Redneck Prince Charming

Chapter Eight

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.