She was still sound asleep on his shoulder when he pulled the truck to a stop outside her apartment. He kissed her forehead and she moaned his name in her sleep. That sound was like a jolt of electricity through his body.

"Wake up Kathleen. You're home." he said though his mouth was so dry he could hardly speak. She opened her eyes and sat up looking embarrassed.

"You must think I'm worse than a little kid. Falling asleep like that in the car." she said. He managed a smile though just looking at her with her sleep flushed face had his body on fire. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Come on kiddo and I'll tuck ya in." he said. Kathleen's heart sped up at his teasing. Images flashed through her mind off all the things she wanted Aaden to do to her when he laid her in her bed.

She didn't say anything as she got out of the truck. She pulled out her suitcase and was walking up the steps when she tripped over her own feet and would have fallen face first onto the concrete steps if Aaden's strong arm hadn't caught her around the waist and pulled her back up.

"Need some help?" he asked. She blushed and shook her head.

"I think I can manage." she replied. He took her suitcase from her and wrapped his arm through hers and they walked up to her apartment. She unlocked the door and then shut and locked it again once they were both inside.

"You fall a lot." Aaden said with a teasing grin as Kathleen checked her answering machine and saw it was blinking.

"I've always had a problem with that." she replied. He shrugged as he sat down on the couch.

"That's ok… I'm here to catch you now." he said. Kathleen could tell that he wasn't just talking about literally catching her… His words had more meaning than that. She didn't know how to reply so she just pushed play on the answering machine.

It was a message from her boss telling her that he had made a mistake in firing her and asking if she would please come back in for work Monday.

"See I told you that you were good at your job. If you played this the right way you could probably get a raise." Aaden said. She smiled and pulled two pops from the refrigerator before sitting down beside him on the couch.

"I don't care about getting a raise. I'm just glad I got my job back. I was worried about losing my apartment. This is the first place that's ever really been mine."

"I didn't know your job meant that much to you. I figured you probably got everything you needed from Tom … You know alimony or whatever they call it." Kathleen smiled as she took a drink.

"No. He offered but I refused. I didn't want anything from him. He likes having power over people and I wanted him to know that I could make it completely on my own with nothing from him. Or from my parents." she added. Aaden nodded feeling his respect growing for her.

"What about you, Aaden? Where do you live?" she asked.

"I got my own house about thirty minutes from here. I'm just a good old fashioned holler boy."

"I think they're called hollows…" she said with a smile. He shook his head.

"Nope only city folk call them that. Us people that live in them call them hollers."

"What is your house like?" she asked folding her legs underneath her. Aaden shrugged.

"Not like your parents house…" he replied looking away from her.

"Good. I hate that house. It's too big and cold." she said.

"I kinda thought the same thing." Aaden admitted. Kathleen smiled.

"See we may have been raised in completely different worlds but we still have things in common." she said. She saw that look come in his eyes again as he looked at her. That look that told her that she was the only woman that mattered. She shifted awkwardly and starting picking lint off the couch cushion.

"So what is your house like?" she asked again, trying to break the silence that had fallen over them. Aaden sighed and leaned back on the couch propping his feet on her coffee table. She smiled at the sight…. She had never seen a man relax and prop his feet up like that before. It was nice.

"It ain't much. I bought it about 4 years ago. It's out in the middle of nowhere not far from the rest of my family. It's got a kitchen, bathroom, living room, three bedrooms… Ya know just your basic house."

"So why does a single guy buy a three bedroom house?" Kathleen asked. He smiled and looked in her eyes.

"I'm really hoping that I don't stay single forever." he replied. She blushed and stuttered trying to think of something to say in response. Aaden was about to say something else when his cell phone rang in his pants pocket.

He growled with irritation and yanked it from his pocket. Without checking the caller ID he flipped it open.

"Hello." he said his aggravation clear in his voice. Then Kathleen saw the look on his face change.

"Slow down, Max. What's wrong?" he asked. Kathleen leaned forward seeing the concern on Aaden's face. Then Aaden laughed.

"You're only eight, Max. I don't blame your mom for not wanting you to have that gun yet." Kathleen smiled and leaned back on the couch. She remembered him telling her that his nephew was named Max.

