The Best Kept Secrets...: The Secret Affair

Chapter Six

Aidan wished Jillian hadn’t said that. After their first kiss, he’d concluded she had enjoyed it as much as he had. When they’d gone another round he’d been sure of it. Just like he was sure that, although her experience with kissing had been at a minimum, she was a fast learner. She had kept up with him, stroke for stroke. And now, for her to confess that she could still taste him, the same way he could still taste her, sent his testosterone level soaring.

He took a step closer, gently pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. He truly didn’t understand why the desire between them was so intense but he accepted that it was. The thought of Dillon and Pam’s ire didn’t appeal to him any more than it did to her, but unlike her, he refused to believe his cousin and cousin-in-law would be dead set against something developing between him and Jillian.

But he didn’t have to worry because nothing was developing between them. They were attracted to each other; there was nothing serious about that. He’d been attracted to women before, although never to this degree, he would admit. But after today it would be a while before they saw each other again since he rarely came home. This would be a one-and-done fling. He knew for certain that Pam and Dillon would definitely not like the thought of that. They would think he’d taken advantage of her. So he agreed they did not need to know.

“I won’t sleep with you, Aidan.”

Her words interrupted his thoughts. He met her gaze. “You won’t?”

“No. I think we should get that straight right now.”

He nodded slowly. “All right. So what did you have in mind for us to do in here?” To say he was anxious to hear her answer was an understatement.

“Kiss some more. A lot more.”

Evidently she didn’t think an intense kissing match could lead to other things, with a loss of control topping the list. “You think it will be that simple?”

She shrugged. “No. But I figure if we both use a reasonable degree of self-control we’ll manage.”

A reasonable degree of self control? Jillian had more confidence in their abilities than he did. Just being here with her was causing a hard pounding in his crotch. If only she knew just how enticing she looked standing in front of him in a pair of jeans and a white button-up blouse that he would love to peel off her. Her hair was pinned up on her head, but a few locks...like the one he’d played with earlier...had escaped confinement.

“Is there a problem, Aidan?”

He lifted a brow. “Problem?”

“Yes. You’re stalling and I’m ready now.”

He fought to hide his grin. Was this the same woman who only yesterday swore they would never kiss again? The same woman who just that morning had refused to go riding with him? Her enthusiasm caused something within him to stir, making it hard to keep his control in check. His body wouldn’t cooperate mainly because her scent alone was increasing his desire for her.

And she thought all they would do was some heavy-duty kissing?

Deciding not to keep her waiting any longer, he slanted his mouth over hers.

* * *

When had she needed a man’s kiss this much? No, this much, she thought, leaning up on her toes to become enmeshed in Aidan’s kiss even more. Jillian felt his arms move from around her waist to her backside, urging her closer to the fit of him, making her feel his hard erection pressing against her middle. She shouldn’t like how it felt but she did.

The tips of her nipples seemed sensitized against his solid chest. When had she become this hot mass of sexual desire?

When he intensified the kiss even more, she actually heard herself moan. Really moan. He was actually tasting her. Using his mouth to absorb hers as if she was a delectable treat he had to consume. She was losing all that control she’d told him they had to keep and she was losing it in a way she couldn’t define.

When he groaned deep in his throat and deepened the kiss even more, it took all she had to remain standing and not melt in a puddle on the floor. Why at twenty-one was she just experiencing kisses like these? And why was she allowing her mind to be sacked with emotions and sensations that made it almost impossible to breathe, to think, to do anything but reciprocate? Their tongues tangled greedily, dueling and plowing each other’s mouths with a yearning that was unrelenting.

When she noticed his hands were no longer on her backside but had worked their way to the zipper of her jeans, she gasped and broke off the kiss, only to be swept off her feet into Aidan’s strong arms.

Before she could ask what he was doing, he tumbled them both onto the huge bed. She looked up into his dark eyes as he moved his body over hers. Any words she’d wanted to say died in her throat. All she could do was stare at him as intense heat simmered through her veins. He leaned back on his haunches and then in one quick movement, grasped her hips and peeled the jeans down to her knees.

“What—what are you doing?” she managed to ask, while liquid fire sizzled down her spine. She was lying there with only bikini panties covering her.

