Chapter Twelve
M onday morning, Brooke stood in the shower, hot water cascading down her body. She went through her normal routine, her hands moving on autopilot as she washed her hair and shaved her legs, her mind a million miles away. Or rather, stuck on the man living in the house across the way.
His jealousy and flirty texts, the kiss, all painted a picture.
He wanted more than friendship, he’d admitted as much.
Unlike him, her heart and her head were in conflict.
She loved him and always had, but forgiving him came with risks.
The man had traveling and journalism in his blood.
He might be home now to help his family, and he might even be telling himself he wanted to stay. She didn’t trust him to keep his word.
But she did believe he was going to attempt to get her to change her mind. Which meant it was going to be damned hard to resist him and keep with her plan to move on.
She rinsed the soap from her body, her hand moving over her sex, and she paused, her mind still on Aiden. Just thinking about him had a low throbbing settle between her thighs, reminding her that her body knew exactly what it wanted. Who it wanted.
Ever since he’d pressed her against the wall on her front porch, a long dormant part of her had reawakened. Her response to his kiss merely confirmed it. The overwhelming desire she’d only ever felt for Aiden had returned and grew worse with each heated interaction between them.
He’d gripped her hips and the naked need in his eyes matched the way her body overheated, the kiss leaving her aching for relief.
As a result, she hadn’t slept well since her date.
She leaned against the shower tile, closed her eyes, and lost herself in the memory of the one time she’d spent with Aiden.
His big hands settled on her breasts, his tongue tangled with hers, and his erection was long and thick as he sank deep inside her. Lost in the memories, Brooke let her hands roam, her fingers pinching one nipple while the other hand slid over her stomach and reached her clit.
She rubbed the sensitive nub in a tight circle, her legs shaking as she remembered Aiden’s tense expression as he pounded into her. She recalled the squeaking of the bedframe and the sounds they made as pleasure consumed them both.
Echoes of that rapture resonated now as her climax built up inside her, need coiling tighter and tighter. Aiden had buried his face in her neck as he came, groaning her name with each thrust. The water turned lukewarm as she moved her hand lower, thrust two fingers deep inside and…
Why did she feel water high around her ankles? Removing her hands, her sex aching, her orgasm unfulfilled, she glanced down at the rising water. The moment of bliss was lost to a plumbing issue. The drain wasn’t working.
She turned off the water and cursed under her breath.
Whipping the shower curtain aside, she wrapped a towel around her body and stepped onto the bathmat.
A glance at the sink told her there was water backing up there as well.
It had been draining slowly lately, but she’d ignored the problem, hoping it wasn’t a big deal.
She hadn’t mentioned the issue to her mom, either.
Heading to her bedroom, she dressed quickly, braiding her damp hair to get it out of her face.
She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and pulled up Aiden’s number.
It wasn’t until the phone was already ringing that she realized she could have called Alex or anyone else in the Sterling family to handle this situation.
Aiden answered before she could hang up and try someone that she didn’t have a complicated relationship with.
“Brooke? You okay?”
She heard the panic in his voice, and she had to admit, his concern got to her. “I’m fine. There’s a problem with the plumbing and the water is backed up in the bathroom.”
“I’ll be right there.”
He hung up before she could protest. She hadn’t expected him to rush over to the gatehouse. She just thought someone should know so they could call a plumber.
Or had she really wanted him here?
She wrung out the bottom of her braid some more, finishing as the doorbell rang. She walked down the short flight of stairs to meet him at the door.
“Hi,” she said, as she opened the door.
“I’m glad you called.” He was dressed in a suit, ready for work, yet he’d still rushed over. “Mind if I check the kitchen sink first?”
“Go ahead.”
He walked past her and she stared at his back, intrigued by the way he moved in dress clothes. Used to him in more casual attire, this business side of him was sexy, too. She sighed, her body still tingling from the unfulfilled masturbation session.
“Yep. Kitchen sink is backed up, too,” he said.
She glanced over his shoulder and saw a few inches of dark water in the metal basin and wrinkled her nose.
“The garbage disposal shutting off was probably a coincidence but since the water is in the bathroom and the kitchen, there must be a clog somewhere in the drainage system,” Aiden said.
She was more focused on the heady scent of his cologne than the house problem. She warned herself not to sway closer to him for a sniff.
“That’s bad, right?” she managed to ask.
He turned unexpectedly, and they were too close. “It’s not an easy fix like resetting the disposal. I’ll call someone to come look at it.”
“Do you think they can fix it the same day?” she asked, hopefully.
He shrugged. “No idea. This kind of thing isn’t my forte. We’ll just have to see what a plumber says. I’ll let you know as soon as I reach someone.”
She reached out before she could overthink and placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Brooke. I’m here for you, anytime.”
His sincerity struck her in the heart and despite all her internal misgivings, a rush of affection filled her chest and warning bells went off in her head.
Sexual tension was something she was used to. She’d always desired Aiden. But this caring feeling? It had been a while since she’d experienced warm emotions toward him and the feeling reminded her that before he’d left home, he’d always been someone she could count on.
Shaken, she took a step back. “I’d better go change,” she said, breaking contact. “I have to get to the office.”
He nodded, his knowing gaze never leaving hers. “Go ahead and I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks,” she said, watching as he left.
As she drove to the office, she couldn’t get him off her mind. He’d looked and sounded so sincere when he told her he was there for her. It was almost as if he wanted her to call him whenever she needed help. Wanted to be there for her.
The tender feelings she’d felt in the past were officially back, just as strong as before.