"Look I'm kinda busy this weekend but how about next weekend you can come stay with me and I'll teach you how to shoot if it's ok with your mom." Aaden was silent a moment while Max said something else.

"Ok kiddo. I can hear your mom telling you it's time for bed… I'll see you next weekend then…. I love you too… Goodnight." Aaden hung up the phone and looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry about that. Apparently he and his mom were fighting because my dad bought Max a rifle and Tessa doesn't want him shooting it on his own yet… He's stubborn just like his dad was."

"You're close to your family aren't you?" she asked. Aaden smiled and took a drink.

"Yea. I got a great family." he replied. Her eyes got a faraway look.

"I don't even know what it's like to have a real family." she said finally. Aaden saw the sadness on her face and wished he could ease the pain.

"Kathleen, I….." he stopped and looked at her. She raised her brow and looked at him.

"What, Aaden?" Tell me you love me Aaden… Let me hear the words. She thought to herself. She had never wanted to hear those three words the way she wanted to hear them now. Tom had said them to her during their marriage but they had always seemed empty and hollow.. She knew that coming from Aaden the words would take on a whole new meaning…

She didn't know how she knew but she knew that Aaden was not the type of man that would say those words lightly.. She may not be experienced in relationships but even she could tell that they had a connection, a bond, a pull between them. It was like they were made to be together… She knew it sounded cliché but he was her dream come true….

"Did I tell you yet how amazing you look in that dress?" he asked. She turned her head to hide her disappointment and forced a smile on her face when she looked back at him.

"You may have mentioned it." she replied. He sat his pop on the table and turned to face her. He had had his brother's voice in his head all day telling him to just be a man and take the woman in his arms…. He had always been too damn stubborn to take his big brothers advice when he'd been alive but maybe this was one time when he needed to just do as he was told.

"I love you." he said simply. Kathleen's eyes widened. Aaden wondered if maybe he should have prettied the words up a little. He wasn't real good with words and emotions and all that stuff. He usually just liked to keep things simple but maybe she was the kind of woman who needed more than just simple.

"Why?" she asked. He tilted his head. That hadn't been what he'd expected her to say.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why would you love me? I'm not…." Aaden held up his hand to cut her off.

"Look I know I don't have much to offer you and Lord knows you deserve more than what I can give you but there is just something about you, Kathleen… Ever since I pulled you out of that damn car four months ago I haven't been able to get you off my mind… I'm just a simple country boy.. But I'm hopin that maybe you'll love me back anyway."

"Aaden, I didn't mean that you weren't good enough for me!" Kathleen assured him. "You are too good for me. I have never in my life known a man like you. You are kind, funny, but at the same time strong and I feel safe with you… You are more handsome than anyone I've ever known and I'm just.. Well… I'm not good enough for you." she said. She had finally heard him say the words but she knew she didn't deserve them. He could do so much better than her….

Aaden's eyes narrowed. What the hell had that man done to her to make her feel like she was anything less than perfect? He wished he had the bastard in front of him again so he could knock a couple of them perfectly bleached teeth down his throat for him.

"You are perfect, Kathleen." he said moving closer to her. She shook her head. She could see the look in his eyes… She knew he wanted to make love to her.

"No. What Tom said about me not being very good…" Aaden cut her off with a very angry, masculine growl.

"I think it's about time that you have a real man show you just how good you are." he said matter-of-factly. Kathleen didn't have time to reply before he was covering her mouth with his own. Her body seemed to fill with fire the instant his lips touched hers. Despite the passion his voice had held the kiss was gentle.

Kathleen was tense at first…. Tom had once said that kissing her felt like pressing his lips to a cold dead fish but his words were quickly forgotten when Aaden moved his hands to her cheeks and deepened the kiss. She felt a passion ignite inside of her that she hadn't even known was there. She moaned his name and poured all the new passion she was feeling into the kiss.

Aaden moved his lips across her cheek, she shivered with a mixture of fear and pleasure as his kissed every inch of that long scar. Then his lips were on her ear, whispering to her how much he loved her. They moved down her neck, across her bare shoulder and collarbone.

He kissed every inch of her chest that wasn't covered by the red dress. Kathleen couldn't seem to form thoughts or words.. She had never had a man take this kind of time.. It was like he was worshipping every inch of her.

