Haunted by You- Obsession, page 4
part #1 of Shattered Lives Series
“I’m sorry about that stupid comment I made at dinner."
"Forget about it. I know how you feel about Kent."
"Well, at least one of us knows."
"I thought you loved him."
"That was before."
"Before what?"
"Before you. You idiot," I tell him, rolling my eyes at his grin, even though I secretly love when he does it. I know the dirty thoughts that are usually behind it. It’s such a boyish thing to do.
"Have I gone and thrown a wrench in your plans, Allie?”
“What plans?”
“To run Jen off and win Kent all for yourself." He grins again, but this time I want to smack him for it. My mouth falls open at him revealing my secret plan. Clearly, it’s not so secret anymore.
"Who told you,” I ask, before thinking about it. There is only one person who I told that too. She vowed to help me. “Brooke. I swear I’m going to kill her one of these days. The girl can’t keep anything to herself.”
“I can’t believe you ever thought she could.”
“Well, in my defense, I was fourteen. I know better now." Sometimes, I really hate the fact that I've known these people for so long. I couldn't keep a secret from any of them if I tried.
“Is that right,” he says, but he’s no longer paying attention to a word I’m saying. He’s too busy looking at my chest.
"What," I ask, looking down at myself to see what the hell he’s staring at. I know these pajamas are doing nothing for me. "Yeah, I know I look ridiculous in these things."
"Ridiculous is not the word I would go with."
He snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me into him. His mouth is attacking mine and it feels much too good. He has my body heating up and I am ready to come out of these pajamas.
"I thought… I thought… we were just friends," I ask him between kisses. I can barely get the words out.
"I'm not feeling real friendly right now, Allie." He stops kissing me. My glasses have slipped down my nose a bit so he gently adjusts them back in place. His eyes stare into mine when he’s done. “You are so damn beautiful.” The intensity of his words leaves me breathless. He pulls me closer, and I press into his chest, only backing up a step to grab the hem of his shirt. I’m about to lift it over his head, but he takes hold of my wrists. "Wait," he breathes out. His lips disconnecting from mine.
"What? You’re stopping? Are you serious? You are such a damn tease."
"I'm a what?"
"You heard me."
"Damn, that's a first for me."
"I bet," I tell him, remembering all those condoms in his drawer.
"Don't you worry, Allie Cat," he says, brushing my hair back off my shoulder to kiss it. "I have every intention of finishing what I started. I just wanted to give you something first." He stuffs his hand in his lounge pants and brings out a small black box, holding it out to me.
“What’s that,” I whisper.
"Something to remember me by."
Why does it sound so final? I'll be back for winter break.
He gestures for me to open it. Tentatively, I take the box out of his hand and remove the lid. Inside are two platinum bands on a black cord necklace. I look at his neck in realization that he is no longer wearing them. In all the years I've known him, he is never without them.
They were his birth parents wedding bands and his strongest link to them. He would tell me how he would always play with his mother’s wedding band when he would hold her hand.
"Aaron, I can't take this," I tell him, shaking my head as I say the words. “It means too much to you.” He silences me with a kiss.
"I want you to have them," he assures me and slips them over my head. I take the rings gently in my hands as he pulls my hair carefully through the cord.
"I promise I'll take good care of them," I tell him, but I want to say so much more.
Why is he giving them to me? I know how much they mean to him. Is he saying that I mean something to him? Is he making some kind of promise to me? Guys give girls rings to make promises to them, right? I think this is a big deal. This seems like a really big deal to me. My head is spinning.
"Allie Cat, I need to tell you something."
"What is it," I say much too quickly, eager to know what it is.
"You asked me if what we did was made love," he begins, but stops like he’s lost some kind of nerve.
"Yeah," I urge him to continue, but we are interrupted by the turning of the doorknob.
Aaron looks over my head at the sound and I turn just in time to see Kent filling up the door frame. He really has a knack for barging in at the wrong damn time.
"I figured this is where the party was,” he says, picking up the empty shot glass and tequila from the table and pouring himself a drink. "What's going on in here?"
"Nothing," I say, annoyed at him for interrupting.
"Right. Nothing," Aaron agrees, and I know by the tone of his voice that I hurt his feelings.
“Aaron—” I say.
“I’ll see you guys later.”
"Aaron, wait. I didn't mean it that way."
I was just trying to get rid of Kent. I didn't think Aaron would want him to know what we were talking about. What was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to tell him I was about to rip his brother's clothes off and let him have his way with me? Did we even want people to know? And what was there to know?
"Forget about it, Allie. I'm sure you'd rather talk to Kent."
I watch him leave with my mouth agape. What the hell just happened?
"Well, what is it," I ask Kent, trying hard not to kick his ass right now for his incredibly bad timing. The fact that he stands so smug and unaware just pisses me off even more.
"I just wanted to thank you for being nice to Jen earlier."
"Sure. It's about time, don't you think?"
"Definitely. Now, if you can just convince Brooke," he says, stroking his chin in thought.
"Uh, yeah. Good luck with that. Just enjoy the temporary truce you’re getting for the next four years."
"I'm really going to miss you, Kiddo."
