The Book

Aaron shook his head. "I done decided on Daniel and Lyah."

"But they dropped out of the bidding right off and..."

"Don't care. I decided on them. $75."

"But that's..."

"$50," Muse lifted her chin.

Frank looked at her in confusion, then back at Aaron and nodded. "Alright then," he agreed. "I'll let 'm know."

"Hold on to it," Aaron went on as Sharon brought out the first round of plates. "Keep it towards the books 'n things ya order for Muse."

"I kin do that," Frank agreed, still looking confounded. "Alright then. Muse, I'll see ya tomorrow at yer pa's funeral. You needin' anything?"

"Some a that soap she was mentionin'," Aaron told him. "The one with the flowers."

"I know the kind you mean," Frank nodded. "I got some ordered already, I'll set her one back."

"You get her other stuff ordered? The paints 'n paper 'n pencils 'n all that?"

"I did. Sent it right off."

"Yer spoilin' 'r," Abraham scolded. "She won't never come in line if ya..."

"I reckon she ain't never had no one think on her needs 'n wants," Aaron cut in. "It's about time someone did. I wanna see 'r happy, 'n I aim to. You ain't gotta like it, but it's my choice."

Frank took the moment to step back and leave, looking wary.

"Well I think that's just wonderful!" Sarah smiled uncertainly. "It's nice seein' Aaron so happy! Ain't seen him look so pleased in a month a Sundays! Ma, what was you sayin' about that corn all gettin' eaten?"

"You need you a dog," Carter told Rebecca. "Keep critters out the garden."

"I s'pose it would," Rebecca agreed. "You plannin' on a garden, Muse? There's good soil out back of the smithy."

"I ain't never had a garden, wouldn't know much of it. S'pose I could read up on it some, try my hand at it."

"I could show you!" Rebecca smiled. "I'd be pleased to! You could both come out next weekend and I could show you my garden, tell you about everything!"

Muse glanced at Abraham and he was scowling down at his plate. "Maybe," Muse agreed reluctantly. She didn't really want to be anywhere where Abraham was in charge.

"What day, Carter and I will come too!" Sarah chimed in happily.

"Sunday?" Rebecca asked Aaron.

"We'll see," he rumbled, moving his plate closer to start eating.

His family made small talk with each other, but the feel of the table was tense. Muse could feel how rigid Aaron was, his body language said he was upset. Not at her so much as how his dad kept glaring at her and giving him significant looks. Rebecca and Sarah both tried to diffuse it, but Abraham wasn't paying any attention to them.

Aaron finally stood, offering a hand to Muse.

"We have rooms at the Inn," Sarah smiled, also standing. "But we can come over 'n catch up a bit 'fore bedtime. Carter's been keen on talkin' to ya 'bout somethin' he needs done."

"If ya want," Aaron agreed guardedly. "Yer all welcome, always."

Muse was quiet as she let Aaron grip her hand as he led them all back to the smithy and into their home. He pulled the table chairs close to the fire, but sat with Muse on the little sofa and let the others take the chairs.

Rebecca looked around, a forced smile on her lips. "Looks much the same as last time we come? Hardly a woman's touch at all."

"We only just got hitched, 'n she's been feelin' poorly besides. Fever 'n all, but Doc said she'll be fine."

Muse glanced up at the mantle at her book, her single, broken contribution to the room.

It was laying flat now, with a board over it and a heavy stack of metal on it.

Like he was trying to mend the warped pages for her.

She felt a bit warm then, but didn't he realize that a few pages still had smudged print? It was unreadable on those pages.

Still... he was trying to mend it.

That made her think of herself and him and how he was trying to mend the past. Make things better for her. He had smudged up some of her past, made things hard for her... but he was trying. He was trying to straighten her pages so the rest of her wouldn't be ruined. Just a few pages from the past.

Looking over at him, she felt herself smiling shyly as she looked over his face. He glanced at her, then turned and looked at her in surprise.

"What?" he asked in a whisper so he wouldn't interrupt the others, his lips twitching like he wanted to smile too.

She shook her head, but put her free hand over his as he held her other hand.

He grinned then, squeezing her hand slightly.

She stayed close to him the rest of the evening, her eyes going back to the book several times.

When his family finally stood to go to the inn, she felt a small thrill of terror and excitement shoot up her spine.

They were about to be alone!

Did she want that? It scared her some, but she thought about earlier and how nice it had been.

How good it had felt.

How he'd known all the ways to make it nice for her.

