The Best Kept Secrets...: The Secret Affair
And she was following his lead, using her tongue with the same intensity and hunger as he was using his. It was all about tasting, and they were tasting each other with a greed that had every part of his body on fire.
He felt it, was in awe of it. In every pore, in every nerve ending and deep in his pulse, he felt it. Lowering his hand from her hair he gently gripped her around the waist and, with their mouths still locked, he slowly maneuvered her backward toward the tree he’d leaned against earlier. When her back rested against the trunk, her thighs parted and he eased between them, loving the feel of his denim rubbing against hers.
Frissons of fire, hotter than he’d ever encountered, burned a path up his spine and he deepened the kiss as if his life depended on him doing so. Too soon, in his estimation, they had to come up for air and he released her mouth just as quickly as he’d taken it.
He tried not to notice the thoroughly kissed look on her face when she drew in a deep breath. He took a step back so he wouldn’t be tempted to kiss her again. The next time he knew he wouldn’t stop with a kiss. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he had tasted her in other places, as well. And then he would want to make love to her, right here on his land. On the very spot he planned to build his house. Crap! Why was he thinking such a thing? In frustration, he rubbed a hand down his face.
“I think we need to move on.”
Her words made him look back at her and an ache settled deep in his stomach. She was beautiful and desire escalated through him all over again. Giving in to what he wanted, he took a step forward and lowered his mouth to hers, taking a sweep of her mouth with his tongue. His groin swelled when she caught his tongue and began sucking on it.
He broke off the kiss and drew in a ragged breath. “Jillian! You’re asking for trouble. I’m within two seconds of spreading you on the ground and getting inside of you.” The vision of such a thing nearly overpowered his senses.
“I told you we should go. You’re the one who kissed me again.”
He smiled. “And you kissed me back. Now you understand what I meant when I said there are some kisses that can’t be avoided. You didn’t want me to kiss you initially, but then you did.”
She frowned slightly. “You seduced me. You made me want to kiss you.”
His smile widened. “Yes, to both.”
“So this was some sort of lesson?”
He shook his head. “Not hardly. I told you I wanted to taste you. I enjoyed doing so.”
“This can’t become a habit, Aidan.”
“And I don’t intend to make it one, trust me. My curiosity has more than been satisfied.”
She nodded. “So has mine. Are you ready to show me the other parts of Westmoreland Country?”
“Yes. We’re headed for Adrian’s Cove next and then Bailey’s Bay and Bane’s Ponderosa.”
He backed up to give her space and when she moved around him, he was tempted to reach out and pull her back into his arms, kiss her some more, until he got his fill. But he had a feeling that getting his fill would not be possible and that was something he didn’t want to acknowledge.
* * *
“So, how did the tour go with Aidan yesterday?”
Jillian glanced up from her breakfast when Bailey slid into the chair next to her. Pam had shared breakfast with Jillian earlier before leaving for the grocery store, and had asked her the same thing. It had been hard to keep a straight face then and it was harder to do so now.
“It went well. There’s a lot of land in Westmoreland Country. I even saw the property you own, Bailey’s Bay.”
Bailey smiled. “I can’t claim ownership until I’m twenty-five so I have a couple years left. But when I do, I plan to build the largest house of them all. It will even be bigger than this one.”
Jillian thought that would be an accomplishment because Dillon and Pam’s house was huge. Their house was three stories and had eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, a spacious eat-in kitchen, a gigantic living room, a large dining room with a table that could seat over forty people easily, and a seven-car garage.
“I can’t wait to see it when you do.” Jillian liked Bailey and had from the first time she’d set foot in Westmoreland Country to attend Pam’s engagement party. And since there was only a couple years’ difference in their ages, with Bailey being older, they had hit it off immediately. “What happens if you meet and marry a guy who wants to take you away from here?”
“That won’t happen because there’s not a man alive who can do that. This is where I was born and this is where I’ll die.”
Jillian thought Bailey sounded sure of that. Hadn’t Jillian felt the same way about her home in Wyoming at one time? Although it hadn’t been a man that had changed her mind, it had been the thought of how much money Pam would be paying for three sisters in college. Although her older sister had married a very wealthy man, it still would not have been right.
