“Oh my god,” I gasped, the aftershocks pulsing through me, gripping and releasing him as we came down together.
Aaron’s arms were wrapped tight around me, the two of us still connected. We breathed hard as my thoughts swirled. He’d read me like an open book, naming what I needed before I even realized it, and giving it to me. He’d done it all week, since the first day we’d had sex at his house.
“If that’s gonna happen every time I help you with the house,” Aaron said, “then please make a long, long list of things that need to be done.”
I laughed softly, then tilted my head to allow him access to my neck. He kissed it and sent shivers down my body. “Believe me, I can,” I said.
His lips were soft and his scruff deliciously scratchy against my skin. He ran his hands up to squeeze my breasts. “These are the most spectacular things in the world,” he said against my ear. “Except maybe this.” He grabbed my ass.
After a few more minutes, we cleaned up and got dressed. Aaron’s phone dinged, and I caught the confusion on his face as he read the text.
“What is it?”
He looked up. “Is Chief supposed to come by or something?”
I checked the time. “Is he here?”
Aaron nodded. “He’s outside in his truck, giving me shit about being here and wondering if it’s safe to knock on the door.”
I laughed. “He’s early. By an hour. He’s here to inspect the wiring,” I explained.
He pulled me to him and buried his face in my neck. “Glad he wasn’t even earlier,” he said, capturing my earlobe and wrapping his strong arms around me.
I sighed contentedly. “Would’ve served him right.”
He chuckled. “Maybe, but I would never hear the end of it.”
He let me go, and I turned to him. “How do I look?”
“Gorgeous.” He grinned mischievously. “And freshly fucked.”
I swatted at him and went to the front door. I waved Chief in from where he sat in his truck, windows down to let in the cooling-but-not-cool early fall air. He waved back and climbed out of the cab, making his way to me with a clipboard in his hand.
“Better to be early than late, right?” he said, then pet the dogs. “Seems like Samson’s claimed you as his.”
I smiled back at him. “Afraid so. I finally broke down and started feeding him, too.” On a sigh, I leaned down to give him a scratch and he licked my hand and looked up at me, his little brown eyes piercing straight through my heart. Damn dog.
“I know.” He straightened and grinned, hooking his thumbs through his uniform belt. “There was a whole thread on the community Facebook page.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course there was.”
He stepped into the house and nodded at Aaron, who said, “You know there’s a thread about us, too—at least, I’m assuming there is.”
I felt my cheeks burn. “Seriously?”
Chief shrugged noncommittally and hitched his thumb toward the upstairs. “Should I get started on the wiring?”
“Sure.”
I felt Aaron’s hand on my shoulder. “I’ll get Chief started. Stay here?” At my nod, he turned to follow Chief up the steps.
Stayhere. That’s exactly what I was doing. Right? I sighed. I still wasn’t sure.
The wedding album caught my eye, taunting me from where it lay on the coffee table. This past week, it’d felt like I was moving forward, the loss of Jason and the guilt I felt finally easing into something bearable with every day that I spent with Aaron, and also with Rick, Ceci and Jodi.
How, exactly, I planned on making it all work was still something I hadn’t figured out.
But wasn’t I happy here?
Aaron appeared, a glass of water in his hand and a broad smile on his face.
I was happy. I was.
I drank the water and sat the glass next to the wedding album. Aaron gathered me into a hug, and I leaned against his chest and closed my eyes. His heartbeat was steady, solid. Just like him. I knew he wanted answers as much as I wanted to give them, but I also knew he’d wait. His patience was infinite and he was approaching Rick-like levels of sainthood.
Come to think of it, he might actually be approaching all levels of Rick. Had I finally found the man who could hurdle the bar Rick set?
After a while, Chief made his way back downstairs and came into the living room. I stood and Aaron joined me.
“So what’s the diagnosis?” I asked.
“Your guy was right. You need a complete re-do,” he said. “This isn’t as simple as re-wiring the upstairs. It’s the whole house. Frankly, I’m not sure how the wiring survived as long as it has. Last time it was touched was in the forties, judging by how old it is.”
I slumped. “Great.”
“Only good news is that it’s not a fire hazard. Yet.” He was stern. “But you need it fixed, and fixed soon.”
Aaron put his hand on my lower back, and I wanted to curl into the warm comfort of it.
