40. Aiden
AIDEN
Aiden rolled his shoulders as he stepped out of the car, stiff and sore. He’d left Skye with his brothers and Callum, flew from Inverness to London, then immediately climbed aboard a private jet and flown to Portland, Maine, which was still an hour south of Paris.
He’d been traveling for almost fifteen hours straight.
But he would have traveled fifteen months if that was what it took to get to Isla.
His heart slammed into his chest as his eyes focused on the trails of tears on her cheeks, the redness of her eyes, and the heartbreak on her face.
I never should have waited to come.
He grabbed the only bag he’d brought with him—a rucksack—and set it down, then closed the car door. The Uber drove away, leaving the faint trail of exhaust in the air as Aiden turned his focus to Isla.
She was motionless, a slight divot between her brows as she stared at him—as though she couldn’t quite believe if he was real or she’d imagined him.
Was she upset with him being here?
She didn’t appear happy.
“You came,” she whispered at last, looking like she might crumple.
He didn’t hesitate. Closing the space between them, he pulled her into his arms the way he’d been imagining doing this entire trip. “I should have come sooner. I know you didn’t want me to, but?—”
“I wanted you to,” Isla said, her voice thick with tears.
What? His breath emptied, and with it, the tension he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying finally broke loose.
She sniffled and pulled back just enough to look up at him, her breath broken and uneven. “How did you know I needed you?”
The sight of her tears made a lump rise in his throat, and he cleared it before answering, “Callum, actually. He came to see me.”
He caught sight of Kyle just past the gate to this place. Davy had texted him the address when he’d landed in Portland. Kyle gave a faint smile, stepped back, and turned to walk away.
Isla wiped her cheeks. “You talked to Callum?”
He nodded, the spark of hope in her eyes helping him feel more settled. “I did. We’ve still got a way to go, but things are on the mend. He didn’t threaten me, so that’s a good start.” Cupping her face, he brushed away her tears. “Where were you heading off to in such a rush?”
“I just wanted to go home.” She looked away, something sad and wounded in her tone. “The show used our business as a focal point for the episodes, and I’m so mad at Davy for it. They had no right. And she knew about it.”
“I know.” One of his hands slid into the hair at the nape of her neck as he cradled her close to him, his other hand firm around her waist. “I saw the episode. Callum had me watch that, too.”
The cameras, it turned out, had caught a substantial amount of time between them.
His discussion with Isla in the trailer that first day he’d arrived in Texas.
The way he’d watched her during the wine festival.
Carried her out of the fountain.
And thanks to Callum’s surprise appearance there that first day—and the fact that he’d also signed a release form—they’d even managed to touch on the tension that had formed by hiding their relationship from him.
Sure, it was only bits and pieces woven together with the more substantive tour of the town.
But it was compelling. Interesting. Personal.
Even romantic.
Their love story as captured by an impartial observer.
Of course, there wasn’t any way that it would have his favorite parts. But even Aiden, who had lived the damn thing, had to admit it made for a hell of a plot.
Isla stilled, her breathing growing more even, then she pulled back, confusion filtering through her face. “It didn’t make you angry?”
Aiden chuckled softly. “No, Isla, it didn’t.”
“But they exploited the situation—lied to us. It can’t possibly be legal, can it? They used our relationship to sell their show.”
“That’s true, except for the legalities. I had a substantial amount of time on my hands today, actually. Read some of the waivers and paperwork I signed for the production. But if that worries you, I can have someone else take a closer look.”
The tension in her face relaxed. “No, I was worried about how you might take it.”
Aiden set his hands on her shoulders and gave them a soft squeeze.
“Isla, I love you. I don’t care who knows, and I’m not ever hiding it again.
From anyone. If anything, I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops.
The past week has been torture without you.
I don’t think I’ve ever checked my mobile so many times in my life, just hoping you might call. ”
She swallowed, her eyes scanning his, no longer tearful but still wary.
God, please let her forgive me.
“You walked out on me the night of Callum and Liddy’s party, Aiden. Left me to face everything... alone. ” Her voice trembled at the last word.
That was his biggest mistake and regret. He shouldn’t have left her to face it all alone.
He kissed her forehead, then brushed his lips tenderly down to hers.