“Besides,” Bailey said, cutting into her thoughts. “I plan to stay single forever. Having five bossy brothers and seven even bossier male cousins is enough. I don’t need another man in my life trying to tell me what to do.”
Jillian smiled. When she’d heard the stories about all the trouble Bailey used to get into when she was younger, Jillian had found it hard to believe. Sitting across from her was a beautiful, self-confident woman who seemed to have it going on. A woman who definitely knew what she wanted.
“I hope Aidan was nice and didn’t give you any trouble.”
Jillian lifted a brow. “Why would you say that?”
Bailey shrugged. “Aidan has his moods sometimes.”
“Does he?”
“Yes, but if you didn’t pick up on them then I guess he did okay.”
No, she hadn’t picked up on any mood, but she had picked up on his sensual side. And he had definitely picked up on hers. She was still in a quandary as to exactly what had happened yesterday. It was as if she’d become another person with him. She’d discovered that being kissed senseless wasn’t just a cliché but was something that could really happen. Aidan had proven it. Even after brushing her teeth twice, rinsing out her mouth and eating a great breakfast Pam had prepared, the taste of him was still deeply embedded on her tongue. And what was even crazier was that she liked it.
Knowing Bailey was probably expecting a response, she said. “Yes, he was okay. I thought he was rather nice.”
Bailey nodded. “I’m glad. I told him he needed to get to know you and your sisters better since he’s rarely home. And we’re all family now.”
All family now. Bailey’s words were a stark reminder of why what happened yesterday could never be repeated. They weren’t just a guy and a girl who’d met with no connections. They had deep connections. Family connections. And family members didn’t go around kissing each other. Why of all the guys out there did she have to be attracted to one with the last name Westmoreland?
“So, besides Bailey’s Bay where else did he take you?”
To heaven and back. The words nearly slid from Jillian’s lips because that’s where she felt she’d actually been. Transported there and back by a kiss. Amazing. Pulling her thoughts together, she said, “First, we toured Aidan’s Haven.”
“Isn’t it beautiful? That’s the property I originally wanted because of the way it’s surrounded by Gemma Lake. But then I realized it would have been too much water to deal with. I think the spot where Aidan plans to build his house is perfect, though, and will provide an excellent view of the lake and mountains, no matter what room of the house you’re in.”
Jillian agreed and eradicated the thought from her mind that Aidan’s wife and kids would one day live there. “I also saw Adrian’s Cove. That piece of property is beautiful, as well. I love the way it’s surrounded by mountains.”
“Me, too.”
“And from there we visited Bailey’s Bay, Canyon’s Bluff and Stern’s Stronghold.”
“Like the names?”
Jillian smiled. “Yes, and I heard they were all your idea.”
“Yes,” Bailey said, grinning. “Being the baby in the family has its benefits. Including the opportunity to play musical beds and sleep at whatever place I want. I was living with Dillon full-time, but after he married I decided to spread myself around and check out my brothers’, sisters’ and cousins’ abodes. I like driving them crazy, especially when one of my brothers or cousins brings his girlfriend home.”
Jillian couldn’t help but laugh. Although she wouldn’t trade her sisters for the world, it had to be fun having older brothers and male cousins to annoy.
“What’s so funny?”
Jillian’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that voice and knowing who it belonged to. Aidan leaned in the kitchen doorway. Wearing a pair of jeans that rode low on his hips and a muscle shirt, he looked too sexy for her peace of mind. She couldn’t help studying his features. It was obvious he’d just gotten out of bed. Those dark eyes that were alert and penetrating yesterday had a drowsy look. And she couldn’t miss the dark shadow on his chin indicating he hadn’t shaved yet. If he looked like that every morning, she would just love to see it.
“I thought you’d already left to return to Boston,” Bailey said, getting up and crossing the room to give him a hug. Jillian watched the interaction and a part of her wished she could do the same.
“I won’t be leaving until tomorrow.”
“Why did you change your plans?” Bailey asked, surprised. “Normally, you’re in a rush to get back.”
