Chapter eight Aubrey #2
“I’m going to get her some water. She looks like she’s about to burst or something.” Cecilia giggles as I hear her stand.
“Wait, you said the first time. How many times did you do it?” Ronnie asks next.
“Three.” My voice comes out squeaky, and I clear my throat just as a water bottle is handed to me. I quickly uncap it and drain half of it before sticking the cold bottle to my face.
“How big is he?” Emma smiles wickedly. Of course, she would ask that.
“Oh God! I am not answering that.” My eyes are wide as I fan with one hand and press the cold bottle to my flaming skin.
“All you need to know is that Shane is an amazing lover, and he took very good care of me. He treated me like a queen the whole time. That’s all that matters, right?
Now can we drop the subject and move on to something else, please?
” I need the course of this conversation to change before this blush becomes permanent.
“Yes, that’s all we really wanted to know.” Cecilia smiles warmly at me. “Have you seen him since Christmas?”
I shake my head. “No, tonight will be the first time. Although we do have a date planned for next week.” I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. I’ve never been on a date before, so I’m not quite sure what to expect.
“Ooh! Where is he taking you?” Emma asks with excitement in her eyes.
I shrug. “I’m not sure, he didn’t say. But we agreed to nothing too public until I find a way to tell Greyson…” My mood instantly dips and a tightness forms in my stomach, and not a good one like I get with Shane. I hate lying and hiding things from Greyson.
Emma takes my hand. “Grey will be fine. Yeah, he’ll be mad at first, but he’ll get over it once he sees how well Shane treats you.”
“I don’t want him to hate me…” I feel my eyes well with tears.
“Oh, sweetie, he won’t.” Morgan places her hand on my knee. “Greyson could never hate you.” Her comment settles my doubt slightly, and I pray she’s right.
I don’t know what I’ll do if my brother never accepts this… because I don’t think I could ever say goodbye to Shane. Not now.
SHANE
It’s just half past three in the afternoon when I finally leave my office. The team’s training session ended at noon, but that didn’t mean my day was over. I wave goodbye to Paul, our general manager, through his open office door as I head out.
Once in my car, I send off a quick text to Jessie, letting him know I’m on my way over. I already have an extra set of clothes in my car, so no need to stop at home and get changed. I’ll just get ready for the party at Jessie’s place, and it also gives me an excuse to be closer to my girl sooner.
Not seeing her for a week has been hell, I have no idea how I went months without a glimpse of her in the past. Never again.
We’ve been talking constantly since our relationship hit a new level, and it only makes me ache more for her.
Not the sex, it was beyond amazing, but I don’t care about that.
I just want to hold her and kiss her and see her beautiful blush spread as she smiles up at me.
On my way over, I stop at a florist and pick up a dozen red roses. I know getting flowers is cliché, but I can’t help it. I want to get her flowers. I want to get her everything her heart could desire.
I used to feel old in my skin, nearly forty with no wife or kids.
But Aubrey makes me feel young again, like the world is full of possibilities and maybe I won’t end up alone for the rest of my life.
I know I’m not acting my age. My friends like to remind me that I’m behaving like a lovesick teenager with how much I’ve been texting and smiling at my phone over the last week.
But I couldn’t care less. She’s become my happy place—more than the ice.
Once I’m parked in Jessie’s driveway, I look at the house across the street and over the cars in the driveway.
I recognize most instantly but don’t spot Greyson’s or Silas’s, which means they’re either not there yet or they tagged along with someone else.
But my Angel’s car is there, which is all I really care about.
I pull out my phone, sending her a quick text.
Me
Is your brother there?
The three dots appear immediately, and my grin widens.
Angel
No, he’s home with Gracie before dropping her off at Emma’s dad’s.
Angel
Why?
I don’t bother replying. Instead, I grab the bouquet of flowers, step out of my Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and head down the driveway and across the street. I ring Burkley’s doorbell and am immediately shot with nerves, and when the door opens and I’m greeted by Clay, they skyrocket.
“Coach,” he says, then looks down at the flowers in my hand with a frown. “I take it those are not for me?”
I’m about to answer when Morgan shows up at his side. “Oh, this is too adorable.” She places a hand over her heart and looks over her shoulder. “Aubrey! It’s for you.”
Clay widens the door as they step aside. Seconds later, my beautiful girl comes into view with a confused look on her face. But when she sees me, her eyes light up, and that blush I love makes itself known just as a smile graces her lips.
