Chapter 12 Aiden
CHAPTER TWELVE
AIDEN
“My man.” Jamie shakes his head. “Can’t resist a good cuddle pile.” He smirks, but I’m alarmed by the number of limbs in this bed, all tangled and entwined. I look at Sawyer asleep in his briefs like the morning I saw him sick.
Does he wear any clothes at home?!
Only this time his arms are wrapped tightly around Noah. The other man, who I now know is Camden’s boyfriend, is on the other side.
There are two women entangled tightly together. One I recognize as Sawyer’s sister Jane, but I don’t recognize the petite Black woman. “Who’s the woman with the outrageous face paint?”
Jamie’s brows climb his forehead. “Be lucky she didn’t hear that.
That’s Brianna, and the face paint is her makeup.
Who the hell knows what they were doing last night.
She usually takes it off before she sleeps.
” Jamie looks at me. “I should be shocked, but my man collects friends.” He sighs. “Come on. Let’s let them sleep.”
Jamie turns without another word and heads out through the the living room to the back stairs. I follow, but I’m not sure why. Why am I even here right now? It’s Sunday. It’s my day off.
Still, when I woke up this morning, my first thought was of Sawyer and that kiss on my hood. Not just that kiss, but before that kiss. I guess it makes sense. I have no one to talk to, and for the first time in my life I had someone talk to me. Not demand. Not yell. Not threaten.
Talk.
For the first time, I had someone listen to me.
I had someone understand me.
“Where are we going?” I follow him down the stairs.
“I need a smoke, and Cam’s on his way. Surprised he didn’t sleep at my house last night.”
“Why would he?”
Jamie turns his head. “He doesn’t like sleeping alone.”
Why am I not surprised? “A little codependent of you all, no?” Jamie side-eyes me as we walk around the building to Noah’s car. “How did you get here?”
“My brother came over this morning looking for Brianna. He dropped me off to wake them all up.”
“Is Brianna his girlfriend?”
Jamie barks out a laugh. “God no. I mean, he wishes, but no. Brianna prefers women and my brother doesn’t understand that she sees him as family. No changing that. She was our sister’s girlfriend.”
“And your brother is in love with her?” What a weird-ass family. “What does your sister have to say about it?”
Shadows darken his eyes. “Well, she’s not alive anymore, but I know that if she knew about it, she’d be laughing her ass off.” He smiles softly. “Would tease the hell out of him.”
Oh shit. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugs. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t say I’ve made peace with it, but I’ve made something with it. Nothing I can do will change it.” Jamie climbs onto the hood of the gray car in the parking lot. “Been trying to cut back on smoking. I know Noah doesn’t like it.”
“Smoking weed?”
“Not the weed itself. He doesn’t mind me drinking seltzers and edibles, but he doesn’t like the smoking. He says I’m hurting my lungs.” Jamie inhales, then tips his head back, exhaling. “It’s hard, though. It’s been my crutch for nearly a decade. Old habits or whatever.” He offers it to me.
“No thanks. I drove.”
“Right. Smart.” He inhales again. “Seltzers work just as well. No smoking required. It’s just that the action of it is soothing to me. I don’t know why.”
I look back at Sawyer’s building. “Not jealous your boyfriend is sleeping between two half-naked men?”
Jamie laughs then shakes his head. “No. No I am not. I know where his heart belongs.”
I don’t understand any of this. They all function as some fucked-up unit. “How can you just trust him like that?” It’s clear they rely on each other, but it doesn’t make sense. It wouldn’t shock me if Noah had tried something with Swayer last night with the way he was holding him.
Why is that thought pissing me off?
“On purpose or out of necessity?” My gaze whips to his. “Because I’ve been there. It’s a shitty place to be.” Jamie eyes me. It’s a bit unnerving.
He’s wearing a pair of black sweats and sneakers, and a loose sleeveless shirt, his tattoos popping against his golden tan skin. He has one on his neck that looks unfinished.
Maybe he bitched out from the pain, I don’t know, but I’m sure that fucking hurt.
“I trust everyone in that house with my life,” he says softly.
“Hell, even Jane. It’s funny to think I used to have a crush on her years ago.
” He laughs. “Bowen is extremely kind and caring. Bri is the sweetest soul that has ever lived. Jane is, well . . . Jane is Jane, but she protects her family. And Noah . . .” He smiles.
“The greatest gift I could ever have been given.”
Gravel crunches as a car pulls in. I see Cam in the driver seat. “And Sawyer?”
Jamie looks back at Cam’s car then looks at me.
“Sawyer is an extremely hard worker who’s going through the worst year of his life while trying to keep his business afloat, and he has a severe allergy to receiving help.
” I think he’s done as I watch Cam park.
