He had magical hands. Knew right where to touch. How hard, how soft. When to push, and when to let her fly. She hadn’t been with a man since who could make her respond the way he had.
She was older. Surely, sex with him now would pale in comparison. Teenage love was always built up to be more than it was. That had to be it. Nostalgic times when life had been easy, simple, happy.
When her father had still been alive.
She set the plate of brownies on the nightstand, no longer hungry. She scooted down on the bed and pulled the covers up over her head and tried with everything in her to put Aidan Harte out of her mind.
She did a fair job of it until she fell asleep. Then her subconscious took over, the part of her who liked to dream of Aidan. It had been dreaming of him for the last twelve years and was damn good at it.
CHAPTER THREE
Aidan woke to find a pair of brown eyes regarding him from an inquisitive face.
Fox.
“Hey,” Aidan greeted, glancing to the other side of the bed. A lump was curled under the covers. In fact, the lump had stolen all the covers. Aidan cleared his throat and looked at Fox again.
“Feeling better?” Fox studied him as though he were dissecting an insect not previously found. “You look bad.”
“Okay.” Aidan rubbed his raspy jaw. A shower would do him good. A cold shower. Maybe Raven hadn’t stolen the covers. He probably kicked them off. It was hot in here. “Could you open a window?”
“It’s like ten below outside.” Fox gave him a look, questioning his intelligence.
“Sounds perfect,” he muttered. His head hurt and he needed water and the bathroom again. He sat up and the room spun before it settled back into place. He felt funky.
“You look really bad,” Fox repeated. But Aidan didn’t hold it against him as the kid handed him a glass of water.
“Thanks.” He drank the whole thing down and wished he had more. His mouth and throat felt like he’d swallowed a beach full of sand.
“So, why does everybody hate you?” Fox sat on the edge of the bed, hiking one knee up.
“You’ll have to ask them.” Aidan closed his eyes for a minute, hoping that would help his head. It didn’t. The door was open to the hallway so between the light out there and the one still on in the bathroom, there was enough to illuminate but not enough to hurt. He knew it was morning even though it was still dark outside. The sun didn’t rise this time of year until around nine-thirty or ten. And the darkness increased every day until the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice.
“You don’t know why they hate you?” Fox lifted a brow. “I might be a kid, but I’m not stupid.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid. Far from it. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead right now.” He didn’t know if he should thank Fox for that or not.
“You know in some cultures, when you save a life, that life belongs to you.”
“Son, you seriously don’t want to own my life.” He sure as hell had never wanted it.
Fox seemed to pale.
“But I do owe you,” Aidan continued. Dying from exposure, while snared in a trap, or being ripped apart by wild animals would have been a horrible way to die. There were many others much more pleasant. “Thank you, Fox.”
“You’re welcome.” Fox looked away, his gaze resting on the lump that had started to stir on the other side of the bed.
Raven tossed back the blankets and poked her head out. She yawned and looked around, her eyes widening when she saw Fox.
“Fox.” She scrambled out of the bed, tugging her shirt down over her pants. “What are you doing in here?”
She actually blushed, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been. Sleeping with him, for instance. Aidan smiled. She looked adorable, outraged, and embarrassed, her hair mussed up and trailing down her backside in a ruffled black curtain. He’d never forget how soft and long her hair was. He was really glad she hadn’t cut it. The length became her. Gave her that wild, sexy look he’d loved.
“Mom? Did you…sleep…with Mr. Harte?”
“Mom?” Aidan asked. Fox was her son? “I thought Fox was Lynx’s son.”
Raven glared at him and dismissed him just as quickly. “Fox, we weren’t sleeping together. I stayed here last night to make sure he was going to be all right.” She glanced back at Aidan as though laying blame for this situation. He was too stunned from learning that Fox was her son to help her out. Besides, she was cute when she bungled.
“But you were in the same bed.” Fox looked to Aidan and stared as though seeing something Aidan couldn’t.