Ill Appearances

Chapter 17: Mara

I watched Aaron warily as he rummaged around the lounge room we were in.

He was looking for a first aid kit but didn't have much luck. Finally, he came back over to me with a pack of gauze pads and a box of tissues.

The room around us was silent, and all we could hear was my heavy breathing. I was still in a lot of pain, so Aaron was doing his best to be gentle.

The room itself was a place I'd never been in before. Or, at least it didn't look the way it did then when I'd been in it previously. When I worked for Tío, they didn't have lounge rooms.

Aaron leaned in close to me, gently wiping away my tears with a tissue. He also used a tissue to clean my nose bleed. "You're just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" he asked. "You even ignored my warning. Didn't you know that this would happen?"

I shifted uncomfortably on the table I was sitting on. "I thought that I'd disabled the chip. I'm sorry if I caused you trouble..."

He sighed. "I'm always glad to help you out, Mara." He brushed my hair off of my neck, revealing the bite marks he'd left all that time ago. He leaned down and gently kissed the area. "I'm sorry that I did all those horrible things to you," he muttered. "I couldn't control myself. After that day, I...I hated everything about myself. I couldn't find the strength to move forward. Then I realized, I've been wanting to be with you for so long. Maybe if I tried hard enough, I could have you back at my side."

Tears began forming in my eyes. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much," I cried.

He chuckled. "We see each other nearly every day at school."

"But that isn't you, Aaron," I said quietly. "Standing here in front of me is who I've missed." I reached out to cup his cheek in my hand. "You're...you're the only person I could ever love."

He didn't waste time after that. He pulled me into a passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly.

I returned his action without hesitation. I'd been wanting this for so long, that I didn't dare hold back. I'd been craving his kisses for over a year, and I was finally able to get him back.

"Mariella," Aaron breathed. At this, he began to murmur sweet things in my ear. He spoke to me in Spanish like he always used to. He told me a few years prior that he learned to speak it so that I would fall in love with him. I can't say that it didn't work...

I looked him in the eyes. "It's like I've fallen for you all over again," I whispered.

He smiled, then leaned down to press his lips against mine again.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, kissing him back like it was the last thing I'd do.

He slid his hands under my thighs, effortlessly picking me up and bringing me over to the couch. He pulled away slowly.

I breathed in as much air as I possibly could, then immediately went back to kissing him.

He ran his tongue along my bottom lip.

I didn't even hesitate to allow him an entrance. I was completely delirious and practically drunk with the feeling of lust.

Aaron's hands wandered all over my body, not stopping for a single moment.

"Aaron," I breathed. My body shook as I breathed heavily.

He didn't respond, but instead trailed kisses down my neck. Even after he reached my shoulder, he continued to go lower. "Were you trying to seduce me with this outfit?" he asked in a husky voice. "I know you, Mari, and you'd never wear something like this to fight."