The Wells Brothers: Aaron Page 19

  What he’d felt with her, shared with her, he’d never experienced before and that was saying something. Over the years he’d had sex with women who had quite a few sexual tricks up their sleeve, some who were expert at making a man come, but Shea? Not as experienced, but her enthusiasm and natural sensuality fired his blood like no other. Plus the fact that she was Shea Winters - intriguing, funny, confident, fiery, facing him down in ways not many would. She was all he wanted, desired. Would have as his.

  Slanting a glance sideways, he observed her profile.

  Yes, Shea Winters was thinking. Hard. Staring across the room at the wall above the tallboy, her arms folded beneath those generous breasts that were covered by the sheet she had tucked under her arms.

  So cute.

  She’d flopped willingly into bed with him after a blistering ride, happily tucked up to him and rested while their laboured breathing slowed. A full fifteen minutes had ticked past before she’d roused from a light doze.

  Rather than leap out of his bed all coy and blushing, she’d instead gathered the sheet over those luscious curves and leaned back against the pillows she’d stacked against the headboard. And started thinking. Hard.

  Intrigued, Aaron had copied her position and waited patiently. The fact she hadn’t left was a good sign. Not that he’d have let her leave without talking first, but he was glad he didn’t have to stop her. He might be right in his estimation of some of her actions, but she was still a woman, still Shea, and that combination was a little unpredictable.

  Especially considering how he’d made love to her. Ridden her hard.

  Just the memory was enough to make his blood run a little hotter.

  It was barely a few minutes before Shea said, “Okay.”

  “Okay?” he repeated, amused. “As in ‘it was just okay’? In which case I should warn you that you’ll crush my feelings.”

  “Okay as in ‘okay, that was fun’.”

  “I’ll accept fun.”

  “But now what?”

  Turning his head, he studied her.

  She was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

  He raised one eyebrow.

  “Do I do the walk of shame?”

  “I thought that was the morning after.”

  “It’s a metaphor. Work with me.”

  “Having doubts?”

  The blush crept into her cheeks. “About what we did?”

  “That’d be the one.”

  “No.”

  “Good. Because I know you’d be lying.”

  “You know no such thing.” She sniffed haughtily.

  “Uh huh.” Rolling toward her, he grinned when she immediately pressed back into the pillow, her eyes going a little hot. “Oh honey, I’m more than happy to give you some more lovin’-”

  Shea laughed. “You sound like a bad country song.”

  “Don’t knock the country songs.” Leaning over her, he slid open the bedside table drawer.

  “Is that where you keep your economy pack of condoms?”

  “Horny little thing, aren’t you?” Retrieving the package, he rolled back and resettled against the pillows.

  Shea took one look and her face lit up. “Chocolate!”

  Placing one hand on her chest, he held her back against the pillows. “Just settle, petal.”

  “You’re awfully bossy in the bedroom.” She eyed the chocolate hungrily.

  “I’ve been told I’m bossy in other parts of the house as well.” Breaking off a generous portion, he handed it to her.

  Biting off a square, she closed her eyes blissfully. “Oh Lord, it’s caramel filling!”

  “Weakness of mine.”

  “I can’t believe you actually have a weakness. Wait.” She opened one eye. “You mean you regularly eat chocolate in bed?”

  “Your deductive powers thrill me.” Breaking off a portion, Aaron folded the silver paper back down over the bar and laid it on the bedside table. “What gave me away?”

  “It was in your drawer.” She chewed thoughtfully. “I bet you have some when you lie in bed reading.”

  She’d obviously noticed the book on the bedside table.

  Taking another bite, she asked casually, “I take it I’m on your side of the bed?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s a good side.”

  “You can have it whenever you want.”

  “That’s generous of you. Do you tell that to all the girls you shag?”

  He nearly choked on the chocolate. When he got his breath back it was to find Shea watching him with dancing eyes.

  “That’s not exactly the kind of subject one brings up right now,” he pointed out.

  “Sorry.” Her expression said otherwise.

  “And for your information, you’re the only woman who’s been in this bed.”

  That had her busily chewing mouth slowing down. “Are you serious?”

  “Absolutely.” He popped in the last square of chocolate and licked his thumb clean.

  “It’s a new bed, hey?”

  “No, it’s not a new bed. What I’m saying is that you’re the only woman that’s been in my bed.”

  “You normally shag women elsewhere in the house?”

  Turning a stern gaze on her, he caught the twitch of her lips. She was laughing at him, but there was no missing the perplexed expression, either.

  Time to put this amusement to rest and get down to serious matters. “Finished the chocolate?”

  She nodded, licked her own fingers clean.

  The sight of that little tongue licking along the length almost did his head in - both of them - and that was a first for Aaron. Normally his concentration was better. This woman was proving to be a distraction in the bed.

  “Good.” Getting his wayward thoughts under control, he gripped her chin gently but firmly between thumb and forefinger. “Time to discuss those intentions I mentioned earlier.”

  “Intentions?”

  “Exchange of information, remember?”

  “Oh, you mean the blackmail.”

  “You’re riding a thin edge, Shea.”

  “Going to kick me out of bed for being too smart?”

