A is for Aiden (Men of ALPHAbet Mountain)

“Thank you,” she said. “Some of that stuff is heavy.”

“Do you want some help bringing it inside? Your house is on the way home for me. I don’t mind stopping by.”

“No, that’s fine,” she said, looking over her shoulder again. She did it quickly, and I was sure she thought I didn’t notice.

“Are you sure? I can help get this stuff put away for you. Especially the heavy stuff.”

“Ok, sure,” she said. “If you can help me get them inside, I’d appreciate it.”

Putting my own groceries in the back of my truck, I followed her to her place and parked on the street. Going up to the back of her car, I grabbed the heaviest of the bags and took them inside behind her.

I enjoyed helping her. It was weird. It was different from the enjoyment I got from just helping anyone. That part of the do-good aspect of my personality always lit up when I helped someone. But this was deeper, more satisfactory. I wanted to please her. I was struggling with it. I was also struggling with why she seemed so paranoid.

As we reached the back of the car for what looked like the last couple of bags, she looked around again and then caught me staring at her. Smiling sheepishly, she grabbed a bag. I grabbed the last of the groceries and shut the trunk, following her inside and closing the door behind us.

Desiree opened her cabinets and started putting things away. It didn’t take long to figure out her method of storing things, and I began to help her.

“Hey, I wanted to ask a question,” I said.

“Yeah?”

“I noticed you looking over your shoulder a lot earlier.” I watched her body language as I spoke. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” her mouth said. Her body told an entirely different story. Anyone who spent as long in the military as I had, questioning civilians, could tell she was lying. It was even easier for me, since I had been watching her body for various reasons since she showed up on my doorstep.

“Okay,” I said, dropping it for now. “It looks like we’re down to the last bit here. Is there anything you need after this?”

Both of us reached forward on the counter for the last can. Our fingers touched, and we froze. The question hung in the air as we stood just inches from each other. The tension between us sparked and crackled, and for a moment, nothing else but the sound of her breath, the trembling of her lips, mattered.

We crushed into each other at the same time. Hungrily, I kissed her, taking her breath into my lungs and breathing new life into myself. I turned her so her back was against the refrigerator, and my tongue slipped into her mouth. We tasted each other, our bodies grinding together, her hand in my hair. Suddenly, she pulled away, panting.

“I… I have some things I need to get ready for work tomorrow,” she said.

“Ah,” I said, trying to recover my wits. “Well, is there anything else you need?”

She stared at me through the tops of her eyelids, her head tilted down, and a small smirk curled up one side of her face.

“No,” she said. “Not right now. But maybe… maybe I’ll call you later?”

“I would like that.”

“Goodbye, Aiden.”

I nodded, a grin spreading across my face.

“Goodbye, Desiree,” I said.

Turning, I left through her door, not looking back. My entire body was vibrating, and my cock was as hard as a rock in my jeans. I drove home vacillating between being elated and confused as to what the hell was going on with her.

14

Desiree

Kissing Aiden was simultaneously the best and worst decision I could have made.

I didn’t want to be alone right now. I wanted someone with me, someone to help me ward off the paranoia, if nothing else. But aside from that, I wanted Aiden around. I enjoyed his company, and he made me feel attractive and safe and interesting. I felt like a better version of myself when I was around him. I could see through his eyes how he saw me, and though he might think I was a bit impulsive… I was a bit impulsive. I made stupid decisions like going hiking before a blizzard. Or moving to Tennessee, of all places, far away from the people who could protect me should I need it.

But I didn’t want to drag him into my mess. It was my mess. Hopefully, the phone call was just to scare me, to keep me from going back home and taking up the family business. A bunch of people would fall in line behind me, out of loyalty to my father. But I didn’t want it. And if I stayed gone and hard to find, maybe they wouldn’t really look. Until I could prove that, I didn’t want anyone else to get caught up in it. Especially someone I liked as much as Aiden.