His mother and sister both hugged her and she hugged them back, but his father gave her a glower before casting his son a significant glance before he left.

Aaron didn't seem to care, closing the door, then turning to grin down at her. "How's your head? You feelin' alright?"

"It's alright," she agreed quickly, fibbing a bit. Her head was actually throbbing, but she didn't care that moment.

"Yeah? You're lookin' a little tight in the eyes like you're hurtin'? Here," he told her, pulling her back to his room and to the bed, then setting her up in it. Turning her, he pulled her hair down, then started gently stroking her hair and rubbing her head.

"Oh... that's nice! That feels real nice, Aaron!"

"Yeah? My body used ta ache a lot when I was growin', hurt awful sometimes. My ma used to make me hot wraps and rubbed this way on the spots that ached most. I remember how nice it was when my head was achin' and she would rub my scalp this way."

"That's... that's real nice," she repeated, closing her eyes andeaning to lay across his lap.

"You aim ta fall asleep?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Might," she mumbled, taking in a deep, sleepy breath.

"Go ahead," he told her gently. "I'll make sure yer all laid out 'n tucked in 'n all."

"Nnn," she managed, hugging his leg.

A moment later, she sighed, then jerked, feeling like she was falling.

Sitting up, she blinked and looked around her as Aaron lifted his head sleepily. "Muse?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

Muse looked down at the bed and blankets, the gray light of dawn barely lighting the room through the curtain. "I slept?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah," he rumbled, turning back over and laying down. "Sleep a bit more. Rest is good for ya 'n it's too early ta get up."

Muse laid back down, but she was wide awake now as she looked around.

He hadn't done anything? He'd just eased her aches and helped her sleep?

Turning to her side, facing him, she looked over his profile in the dim light. She could only see part of his face, most of it was pressed into the pillow or covered by his curly black hair, but she could see some. His eyelashes on his cheek from one eye, his full lips and the shadow of scruff on his face. As she looked at him, she decided she liked the look of his lips especially... and she already knew she liked his pretty blue eyes. They were a blue she'd only ever seen on the 4 o'clocks and anemone's at some of the farms with flower gardens, and she liked that they were the same beautiful dark blue.

"Muse?" he rumbled without opening his eyes.

"Yeah?" she asked quickly.

"You ain't goin' back ta sleep."

"I reckon not," she agreed softly. "Should I start breakfast?"

"Nnn. We'll meet my family at the tavern later. You got somethin' nice to wear for today?"

"I have my dress for weddin's 'n funerals 'n such. Used ta be mama's, but I took it in 'n hemmed it up."

"She was bigger 'n you?"

"A bit. You gonna sleep more?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"You aim ta come over here closer 'n help me wake up?"

Muse blushed and went still, a thrill shooting through her again. "If you wanna sleep, I can go in..."

"Nnn," he chuckled, rolling to free his arm, then reaching to pull her closer. "I think I like the thought of you wakin' me up," he told her, nuzzling into her neck, then kissing her jaw. "I like the feel of you this way, Muse. In my arms, holdin' ya against me this way. Ya feel right."

Muse blushed again and turned her face into his arm. She didn't want to admit it, but she liked the feel of him too. His warm, strong arms, his hands holding her close, his lips against her neck and jaw. It felt... like something from a book. Something she'd never liked reading about before, but just now she was thinking she might like to feel what else felt amazing that she'd always rushed past in her books.

Rolling again, he turned her to her back and looked down at her, a sleepy smile on his face as he looked her over. "You're sure a sight to see first thing!" he breathed in awe, making her go warm to her toes.

"I guess you ain't so hard to look at either," she shrugged, her face going hot.

"You like the looks of me? You don't think I'm an ogre?" he asked, throwing her old insult back at her all these years later.

"You're still an ogre," she smiled. "But you're an ogre that ain't so hard to look at, I reckon."

"You always think so?"

She deflated a bit, looking over his hopeful face. "No, Aaron... no. I didn't always think so. I couldn't see you 'n see nothin' but anger 'n hate all piled into a huge man. Looks ain't never mattered much to me... I always saw how someone acted first. Always. Elle always joked that she feared I'd marry old Frank, even ugly as he is just cause he's so kind 'n we got on so well 'n he was widowed 'n lonely. Said I saw with my heart 'n not my eyes. Ya know... she though 'n awful lot of your looks? Always went on about how pretty you was, how much she'd love to put hands on your curls," Muse grinned.

Aaron snorted. "Never had a second look at Ellory... she weren't as smart as you or half so pretty. She had smiles for all the boys, always seein' who she could crook a finger to."