  “Going to tip you over my knee for being too smart.”

  That had the colour surging up her face. “Um…”

  Like he could harm a hair on her head. Not that she needed to know that. Though she ought to by now. She was smart, she’d figure it out soon.

  “Shea,” he said quietly, “one of my intentions is for us to get to know each other better.”

  Rather than be surprised, she studied him searchingly.

  He waited.

  “Why?” she finally asked.

  “Because there’s something between us.” When she bit her lip, he added, “Don’t deny it.”

  “I’m not.” True to her spirit, she didn’t shy away from him but merely leaned forward, folding her arms to rest on her knees. “But do you think dating me is wise?”

  “Because of your business?” He shrugged. “I’m dating Shea Winters, not Stella Donahue.”

  “We’re one and the same.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  She eyed him.

  “You’re honest and fun, sensual and interesting. Stella is your alias, your act. Two different characters.”

  “I think you’ll find we’re going to clash about it.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  “Yes, we will.”

  “No.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she asked, slightly exasperated.

  “Because I know.” Reaching over, he caught her under the arms to swing her around and across his lap so that her bottom was nestled between his spread legs and her back rested against his upraised knee. Resting his forearm casually over his knee, he twirled a lock of her thick hair around his finger while dropping his other arm across her thighs to keep her in place. “Any other arguments?”

  Startled, she stared at him.

  He met her gaze steadily.
>
  She looked away, and he could sense the sudden change in her, the way she clutched the sheet to her breasts. Ducking her head down, she hid her expression behind her hair, but there was no hiding the hitch in her breath. “Being seen with me could cost you business.”

  He tucked the heavy tresses back over her shoulder. “No doubt there will be raised eyebrows but my reputation isn’t so weak it can’t stand up beneath it. The security firm is strong, Shea. Your business isn’t going to affect it.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I know.”

  “That seems to be a favourite saying of yours.”

  “Because it’s true.”

  “You might be sorry for this one day.”

  “I won’t be sorry for this, but I will be if we don’t give it a go.” He tugged her hair lightly. “I’ve never felt like this with another woman, Shea. I’m not just going to walk away without giving us a chance.”

  For a long minute she studied him, really looked at him. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she mulled over what he’d said, what they’d shared, her feelings. Patiently he waited, not pushing her, letting her come to her own decision.

  It wouldn’t change his intentions. If she back-pedalled it’d be with him in hot pursuit.

  “Okay,” she said slowly.

  He raised one eyebrow.

  Coming up onto her knees, the sheet still clutched to her breasts, Shea smiled slightly. “Okay, I’ll give this a go. You and me.”

  “I’m relieved.”

  She shuffled closer, which wasn’t much due to their position. “Sorry, that wasn’t a very good response, was it?”

  “Not what I’d call enthusiastic, but I’ll take what I can get.”

  “How about this?” She launched herself at him, arms out to throw around his neck.

  The sexy female might have been trying to take him by surprise but he’d noted the shift of her muscles, her position, the flicker in her eyes before she’d even started. It was fairly easy to grab her each side of her ribcage mid-launch and spin her around to land her flat on her back on the bed.

  Tearing the sheet away, he rolled on top of her, grabbing her hands to pin down each side of her head. Grinning down into her disgruntled face, Aaron drawled, “Nice try, honey, but you’ll have to do better than that to catch me on the hop.”

  She huffed.

  Which was nice, because it meant bare breasts swelling so enticingly against his pecs.

  Then her eyes softened. “Before we start this, I have something to say.”

  Interesting. “Yes?”

  “I don’t sleep around.”

  He thought it prudent not to mention that he already knew that. When he had someone investigated, the job was thorough.

  “So me and you…doing this…it means something to me, too.”

  He didn’t shift his eyes from hers. Admiringly she didn’t flinch, meeting him look for look. He liked that, liked that she could match him at times. Liked that she felt safe enough to confide in him.

  Shea gave a small sigh. “I’m not good at this kind of thing.”

  “Sounding good to me so far.”

  “Sure.”

  “Shea,” he said softly, “just tell me exactly what you want. I’m not going to bite.”

  “Okay.” Thick lashes swept down fleetingly to hide her eyes before lifting again so she looked up at him. “I haven’t felt like this with another man, either. There is something between us, I agree, and I want to see where it goes, too.”

  Leaning into her, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, swept his mouth across the smooth cheek.

  “But if this all goes arse-up and you end up mad about Stella, don’t come looking for me.”

  A little startled, he lifted his head. “Pardon?”

  “Like you said, I’m me and she’s my persona. You get mad with Stella, you go looking for her. Don’t come knocking on my door breathing fire.”

  Now that was a puzzle. “So how do I find Stella to, how did you put it, breathe fire?”

  “Business hours,” she answered seriously. “The times are posted on the shop door.”

  Catching the gleam in her eyes, he grinned. “You are such a little witch.”

  She grinned back. “Hey, I’m just saying.”

  “I’m hearing you.” Pleasurable heat flowed through him as she bent her knee to rub her thigh against the outside of his. “But its not business hours now and Shea is in my bed, so let’s keep the mystic in her box and put our business to good use.”