Pulling his mouth a fraction away from hers, he murmured, “I never meant to leave you alone, Isla. I just felt like everything I touched turned to ash. Incapable of protecting you and preventing myself from torching everything around me. But I am sorry. I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere. ”
A soft sob broke free from her. “You keep saying that. But then you go away again?—”
He kissed her again gently, his heart aching at the pain he’d caused her. He’d failed her despite his best efforts.
“I’m here,” he repeated, his voice scratching through his throat. “I’m here, Isla.”
Her fingertips combed up to the nape of his neck, gripping him as she returned his kiss, first timidly, a kiss desperate for comfort.
For the security that had felt so threatened.
Then slowly, her kisses deepened, the intensity growing as the familiar hum of electricity sizzled between them, tearing through him with a ferocity that made his chest throb.
“I love you, Isla,” he whispered, pulling back to cup her face in his hands again, staring at her deeply.
“It may have taken me years to find my way to you, but once I realized I’d been looking for you this whole time, falling in love with you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
You’re all I want. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do whatever you ask to be with you.
It’s that simple. You want me to resign?
I will. To tattoo your name across my chest?
Happy to. You’re already inked much deeper anyway. ”
She gave a tearful laugh. “I don’t need any of those things.
I love you too, Aiden. I know we had an unconventional start to our relationship, but I have to admit you scared me.
One night, we were talking about staying married and being together forever, and the very next day, you were gone. And not for work this time.”
He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I wanted to respect your wishes for space. God, Isla, the last thing I wanted was to hurt you more. Just tell me what you need.”
She scanned his gaze, her eyes bright with tears, lashes wet. Her kisses had given him hope—but maybe he ought not to expect it.
They loved each other—but was it enough?
They hadn’t even started to face the many obstacles between them.
Maybe I’m too late. Maybe the damage I’ve done is already too deep.
“I need . . .” She drew a slow breath as though she hadn’t fully fleshed out the thought herself.
What was it that Callum had said?
“Isla’s difficult to keep happy. She has a restless spirit . . . when she’s interested, she’s unstoppable. But when that interest dies...no one and nothing can motivate her . . . if you want her, you’re going to have to learn what she needs, not just what she says she needs.”
Yet how could he give her what she wanted if she wasn’t even sure what she wanted? A desperate feeling curled within him. Was he beating his head against a wall? Had she lost interest in making this work?
“I need . . . a home, ” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.
In an instant, something clicked in his heart.
Isla, his beautiful Isla, strong, fiercely independent gorgeous woman that she was— just needed him.
She was the tide, restless and wild, and he would be her moon—always steady, always pulling her back home.
He dipped his forehead against hers. “I promise you this: I may not always get it right, but I will always try to do right by you. I’m not going anywhere, my love. And if you still want me—this marriage—then I will never stop trying to be the man you deserve. Or your home.”
Isla blinked back more tears, then smiled and said in a cracked voice, “I want you, Aiden. And this marriage.”
He smiled, then stepped back, holding her hands. “Then where are you running off to?”
Isla glanced over her shoulder, back toward the lilac-filled garden. She blinked. “I probably should’ve taken my mic off,” she said, tugging the battery pack free and winding up the wires with a sigh. “I don’t know where I’m going, to be honest. I just needed to get away.”
“Well, I may know a bloke with a jet to fly you anywhere you want—so long as you don’t mind me taking a nap and a shower along the way.”
She raised her brows. “You have a bed on your jet?”
He grinned, then kissed the curve of her neck. “One I’m more than happy to show you.”
She squirmed, a smile lighting her features. “Aiden Camden, are you proposing I join your Mile High Club?”
“Considering I skipped the proposal part of the other significant parts of our relationship, it only seems appropriate.” How they moved forward with that was an entirely different conversation.
But one that somehow didn’t feel necessary to rush.
He drew his head back. “How about Paris? I hear it’s a lovely place for a honeymoon. ”
Isla wound her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “Paris sounds perfect,” she said, pressing herself tightly against him. Then she drew her head back sharply. “But what about your job? You?—”
“I’m learning to delegate. To make time for the things that matter. And you, my love, are at the top of that list. Forever.”
The way her eyes warmed sent his pulse skittering, and his lips curved. “Have I earned my way back?”
She gave a low, throaty moan of approval, her lips finding his. “I love you, Aiden. Now and always. Let’s go.”