He met her gaze. “I’m filling my entire mouth with the taste of you.” And then he eased her panties down her legs before lifting her hips and lowering his head between her thighs.

The touch of his tongue had her moaning and lifting her hips off the bed. He was relentless, and he used his mouth in a way that should be outlawed. She wanted to push his head away, but instead she used her arms to hold him in place.

And then she felt a series of intense spasms spread through her entire body. Suddenly, he did something wicked with his tongue, driving her wild. She screamed as a flood of sensations claimed her, tossing her into an earth-shaking orgasm. Her very first. It was more powerful than anything she could have imagined.

And he continued to lap her up, not letting go. His actions filled her with more emotions, more wanting, more longing. Her senses were tossed to smithereens. It took a while before she had enough energy to breathe through her lungs to release a slow, steady breath. She wondered if she had enough energy to even mount her horse, much less ride away from here.

Aidan lifted his head and slowly licked his lips, as if savoring her taste, while meeting her eyes. “Mmm, delicious.”

His words were as erotic as she felt. “Why? Why did you do that?” she asked, barely able to get the words out. She felt exhausted, totally drained. Yet completely and utterly satisfied.

Instead of giving her an answer, he touched her chin with the tip of his thumb before lowering his lips to hers in an open-mouth kiss that had fire stirring deep in her stomach. Tasting herself on his lips made her quiver.

When he finally released her lips, he eased back on his haunches and gazed down at her. “I did it because you have a flavor that’s uniquely you and I wanted to sample it.”

She lifted her hips off the bed when he pulled her jeans back up. Then he shifted his body to pull her into his lap. She tilted her head back to look at him. “What about when we leave here tomorrow?”

“When we leave tomorrow we will remember this time with fondness and enjoyment. I’m sure when you wake up in your bed in Wyoming and I wake up in mine in Boston, we will be out of each other’s systems.”

She nodded. “You think so?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure of it. And don’t feel guilty about anything because we haven’t hurt anyone. All we did was appease our curiosity in a very delectable way.”

Yes, it had been most delectable. And technically, they hadn’t slept together so they hadn’t crossed any lines. She pulled away from him to finish fixing her clothing, tucking her shirt back into her jeans.

“Um, a missed opportunity.”

She glanced over at him. “What?”

“Your breasts. I had planned to devour them.”

At that moment, as if on cue, her breasts began to ache. Her nipples felt tight, sensitive, pulsing. And it didn’t help matters when an image of him doing that very thing trickled through her mind.

“We need to go,” she said quickly, knowing if they remained any longer it would only lead to trouble.

“Do we?”

He wasn’t helping matters by asking her that. “Yes. It’s getting late and we might be missed.” When he made no attempt to move, she headed for the door. “I can find my way back.”

“Wait up, Jillian.”

She stopped and turned back to him. “We don’t have to go back together, Aidan.”

“Yes, we do. Pam knows of our plans to go riding together.”

Color drained from Jillian’s face. “Who told her?”

“I ran into her when I was headed to the barn and she asked where I was headed. I told her the truth.”

At the accusation in her expression, he placed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Had I told her I was going someplace else and she discovered differently, Jillian, she would have wondered why I had lied.”

Jillian nodded slowly upon realizing what he said made sense. “What did she say about it?”

“Nothing. In fact I don’t think she thought much about it at all. However, she did say she was glad you were about to start medical school and she would appreciate any advice I could give you.”

Jillian swallowed tightly. He’d given her more than advice. Thanks to him, she had experienced her first orgasm today. “Okay, we’ll ride back together. I’ll just wait outside.”

She quickly walked out the door. He’d claimed what they’d done today would get them out of each other’s systems. She definitely hoped so.

* * *

When the door closed behind Jillian, Aidan rubbed a hand down his face in frustration. He couldn’t leave Denver soon enough. The best thing to do was put as much distance between him and Jillian as possible. She felt uncomfortable with the situation and now he was beginning to feel the same. However, his uneasiness had nothing to do with Dillon and Pam finding out what they’d been up to, and everything to do with his intense attraction to Jillian.

Even now he wanted to go outside, throw her over his shoulders and bring her back inside. He wanted to kiss her into submission and taste her some more before making nonstop love to her. How crazy was that?

