Illegally Yours |+18|

7. Do you want to eat me?!

Bess.

I jump in surprise when I hear Aaron's voice behind me.

"What are you doing?"

“I'll make breakfast” I don't look away from what I'm doing even when I feel him behind me. "I wanted to thank you in some way for everything you've done for me."

“You don't have to thank me for anything, Bess,” I smile when he places a soft kiss on my cheek. “But I'll take you breakfast. How I can help?"

I shake my head, denying. I'm done. I carefully transfer the eggs to the plate where the fried bacon is already, and smile when I see that I've formed a smiley face. I turn with plate in hand and hand it to Aaron. My smile widens as he lets out an amused laugh.

“Do you like it?”

“Oh pretty, what am I going to do with you?”

I shrug even though I know the answer to that question.

What Aaron can do with me is keep me close to him. That's all. I do not need anything else. But I know that is not going to be possible, not forever. So what I can do in the meantime is live in the moment.

"Aaron!" I scream when I remember what I found in one of the kitchen cabinets. "Why don't you guess what I found?"

I push the plate against his chest for him to take it and then turn to take the bag of goodies I discovered in my hands.

“Colorful sweets!” I hum in front of him, shaking the bag from side to side.

I can't remember the last time I had one of these, but they were my favorite.

“You eat them later. Come on, let's have breakfast."

I grumble because I wanted to eat them now, but he's right. First you have to eat breakfast. So together we bring everything to the table and sit down to eat our breakfast.

Every few seconds I glance at him, noticing how handsome he is. Actually, he is the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life. Although his eyes are blue, they convey more warmth to me than anyone has ever made me feel. And he has nice lips that look perfect on his face. As was his stubble and those thick lashes and brows.

The first time I saw him I didn't pay much attention to his appearance, but lately I have and I don't understand why.

I don't remember the last time I found a guy handsome, but I'm sure my eyes have never been as drawn to someone as they are to Aaron. I constantly have to watch it and it's a bit disconcerting because I don't understand why I do it.

"What?" he asks suddenly, looking at me. "Do I have something on my face?"

Shit.

I am sure that if someone looked at me the way I look at him, I would also ask the same thing. And I would have scared me... a lot.

"No." I look down at my plate as I start to blush. "I... just... uh..."

“Bess, pretty...”

"I finished!" I gulp nearly half an egg into my mouth and jump to my feet, fleeing with my plate toward the kitchen.

I have to stop being weird!

Today I start my new job and I have to act like a normal person, not like an alien from Mars. I don't want to look like Evan.

I quickly wash my plate and as I turn to leave, I bump into Aaron's chest. And again, something strange happens. I wonder what he would look like under that shirt, and besides, I have a disconcerting urge to touch him.

What the hell is wrong with me?!

"Are you okay, Bess?"

I take a step back, trying to get away from his chest. And I look at his eyes, then at his lips and my gaze stays riveted there.

"I... uh..."

"You?"

"I have to go take a shower!"

I step aside and try to run like a coward, but he stops me by the hand and spins me around, leaving me facing him again.

"Bess." His hand wraps around my neck and I shiver under his touch. He notices it, of course he notices it. “f*****g life” he closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them, he looks like he's angry. His blue is darker again and when he speaks, his voice is gruff and thicker: "Go take a bath."

"Don't be angry with me," I whisper softly.

I close my eyes, cursing myself over and over again.

There's something wrong with me, I always knew it. For something my family didn't love me, for something no one adopted me and for something in every foster home they treated me like garbage. But when Aaron looks at me, I feel like everything about me is fine. He doesn't see the bad and I don't want him to see it.

But maybe he already did it and that's why he's angry.

"Bess, look at me."

I shake my head, feeling a lump in my throat.

"No".

"Bess," he warns. "Look at me" I do when his hands take my face. "I'm not angry, why would I be?"

"It's just... you looked angry."

His eyebrows rise in surprise.

"There's a big difference between being angry and being..." he trails off, eyeing me warily. "Pretty, I need you to do something for me, would you?"

I nod immediately.

"Don't ever wear that nightgown you're wearing again."

"What?! But it's so pretty, Aaron!"

He runs his eyes over my body, again sending a strange shiver through my skin.

"It's ugly, Bess."

"I don't think so" I complain because really is very cute. The soft white fabric of it feels like cotton on my skin and although it is short and not very warm, when I get into bed and wrap myself in the blankets, the cold disappears. Also, Christina insisted that I buy it because she said Aaron would love it, why didn't like he? Disappointment settles in my chest. "Christina said you would like her".

"Oh please! Of course this is her doing!”

“Why are you yelling?! Do not scream!"

“You are screaming!”

"Because you do it!"

His hands put more pressure on my cheeks and this time, when he speaks, his voice is softer: "Please don't use it again."

I stare at him, not understanding the desperation in his voice.

“Do I look that bad?”

And he freaks out.

"Nope! Quite the opposite, you look damn edible!”

What?!

“Do you want to eat me?!” I ask, scared. “Are you a zombie or some kind of vampire?!”

"f**k!" He takes a step back, repeatedly running his hand through his already messy hair. "Cold!" He suddenly screams. “In that nightgown you must be freezing to death! I just don't want you to get sick!"

“And why do you keep yelling?!”

"Because…!" he stops when he realizes that he is still yelling. "Because I care about you and I don't want you to get sick."

"Oh."

"Oh?" And a smile settles on his lips. "Bess, I'm not sure that's an answer there."

"Ah" I say again without meaning to, causing his smile to widen. “I say, it's fine. I will never wear this nightgown again."

He nods, satisfied.

“Thank you and also thank you for the breakfast, I loved it. Where did you learn to cook?

Happiness settles in my chest at the thought of having pleased him.

"In the foster homes I was who cooked" I am honest and again, he looks angry. "Now you're not mad either?"

"Yes, now yes, but not with you!" And there he is screaming again. “It makes me angry that they put you in the kitchen as if you were their servant.”

Well, it was.

"I'm fine now," I remind him, warmth filling my chest at his reaction. He makes me feel valuable. "That already happened".

“Yeah, it's over now.” Not seeing it coming, he pulls me into his arms for a tight hug and I smile into his chest, loving breathing in his scent. "And I don't want you to think that I brought you here to cook for me, so please don't do that again."

"I like doing it" I tilt my face back to look into his eyes. “I can make breakfast. It really doesn't bother me."

"We'll talk about that later, okay?" Seat. "For now, you have to go take a shower because the afternoon is going to take us."

Oh, true.

"You're right." Without thinking, I lean in to give him a quick kiss on the jaw. The hands on my waist exert more control and Aaron brings our bodies closer together. "I'm going to take a bath" I remind him to let me go, although I don't want him to.

When he releases me, I grin at him with all my teeth.

"Go take a bath, Bess."

I nod and walk towards the door. Just before leaving, I repent and call him. "Aaron?" I turn to look at him. "I care about you too" and in two quick steps I'm back with him to give one last kiss on his cheek.

I walk away quickly and run to the bathroom because we are already late, however, I manage to hear him laugh.

And I love to make him laugh.