Chapter Eleven

Nick couldn't help but laugh at Aiden's blurted out words. That man's mouth was as unpredictable as these spring Texas rains and storms that popped up.

"Yes, you're wet and I can smell breakfast," Nick's stomach rolled a bit and he covered it with his hand, "I don't think I'm hungry."

"You should probably try to get some food in your stomach," Aiden replied as he sat the tray on the bed, "I've heard it helps."

Nick simply grunted in response. He'd done nothing but think and fight with himself since Aiden had walked out that door and he'd come to the only conclusion that seemed reasonable..... He wanted Aiden and this time he'd make sure it was different. He'd protect Aiden with his very life if need be just to keep the past from repeating itself. He didn't know what would come of them being together or whether or not it would involve love but he knew he had to find out. Now that he'd met Aiden, going back to being alone without at least trying to be with the man simply wasn't an option.

"Go get some dry clothes on, Aiden," Nick urged. "Ya don't want to get sick."

Aiden seemed confused as he quickly grabbed a sack from the floor and hid himself behind the changing curtain.

Nick shoved his and through his short blond hair and tried hard not to imagine Aiden naked and wet standing behind that tiny screen....if he thought about it too much he'd be joining the other man.

Instead, Nick pulled the lid off the tray and nearly gagged when the full scent of the eggs, sausage, oatmeal and peaches hit his nose. He'd obviously had a bit too much to drink the night before. But Aiden was right and he needed to eat. There was no table big enough for two in this room so the bed would have to do.

Nick stood and poured them each a glass of water from the pitcher on the tiny table near the door and sat one on the floor beside his side of the bed and the other on the night stand. Then he sat down and waited.

After what seemed an eternity, Aiden came back around the curtain wearing a thin gray cotton shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers. The outfit emphasized his slender form and yet still managed to reveal the fact that he was covered in small lean muscles that Nick longed to feel and touch. His gaze strayed to Aiden's feet and he realized the man was barefoot just the same as he was.

"My boots were full of water," Aiden spoke up.

"I'd say they were," Nick agreed as he glanced through the rain soaked windowpane at the torrents of rain still falling from the sky, "I'd say this rain is here to stay for the day too."

"Probably."

Nick looked back toward Aiden and saw that he was standing beside the bed and looked nervous and unsure. He was chewing at the inside of his cheek and popping his knuckles one at a time, "Sit down, Aiden, and eat."

"I didn't think you'd be here when I got back from the diner," Aiden said as he sat down on the edge of the bed and cut off a piece of sausage with his fork.

"You brought two breakfasts," Nick replied, using his bare hands to grab a piece of his own sausage and plop it into his mouth.

Aiden blushed and looked away as he shrugged, "I didn't think you'd be here but I..uh.. I kind of hoped you would be."

Nick reached out and moved a lock of dark wet hair from Aiden's brow causing Aiden to freeze with his fork nearly to his mouth once again, "Nick, what does you being here mean?"

Aiden's question caught Nick by surprise and he let his hand fall. Before he could answer Aiden was talking again, "Does it mean you really are that kind of man and didn't mind so much waking up with me?" Aiden quickly looked away from him and down at the floor, "Or does it just mean you didn't want to go out in the rain and get wet?"

Nick shook his head and laid his hand over Aiden's on the bed, "The rain never has bothered me none."

Aiden looked at their hands for several moments and then turned his gaze up to Nick and smiled so big and bright that if not for the rain still pounding on the roof, Nick would have believed the sun had popped out from behind the clouds.

"Okay," Aiden mumbled, blushing even more before shoving a bite of eggs in his mouth. They finished their breakfast in silence and then Aiden stood and walked to the window.

Nick watched him, wondering what was going through his mind. "I always hated storms," Aiden said quietly as thunder rumbled in the distance. "My family was once stuck out in a storm and nearly got swept off by a twister when I was ten."

Nick rose up and walked to the window. He stood awkwardly behind Aiden for a moment and then slid his arms around the other man's waist. His movements were stiff at first. It had been a long while since Nick had shown affection and he was a bit rusty. Aiden let out a little moan at his touch and leaned back against him. Nick felt himself relax then as he rested his chin on Aiden's shoulder.

"You miss your family?"

"Yeah," Aiden replied quietly.

"How'd they die?" Nick asked, remembering their conversation from the bar the night before.

Aiden stiffened a little, "They aren't dead."

