18. Aiden #2
“Oh my god, Aiden.” She splays a hand over her heart, the move making it hard not to fixate on the peek of cleavage exposed where her robe crosses over her chest. “Are you okay?”
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I rock back on my heels. “It’s embarrassing that I didn’t see the truth, but yeah, I’m okay.”
“So the wedding planning?” She nibbles at a pink fingernail, searching my face.
“You said you needed the job.” I shrug. “So Gavin and Millie are your bride and groom. We’re going to make it the best wedding ever so that your boss sees how awesome you are.”
“ Aiden ,” she says softly, her eyes going misty.
A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down. “What?”
“You did all of that for me?”
“I’d do anything for you, Lex. So tell me what needs to be done so you can access your trust.”
With a shake of her head, she steps back from me again.
All I want is to reach for her, hold her, but I keep my hands where they are.
“Unless you are offering to marry me, I don’t think there’s much we can do.”
My heart trips over itself at the prospect, but then it’s up and running. “Okay.”
Mouth ajar, she scoffs. “I was being sarcastic.”
“Why not? You need a groom, and I was supposed to be one. Maybe it’s fate,” I tease, though in reality, I can’t help but believe that’s exactly it.
She rolls her eyes, but a laugh slips out. “Be serious.”
“I am. I want to help you, and honestly, you’d be helping me out too.”
Frowning, she studies me. “How?”
“My brothers have been worried about me since things ended with Jill. Honestly, even before that. This will get them off my back. It will get everyone off my back.”
And it’s the perfect opportunity to be close to her again. To win her over. This might be my best plan yet.
“It won’t be real, Aiden. You want marriage, babies, the white picket fence. I don’t want that stuff.” The words are so sincere I almost believe her.
I give her an easy shrug. “I just got out of a really bad relationship. I get that this would be fake.”
“Do you? Can you promise you won’t fall in love with me? Because I’m not built for long-term commitment.”
“I won’t fall in love with you,” I promise.
And once again, I’m not lying. I can’t fall when I’m already on my ass in love. I’ve been in love with her since I was fourteen years old, and there is no chance in hell I’ll allow someone else to take this role, fake or not.
Worrying her lip, she scrutinizes me for a long moment without a response.
“Lex, I’m offering this as a friend. That’s all. It would be beneficial to us both.”
“But you said you never got over me.” Her voice is soft this time. Almost like she’s nervous to have brought that up.
“It was the heat of the moment. You were in a pretty dress. Reminded me of prom. I got carried away.” It’s true.
Dancing with Lennox at a wedding. Being able to hold her.
Spending all this extra time with her. It’s dangerous and yeah, I played my cards too early.
I’ll do better. I have to do better. I find her eyes.
“I can do this Lex. For the both of us.”
“But what if one of us catches feelings?”
I try not to let my heart lift at that. One of us . Like she’s concerned she could be the one who falls. Those simple words give me hope.
“See?” she says, throwing a hand up. “That’s what I mean.” She circles a finger in the air, gesturing to my expression.
I scrub a hand down my face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You almost kissed me tonight,” she says, her tone far softer now. “Be honest. Have you continued planning this wedding in hopes that we’d grow closer again?”
“I did it for you,” I say, taking half a step closer. “Because you needed this. I’d be doing this for you too. I understand what this is, Lex. And I understand what’s it’s not.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifts her chin and doubles down. “We’re going to have to kiss, Aiden. We’ll have to act as though we’re in love. But it won’t be real.”
I shrug like it’s no big deal. Like memories of her lips on mine don’t run on repeat in my head like an old film, highlighting the way she used to taste, the feel of her body against mine, the sound of her whimpers when she’d ride me, clothes on, while we made out for hours.
Her eyes are narrowed, but her tongue peeks out and slicks across her lips, leaving a sheen of moisture.
I can’t help but track the movement, and I have to stuff my hands into my pockets again to keep from reaching for her.
The air between us is charged as she takes another breath and slowly steps closer.
She presses a hand to my chest, the heat of her palm soaking through my Oxford, and slides it up and around my neck.
I’m frozen, stunned stupid, as she pops up on her toes and practically devours me in one fell swoop.
For the first time in more than a decade, Lennox Kennedy’s lips are pressed against mine, and every moment that’s taken place since the last time we were in this position evaporates.
