Chapter Seventeen

“You didn’t make a break for it, then?” Aiden grinned as she joined him back in the office.

“Well, I considered the window, but it just looked too darn cold and dark out there,” she joked.

He laughed. “I’m glad to hear it. Look, I even put the heater on for you.” He gestured toward the electric fire, and she was immediately drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

She raised an eyebrow suggestively. “You think I’m in danger of catching my death in here?”

“Not if I can help it. Look, I even brought your extra sweater.” He pointed to where he had draped it over the back of her chair on top of her jacket.

“Yeah, I noticed.” She sniggered.

“Can’t take any chances.” He threw an arm around her shoulder.

“Seems pretty warm to me,” she said with a knowing grin.

“That’s because you’ve still got all these clothes on.” He winked at her, and she felt a fire ignite inside her.

“Aiden, have you forgotten where we are?” She feigned shock and giggled.

“Nope. And I haven’t forgotten that we’ve got the keys and the deputy’ll ring when he’s on his way back—which won’t be for a while yet.”

She frowned at him curiously.

“Lorraine told Ben that Rossington disappeared a little over an hour ago after they had a huge row about her offering a reward without telling him. No prizes for guessing where he’s gone to. Looks like those guys’ll be keeping our sheriff busy for quite a while yet.” He grinned.

“Is Lorraine all right?”

“Yeah, Ben’s over there now. She doesn’t expect Rossington back tonight, and, if he does return, he probably won’t be sober.” Aiden shrugged.

“You’ve got this all worked out, haven’t you?” Maggie smiled, enjoying the fire in his eyes as he told her his news.

“Oh yeah,” he murmured, wrapping both arms around her before taking her lips in a lingering kiss that she felt right down to her core.

The inferno inside her was instantly stoked by her passion and she flushed.

“You getting warmer, darlin’?” He must have noticed her face.

“Yup.” She nodded.

“Good.”

He peeled off her cardigan before slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Her skin tingled beneath the touch of his warm hands. He continued his careful assault on her lips and she gasped when she ran her hands through his silken hair.

“Think I’m getting a little warm in here, too,” he hinted, and she giggled before carefully unfastening his shirt.

She kicked off her boots while he pulled at the zipper of her jeans, and she relished the slightly cooler air on her overheated body as she stood before him in just her bra and panties.

He quirked an eyebrow at her questioningly after toeing off his own boots, and her hands trembled when she reached for his tented Levi’s. Sliding a hand behind the zipper to ease it open, she felt the warm velvet of his naked cock, which dripped enticingly over her fingers. She blushed at the realization that he had gone commando again today, and she smiled at the thought. Despite the softness of his skin, his member was rock hard, hindering her efforts to pull the zipper over it.

Aiden chuckled from deep within his throat, clearly recognizing her plight, and he slowly rocked back on his heels, clenching his muscles to allow her a little room to maneuver. Maggie grinned when she managed, at last, to free his huge cock. This was certainly a problem she had never had with anyone before—and definitely not with Robert Rossington.

She knelt in front of the handsome cowboy and peeled his Levi’s from his damp flesh, yanking them over his feet with aplomb. Looking up at him, she suddenly felt a little shy. He was so gorgeous and he was completely naked as he stood before her. She breathed him in—a heady mixture of sweat, sex and raw sensuality, the likes of which she had never encountered in her life until him.

Licking her lips, she was delighted to notice that her mouth was directly in line with his inviting member, which twitched in front of her face, beckoning her take a taste. Her eyes momentarily flitted to where it pointed—Aiden’s handsome face, which was shining down at her encouragingly.

Leaning forward very slightly, she held his hips in her quivering hands and wrapped her wet lips over his helmet, marveling at how perfectly it filled her mouth. She heard a moan emanate from him, and she echoed it with one of her own, feeling the vibration of her lips against his velvety skin. Aiden must have felt it too, as he immediately ran his hands roughly through her hair.

Empowered by his reaction, she hummed one more time before pulling her mouth from the end of his cock. He jerked as though in disappointment, and she quickly licked the salty length of his shaft. He seemed satisfied and continued to run his long fingers through her waves, a little more gently, as she laved his member, sucking at the delicious juices that were escaping its slit.

“Christ, Maggie,” he whispered while her tongue licked at his flesh, and she took his balls, one at a time, into her hot mouth.