  She was still laughing when he retrieved the condom from the drawer and dropped it on the pillow by her head before kissing her, swallowing her hilarity, turning her merriment to moans, then whimpers as he moved further down her body to tease the red nipples to hardened buds with his mouth, tonguing her, sucking first one then the other deep in his mouth, making her arch beneath him, offering her breasts in mindless pleasure.

  It didn’t take much to stoke her flames, to drive her higher, her response to his touch so satisfying. This time he stayed in control, focussed on her, using hands and mouth to bring her to the peak.

  Sliding up her body, he entered her smoothly. No hard love-making this time, bracing his hands each side of her, taking his weight as he pressed his hips down, pinning her to the mattress. He stroked smoothly, evenly into her in a slow, measured rhythm that had her twining her arms around his neck, urging him down to kiss him hungrily, the gentleness of his love-making calming her while keeping her on the edge.

  This time he could see her passion, the haze of desire that filled the whiskey eyes, the arch of her throat as she tipped her head back, watch as she tipped over the edge and blew gently away, a sweetness about the climax that shook her but kept her so aware of him.

  As aware of him as he was of her, his seed pouring forth in a teeth-gritting orgasm that had him pushing deep into her, as deep as he could go. The condom filled and he wished there was nothing between them, that it was simply them, her wet heat against his bare shaft, his seed pouring deep to brand her.

  One day. One day soon.

  The thought drifted away as she opened her eyes to look up at him, her breathing fast, as fast as his, and she smiled.

  It was a smile that touched him right down deep into his soul.

  ~*~

  Sitting on the stool on the other side of the kitchen bench, Shea buttered the bread and laid it out for Aaron.

  Slicing the cucumber, he flicked a glance at her face. Minutes ago they’d been conversing about general things, at ease in each others company which was a relief as he’d been a little concerned that she might have felt awkward. She’d blushed when he looked at her the first few times - cute - then she’d gotten over it and relaxed.

  But now the conversation had dwindled off until silence filled the kitchen. He didn’t mind silence, found it soothing, wouldn’t have worried about her being silent as well except for her troubled expression.

  Reaching for the tomato, he patiently waited. In his periphery vision he saw her look at him with sudden resolution.

  “If we’re going to be dating, then maybe you should know a bit more about me,” she said.

  Progress. He knew exactly to what she referred. An easy smiling glance upward to indicate no pressure before returning to the tomato. “Okay.”

  “You know I worked as a nurse in a large private practice.” Shea peeled the plastic wrap off the block of cheese.

  He nodded.

  “This practice helped train doctors, did charity work for outreach programs, it was a big deal. Well liked, well-respected. I’d been there for a year, was friends with everyone.” Taking the cheese slicer, she started slicing thin layers of cheese and laying them on the edge of a small plate. “I trusted everyone which, you know, isn’t recommended in that profession.” She shot him a wry smile. “One of the professions you think you should be able to trust your workmates. You know what I was told the first day of training?”

&nbs
p; He could guess.

  “Trust no one. Cover your back.”

  Picking up the cheese to lay the thin slices across the tomato, he nodded.

  Shea gave the half completed sandwiches a thoughtful look before slicing more cheese. “Anyway, like I said, I trusted my workmates, they were my friends, right? The doctors were great, the manager, we all got on. Drinks after work, Christmas parties, work-dos. The usual.”

  He continued layering cheese on top of the tomato, building the layers.

  “One day I was put into a different area of the clinic and that’s when I started to notice things. At first it was little things - not really following the policies of the practice, not completely following the health department’s laws. Money that I’d seen paid to one of the receptionists not being there at the end of the day.” Putting the cheese slicer down, Shea rewrapped the cheese. “It didn’t take me long to realise that there was some major cost-cutting going on, some fraud, you name it and this clinic was doing it. They were risking the health of their patients with shoddy work practices, breaking their own policies, and this in turn, well…” She placed the wrapped cheese block neatly on the bench and contemplated it broodingly. “Things that go wrong usually end up going wrong in the front lines.”

  Aaron knew exactly what she was getting at. “Nurses. Receptionists. Junior doctors.”

  “Yeah. One batch of vaccinations was a dodgy lot, I knew something was wrong because I saw that the vaccines didn’t match the invoice but before I could get a good look it disappeared. Next thing I knew one of the senior doctors pulled me into his office and basically told me that if I didn’t keep my nose clean I’d be in danger of losing my job.” With a sigh, Shea got up and took the cheese back to the ‘fridge.

  Aaron sprinkled a light layer of salt over the sandwiches and put on the top bread slices to complete them.

  Coming up beside him, Shea started cleaning the bench, picking up the scraps of food.

  Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head.

  In reply, she gave him a slight smile before returning her attention to the food, busying her hands as she continued in an even tone, “I decided that I had to let someone else know so I spoke to one of the nurses who had worked there a long time. Needless to say, she didn’t want to know, said she valued her job and wasn’t going to cause waves. So I thought I’d go the correct route and follow the policy of going up the chain of command.” She gave a sardonic snort. “Can you believe it? After seeing policies secretly flouted and broken, I actually followed a policy?”