"I thought you said they were, of course my memory from last night is a little rusty."

"They might as well be dead," Aiden admitted as he wrapped his arms around Nick's on his waist. "My father started pushing me to get married when I turned twenty-four. He's big in the government back home and wanted me to settle down and give him grandchildren because that would help his re-election image," Aiden paused and Nick hugged him a little tighter because he could already guess where this was going. "I thought if I told my parents the truth they would understand or at least accept it.... I was wrong. My father told me to leave and made it clear he no longer had a son."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Nick offered. He didn't like the sadness he could hear in Aiden's voice. It tugged at his heart which was waking up again after years of hibernation, "Maybe they'll come around?"

"No, but thanks for saying so," Aiden sighed. Nick didn't want Aiden to be sad or troubled. He wanted to take his mind away from his family but he didn't know what to say to do so. Aiden turned his head slightly and his lips were nearly brushing Nick's jaw, "They both made it pretty clear that they would have no abomination in their family."

"You're no abomination," Nick argued quickly, his temper spiking.

Aiden shrugged and looked out the window once more, "Sure I am. The things I want are wrong."

Nick shook his head and pressed his lips against Aiden's neck. Aiden's entire body stiffened before tremors washed over his body. "This isn't wrong, Aiden." Nick vowed, his breath washing over Aiden's heated skin, "Do you want this?"

Aiden nodded, "Yes."

Nick felt his heart kick up as he set his sights on devouring the soft flesh of Aiden's neck. Aiden clung to his arms and Nick took a wider legged stance and supported the man's weight as his legs gave out and he fell back against him.

Nick growled low in his throat as he spun Aiden around and pulled the man into his chest. He looked down into those chocolate brown eyes and searched them for permission to taste those full tempting lips.

"If you pass out before you kiss me this time, I'll just have to kiss you anyway," Aiden warned.

"I didn't kiss you last night?" Nick questioned with a small frown.

"No," Aiden shook his head, his eyes never leaving Nick's, "No, you didn't."

"Good," Nick smiled, "Because I sure as hell don't want to forget the first time I kiss you."

And without waiting for Aiden to reply Nick moved closer until their breath was mingling between their hungry mouths. Aiden's eyes slid closed as Nick laid a calloused hand against his smooth cheek and tilted his head back.

Nick moved closer, his lips just barely brushing Aiden's and he heard Aiden catch his breath sharply. Nick nipped gently at Aiden's lips and then drew a sharp breath before covering Aiden's mouth with his own and giving in to the temptation that had been pulling at him since Aiden had come to town a week ago.

There was nothing wrong with the way they were and the feelings of tenderness and caring that Aiden brought out in Nick could not be evil or an abomination. Nick hated Aiden's family for making the man feel for one minute as if the people he chose to love made him evil.

Nick forced the kisses to remain tender and easy. He could tell by the way Aiden seemed unsure what to do that the man hadn't done much of this in his life. Nick felt his heart swell at the knowledge that he would be the one to teach Aiden about pleasure.... But not all of it at once.

Nick was going to take this a bit slower than that. He was old fashioned in his beliefs and he didn't belief in simply hopping in bed with someone the minute you realized you wanted them. While he knew that marriage was out of the question, he still wanted to get to know Aiden and let the love grow, (if indeed love was where this was heading), before they took this too much further.

He broke the kiss apart and Aiden's eyes remained closed, "That was...." Aiden's voice trailed off as if he was at a loss for words and Nick chuckled quietly as he rested his brow against Aiden's.

"I agree."

"Why'd you stop?"

"Because there's no rush, Aiden," Nick replied. "I might not fit the mold of a proper man but I still have old fashioned beliefs and I won't just rush into bed with you."

"I'm not a woman," Aiden mumbled. "You don't have to worry about my innocence."

"You are innocent," Nick countered and Aiden flushed red and pulled away.

He went about moving the tray of food from the bed, "What makes you think that?"

"I can tell," Nick replied with a shrug. "What are you doing?" Nick added as Aiden headed for the door with that tray in his hands.

"I told the woman at the diner I'd bring it back."

Nick shook his head and strode across the room. He grabbed Aiden's arms to stop him, "It can wait, Aiden. It's still raining and you just got dry. I don't want you sick."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you want me sick?" Aiden was staring stubbornly at the carpet at their feet and the tips of his ears were glowing.