"I’ll be back to bug you before you know it. In the meantime, try to behave yourself." I peck his cheek before walking away.
"Allie," he calls and I turn around to face him again. He is looking at me fondly, a small smile is on his lips. His blue eyes are soft. His face morphs into a frown and I wonder what he’s thinking about as he studies me in these silly pajamas that I’m wearing. "You didn't get mad at me for calling you Kiddo."
I can tell he doesn't like that fact for some reason. He has no idea how much I hate that he only sees me as some dumb little kiddo. He just thinks it’s a little annoying to me. He teases Brooke the same way, which makes it worse for me. After all this time, he still doesn't get that I want him to see me as something more.
"No, I guess not." I smile at myself. I didn't even realize it hadn’t bothered me this time until he said something, but I no longer care if he sees me as Kiddo. "Goodbye, Kent.”
Chapter Four
Hancock Park, California
The Wade Estate
Allison Moore
Morning comes all too soon. I’ve been waiting for this day since I was old enough to know what going away to college meant. I thought I would be more excited to leave home, but now that it’s finally here, it doesn’t feel right. It is supposed to be the happiest time of my life thus far, but I’m miserable.
Aaron said his goodbyes to Brooke last night, but left without a word to me. My mom is already here to take me to the airport and still no word from him. I can’t believe I’m leaving for the next few months and he didn’t even want to say goodbye. I thought our week together meant more to him.
I spend most of the drive lost in thought as I slip the larger of the two rings Aaron gave me on and off my index finger. The other dangles from the cord around my neck.
"Isn't that Aaron's," mom asks. She takes her eyes off the road for the second it takes to look at it. "I'll be damned. He finally made his move on you."
"You knew?"
"Actually, Jay was the one that brought it to my attention. He told me last year he thought Aaron might be sweet on you. Then I started to notice him pretending to not notice you. I was really hoping you'd notice.”
“Well, I didn’t. He kind of had to spell it out for me,” I tell her. She laughs at my oblivion.
“So, did you two do anything while you were staying over at his place,” she asks, but I don’t answer her. She takes my silence to mean that we did. She sighs, shaking her head in worry. “I want you on birth control, Allison. You don't need to be young and pregnant like I was."
My face falls. I try not to let it show that she just hurt my feelings, but I can’t help it.
"Was I really that much of a mistake?" I feel like complete shit for being born. It’s not like I had a choice, but she did. She could have not had me and made her life so much easier.
Julia Moore, my mother, gave birth to me when she was sixteen years old. Her parents gave permission to marry my father, Evan Moore, soon after she found out she was pregnant with me. He ran out on her and joined the Marines when I was a year old.
The last she heard about him was over ten years ago. She ran into a mutual friend who told her he was stationed overseas in Japan. We haven't heard a word from him and his family wants nothing to do with us.
When I was eleven, my appendix ruptured and I had to be hospitalized. I nearly died, but Dr. Kathleen Wade, Head ER Surgeon at USC General Hospital, wasn't about to let that happen. She took care of me. She took away all my pain and made sure I wasn’t afraid.
She and mom hit it off from the start. When mom was fired from her job for taking too many days off to take care of me, Kathleen offered her a job in her home. Mom was the Wade’s housekeeper, but she certainly didn't make a housekeeper's pay.
The Wade's were more than generous to us and it allowed mom to not only pay for her schooling, but now mine as well.
I turn my head to look at the cars coming up behind us as she pulls over on La Tijera Blvd.
"Baby girl, you are the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says, grabbing me by my shoulders like she’s ready to shake some sense into me if I don’t believe her. “Don't you ever believe any differently. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. When I tell you, I don't want you to get pregnant, it's because I know you have different dreams than I had at your age. From the time you were able to reach the keys to that old computer of mine, you loved it. I want to see you have everything you could ever want. I always have. You deserve nothing less."
"I love you, mom."
“I love you,” she says. “To the moon and back.” She wipes away her tears and pulls back into traffic. “I would have understood if you wanted him to drive you to the airport, you know.”
“I know, but I think he’s mad at me right now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I think I was being stupid last night,” I tell her.
“Oh, honey, I think he’s the one being stupid. He probably doesn't know what to do with himself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know what I did last night,” she asks. I shake my head no. “I spent the night in your room with a pint of chocolate ice cream, looking at your old baby pictures, and crying my eyes out because my little girl was leaving. Trust me, Aaron may not be looking at your old baby pictures, but he’s doing the male equivalent of crying his eyes out because you’re leaving.”
“I don’t know,” I say. Secretly, I hope she’s right that he at least is a little upset about me leaving.
We arrive at the airport with time to spare. She pulls over at the Southwest airlines unloading zone and gets out to help me with my bags.
I had to refrain from packing half my room. I only took my clothes and the pink blanket with the rainbow tailed unicorn my Grammy made me for my eighth birthday. It’s always been on my bed and I couldn’t leave it behind. I hope my roommate doesn't laugh at me about it.
"Well, look who it is," mom says with a smile on her face. I follow her stare to see the most gorgeous man in the whole world standing there waiting for me.
We say our goodbyes and I promise to call her as soon as I land. She gives a wave to Aaron before she hops back in her car and drives away.
