And it hadn’t helped matters when he’d called home earlier in the week and Dillon mentioned that Jillian wasn’t coming home for spring break. She told Pam she had registered to take the MCAT and needed the time to study and work on her admissions essays. He applauded her decision to make sacrifices to reach her goal, but he was disappointed she hadn’t reached out to him liked he’d suggested. He’d made a pretty high score on the MCAT and could give her some study pointers. He’d even keyed his contact information into her phone.
Yet she hadn’t called to ask him a single question about anything. That could only mean she didn’t want his help and had probably pushed what happened between them to the back of her mind. Good for her, but he didn’t like the fact that she remained in the center of his.
Tossing the remote aside he reached for his cell phone to pull up her number. When her name appeared he put the phone down. They’d had an agreement, so to speak. An understanding. They would put that time in Denver behind them. It had been enjoyable but was something that could not and would not be repeated. No more kissing, touching...or tasting.
Hell, evidently that was easy for her to do, but it was proving to be downright difficult for him. There were nights he woke up wanting her with a passion, hungering to kiss her, touch her and taste her.
The memories of them going riding together, especially that day spent in Bane’s cabin...every moment of that time was etched in Aidan’s mind, making his brain cells overload.
Like now.
When he’d pulled down her jeans, followed by her panties, and had buried his head between her legs and tasted her...the memory made his groin tighten. Need for Jillian clawed at him in a way that made it difficult to breathe.
Aidan stood and began pacing the floor in his apartment, trying to wear down his erection. He paused when an idea entered his mind. He had time he could take off and he might as well do it now. He’d only been to Laramie, Wyoming, a couple of times, and maybe he should visit there again. He would take in the sights and check out a few good restaurants. And there was no reason for him not to drop in on Jillian to see how she was doing while he was there.
No reason at all.
* * *
Three days later, Jillian sat at the kitchen table staring at the huge study guide in front of her. It had to be at least five hundred pages thick and filled with information to prepare her for the MCAT. The recommendation was that students take three months to study, but since she was enrolled in only one class this semester she figured she would have more time to cram and could get it done in two months. That meant she needed to stay focused. No exceptions. And she meant none.
But her mind was not in agreement, especially when she could lick her lips and imagine Aidan doing that very same thing. And why—after one month, nine days and twenty minutes—could she still do that? Why hadn’t she been able to forget about his kisses and move on? Especially now when she needed to focus.
The apartment was empty and felt lonely without Ivy. It was quiet and just what she needed to get some serious studying done. She had eaten a nice breakfast and had taken a walk outside to get her brain and body stimulated. But now her mind wanted to remember another type of stimulation. One that even now sent tingles through her lower stomach.
She was about to take a sip of her coffee when the doorbell sounded. She frowned. Most of her neighbors were college students like her, and the majority of them had gone home for spring break. She’d noticed how vacant the parking lot had looked while out walking earlier.
Getting up from the kitchen table she moved toward the front door. She glanced through her peephole and her breath caught. Standing on the other side of her door was the one man she’d been trying not to think about.