Chapter 60
After Aaron got that botherso wet dream, his nights had turned into sothing else entirely that he didn’t have control over—breathless, hot, and restless from horniness. His dreams had been plagued and taken over by Katherine.
A teasing, seductive and inviting Katherine.
Every ti he shut his eyes, it was her—laughing, touching him, whispering things that sent heat spiraling down his spine. And each ti, he woke up drenched in sweat, his body aching, his thoughts clouded, and his chest tight with need.
Fuck!
Even the morning after he had dropped them off at their apartnt, he couldn’t look her in the eyes. His grip on the steering wheel had been too tight, and every ti she shifted beside him, he could still feel the heat of her skin under his hands from the dream, and her natural scent nearly drove him crazy.
His knuckles had turned white, jaw clenched, while Katherine, completely unaware of the restlessness in him, had thanked him for the ride. He’d nodded without saying much, afraid his voice would co out hoarse, deeper with a tinge of his desire.
Then Aaron took so days off—a few days away from the hotel or her apartnt, away from seeing her smile, away from the twins calling him "Uncle Piano," and most importantly, away from Katherine. Maybe if he put space between them, the heat would cease. Or maybe the dreams would stop.
But that was impossible because not seeing her only made the yearning co tenfold. The distance made it intense.
By Thursday morning, Aaron had had enough of the distance while he stared at his ceiling and thought, Screw it. If staying away only made him crave her more, then maybe being close would... help, right?
That’s when the spontaneous idea ca to him—a weekend camping trip. Sothing simple that would put them in nature. And maybe it would calm the storm inside him.
When he brought it up—after rushing to her apartnt when the thought ca to him—Katherine had hesitated. Her erald doe eyes had searched his, like she didn’t understand why he planned that after his small distance.
But then Jasmine gasped, clapping her hands happily, while Hanith gave one of his rare excited nods. When Aaron looked back at Katherine with his charming smile—her resolve crumbled just a little, and she nodded.
"Fine," Katherine whispered, "Just... let it be simple."
Aaron groaned a little, trying to adjust his pants when he noticed the softness in her gaze as her eyes briefly flickered to him. And that ache in his stomach returned.
God of rcy. He cleared his throat, opening the door for the kids to get in.
Aaron drove out of the familiar road, the four of them packed into Aaron’s SUV, the trunk filled with camping gear, food, blankets, and a ridiculous amount of snacks for the twins and Katherine.
The road ride was fun with Jasmine looking from one side window to another, asking questions about every passing scenario, while Aaron and Katherine did their best to respond to each of her questions.
When they reached the place, Jasmine squealed as she jumped out of the car. "It’s so pretty!"
Hanith, less enthusiastic yet still visibly pleased, looked around while nodding to himself happily.
Katherine stood quietly beside the vehicle, her eyes taking in the place, while Aaron watched her—his russet eyes softened, looking at the way the breeze caught strands of her wavy hair, how she brushed the strand gently across her cheek, and she tucked it behind her ear absently, then turned to help Jasmine unpack.
He shouldn’t stare. He knew he shouldn’t stare at her and notice how her blouse fitted her body, how her skirt lifted a little when she bent, and the sound of her laughter—soft, sultry, and enchanting—which made his chest thump.
He shouldn’t notice the way her shirt stretched across her back when she bent or how her laugh, unguarded in this place, made his chest feel like it was too full.
Yet he stared and took her in like a creep.
The tent setup was chaotic with Jasmine insisting she knew how to do it and tried, yet her knots were too loose, while Hanith rolled his eyes at her chagrin. Then he followed Aaron to pick up sticks for making a little bonfire.
When Aaron offered to help Jasmine, she waved her hands and boasted that she could do it herself. And Katherine shot him a warning look when he almost tripped over a tent peg she had just set up. Then she laughed.
Aaron felt his body buzz—that smile was worth it, even if he tripped and fell.
By evening, the fire he set crackled, and the tents were set up rigidly. The kids stared at Aaron as he was telling them a ridiculous story from when he was younger, about when he was trying to climb a tree.
"You cried for an hour," Katherine cut in, a teasing glint in her eyes and her lips curled.
"I did not," Aaron laughed, turning the stick in the fire.
"You did," she said, gently hitting his arm.
"Okay, I cried because it was painful," Aaron argued, "Blood was oozing out of the cut."
The kids burst into laughter, while Jasmine collected the at stick from Aaron. "But Uncle Piano, why did you cry?" she asked.
"Because it hurt," he responded.
"Boys don’t cry—except for my baby brother," Jasmine turned to Hanith and kissed his cheek adorably. "Crying boys are weak," she muttered.
"Jasmine, baby," Katherine called softly, grabbing Jasmine’s hand in hers while her brows creased, "A boy crying doesn’t an he’s weak but because he’s human. And humans get hurt, and when humans get hurt, they cry." Katherine explained.
"Oh," Jasmine blurted, her head tilted a little, "So it’s okay for boys to cry?"
"Yes, baby," Katherine nodded, "Boys are like you also."
Aaron’s gaze softened, his heart pulled at the scene. It was beautiful.
Later that night, the kids finally crashed, too tired to fight sleep after running and screaming around the place all day. Jasmine was the first to curl up beside Katherine, mumbling sleepily about the grilled at, while Hanith followed shortly after, his hand on the hem of his cloth.
Aaron carefully picked them up and carried them into their tent, gently tucking them in the sleep blankets.
When he returned, he noticed Katherine had moved closer to the fire, her arms wrapped around her knees, her face turned toward the sky.
And Aaron took silent steps toward her and took a seat beside her, not too close, yet enough that their knees brushed faintly.
The fire died down slowly, casting their surroundings and them in soft orange shadows, while above, the stars littered the sky like scattered glass and the moon was nowhere to be seen.
Neither of them spoke for a mont, both enjoying the solitude.
Then Katherine said softly, "You’re different out here."
Aaron turned his head to look at her—even with the small ray of light from the fire, he could still see her face. Her face was gentle yet unreadable, and her voice tingled with curiosity.
"I’ve been aning to say it," she added, eyes still glued to the twinkling sky. "You’re not the sa man I knew. Not the sa man the dia made you out to be either."
Then she turned to him, and Aaron’s breath faltered. The question t him unexpectedly and briefly. He looked down at his hands, then returned the gaze.
"I’m just... being who I was ant to be," he said, shrugging his shoulders, then smiled nostalgically, "With the people I was ant to be with."
Katherine looked at him, their eyes collided and both stared deeply at each other. The night was quiet. It was like nature was giving them their mont—no noise, no disturbance, and no awkwardness.
Aaron’s breathing stuttered, and he leaned in slightly—not rushing, yet he was eager to taste her. As he moved closer, close enough to feel her exhale.
Aaron’s gaze instinctively dropped to her lips, seeing her rosy lips parted softly, and he tilted his head to advance forward, but Katherine abruptly turned her head, her lashes brushing her cheeks. "Not yet," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aaron paused, his gaze flickered, then he nodded slowly. "Okay," he answered, his voice held a small smile.
Katherine stood, her back instantly turned to him, shoulders trembling just slightly, and her hands clenched beside her. And, without another word or glance, she ran toward her tent.
He didn’t stop her. He watched her run away until her fra disappeared into her tent. And he turned back, breathing out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. He stayed still on his seat, alone by the fire, staring up at the stars while his hands were clutched together, rested on his lap. The warmth of her presence slowly faded from his side.
But even with that... his heart was racing from desire.
Gently.
Fuck!
Slowly.
Fuck!
Patience.
Fuck! And he ran his hand through his hair, breathing hard through his nose raggedly.
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