Yes, why? Jillian wondered as well and couldn’t wait for his answer.
“Because I wasn’t ready to go back just yet. No big deal.”
“Um,” Bailey said, eyeing her brother suspiciously, “I get the feeling it is a big deal and probably has to do with some woman. I heard you, Adrian and Stern didn’t get in until late last night.”
Jillian turned her gaze away from Bailey and Aidan and took a sip of her orange juice. The spark of anger she suddenly felt couldn’t be jealousy over what Bailey had just said. Had Aidan kissed Jillian senseless, then gone somewhere last night and kissed someone else the same way? Why did the thought of him doing that bother her?
“You ask too many questions, Bay, and stay out my business,” Aidan said. “So, what’s so funny, Jillian?”
Jillian drew in a deep breath before turning back to Aidan. “Nothing.”
Bailey chuckled. “In other words, Aidan, stay out of her business.”
Jillian heard his masculine grunt before he crossed the room to the coffeepot. The kitchen was huge, so why did it suddenly feel so small now that he’d walked in? And why did he have to walk around with such a sexy saunter?
“Well, I hate to run but I promised Megan that I would house-sit for a few hours so I’m headed for Megan’s Meadows. Gemma is decorating the place before leaving for Australia and is sending her crew over to hang new curtains.”
Megan and Gemma were Bailey and Aidan’s sisters, whom Jillian liked tremendously. Megan was a doctor of anesthesiology at one of the local hospitals and Gemma was an interior designer who owned Designs by Gem.
Bailey turned to Jillian. “You’re here until tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then maybe Aidan can show you the parts of Westmoreland Country that you missed yesterday.”
Jillian could feel Aidan’s gaze on her. “I wouldn’t want to put him to any trouble.”
“No trouble,” Aidan said. “I don’t have anything else to do today.”
Bailey laughed. “Until it’s time for you to go and hook up with the woman who’s the reason you’re staying around an extra day.”
“Goodbye, Bay,” Aidan said in what Jillian perceived as an annoyed tone.
Bailey glanced over her shoulder at him while departing. “See you later, Aidan. And you better not leave tomorrow before telling me goodbye.” She swept out of the kitchen and Jillian found herself alone with Aidan.
She glanced over at him and saw him leaning back against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand, staring at her.
She drew in a deep breath when Aidan asked, “How soon can we go riding?”
Chapter Five
Aidan couldn't help staring into Jillian’s eyes. He thought she had the most beautiful eyes of any woman he’d ever seen. And that included all those women who’d thrown themselves at him last night.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Aidan. Besides, I’m sure the reason you changed your plans to remain in Denver another day has nothing to do with me.”
Boy was she wrong. It had everything to do with her. He had spent three hours in a nightclub last night surrounded by beautiful women and all he could think about was the one he considered the most beautiful of all. Her.
A possibility suddenly hit him. Was she jealous? Did she actually believe that crap Bailey had just spouted about him changing his schedule because of some woman? He didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed that she, or any woman, thought they mattered enough that they should care about his comings and goings. But in all honesty, what really annoyed him was that she was beginning to matter. And the reason he had decided to hang in Denver another day was because of her.
Instead of saying anything right away, for fear he might say the wrong thing, he turned and refilled his coffee cup. Then he crossed the room and slid into the chair across from her. Immediately, he sensed her nervousness.
“I don’t bite, Jillian,” he said, before taking a sip of coffee.
“I hope not.”
He couldn’t help but smile as he placed his cup down. He reached out and closed his fingers around her wrist. “Trust me. I prefer kissing you to biting you.”
She pulled her hand back and nervously glanced over her shoulder before glaring at him. “Are you crazy? Anyone could walk in here!”
“And?”
“And had they heard what you just said they would have gotten the wrong impression.”
He leaned back in his chair. “What do you think is the right impression?”
Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was tempted to reach out, release the clasp and watch the waves fall to her shoulders. Then he would run his fingers through the thick, black tresses. He could just imagine the light, gentle strokes on her scalp and the thought sent a sudden jolt of sexual need through him.
“I don’t want to make any impression, Aidan. Right or wrong.”