“Shane,” is all she says as she walks over to me.
She doesn’t ask why I’m here early because she knows. I think my girl missed me just as much as I’ve missed her and has been counting down the minutes until we get to see each other again.
When she’s within reach, all those nerves disappear, and the world vanishes around us. All I want to do is grab her and kiss her, and that’s exactly what I do. With one arm, I pull her in by the waist and dip my head to claim her lips.
She lets out a small gasp, freezing with surprise that I’d kiss her like this in public, in front of all her friends. But then she melts, and her hands come to my chest, pulling me closer as she sighs into my mouth.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait until tonight. I missed you too much, Angel,” I tell her, pulling away and resting my forehead against hers.
“I’m happy you’re here,” she whispers, and I can hear the blissful joy in her voice.
“Oh God, he calls her Angel? I swear, if I weren’t already knocked up, I’d get pregnant just by watching them.” Emma’s voice draws our attention.
Aubrey gasps as she turns a deep red and buries her face in my chest. “I forgot they were there,” she admits with a soft giggle. I’m glad to hear I have the same effect on her as she has on me.
Clay clears his thought, an unreadable expression on his face. He doesn’t look mad, but he also doesn’t look entirely pleased by this situation. “How about we give them some privacy?” he tells everyone who has apparently gathered around while my lips were glued to Aubrey’s.
“There’s no need, I’ll let you all get back to your things. I simply wanted to say hi”—Aubrey looks up from my chest—“and give you these.” I bring the flowers into view.
She takes them from my hand and smells them. “You got me flowers?” she asks as her cheeks warm with pink.
“I know it’s cheesy and doesn’t have much thought put into it. I just really wanted to get you flowers.” I feel my own blush creep in as I cup the back of my nape.
“I love them, thank you.” She holds them closer to her chest, and I take the time to admire her. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun with blonde strands falling out all over, while she wears gray leggings that cling to her legs and a baggy pink sweater that falls off one shoulder.
“You look beautiful,” I say, kissing her cheek when she isn’t expecting it.
She flushes and looks down at her clothes, then touches her head, and her eyes go comically wide. “Oh God, I can’t believe you’re seeing me like this, I look horrible.”
I chuckle and frown. “Didn’t I just say you look beautiful?”
Gabriel laughs behind us. “Welcome to the club. We tell them one thing, and they hear something completely different.”
His fiancée smacks him in the chest. “No, we don’t. We just know when you guys are lying.”
“Thank you, Ronnie.” Emma narrows her eyes at Gabe.
“Well, I for one, am not lying.” I pull Aubrey back in, brushing my lips against hers once more. “I really do think you look beautiful, even like this. I always think you do.”
“Thank you,” she breathes against me.
I kiss her deeply one last time before letting go. “I’ll see you later, Angel.”
“Bye, Shane,” she says, biting her lip as I take a step back.
Waving to everyone, I head back to the other side of the street where Jessie waits with his front door open and a cocky grin on his face. “Oh, you have it so bad for that little one.” He laughs.
I slap him on the shoulder as I walk past him. “Not even going to deny that.”
He closes the door behind him, following me further into his house and over to the kitchen. “So, I’m guessing her brother still doesn’t know.”
I sigh, wishing things weren’t so complicated and that I didn’t have to hide with my girlfriend. “No, he doesn’t, not yet.”
I know Aubrey said she needed time, and I’ll respect that. But I wish we could get past this already. I want to go out with her in public, hold her hand and kiss her without caring who sees.
“You do know that guy is going to lose it when he finds out, right? Have you seen how possessive he is of his wife? Well, he’s the same when it comes to his sister.” Jessie pours us two fingers of bourbon each, handing one over.
“Yeah, I know.” And I do; I’ve seen the way Greyson looked at Julian when he pretended to flirt with Aubrey.
It looked like he was about to murder someone.
But I’m hoping the fact that he knows me might make it easier to accept…
or it might make things worse. Whatever it is, I’m prepared to accept it.
I won’t give up on Aubrey, no matter what.
A few hours later, night has fallen, and people are constantly walking through Burkley’s front door. Tonight, it’s only me and Jessie joining the party, since Jason is working and Julian is in Tokyo for business. I know I could have gone alone, but I appreciate Jessie tagging along.