Jamie slides off the hood but stops in front of me.
“And I’m not sure what’s going on with you two, but whatever it is, you hurt him and you have a shitload of people wanting to kick your ass,” he says softly.
I scoff. “Including Cam?”
Jamie’s hard expression breaks into a soft smile. “Cam’s muscles are for show. He wouldn’t hurt you.” He backs away. “But I’ll have no problem doing it.”
Cam’s door opens and Jamie turns to him, giving him a hug. “Where are they?”
“Passed out in bed.” Jamie laughs. “Our men are cuddling.”
Jamie throws an arm around Cam, eying me as he walks by. “Let’s go wake them up.”
Cam shakes his head. “He’s too cute to wake up.”
Jamie shakes Brianna’s shoulder gently. She stirs a bit. “You guys need to wake up. I’m stealing Noah.”
Bri squirms against Jamie’s hand, blinking her eyes open.
She looks on either side of herself then focuses on Jane’s arms wrapped around her waist, her head resting against her chest. “Jamie, I love you, but I am cuddling a gorgeous woman. Don’t ruin this for me.
” Jane starts to stir, breaking her hold on Bri and rolling over. “I hate you,” she whispers at him.
“Sorry.” He grins, not seeming sorry one bit, and she flips him off as she sits up.
“What time is it?” Jane rubs her eyes.
“Nearly ten,” Cam answers as he scoops Bowen up into his arms with ease.
Noah wakes up, looking at Jamie. “Morning, babe. I’ve come to collect you.” Jamie sits on the bed, pulling Noah off Sawyer and into his arms. He practically collapses onto Jamie’s chest. “Hungover?”
“No,” he says sleepily. Noah reaches out, smoothing his hand across Jamie’s pecs and squeezing them with a smile. “We stayed up late planning the ValenSlay event then watched movies. His eyes blink up at Jamie as he pinches his nipple.
“Stop fondling me in front of our friends.”
Noah pouts his bottom lip. “Then take me home so I can fondle you there.”
Sawyer sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and my eyes roam across his chest again. Okay, I need to get a grip. That kiss was whatever. A stupid simple kiss.
I shove my hands in my pockets. “Why are you here?” he asks me.
“I um, I wanted to see if you needed help with anything.” I lie. I don’t even know why I came over here. “If you uh, want.”
“Let me get everyone out of here. I have a bunch to do.” He looks over at Noah. “Thanks for the ideas.”
“It’s what we’re here for.” Noah stands, looping his arm through Jamie’s. “Anyone want a ride back?”
“Me.” Bri gets up reluctantly.
Bo is still asleep in Cam’s arms. “If you need help, just let us know,” Cam says. “We’re all here to help.”
“The aprons will be done this week too,” Bri says. “They’re adorable.”
“I’m sure they are.” He walks his friends to the door, and maybe I should go too.
Everything is so weird. The worst part is, I keep forgetting I have a job to do.
Although I’ve looked and I don’t know where that statue could possibly be.
You’d think he’d have it sitting out. If he has it, why is it even hidden?
“You can go home. You don’t have to stay here.”
“I don’t have anything else to do today.” And I don’t want to go home. More and more I want to be here. Besides, I can look for the statue.
Only lately I’m wondering if there’s a way I can get out of this.
I don’t think it’s here. I haven’t seen it, and I’ve been upstairs and downstairs at this point.
Maybe it’s not here. I’m afraid of what Ivan will do if I tell him that.
If I say it’s not here, will he up and leave and search for it somewhere else?
Or will he come here himself and tear the bakery apart looking for it.
I don’t want either to happen.
It’s quiet in this kitchen as Sawyer grabs his mixing bowls. “What are we doing?”
I watch his arms flex as he takes out a bunch of ingredients. I guess we aren’t wearing a shirt today. I want to tell him to put one on. It’s got to be a safety hazard.
“I want to make something new for the event. We’re going to create something.
I think these truffles will be perfect. Bite-sized, not messy.
I want to experiment. I’m going to make lemon ones, mango ones, and maybe some sort of vanilla.
I made some chocolate ones the other day.
Adding those to the menu. People can build their own boxes.
Like a box of chocolates. They can fill them up with little bite-sized desserts. First box free.”
“That’s smart.”
“Going to have a few different types of drinks too. Some nonalcoholic champagne.” He grabs a mixing bowl, putting chocolate in it and setting it aside. “Iced coffee for sure.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Sawyer measures out some heavy cream. “Heat this up on the stove, but don’t boil it. Just a simmer.” Sawyer slides the cup of cream to me. My gaze lifts to his and there’s something unreadable in his eyes. Some sort of thick tension I’ve felt since coming here.
I can’t stop thinking about that kiss.