He pulled away from her then and looked down into her bright green eyes. He saw a tear in each of them and wiped them away with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. She smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not crying because anything is wrong." she assured him. "I'm crying because everything is so right."

"I've waited a long time for someone like you." he said running his big hand down her soft arm.

"I love you, Aaden…." she replied. Then she smiled a big smile and he couldn't help but smile back.

"What's that smile about?" he asked.

"Nothing." she said. "It's just that I finally understand what those words I love you mean…. I didn't know before you." Aaden grinned.

"You won't think less of me if I tell you that what I really want to do is take you into your bedroom and spend the rest of the night showing you how much I love you will you?" he asked. She blushed a deep red and shook her head.

"No of course not." she replied. "Because actually I was just thinking the same thing." He stood up and reached out for her hand helping to pull her up. She pressed her body against his and he leaned down and kissed her again. She pulled away and keeping her fingers locked with his she led him to the bedroom.

Aaden could feel his heart pounding.. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman and he had never been with a woman that he loved the way he loved Kathleen… Nerves were attacking his stomach and he just prayed that he wouldn't make a mistake. Do something wrong.. He wanted to give her the best night of her life.

They spent the whole night and most of the day Sunday lost in each others arms. Only stopping when sleep or hunger demanded. It was now seven at night and they were standing at the door.

"You have to go home, Aaden. You have to work tomorrow." Kathleen said pulling herself out of his arms. He took a step toward her and wrapped his arms even tighter then they'd been before.

"I don't want to leave." he pouted. She laughed lightly.

"I don't want you to leave either but since you have to get up at five in the morning to go to work you should probably be heading home and getting some rest."

"I know." he said. He kissed her and she pulled away when he tried to turn the kiss deeper and more passionate.

"Down boy." she said teasingly. "Haven't you had enough?"

"A lifetime couldn't give me enough of you, Kathleen." he replied honestly. She felt her heart flutter. Never before had she felt this loved and this alive.

"I love you, Aaden." she said laying her head against his chest and listening to his heart. She smiled when she heard it beat just a little faster.

"I love you too." he replied. "More than you'll ever know."

"Isn't it strange how quick this all happened?" she asked. "I mean I never thought I'd see you again when you left the hospital that day… I still don't know what possessed me to call you that night to see you if you'd come with me to that party.. ."

"I do… It was God pure and simple. He knew I was sitting at home that night.. Just like I had been every single night since I'd met you just waiting on the phone to ring and praying every time that it did ring that it would be you."

"You're a liar." she said with gentle disbelief.

"I've been known to tell a tall tale every now and then but I would never lie to you. If I tell you something you can bet it's the truth." he replied. She pulled away and put her hands on his chest to keep him from moving closer to her.

He looked down at her tiny hands against him and grinned. He was a six foot five inch 250 pound man…. He was bigger and tougher than most men he knew and had won his fair share of fights and brawls but somehow with just a touch this five foot five inch woman could control his every move.

"I'll call you tomorrow." he said. She smiled.

"You better."

"Can I have one more kiss for the road?" he asked with a grin. She raised on her toes and he leaned his face down. The kiss was gentle and sweet and full of love.

"Bye." He said as he opened the door and stepped out in the hallway still not taking his hand away from hers.

"Bye." she replied with a smile. He started backwards down the stairs only letting go of her hand when their arms could no long reach. He gave her one last smile and then turned and walked the rest of the way down the stairs. He met Christy on the stairway and she smiled at him.

"Ma'am." he said tipping his baseball cap.

"Well hello, Aaden…Did you all have fun this weekend?"

"Yes ma'am… A lot of fun." he with a grin and then he left. Christy looked up the stairs and saw Kathleen standing there in her silk robe.

"Judging by that sexy robe and the goofy grin on his face I would have to say you all had lots of fun." Christy said as she walked in Kathleen apartment and shut the door.

"You were wrong about him." Kathleen said trying her best to sound serious. Christy put her hand on her hip.

"Wrong how?" she demanded.

"He doesn't like me." Kathleen replied. "He loves me." Christy's expression became shocked.

"He told you that!"

"Quite a few times.. .Showed me too." Kathleen said her face turning red. Christy sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her.

"You have a lot to tell me I have a feeling!" she said. Kathleen sat down and smiled.