She felt his whole body stiffen and she quickly cupped her lips around the top of his cock, kneeling higher so she could feed it right down her throat.

“I’m gonna come.” Aiden flinched and loosened his grip on her scalp even more, enabling her to pull her face out of the way if she wanted to. She didn’t.

He roared his release as his hot seed gushed down the back of her throat, thick and creamy, soothing her from the inside out, coating her in his nectar, his passion. Maggie had never felt so connected to anyone, and she relished the feeling of being so close to Aiden. She wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. She sensed every nuance of his reactions to her. A gush from her pussy reminded her that their actions also had ramifications on her own body, and she clenched her thighs together tightly when she felt a hot trickle run down her leg.

Eventually she felt his stiff organ become flaccid on her tongue when it shrank back a little, and she slurped the last of his juices, taking his member in her hands and licking off the last few drops.

“That was incredible,” he whispered, his eyes still closed when he ran his finger down her cheek.

She turned her head to kiss his hand, and he helped her to her feet as he slowly opened his eyes and smiled down at her. He crashed his lips down over hers, and he held her tightly, his hot, sweaty body pressed close to hers. His cock felt rock hard against the softness of her pussy, and she was sure he could tell just how wet her panties had become.

With one hand he unfastened the back of her bra and she gasped into his mouth at the relief when her flesh flopped free of its confines. Aiden tugged at the fabric, only allowing a tiny gap of air between them as he whipped away the offending item, before her soft skin was pressed hard up against his ripped chest.

“I want you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

She nodded, unable to speak. It was enough.

With one arm he swept Dyson’s notepad and pen from the desk then gently placed her over the polished wood.

Maggie gulped as she leaned right back and was relieved, although a little embarrassed, when she felt his fingers yank the panties from her clammy skin. She spread her legs then she gasped. She felt the velvet of his cockhead when Aiden lined his member up to her welcoming hole.

“Hang on.”

She felt bereft as he quickly moved away from her and she frowned up when she watched him take a step toward his Levi’s. Thank goodness he had remembered. He was already opening the foil packet with his teeth when he returned to his position, and swiftly rolled the thin rubber over his cock before throwing her a salacious wink.

Maggie smiled at him, her chest panting hard with anticipation. She nodded to his questioning look, indicating she was ready, and he groaned when he slid his humungous member into her dripping channel. She forced herself not to tense up because she was stretched beyond belief. The pain morphed into exquisite pleasure as Aiden allowed her time to adjust to his size before slipping into a natural rhythm while he pumped harder and harder into her. She was sure she could feel him right up to her womb, and she clung to his biceps, riveted firmly in position, not that she would want to move, even if she could…ever.

He stared down at her, studying her every expression, and she occasionally lifted a hand from one of his arms to stroke his face or his hair. Keeping his weight off her body, he pounded harder and deeper into her until she screamed her delight when a million stars exploded in front of her eyes. He let out a deafening roar, and she felt his cock impossibly expand, his seed erupting. In that moment, she wouldn’t have minded if he had forgotten about the condom all together. There was nothing she would like more than to have his baby. The thought invaded her mind, and she realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Aiden Fielding.

“I love you,” she screamed over the sound of his groan.

He was silenced in an instant when he stared down at her. “Oh my God! I love you too!” Aiden breathed the words as though his life depended on it, and his expression was a mixture of wonder and relief. “I really love you, Maggie.” He whispered the words slowly and purposefully, as though willing her to understand, to believe what he was telling her.

His eyes searched her face, and she smiled, astonished and delighted that they both felt the same way. It hadn’t occurred to her until that second that she was taking a risk in telling him how she felt. She had just blurted it out in the moment of recognition.

He encased her lips with his once more, and his whole body merged with hers as he held her tight, kissing and licking every inch of her face, her neck and her throat.

Eventually he stood up, flexing his gorgeous muscles when he stretched his body. He must have caught her watching him because a massive grin spread across his face, and he winked suggestively at her.

“I’d better get cleaned up,” she murmured, blushing profusely.

Grabbing her clothes on her way through to the bathroom, she scurried off to have a much-needed wash. She heard him chuckle and knew he would find it odd that she was so modest, having just made love, but it was just the way she was.

There was a small shower cubicle in one corner of the washroom, and the water was cool at first, actually making her shiver as the spray bombarded her overheated skin. Luckily, it soon warmed a little and she was relieved to find a bottle of cheap gel which she used to wash her body and hair.