Nick rubbed at the back of his neck roughly before jerking the try away from Aiden and laying it on the arm chair. "Because I care, dammit. I thought I made that clear."

"So what are we?"

Nick was quiet for a long moment as he stared at Aiden and Aiden stared at the floor. Finally Nick grabbed Aiden's hand and swallowed hard around the desire that simple contact caused. "Together, Aiden. We're together."

"We don't have to wait, Nick," Aiden whispered, his voice thick. "I want you."

Nick growled at Aiden's confession and shook his head, though his body was screaming to have Aiden now, "I won't rush this, Aiden. Hell we barely know one another yet. I want to get to know you, Aiden."

"What if there's not time for that?" Aiden whispered and Nick could see a tear hanging on the man's lashes. Crying? Why was he crying? That damn tear was like a knife through Nick's heart. He grabbed Aiden and pulled him into his chest, caressing his back and hair and wishing like hell the man would stop.

"Why wouldn't we have time, Aiden? I thought you were staying around?"

"I want to."

"Then what's the problem?" Nick questioned with confusion.

Aiden remained silent for a long while and then he sniffed and pulled away a bit to look up at Nick with red rimmed eyes, "There's no problem, Nick. I want to get to know you too."

Nick smiled and slid his hands across Aiden's cheeks to dry his tears. "Then come on and sit down with me. It's a rainy Sunday and there's plenty of time to talk about anything you want to talk about."

"Actually, why don't you hunt us down a deck of cards."

"Why?" Nick asked.

Aiden smiled, "Because you were dumb drunk last night and still wiped the floor with me at poker. I'd like to learn a bit more on how to play so I could maybe make my payday back. I lost most of what I had to you at the saloon."

Nick laughed and nodded. "Alright then. But I'll warn you that I'm the best poker player I've ever met and beating me isn't easy."

Aiden shrugged and put a hand against his chest, shoving him backward playfully, "I'll take my chances."

Nick was still smiling as he slid on his boots and left the hotel room. He had a deck of cards in his saddlebags at the other hotel and headed that way to get them. The whole time he walked he thought of Aiden and how he was pretty damn sure he was going to fall in love with the man. Hell he was halfway there already. And this time it would be different. This time nobody was going to take the man he loved away from him.

***

Nick and Aiden spent the whole day playing cards, laughing, talking and getting to know one another. Aiden told Nick a few stories about the proper fancy life he'd lived back easy as a politician's son and in turn Nick told Aiden all about growing up with no real family and simply around from place to place.

At one point Aiden had asked Nick about past lovers but it had quickly darkened Nick's mood and so Aiden had let the question go without pushing for any answers. He was enjoying the new Nick too much to have the grumpy one back just yet.

It was nearing six in the evening when Nick sighed and looked out the window. The rain had finally ended but the clouds were still thick in the evening sky, "We better head on back to the ranch, Aiden."

"Actually I'm spending one more night in town. I have a wire I need to send out in the morning."

"I can't stay another night, Aiden.... " Nick said regretfully.

Aiden nodded, "I know. I hate that we have to keep us a secret. It's not fair."

"I know. I'm sorry it has to be that way," Nick replied as he brushed a kiss to Aiden's brow, "I'll tell Brody and Liz that you'll be back just as quick as you can in the morning. Just don't take too long to send your wire, Aiden. Liz is fairly strict about the work schedule."

Aiden smiled up at him, "I'll be there just as quick as I can be."

Nick nodded and then strode from the room, glancing longingly back at Aiden before closing the door behind him.

Aiden fell back on the bed with a pounding heart and a smile on his face. He loved Nick. He didn't care that they'd known each other for a little less than a week and had avoided each other for most of that time. Nick was strong, able and stern and yet there was another side to him that was tender and caring... A side that seemed a bit rusty and unsure as if it had been hidden a while but a side that Nick seemed more than willing to bring back out when it came to Aiden.

That was why in the morning Aiden was going to send a wire to his parents and beg them to call of the bounty hunters. He was going to tell them that he was settling down far from home and would never bother them again. Aiden knew he couldn't keep running forever; eventually those men would get him if his parents didn't revoke the bounty and the thought of leaving Nick made Aiden sick.

Surely his parents had had enough time now to ease their initial anger over his attraction to men. Surely if he agreed to remain gone they would no longer wish to see their only child dead.

That was what Aiden had to believe. To believe anything else—to even contemplate another ending to all of this broke his heart in pieces.