Neither did he. At least he didn’t think he did. Damn, the woman had him thinking crazy. He rubbed a frustrated hand down his face.
“It was just a kiss, nothing more.”
He looked over at her. Why was he getting upset that she thought that way when he should be thinking the same thing? Hadn’t he told her as much yesterday?
“Glad you think that way,” he said, standing. “So let’s go riding.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
He smiled down at her. “You’ve said a lot. What part in particular are you asking about?”
She rolled her eyes. “I said I’m not going anywhere with you.”
His smile widened. “Sure you are. We’re going riding because if we don’t, Bailey will think it’s because I did something awful and got you mad with me. And if she confronts me about it, I will have to confess and tell her the truth—that the reason you wouldn’t go riding with me is because you were afraid I might try to kiss you again. A kiss you can’t avoid enjoying.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “You wouldn’t.”
“Trust me, I would. Confessing my sins will clear my conscience but will they clear yours? I’m not sure they would since you seem so wrapped up in not making any right or wrong impressions.”
She just sat there and said nothing. He figured she was at a loss for words and this would be the best time for him to leave her to her thoughts. “Let’s meet at the same place where we met yesterday in about an hour,” he said, walking off to place his cup in the dishwasher.
Before exiting the kitchen he turned back to her and said, “And just so you know, Jillian, the reason I’m not leaving today to return to Boston has nothing to do with some woman I met at the club last night, but it has everything to do with you.”
* * *
It has everything to do with you.
Not in her wildest dreams had Jillian thought seven little words could have such a huge impact on her. But they did. So much so that an hour later, she was back in the same place she’d been yesterday, waiting on Aidan.
She began pacing. Had she lost her mind? She wasn’t sure what kind of game he was playing but instead of putting her foot down and letting him know she wanted no part of his foolishness, somehow she got caught, hook, line and sinker.
And all because of a kiss.
She would have to admit, it had been more than just a kiss. The fact that he was a gorgeous man, a man she’d had a secret crush on for four years, probably had a lot to do with it. But she’d always been able to separate fact from fiction, reality from fantasy, good from bad. So what was wrong with her now? An association with Aidan would only bring on heartache because not only was she deceiving her sister and brother-in-law, and no doubt the entire Westmoreland family, but she was deceiving herself, as well. Why would she want to become involved with a man known as a womanizer?
But then, she really wasn’t involved with him. He was taking her riding, probably he would try to steal a few kisses and then nothing. Tomorrow he would return to Boston and she would return to Wyoming and it would be business as usual. But she knew for her it wouldn’t be that simple.
She turned when she heard his approach. Their gazes connected and a luscious shiver ran through her body. He rode just like he had yesterday and looked basically the same. But today something was different. Now she knew he had the mouth of a very sensual man. A mouth he definitely knew how to use.
“I was hoping you would be here,” he said, bringing his horse to a stop a few feet from her.
“Did you think I wouldn’t after what you threatened to do?”
“I guess not,” he said, dismounting.
“And you have no remorse?”
He tipped his Stetson back to gaze at her. “I’ve heard confession is good for the soul.”
“And just what would it have accomplished, Aidan?”
“Putting it out there would have cleared your conscience, since it obviously bothers you that someone might discover I’m attracted to you and that you’re attracted to me.”
She started to deny what he’d said about her being attracted to him, but decided not to waste her time. It was true and they both knew it. “A true gentleman never kisses and tells.”
“You’re right. A true gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. But I don’t like the thought of you cheapening what happened yesterday, either.”
She placed her hands on her hips and leaned in, glaring at him. “How is it cheapening it when the whole thing meant nothing to you anyway?”
* * *
Jillian's question stunned Aidan. For a moment he couldn’t say anything. She had definitely asked a good question, and it was one he wasn’t sure he could answer. The only response he could come up with was that the kisses should not have meant anything to him, but they had. Hell, he had spent the past twenty-four hours thinking about nothing else. And hadn’t he changed his plans so that he could stay another day just to spend more time with her?
She was standing there, glaring at him, with her arms crossed over her chest in a way that placed emphasis on a nice pair of breasts. Full and perfectly shaped. He could just imagine running his hands over them, teasing the nipples before drawing them in his mouth to...