"I recall Sarah was the same way," Muse spoke up softly.

Aaron snorted again. "You remember her, do ya? Didn't figure ya would... or that you'd sound so jealous when ya spoke of 'r. Is it cause she kissed me right in front of everyone with that mistletoe she brought in?"

Muse blushed, not liking that she was a bit jealous over the memory. "Girl her age had no real call kissin' a boy so much younger, even if you was still bigger 'n all the boys her own age."

He chuckled. "Never did find out where she moved off to. How old was you then, Muse? I was barely 13!"

Muse turned away, looking at the window again. "I guess we oughta get up 'n..."

Aaron laughed, turning her face back to his. "You're awful cute when you get all jealous. It was gratifyin' ta see your face that first night with Sharon, how sour it went when ya looked at 'r. How ya looked at me 'n gave her a look like you aimed ta thump 'r good if you could manage it."

"I didn't!"

"Ya did!" he insisted, his face lit up with amusement. "Only reason I let 'r talk like she did 'n kiss on me, just so's I could see ya all twisted up over it. Didn't even wanna admit it to yerself 't all, but you couldn't keep it off yer face."

Muse shook her head and hid her face, feeling mortified.

"It was nice, Muse," he told her gently, turning her face back to his, then leaning in close and kissing her softly. "I'm just sorry I was so caught up in seein' ya twisted over it, I didn't realize it might be hurtin' ya. Not right off I didn't, but I saw it quick enough. I shouldn'ta done that just for my own gratification. Forgive me?"

Muse was both astonished and at a loss. "Ain't no harm done, I reckon," she shrugged, looking away.

"You sure?" he asked, stroking her cheek gently and turning her back to him. "I could do a little more convincin' if ya need me to," he rumbled, leaning in close and kissing her neck just below her ear.

"Oh! Oh... umm... I reckon... Oh... that's nice," she breathed as he kissed down to her neck.

"Yeah?" he asked huskily, moving to look down at her, grinning. Moving closer, he kissed her lips softly, then looked over her face again before kissing her again, then again. He lingered then, his lips toying with hers.

Muse felt thrills rolling through her as she slid her fingers into those coarse black curls, trying to kiss him back. She tried to mimic him, do as he did, learn from him, but she kept forgetting to try and let things just happen instead.

"Muse!" he growled, pulling back just enough to move down to kiss along her neck again.

Muse closed her eyes, her fingers still in his hair as he kissed and sucked and lightly bit along her collarbone. She sighed and moaned euphorically as his tongue traveled over her skin, lighting a fire in her whole body.

Aaron lifted up again, then pulled her shift off over her head as he pulled her to sit up too. Muse let him without comment, excited for what she knew was coming next. When he yanked her underclothes down, she gripped his and tried to tug them down his hips. Aaron grinned as he shoved them down, then dropped to his back to push them all the way off before rolling back to her.

His entire face was lit up with pure adoration as he kissed her again, his smile making her heart go warm and ache at the same time. This little bit of giving herself to him and showing him affection made him blissfully happy this way? It made her ache for him, wondering how long he'd just wanted a smile from her or a kind word.

She felt like a horrible person.

Aaron took the feeling away quickly as he kissed along her shoulder and his hands slid over her bare skin. His large hand caressed her bare breast and Muse sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide at how beautiful it felt. When his mouth moved down and kissed and sucked on her nipples, she gripped his hair harder, holding him in place so he wouldn't stop.

"Aaron! Oh, I like that plenty!"

"Yeah? You want me ta keep goin' or move down 'n take ya there again?"

"Like... like yesterday?"

"Yeah," he smirked, his eyes lit up as he moved up and teased her lips with more kisses.

"I want that!" she agreed quickly.

Chuckling, he kissed her again, moving to his side as he slid his hand down between her legs. "Mmmm, Muse!" he breathed as he slid his fingers through the wetness already there, "You's really lovin' all this," he chuckled happily. "Ain't ya?"

"Yes! Yes, Aaron, I'm likin' alla this!"

"You likin' me too, Muse?" he asked throatily, leaning close and kissing her jaw under her ear.

"I do," she agreed happily as she looked up at him.

"I aim ta make ya like me a lot more," he told her, kissing her lips quickly before moving his fingers up to her bud, rolling them around it.

"Aaron!" she cried, pushing her hips up to meet his rolling fingers. "I... yes!"

Aaron chuckled darkly, moving down to kiss along her neck as he watched her face and rolled his fingers over her clit.

