Chapter Five
A iden arrived home and immediately glanced toward the gatehouse before pulling into the garage.
Habit had him looking to see if Brooke’s little blue PT Cruiser was parked in front of the gatehouse.
It was and he was glad. Though he hadn’t gone out of his way to interact with her, giving her space, he liked knowing she was around.
He took bittersweet comfort in the fact that he was closer to her now than he had been in years.
He walked into his childhood home through the garage entrance, passing through a mudroom and into the kitchen.
The place was immaculate, the granite countertops gleaming under the recessed lighting and not a speck of dirt on the floors.
Lizzie kept the house pristine and as she was now dating his dad, the line between employee and girlfriend had blurred.
Aiden headed for the foyer, intending to go to his bedroom, but restless energy had him pivoting and heading out the front door.
He didn’t have a destination in mind as he walked, he just wanted to stretch his legs and breathe some fresh air.
Coming home had been the right thing to do but he hadn’t acclimated to the easier pace yet.
The family estate was sprawling, the lawn perfectly manicured, trees lining the edge of the property. He walked at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sunshine on his face, when movement at the gatehouse caught his eye.
Brooke stepped out of the house and onto the little covered porch, turning to pull the door closed behind her. A pair of jeans hugged her hips and delectable ass, and she’d taken down the short ponytail she’d worn to work.
His fingers itched to touch her, the memory of their one night together fresh in his mind.
Everything inside him was drawn to her, and not just in a physical way.
He missed hearing her laugh and watching her hands fly around as she gestured when telling a story.
He missed the smell of the coconut shampoo that always lingered on her hair.
Most of all, he missed wrapping his arms around her waist.
Suddenly fed up with this avoidance game, he changed directions and headed her way. Brooke had just sat down on the porch step when she spotted him. She tensed and, based on the way her eyes darted to the front door, he had no doubt she contemplated heading back inside before he could reach her.
He picked up his pace, closing the distance between them before she made a decision.
Standing before her, he met her wary gaze. “Hi, Brooke.”
“Hello, Aiden.” She remained seated. “What brings you by?” she asked, her fingers curling around the bluestone step.
“We need to talk.”
She tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest, lips thinned and eyes narrowed. “We don’t have anything to discuss,” she said, coolly.
“I beg to differ. We can’t keep avoiding each other at work and I’d rather our first confrontation be in private.”
“At least you know it’s going to be a confrontation,” she muttered. She rose to her feet and stepped down so she was on the path beside him.
He appreciated both her honesty and her ability to face him with justified anger. “Are you ever going to forgive me for leaving?” he asked.
Hurt flashed in her hazel eyes before she banked all emotion. “You know there’s more to it than that. And let’s face it, you have to be sorry in order to be forgiven.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned.
She had a point. He’d never apologized for his actions.
He couldn’t bring himself to say I’m sorry , because even after all this time, he believed that breaking her heart had been the right choice.
It made him an asshole, but he’d learned to live with it.
At least he’d known that while he was gone traveling the world and throwing himself into work, she’d been able to go on with her life and not sit around waiting for the times he might be able to come home.
But with her standing in front of him, pissed off and hurt, he second-guessed his reasoning and the weight of his decision lay heavy on his shoulders.
Those were all excuses that made things easier for him to live with. Not her. She deserved the apology but apparently, he’d waited too long because Brooke rolled her eyes and turned away, marching back up the three steps to her front door.
Fuck.
Instinct had him following her and grabbing her wrist. He spun her around and pressed her back against the wall beside the door.
Leaning his body against hers, he bit back a groan at the feeling of her soft curves pressed against his harder ones.
Desire raged through his bloodstream, and his cock hardened in his slacks.
She met his gaze with guarded eyes, but inside the green, gold, and brown depths he saw the fire raging inside of her. Anger and desire. He understood the latter well. She still wanted him. She might not be happy about it, but she couldn’t hide the truth.
Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, he trailed his fingertips down her jaw, feeling the silkiness of her skin.
Her lips parted as she dragged in a shaky breath, and he rubbed his thumb over her plump bottom lip. She wasn’t wearing makeup anymore, but she was still gorgeous.
Her eyes darkened with need. With her face inches from his, he longed to close the distance and press their mouths together in a heated kiss. He was so damn hungry for her.
“Do you ever think about our night together?” he asked, his tone gruff.
“No.” But her voice trembled.
“Don’t lie to me, Brooke.”
Her cheeks turned red and he couldn’t hold back a grin. He’d always been able to tell when she was lying, and now was no different. “There you go,” he murmured. “Your flushed skin gives you away.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and released it. “Dammit.”
He chuckled, moving his hands to her hips. Her palms were already on his chest, fisting his shirt, although whether that was to pull him closer or push him away remained to be seen.
He had no doubt she was conflicted because despite the distance, both physical and emotional, Aiden knew her. She wanted him, but she was still pissed off, too.
He wouldn’t push her but he would remind her. “I don’t just recall that night,” he said, giving her hips a light squeeze. “I think about it all the time .”
Her breath hitched at the same time she shook her head in denial. “No,” she said. “You don’t. You can’t .”
“Are you trying to convince me of that? Or yourself?” he asked. “Because I still remember the way you felt… And the little whimper you made when I sank deep inside you.”
Her grip on his shirt tightened and her mouth parted in a soft gasp. But she flattened her palms on his chest and shoved him away… all without warning. She wasn’t strong enough to move him, though he took the hint, stepping back.
“Don’t do that again,” she snapped, turning to the door. “Just leave me alone, Aiden.”
The sadness in her voice hit him like a punch to the gut. No matter how much he wanted to call her back, he respected her need to walk away.
She unlocked her door and stepped inside, her eyes locking with his briefly before she slammed the door. The sound of the deadbolt drove her point home. He wasn’t welcome.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned away and walked back to the main house.
He took comfort in the not-so-small fact that despite her hurt, she still seemed to want him, giving him something to work with.
He’d given up on the idea of being with her once, and it had been the biggest mistake of his life.
No matter what she believed, Brooke Snyder was meant to be his. He’d been kidding himself to think otherwise.