He’d never felt this much desire for any woman, and knowing she was off-limits only seemed to heighten his desire for her. And now that he’d gotten an intimate taste of her, getting her out of his system might not be as easy as he’d claimed earlier. Her taste hadn’t just electrified his taste buds, it had done something to him that was unheard of—he was no longer lingering on the edge of wanting to make love to her but had fallen off big-time.

Every time his tongue explored her mouth, his emotions heated up and began smoldering. And when he lapped her up, he was tempted to do other things to her, as well. Things he doubted she was ready for.

Drawing in a deep breath, he straightened up the bedcovers before heading for the door. Upon stepping outside, he breathed in deeply to calm his racing heart. She stood there stroking his horse and a part of him wished she would stroke him the same way. He got hard just imagining such a thing.

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just stood there watching her. When his erection pressed uncomfortably against his zipper, he finally spoke up. “I’m ready to ride.”

She glanced over at him and actually smiled when she said, “You have a beautiful horse, Aidan.”

“Thanks,” he said, walking down the steps. “Charger is a fourth-generation Westmoreland stallion.”

She turned to stroke the horse again and didn’t look up when he came to stand next to her. “I’ve heard all about Charger. I was warned by Dillon to never try to ride him because only a few people could. It’s obvious you’re one of those people.”

Aidan nodded. “Yes, Charger and I have an understanding.”

She stopped stroking Charger to look at him. “What about you and me, Aidan? Do we have an understanding?”

He met her gaze, not sure how he should answer that. Just when he thought he had everything figured out about them, something would happen to make his brains turn to mush. “I assume you’re referring to the incidents that have taken place between us over the past two days.”

“I am.”

“Then, yes, we have an understanding. After today, no more kissing, no more touching—”

“Or tasting,” she interjected.

Saying he would never again taste her was a hard one, but for her peace of mind and for his own, he would say it. “Yes, tasting.”

“Good. We’re in agreement.”

He wouldn’t exactly say that, but for now he would hold his tongue—that same tongue that enjoyed dueling with hers. “I guess we need to head back.”

“Okay, and I don’t need your help mounting my horse.”

In other words, she didn’t want him to touch her. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

He nodded and then watched her move away from his horse to get on hers. As usual, it was a total turn-on watching her. “I want to thank you, Aidan.”

He took his gaze away from the sight of her legs straddling the horse to look into her face. “Thank me for what?”

“For introducing me to a few things during this visit home.”

For some reason that made him smile. “It was my pleasure.” And he meant every word.

Chapter Seven

“You're still not going home, Jillian?”

Jillian looked up from eating her breakfast to see her roommate, Ivy Rollins. They had met in her sophomore year when Jillian knew she didn’t want to live in the dorm any longer. She had wanted an apartment off campus and someone to share the cost with her. Ivy, who had plans to attend law school, had answered the ad Jillian placed in the campus newspaper. They’d hit it off the first time they’d met and had been the best of friends since. Jillian couldn’t ask for a better roommate.

“I was home last month,” she reminded Ivy.

“Yes, but that was a couple of days for your birthday. Next week is spring break.”

Jillian didn’t want to be reminded. Pam had called yesterday to see if Jillian would be coming home since Nadia had made plans to do so. Paige, who was attending UCLA, had gotten a small part in a play on campus and needed to remain in Los Angeles. Guilt was still riding Jillian over what she and Aidan had done. She hated deceiving her sister about anything. “I explained to Pam that I need to start studying for the MCAT. She understood.”

“I hate leaving you, but—”

“But you will,” Jillian said, smiling. “And that’s fine. I know how homesick you get.” That was an understatement. Ivy’s family lived in Oregon. Her parents, both chefs, owned a huge restaurant there. Her two older brothers were chefs as well and assisted her parents. Ivy had decided on a different profession than her parents and siblings, but she loved going home every chance she got to help out.

“Yes, I will,” Ivy said, returning her smile. “In fact I leave in two days. Sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I’ve got enough to keep me busy since I’m sitting for the MCAT in two months. And I need to start working on my essays.”

“It’s a bummer you’ll be doing something other than enjoying yourself next week,” Ivy said.

“It’s okay. Getting into medical school is the most important thing to me right now.”