Muse let herself go, gave herself over to him completely.

Aaron reveled in it, watching her eyes take him in and love what they were seeing.

The moment she came, he leaned in and kissed her lips, swallowing her cries of ecstasy and let them wash through them.

"I love you, Muse," he whispered as soon as the final twitch washed over her. His fingers kept moving on her bud, relaxing her again as she whimpered and squirmed. "I love you so much!"

"I wanna love you too, Aaron," she whimpered, emotions overwhelming her as she tried to escape how very sensitive she was now.

"You will," he promised her, his eyes lit up with joy. "I aim ta see to it! I need ya now, Muse!"

"Yes! Yes, Aaron! I want that!"

"Yeah?" he asked, thrilled to hear her agreeing so quickly. "That's right," he purred, rolling and moving his knee between hers. "I fuckin' love you so much!"

"That's a REALLY bad swear!"

"That's how much I feel it!" he laughed, pulling her leg up around his hip. "Say it again! Say you want me."

"I want ya, Aaron, please!"

Exultant, Aaron eased into her slowly, watching her face. When he saw no pain or discomfort, only bliss, he started moving more quickly.

"Ohhh! Aaron! I want this! I want you! You feel so good, that feels so good! Just... a bit faster?"

Aaron let out a low groan, loving hearing those words on her lips. Going back to his knees, he gripped her hips and yanked her onto him, then started ramming into her as he yanked her onto his cock at the same time.

Her scream then was beautiful, full of delirious bliss and it thrilled him even more. He wasn't expecting her to come, though, not again and not so quickly or so hard. Her tight cunt wrenched down on his cock hard enough to make him suck in a breath and he snarled a growl as he held himself deep inside of her as she came again.

"Say you're fucking mine!" he yelled loudly as soon as the final quiver left her and she let out a yelp of elation. "Say it, Muse!"

"I am, Aaron!" she promised breathlessly, her hands weakly going to his arms as he held her hips. "I am!"

"You are!" he snarled, bending her almost double to move his face closer to hers. "You're mine! Now tell me you love me! Say it, Muse! Say you love me!"

"I want to! OH! Oh Aaron! I want to love you! I... I'll try!" she cried out the last as he thrust into her, ramming violently as he watched her face turn to rapture.

"You love me," he growled, his voice low as he moved his large hand to caress her face. It was gentle compared to how hard he was thrusting, how fast and demanding his rapidly pumping hips were. "You love me. Say it to yourself, then say it to me! I need it, Muse, I need to hear you say it! Say it to me!"

Muse screamed, but it was from being so overwhelmed with all the sensations and his words and the turmoil in her heart. It was all too much and in that moment she wanted it too. She wanted to love him, to give him what he'd wanted for so long! "PLEASE, Aaron!" she begged him, her face turning to his hand, though she had no idea what she was asking him for.

"I love you," he whispered, moving closer as he pumped more shallowly and more quickly. Holding himself up with one hand now as he let her legs go, he planted a hand above her shoulder and the other held her face as he pistoned his hips into her and kept her doubled over from the size of his own body. "I adore you! I'm going to make you the happiest girl who ever lived! You're going to love me, Muse! You are! I need you to!"

"I know," she managed breathlessly, moving her hands up to his face.

"I'm... close," he growled, turning his face to her hands to kiss her palm and fingertips. "Say it, Muse, please? Say if for me?"

"I'll show you," she promised in a shuddering whimper as he drove into her and buried his cock as deeply as he could. She felt him then, the way his dick swelled and throbbed, then filled her full of his hot cum. "Oh!!! Aaron! That's... I like that!"

Aaron was breathing heavily above her, still holding himself off of her as he looked down at her, looking over his face as he tried to catch his breath. "Say it, Muse?" he pleaded after a moment. "You don't have to mean it yet... but say it, please?"

Muse's heart broke for him and tears welled up in her eyes. With a sob of anguish, she pulled him close to her and hugged his neck, showering his cheek and jaw with kisses. "I do, Aaron! I do love you! I do mean it! I love you!"

It wasn't a full fib, but it wouldn't hurt anything at all for him to feel loved.

When he let out a cry of jubilation and his own eyes welled up, Muse knew the fib was ok. It was the sort of lie that could be forgiven. It wasn't really a lie anyway... it just wasn't quite true yet.

Yet.

It would be, though.

Just like her book... he was going to fix her. She be almost perfect even. There might be a couple smudged pages... but they were her past and she'd already read those and she didn't need to go back and read them again.