I’m eighteen and in love again. She tastes like strawberries, which is so very on brand for her. I nip at her bottom lip because she tastes so fucking good, and it’s the moan that slips from her throat that pulls me back.
Fuck, I want to run my hands all over her body. I want to pull her close and never let her go. But if I don’t stop kissing her, I’ll only prove her point. So I step back and run my thumb against my lips, swiping away her kiss rather than going in for another.
Pupils blown wide, Lennox sways. On instinct, I grasp her hips to steady her.
She looks up at me and blinks. She fucking blinks.Then she clears her throat. “You’re telling me you can handle doing that without catching feelings?”
Hands in my pockets once more, mostly to appear unaffected, but also to relieve the tightness in my crotch, I lift my chin. “Can you handle it?”
She coughs out a breathy laugh. “Obviously, I’m completely capable. I’m just worried about you.”
I shrug. “I’m fine. And now that we got that out of the way, it’ll look more natural when we kiss at the party.”
She blinks those stunning blue eyes at me again. Still affected. Still dizzy from our kiss. I fucking love her like this. “The party?”
“When we tell the world we’re back together.”
Face lowered, she presses her fingers to her temples and scoffs. “You were just engaged to someone else. No one will buy that we’re engaged now.”
My heart leaps. She’s right. Damn, this just keeps getting better.
“You’re right. So we’ll have to sell it.
We’ll date publicly for a few months. Then when the season starts, I’ll propose.
Everyone already thinks I’m in love with you, so no one in my family will be surprised that we moved so quickly. ”
Her expression goes stony, but there’s pain and a little disappointment in her eyes. “See? This is a bad idea.”
I press my hand to her shoulder and squeeze, ignoring the zap that hits me when I do. “It won’t be real, Lex. I can do this. How long do you have to be married before you inherit the trust?”
Please, god, let it be ten years. Fuck, a lifetime with her wouldn’t be long enough.
She lurches back and paces once more. She’s always thought through her problems like this. Like me, she’s not one to sit still. “There isn’t a set minimum. Probably just long enough for the trust to be turned over to me. At that point, we can get a quick divorce and move on from this insanity.”
I hide my grimace with a hand over my jaw, as if deep in thought. “But we’ll need to make it believable so they don’t contest the marriage, right?”
Lennox hums as she picks up her wine and takes a sip. “Yeah, I guess. And the wedding would have to happen before my birthday in November.”
“Of course.”
Her shoulders sag. “You say of course like this isn’t a big deal.”
It isn’t a big deal. It’s brilliant, really.
We’ll have to sell this marriage, and the only way to do that is by spending time together.
Holding her, kissing her, showing her what it’s like to be loved by me.
Reminding her of just how good we can be together and how a healthy relationship isn’t something to fear.
“It’s just a few months,” I say, trying to ease her concerns.
I can practically see her thoughts racing as she flips through her options. When she reaches the conclusion I’ve already come to—that this makes the most sense if she wants her trust—she finally meets my gaze.
“No one can know.” She says it almost like a taunt. Like she thinks I can’t keep this secret. Silly woman. For years, I’ve been keeping my thoughts to myself on all kinds of topics, happily playing into my reputation as the happy-go-lucky idiot.
I can do this.
I nod. “Not even Sara.”
For the first time since I showed up here tonight, she genuinely smiles. It’s a little evil, but I’ll take it.
“Definitely not Sara. She didn’t tell me when she was fake dating your brother, so there’s no way I’m letting her in on this. Besides, it will drive her nuts trying to figure it out.”
A low laugh rumbles out of me. “You two have a weird friendship.”
“True.” Her smile vanishes and is replaced by a tremulous frown. “One more rule.”
A wave of dread hits me at her serious tone.
“If either of us changes our mind, or if you catch feelings, this ends, no questions asked.”
“What if you catch feelings?” I counter, rubbing my fingertips over my lips again, reminding her of who pushed whom away.
“Then I’ll say the word, and the fake engagement is over.”
Pain slices through my chest at the thought, but I keep my face neutral. “Got it.”
“If either of us says?—”
I cut her off. I don’t need to hear the damn word. “Got it.”
“You know the word?”
I know the fucking word. Jaw hardened, I give her a succinct nod and mutter the two syllables I never wanted to hear again. “Shamrock.”
She walks toward me, gaze determined, and sticks out her hand. “Okay, Hockey Boy, you’ve got yourself a fake fiancée.”