“Well?”
She wanted an explanation and all he wanted to do was erase the distance separating them, take her into his arms and kiss that glare right off her face. Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn’t stop there. Whether she knew it or not, Jillian Novak’s taste only made him want more.
“Let’s ride,” he said, moving toward his horse. Otherwise, he would be tempted to do something he might later regret.
“Ride?” she hissed. “Is that all you’ve got to say?”
He glanced back over at her as he mounted his horse. “For now.”
“None of this makes any sense, Aidan,” she said, mounting her own horse.
She was right about that, he thought. None of it made any sense. Why was she like a magnet pulling him in? And why was he letting her?
They had ridden a few moments side by side in total silence when she finally broke it by asking, “Where are we going?”
“Bane’s Ponderosa.”
She nodded. “Has he built anything on it?”
“No, because legally it’s not his yet. He can’t claim it until he’s twenty-five.”
“Like Bailey. She told me about the age requirement.”
“Yes, like Bailey.”
He wished they could go back to not talking. He needed the silence to figure out what in the hell was happening to him. She must have deciphered that he was not in a talkative mood because she went silent again.
Aidan glanced over at her, admiring how well she handled a horse. He couldn’t help admiring other things, as well. Such as how she looked today in her jeans and western shirt, and how the breasts he had fantasized about earlier moved erotically in rhythm with the horse’s prance.
“There is a building here,” Jillian said, bringing her horse to a stop.
He forced his eyes off her breasts to follow her gaze to the wooden cabin. He brought his horse to a stop, as well. “If you want to call it that, then yes. Bane built it a while back. It became his and Crystal’s secret lovers’ hideaway.”
“Crystal?”
“Yes. Crystal Newsome. Bane’s one and only.”
Jillian nodded. “She’s the reason he had to leave and join the navy, right?”
Aidan shrugged. “I guess you could say that, although I wouldn’t place the blame squarely on Crystal’s shoulders. Bane was as much into Crystal as Crystal was into Bane. They were both sticks of dynamite waiting to explode.”
“Where is she now?”
“Don’t know. I’m not sure if Bane even knows. He never says and I prefer not to ask,” Aidan said, getting off his horse and tying it to the rail in front of the cabin.
He moved to assist her from her horse and braced himself for the onslaught of emotions he knew he would feel when he did so.
“You don’t have to help me down, Aidan. I can manage.”
“I’m sure you can but I’m offering my assistance anyway,” he said, reaching his arms up to her.
For a minute he thought she would refuse his offer, but then she slid into his embrace. And as expected the moment they touched, fire shot through him. He actually felt his erection throb. He didn’t say anything as he stared into her face. How could she arouse him to this degree?
“You can let go of me now, Aidan.”
He blinked, realizing her feet were on the ground yet his arms were still around her waist. He tried to drop his arms but couldn’t. It was as if they had a mind of their own.
Then, in a surprise move, she reached up and placed her arms around his neck. “This is crazy,” she whispered in a quiet tone. “I shouldn’t want this but I’m not thinking straight.”
He shouldn’t want it, either, but at that moment nothing could stop him. “We’re leaving tomorrow. When we get back to our respective territories we can think straight then.”
“What about right now?” she asked, staring deep into his gaze.
“Right now all I want to do is taste you again, Jillian. So damn bad.”
She lifted her chin. “Then do it.”
He doubted she knew what she was saying because her lips weren’t the only thing he wanted to taste. He lowered his mouth to hers, thinking that she would find that out soon enough.
* * *
At that particular moment, Jillian couldn’t deny herself the enjoyment of this kiss even if her life had depended on it.
She was getting what she wanted in full force—Aidan Westmoreland–style.
She stood with her arms wrapped around his neck and their lips locked, mesmerized, totally captivated, completely enthralled. How his tongue worked around in her mouth was truly remarkable. Every bone, every pore and every nerve ending responded to the way she was being thoroughly kissed. When had she become capable of such an intense yearning like this, where every lick and suck of Aidan’s tongue could send electrical waves through her?