I abandon my bags on the sidewalk and walk over to him. Butterflies are dancing in my stomach at the sight of him. He stands in a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off at the shoulders and a pair of jeans that are fitting so right they’re dangerous. His hair is in a messy type of man bun that only he can make look good. His brown eyes are burning trails of fire up and down my skin as he looks at me.
"Hey, Allie Cat,” he says, giving me an awkward wave. “I just wanted —” That’s all he has a chance to say before I wrap my arms around him and slip my tongue in his mouth. "Mmm," he says in response to my kiss. His hands are at my waist just shy of touching my ass. "I love kissing you."
"I love kissing you too. I'm really happy you came to say goodbye."
"I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to you. I'm still not.”
“You’re not?”
“No. Can you stay?”
“Aaron —”
“Just give me one more day, Allie Cat," he asks, pressing his lips on my forehead. He dips his head to catch my eyes. "Take a flight out tomorrow."
"Okay," I whisper. I’m unable to deny him when he looks at me. My heart melts into a gooey red puddle at his smile. "But what about all of my stuff?"
"Not a problem," he says, pointing to his truck. Damn it all to hell if I didn’t just fall in love with that over-sized thing.
I don't know how he did it, but he drove us back to his apartment, unloaded all my stuff from his truck, and now has me nearly naked on top of him in his bed. All in less than thirty minutes. He is completely naked underneath me, but I’m left wearing my lacy red bra. I'm sure he left it on purpose. He is definitely a boob man.
His hands are warm, but his finger tips are still making me shiver as he runs them up my back. He has me much too hot and bothered. He pretends not to notice how I just creamed the lower part of his torso. His fingers unclasp my bra and I sit up so that he can remove it. He slowly drags it off, enjoying every minute of it. His focus is on my breasts like he is committing them to memory. My nipples are fully erect and painfully hard in response to his stare.
"Your tits kick ass, Allie Cat," he whispers in amazement and I giggle at his words.
"Such romantic things you say to me."
I moan at the feel of his palm as he places it flat between my breasts to feel my heartbeat. He slides it up to my neck to cup my cheek. The feel of his smooth palm with the rough calluses on his hand tickles my skin. I take his hand, turning my face to kiss his palm before he pulls me back down on top of him and flips me over. He reaches into his drawer for a condom.
"We don't have to use that. I started taking birth control."
"When?"
"The day after we first… you know," I tell him. "The doctor said as of today I can have sex."
“As of today?”
Judging by the look on his face, he is thinking all the wrong things. I realize that I’m supposed to be in the air on my way to MIT right now. I’m sure he’s thinking he wasn't the intended benefactor of me not having to use condoms during sex.
“I wasn't planning on doing anything with anyone.” The words come spilling out of my mouth quick. “I was just thinking ahead.” I stop short at telling him I was thinking about when I come back home to visit in a few months. But he nods like he pretty much figured it out.
"I haven't been tested in a while," he admits, running his nose along the side of mine. "I've never done anything without a condom, but I want to get tested before we have unprotected sex. Just to be sure."
"Okay," I whisper, touched that he’s being so careful with me. “Let me do it for you.” I take the condom and put it on.
“Fuck, Allie Cat.” His voice is low and husky and his eyes drift close for just a moment when I stroke his dick now sheathed by the condom. He is at the entrance of my core. I suck in a breath when the tip of him touches my wetness. In one quick motion, he enters me.
We both moan at the feel of him sliding into me. He sets an agonizing rhythm. His mouth is at my ear and the feel of his breath caressing my skin has me climbing quickly to my summit.
"Aaron." I moan his name.
He turns over on his back, taking me with him. I straddle him, trying to set a rhythm, but I have none. I’m too clumsy at it. He grins at me, takes my waist in his hands, and starts to bounce me up and down on top of him.
I laugh at the expression on his face as he watches my boobs go up and down. My laugh breaks way into a deep moan as he hits the right spot and I tumble into an orgasm.
"Oh God," I scream. It feels so good coming with him deep inside me.
"Allie Cat," Aaron moans, a second behind me. He grabs me before I fall out and folds me in his arms.
Aaron Wade
I wake to find Allie no longer in bed with me. I put my boxers back on and look around for the T-shirt I tossed somewhere on the floor earlier. Unable to find it, I grab a new one from my dresser and walk out into the living room. Allie, wearing the T-shirt, is cuddled on the love seat. I have to adjust myself at the sight of her. I’ve never been the kind of guy who liked seeing his fuck buddies walking around in his clothes, but Allie is the exception. Nothing about this girl says “fuck buddy.”
"Allie Cat."
"Hey," she says. I motion for her to make room for me. She lifts up so I can sit behind her. Her head on my chest, I caress her forehead, brushing her hair out of her face, careful to avoid hitting her glasses.
"What's the matter?"
"I was just thinking that I have to leave you in a few hours," she says. I can hear the sadness in her voice.
"I know," I say, holding her tighter. “I thought giving us another day would make it easier, but it feels much worse. As bad as I feel right now, I don't regret asking you to stay though.”
"Well, maybe I can stay. I can still enroll in USC."
