pink tank top clung to her sweat-dampened rib cage and her hair was pulled into a ponytail.
Singing along with the music, she reached out and grabbed the corner of the old avocado green shag carpet and pulled. At first it started to come up easily then it got more stubborn. She pulled and tugged, determined to get the ugly carpet up. Bracing her booted feet apart, Marissa gave a ferocious yell and a huge pull, the muscles in her biceps bulging. Up, damn floor!
to have her ass hit the floor behind her.
But it didn’t happen.
Instead, she found herself plowing into a pair of strong, steely arms, landing against a muscular chest. Her head slammed against a hard abdomen, her neck bending up awkwardly.
Marissa blinked her blue eyes, magnified behind the safety glasses she wore, and looked up into the amused face of Aaron Mathews. Her breath froze in her throat and she was suddenly paralyzed.
She couldn’t move. All she could do was gaze into his twinkling brown eyes and gasp for breath. The heat from his hands felt as if it scorched the flesh of her lower breasts where his hands grasped her, the warmth of his belly penetrating her neck muscles.
She stayed motionless until she felt something long, hot, and growing more solid by the second pressing along her spine. She suddenly sprang to her feet and whirled to glare at Aaron.
“What the hell are you doing here? You scared me to death.”
“Well, if you’re worried about people walking in on you, you need to keep your front door locked.” His voice was gruff, belying the twinkle in his eyes.
“I did lock the door,” she protested.
“Then how am I in here? I rang the bell and knocked and knocked but Larry was the only one who answered. He let me come on in and led me right to you. Great watch dog.”
Marissa pushed aside the insult to her dog as she mulled over the unlocked door. She thought sure she had locked the door when she came back in from the quick run to the store she’d made earlier that day. She remembered carrying in the groceries and then her phone had rung. Chloe called. She must have been distracted and forgot to lock the door. Damn! She had to be more careful. After all, there was a killer on the loose.
“And then you throw yourself at me again.” Aaron couldn’t contain his grin. “I thought I warned you about that.”
Heat blazed into Marissa’s cheeks. He needed to knock off the teasing. “Did you come over just to pick a fight? If so, I’m ready.”
Aaron held his hands up defensively. “Easy there, Tyson. I only wanted to see if you had power or if I needed to start checking fuses. Obviously, you have power.”
Marissa planted her fists on her curvaceous hips and jutted her chin at him.
“Then you have your answer. You may go.”
“What if I don’t want to go? Are you going to make me?” His voice taunted her and she felt her anger spike even higher.
“You are an arrogant, cocky, asshole.” She fired back, her eyes shooting sparks.
Aaron acknowledged her acquiescence by deepening his kiss. His hands rose up her back, slipping across her skin and delving into her hair. His palms cupped her head as she allowed it to fall backward, exposing her long neck. His lips were drawn like a magnet, feasting on the delicate flesh.
She couldn't stop the moan from escaping her throat. It seemed like she'd been awaiting this moment forever. It was magical, mystical. She felt herself propelled from actuality into a land of enchantment and reality no longer existed.
Aaron’s hands streaked down her back and massaged her muscles, soothing them into a mass of jelly. As he continued his kneading she felt her knees give way, and her body sinking to the floor. He followed her down, cradling her next to him, pulling her hips next to his. His fingers slid to her ass cheeks, rubbing, relaxing. A feeling of peace flooded through her.
His hands ran beneath her tank top, scalding the flesh of her abdomen. She felt a shiver as his hands continue upward, cupping her breasts in his palms. The balls of his thumbs raked over her rock hard nipples, sending waves of heat washing through her.
He quickly divested her of her pink lace bra and raised her top to expose her breasts to his vision. He gazed momentarily then drove his mouth to her right breast and sucked the nipple into the damp cavern, his tongue flipping across the fleshy nub.
Marissa’s back arched, sending her breast further into his mouth. His teeth bit down gently, sending a spear of pleasure-pain through to her uterus, creating a spasm of feeling. Their moans joined together in a chorus of passion.
Marissa couldn’t seem to stop her hands from roaming, stroking his neck and rambling over his taut abdomen. They delved under his T-shirt and relished in the firm, hot feel of his skin. Soon her lips followed her fingers, tasting, nipping at his flesh.
His words, along with his lips as they traced over the upper slopes of her breasts, sent shivers slithering through her. She had to admit now that she was in his arms she had never forgotten her attraction to him from years ago, never really pushed him out of her mind. Why, why, why did he have to be a player?
But was he really? She hadn’t actually seen him act like a player, ever. He was always laid back, his sense of humor shining through. She knew he spent much of his spare time taking care of his parents, working on his house, and writing his new book. He loved his dog. He didn’t really live a lavish lifestyle or spend a lot of money on entertainment like Dom had. And he cared about her; otherwise he wouldn’t have shown up at her open house the other day, trying to protect her.
The realization sank in. She had misjudged him. She’d tarred him with the same brush as she had Dominic, but Dom deserved it, Aaron didn’t. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and she had been about to condemn this man without a trial, found him guilty of another man’s crimes. And she might have missed out on the best sex of her life.