His Desire (19 page)
Authors: Mary Eason
“Kylie…” He didn’t want to frighten her but she didn’t answer.
Aaron pushed open the door of the kitchen area and stopped. She sat at the small table tucked away in a corner. She barely glanced up at him. Sarah was right. This was going to be hard.
“Kylie, we need to talk.”
“Why?” This wasn’t what he was expecting.
“Because…Kylie, do you love me?”
She stood and faced him across the kitchen. She was ready to bolt.
“Because I love you,” he blurted out before she had the chance to.
Her reaction was nothing like he was expecting. “That’s a lie, Aaron. You don’t love me. You can’t. You were in love with Mariah just a few months ago. You don’t love me.” She shook her head, dismissing his claim entirely.
“Dammit, Kylie, that’s not true. I never loved Mariah.” It was time to tell her the truth. Still he hesitated.
“That’s a lie. You wanted her to move to Oklahoma with you. You wanted to marry her. You wanted kids with her.” Her eyes pleaded with him to deny it.
He didn’t even hesitate.
Aaron strode over to her and caught her arm when she would have walked away.
“I never loved Mariah. I never wanted her to come with me to Oklahoma and I certainly never wanted marriage or children with her. I used Mariah.”
“I don’t want to hear about it.” She tried to pull away. He didn’t let her.
“Too bad, because you’re going to. In fact, you should have heard this a long time ago. I used Mariah. I kept stringing her along because she was my insight to you. I never touched her.”
“That’s a lie. Mariah was always bragging.”
“And I’m telling you that was just it. Mariah trying to save face. She couldn’t stand it that I didn’t want her physically. But I’m telling you that I didn’t.”
“But that night. The night we…you were so angry with Mariah. Because she hurt you by sleeping with someone else.”
Aaron started to laugh. She grew angry.
“Aaron, it’s not funny.”
“Actually, Kylie, it is. It’s hilarious now that I think of it. You thought I was angry with Mariah for sleeping with someone else when she and I had never been together.” At the sight of her tears, all laughter died away. She was upset. He’d hurt her. “I was angry with Mariah that night because I was planning on telling her that it was over between us. And she screwed it up by standing me up. I was thrilled that she had moved on. What happened between us, well, that was a miracle, in my book.”
* * * *
“Then why did you let me think you were sleeping with her, Aaron? Why did you let me think you were hurt by what happened?”
She watched the hurt come into Aaron’s eyes. “That was stupid. I realize that now. But you were always pushing me away and giving me such a hard time about the models I dated. I never thought you’d believe the truth.”
“What is the truth, Aaron? she asked with just a hint of a smile forming in those sultry eyes.
He took advantage, bringing her into his arms. “The truth is I’ve been crazy about you…no, I’ve been in love with you since the beginning. I knew I wanted you in my life from the second you walked into my office and looked at me with the most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen. When you gave me a hard time about the women I dated and you argued with me about being a Texas fan, well, I knew I was in love long before I slept with you. And I’ve wanted to tell you that for just as long. But you were so busy preaching to me that we were just friends while proving yourself wrong every time we were in bed together that I thought you needed more time.”
“You love me?”
“Yes, I’m crazy about you. I want to marry you. Oh and Kylie?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t’ want you to take the offer from Brady.”
“I thought you wouldn’t tell me what to do? I thought you said this was the biggest chance in my career, that you couldn’t make that decision for me.”
“I lied. I want you here with me but I’m willing to do what you want. If you want to take the…”
“I’d already decided to refuse the offer,” she told him with a grin. Her arms circled his waist.
“You did?” She could feel his heartbeat. He was excited.
“Yes. I talked to Sarah about it tonight. Before you and Mariah came home.”
She punched him in the arm. “Remind me later to be mad at you for that. I told her if she wanted to take the offer, I would sell the cookie recipe to her and she could do whatever she wanted. Turns out, Sarah and I aren’t nearly as enterprising as we thought. We like things the way they are. And we want to start growing the catering business more. That’s really what I’ve wanted all along. The sweet shop was just a means to accomplishing that.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive, Aaron. I’m not ready for that much success. I’d like 'Your Every Desire' to stay just the way it is.”
“Me too. Well, with one exception,” he said and kissed her lips. “I’d like to marry its boss and make her every desire come true.”
The End
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