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Sadness fills me, and I hug his arm tighter. For just a few more seconds, I want to feel him so close.
With a heavy sigh, I force myself to untangle from his embrace and climb out of the hammock, tucking the sleeping bag around Aiden to keep him warm.
I sit on the log by the fire that’s still smoldering. There’s still some heat in it.
It’s a brisk morning, the air clear and smelling of the forest. I love that scent. Taking a deep breath in, I let it soothe me. In the daylight, everything looks so different, making me question why I was so afraid, but I guess fear is rarely rational.
My thoughts drift back to Tiero as I stare into the steaming ashes. Where is he now? Is he really still looking for me? Deep down inside I know he is. But is he ever going to give up? After experiencing freedom again, I could never return to him, his world too oppressive for me.
Do I still love him?
I have all these budding feelings for Aiden. No, actually, they’re more than budding, they’re are already in full bloom.
Perhaps Tiero really was only a holiday fling, and I was swept away by his talk ofthe One. But even as I think it, I know it’s not a true. There’s something deeper connecting us, something I don’t fully understand.And whatever it is, it’s here to stay.
My connection with Tiero was there even before I met him. And it was the same with Aiden. How? Why?
Does it matter? It doesn’t change the outcome. I can’t be with Tiero because of who he is. And I can’t be with Aiden because I can’t risk his life. For everyone’s sake, it’s best that I become an old cat lady… well, in my case, an old dog lady, and stay far away from love.
I start packing up my things when Aiden appears behind me. Putting his arm across my chest, he pulls me back against him.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he rasps, kissing the top of my head.
Oh my! His voice is still gravelly and deep from sleep, stirring my arousal.
Down girl, down.
Still my body heats. The desire for this man never far from the surface.
Shit, my resolve from this morning is already wobbling.
Aiden lets go of me to retrieve a thermos from his backpack and, opening it, hands it to me. The smell of licorice tea hits my nostrils, and my gaze lifts to his in surprise.
“You’re drinking licorice tea now?”
His smile is broad when he answers, “I developed a taste for it recently.” Holding out the thermos lid to me, he says, “Pour me a cup, please.” I stare at him, flabbergasted as I do. Then he adds, “Whenever I have a cup, I think of you… I like thinking of you.” He winks.
Oh jeez! Enough already!
How am I meant to resist this man? The thing is, none of it feels put on or exaggerated. He means every word.
I’m opening my mouth to tell him this can’t go on, but Aiden speaks first.
“I’m running a self-defense class tomorrow afternoon. Why don’t you come along? It’s really practical and based on day-to-day occurrences. It will give you an extra boost of confidence,” he says.
“Is this class for the admin personnel at Freemont?” I ask.
“No, though, there are a couple of women from work in it. I run this class once a month at our local community center to give everyday people knowledge on how to act in certain situations to keep them and their loved ones safe.”
I let out a long breath. Yep, he really is a saint.
I turn away from him and stare at the sky, rolling my eyes. What about my resolve to stay away from him? But I wanted to take a self-defense class anyway and now it’s presented to me on a silver platter. I’d be stupid to say no. Okay, universe, have it your way.
I turn back to Aiden who’s watching me with an amused expression on his face.
I force a smile and say, “That would be lovely, thank you. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.” Jeez, now I’m starting to rhyme? So not cool.
“Great, I’ll text you the details. Why don’t you come to my house first and we’ll go together? The community hall can be a little hard to find when you don’t know where it is.”
