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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Aidan leaned past Grace and flipped the dead bolt. Then he froze. Without meaning to, he’d pressed her back against the door. There wasn’t an inch of space between them. Even with their jackets and vests on he could feel her heat and the pressure of her generous curves crushed against his chest. He should back up, put as much distance as possible between them. But he couldn’t have moved away right now if the fires of hell were licking at his heels. She felt so…dang…good.

His body responded against his will, hardening against her. The soft intake of her breath had his pulse rushing in his ears. And then, the impossible happened. This smart, beautiful woman who was too good for him for so many reasons slid her hands up his coat, their heat practically burning him when she stroked the sides of his neck. Standing on tiptoes, she thrust her fingers into his hair where it touched the back of his collar, stroking, kneading, fanning the flames.

He shuddered against her and suddenly they were both stripping each other’s jackets off, then their vests, tossing them onto the floor. She plastered her body against his, her mouthwatering curves fitting perfectly against his hard planes.

“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Kiss me, Aidan.”

His good intentions, his self-control, melted away in the inferno they’d created. He spanned her tiny waist with his hands and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him and he pressed her against the door, shoving one hand through her hair, the other supporting her bottom as he claimed her mouth with his.

It was as if dynamite had exploded between them, burning away all logic, all reason, every thought in his mind except loving her. He couldn’t get enough, stroking, caressing, kissing her the way he’d wanted to from the moment she’d impressed him by knowing what type of wood he was using to make that dang table in his workshop. She was a confusing mix of intelligence and wonder, aggravating him one moment and enthralling him the next. And just when he was about to end their kiss, his lungs starving for air, she deepened it and thrust her delicate tongue inside his mouth.

His legs nearly buckled. He groaned and matched her wild hunger with his own, no longer even trying to hold back. He wanted this, needed this. And he could sense the answering need in her. They were ravenous for each other. Turning with her in his arms, he rushed to the bed, careful not to crush her as he followed her down to the mattress.

He forced himself to slow down, to savor, to be gentle to this beautiful, delicate woman who was so much smaller than him. But as much as he wanted her, he wanted to make this good for her, to show her with his actions how obsessed he was with her even if he couldn’t put it into words or had tried to pretend indifference.

“I’m not going to break,” she whispered against his neck. “Love me. Just love me. Let yourself go.”

Her sexy plea had him groaning again, shaking with need. It had been so long, so dang long.

Twelve years.

He stilled.

It had been twelve years since he’d made love to a woman, the only woman he’d ever been with.

Elly.

Shame washed over him like a bucket of ice water. Not because he was betraying Elly, but because he was thinking of his wife while loving Grace. It was wrong. This was wrong. If he made love to Grace it needed to be in the right setting, the right frame of mind, without a ghost between them. She deserved better. Grace deserved better.

“Aidan? What’s wrong?”

He swore softly and pressed a kiss against her forehead, before shoving himself to his feet. Leaning down, he gently grasped her hands and pulled her to stand in front of him.

“I’m so sorry, Grace. I just… I can’t do this.”

Her brow crinkled in confusion and she looked down. “Um, yes, you can. Trust me. You’re standing at glorious, rather impressive attention.”

He laughed, then groaned. “I won’t do this. Believe me, I want to. I can’t tell you how badly I ache to…but it’s not… I can’t… Elly—”

She gasped and scrambled away, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. “My name is Grace. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this happened, or almost happened. Were you thinking about her all along, from the moment we touched?”

“What? No, no. You don’t understand. It’s been a long time and I—”

“I get it, okay?” She grabbed her vest and jacket off the floor. “I really do understand. And I’m not mad or even hurt. It just…startled me. You’re still in love with her.” She hesitated, then stepped to him and cupped the side of his face, her gaze searching his. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. She was your wife, the mother of your child. You lost her in a horrific way and you’re not ready to move on.” She grimaced. “I admit I’m mildly mortified for throwing myself at you. But I’ll survive. I’m a big girl. I’ll be okay. We’re okay, all right? Just…forget this ever happened.”

She hurried to the door and looked through the peephole, then glanced back at him. “Maybe you’ll be able to heal and move on once I prove your innocence and exonerate you. I promise I won’t give up until I find a way to clear your name.”

He stared at her in shock. “What? Grace, no. You don’t need to—”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” She hurried out of his room and quietly closed the door behind her.

Prove his innocence? Exonerate him? This was a nightmare. He adjusted his clothes with a grimace, then strode to the door and flung it open.

Grace had opened her door, but instead of going inside, she stood in the doorway, both hands covering her mouth, her vest and jacket forgotten on the floor where she must have dropped them.

“What is it?” he asked. “Did someone break into your room?” He jogged across the landing, then stopped behind her, his mouth going dry. Framed in the large picture window on the other side of her room was the highest mountain in Mystic Lake. And the very top of it was consumed in flickering reds and yellows lighting up the night sky. Flames.

“Aidan,” she breathed, “do you know what’s up there?”

Dread settled deep in his gut. “There’s only one thing at the top of that mountain. My home.”