“Need any help in there?” Aiden’s deep voice resounded over the gushing water, and she jumped around to see him leaning against the doorjamb. He had obviously had a shower too, as his hair was wet, and he looked refreshed, but he hadn’t replaced his shirt.

“I think I can manage. Thank you,” she assured him.

He chuckled. “All right. The sheriff’s on his way back. Said he’s got some news for us.”

Maggie was surprised for a moment before remembering where they were and why. The horror of spending a night in jail had soon dissipated once she realized she wasn’t actually going to be locked up and left alone. Aiden couldn’t have been kinder or more thoughtful—even without making love to her—and she would never be able to thank him enough.

As soon as he left, she grabbed a towel and quickly got dressed. Aiden had a cup of coffee waiting for her when she returned to the office.

“Great timing. I just heard a car,” he said. “Here. You might want this.”

He handed her a comb from his back pocket, and she smiled. Her hair was a nightmare at the best of times, but having just washed it, she knew it would be a real mess without a good combing. She felt so much better for having been able to wash it as well as her body, though. She had sure gotten hot tonight.

Dyson didn’t look at all surprised to see her sitting at his desk, drinking coffee and combing sections of her wet hair when he walked in. Neither did he bat an eye at the sight of Aiden without his shirt on.

“Nice and warm in here,” the sheriff remarked with a grin.

Aiden placed a mug of coffee in front of him before taking the seat next to Maggie. “So, was it Rossington and Taylor?”

Dyson took a long swig of his drink. “Yup. Of course, they’re both claiming it was just some harmless horseplay, but the locals sure didn’t see it that way.”

“So, it was about that dang reward?” Aiden frowned.

“Oh yeah. According to the witnesses, Rossington was accusing Taylor of trying to wheedle the necklace out of him so he could claim the reward from Lorraine.”

“He admitted to stealing it, then?” Aiden looked surprised, and Maggie felt her hopes rise.

Dyson shook his head. “Nah, not a chance. I’ve got witness statements, though, which’ll stand up in court. I was hoping to take them both in for breaching the peace, but they insisted it was all good-humored and they apologized for any disturbance. I could hardly argue with that, especially as I’d have had to bring them back here, and I didn’t think that was entirely appropriate with Maggie being here at the same time.”

“Shouldn’t the marshal take care of them? After all, Taylor is a law enforcement officer.” Aiden frowned again.

“He would, but he’s away right now. I’m kind of filling in for him,” Dyson replied, shrugging.

“How convenient,” Aiden muttered.

“I’ve got an off-the-record meeting with him tomorrow, then he’ll be back for Saturday,” Dyson replied. “Never misses a Cavern County wedding!”

“You really think it’ll go ahead?” Maggie piped up, still wrestling with the tangles in her wayward curls.

“Whether it does or it doesn’t, it’ll sure be an interesting day,” Dyson told her matter-of-factly. He yawned. “Now, if you good folks wouldn’t mind getting off to bed, I’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

Aiden looked up in surprise. “Off-the-record meeting?”

“Just a social chat, I expect,” Dyson said. “He’s asked me to go meet him, anyhow. Don’t know what about.” He glanced over at Maggie. “So I hope we can get that statement of yours signed and sealed in good time.”

“Yes, sir.” She smiled.

“Good. Frank’ll be over first thing to witness it all,” Dyson said.

“I guess we’re sleeping in the cells, then?” Aiden asked.

“’Fraid so. There’s only one put-you-up bed in this place, and I’m afraid it’s got my name written all over it,” Dyson said.

Aiden stood up and grabbed Maggie’s jacket and sweater, along with his own shirt and coat. “Think it might be best if we share a cell, Maggie, just in case we need to keep each other warm. You know? I heard it gets mighty chilly down on that end.”

Dyson sniggered. “Despite what I said earlier, we do have heated cells, but you folks make yourselves comfortable. As long as you don’t disturb me tonight, I don’t mind what your sleeping arrangements are.”

Maggie followed Aiden to the cells. They both climbed onto a single bed—they had no choice in that matter—then snuggled up together. Dyson had been right about the heating. It was real comfortable, apart from being a little cramped, but she preferred that to being on her own tonight. Aiden’s body was warm, and he wrapped himself around her like a huge continental quilt. His heart pounded into her ear, soothing her into a peaceful sleep.