A few hours later Jillian sat at the computer desk in her bedroom searching the internet. She had tossed around the idea of joining a study group for the MCAT and there appeared to be several. Normally, she preferred studying solo but for some reason she couldn’t concentrate. She pushed away from the computer and leaned back in her chair knowing the reason.

Aidan.

It had been a little over a month since she’d gone home for her birthday, and Aidan had been wrong. She hadn’t woken up in her bed in Wyoming not thinking of him. In fact she thought of him even more. All the time. Thoughts of him had begun interfering with her studies.

She got up and moved to the kitchen to grab a soda from the refrigerator. He should have been out of her system by now, but he wasn’t. Memories of him put her to sleep at night and woke her up in the morning. And then in the wee hours of the night, she recalled in vivid detail his kisses, especially the ones between her legs.

Remembering that particular kiss sent a tingling sensation through her womanly core, which wasn’t good. In fact, nothing about what she was going through was good. Sexual withdrawal. And she hadn’t even had sex with Aidan, but she hadn’t needed sex to get an orgasm. That in itself showed the magnitude of his abilities.

Returning to her bedroom she pushed thoughts of him from her mind. Sitting back down at her desk, she resumed surfing the net. She bet he hadn’t even given her a thought. He probably wasn’t missing any sleep thinking of her, and he had probably woken up his first day back in Boston with some woman in his bed. Why did that thought bother her?

She had been tempted to ask Pam if she’d heard from Aidan, but hadn’t for fear her sister would wonder why Jillian was inquiring about Aidan when she hadn’t before.

Jillian turned around when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in.”

Ivy walked into the room, smiling. “I know you have a lot to do but you’ve been in here long enough. Come grab a bite to eat at the Wild Duck. My treat.”

Ivy wasn’t playing fair. She knew the Wild Duck was one of Jillian’s favorite eating places. They had the best hamburgers and fries. “You’ve twisted my arm,” she said, pushing away from the desk.

Ivy chuckled. “Yeah. Right.”

Jillian stood, thinking she did need a break. And maybe she could get Aidan off her mind.

* * *

“How are you doing, Dr. Westmoreland?”

Aidan smiled over at the doctor who’d transferred in to the medical school during the weekend that he’d gone home. He really should ask her out. Lynette Bowes was attractive, she had a nice figure, and she seemed friendly enough. At times almost too friendly. She enjoyed flirting with him and she’d gone so far as to make a few bold innuendos, which meant getting her into his bed probably would be easy. So what was he waiting on?

“I’m fine, Dr. Bowes, and how are you?”

She leaned over to hand him a patient’s chart, intentionally brushing her breasts against his arm. “I would be a lot a better if you dropped by my apartment tonight,” she whispered.

Another invite. Why was he stalling? Why wasn’t he on top of his game as usual? And why was he thinking that the intimate caress she’d purposely initiated just now had nothing on the caresses he’d experienced with Jillian?

“Thanks, but I have plans for tonight,” he lied.

“Then maybe another night?”

“I’ll let you know.” He appreciated his cell phone going off at that moment. “I’ll see you later.” He made a quick escape.

Later that night while at home doing nothing but flipping TV channels, he couldn’t help wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Although he’d asked himself that question, he knew the answer without thinking.

Jillian.

He’d assumed once he was back in Boston and waking up in his own bed that he would eradicate her from his mind. Unfortunately, he’d found out that wasn’t the case. He thought about her every free moment, and he even went to bed thinking about her. And the dreams he had of her were double X-rated. His desire for her was so bad that he hadn’t thought twice about wanting anyone else.

And it hadn’t helped matters when he’d called home earlier in the week and Dillon mentioned that Jillian wasn’t coming home for spring break. She told Pam she had registered to take the MCAT and needed the time to study and work on her admissions essays. He applauded her decision to make sacrifices to reach her goal, but he was disappointed she hadn’t reached out to him like he’d suggested. He’d made a pretty high score on the MCAT and could give her some study pointers. He’d even keyed his contact information into her phone.

Yet she hadn’t called to ask him a single question about anything. That could only mean she didn’t want his help and had probably pushed what happened between them to the back of her mind. Good for her, but he didn’t like the fact that she remained in the center of his.