Chapter 17 #2
Pulling her a little closer, my thumbs caress her sides. “Do we have to define it right now?”
Maybe that’s not a fair question, but it’s the only thing I have right now. I don’t know what any of this means—the kisses, my feelings, the fact I’ve never been more inspired than the last week.
I know it’s stupid and a risk I’m not sure I’m ready to make, but I finally take Ryan’s advice and follow my heart, letting life take the lead instead of my brain.
“Can we just see where this goes?”
Madison’s eyes fall shut and her head falls against my chest while my heart plummets to my stomach. I want to take my words back, but I have no idea what I would say instead.
I’m not in any place to figure out what my future looks like past the next three months and I won’t make promises I can’t keep. I’ve never been that person, even in my darkest moments, and I won’t be that person now.
Before I can go down the rabbit hole, Madison’s grip on my sweatshirt tightens and she tilts her head back to meet my gaze. “Seeing where this goes sounds like a good idea.”
“Yeah?” I release on a breath, everything around me disappearing except for the woman in my arms.
“Yeah.” It’s small and slow, but the smile that forms on her lips might just be the best sight I’ve seen in a long time.
I want to kiss her again, to pull her into the cottage and maybe act out the scene I was imagining earlier, but the sound of tires on gravel pulls our attention, and I have no choice but to let Madison slip away as her brother’s vehicle comes into focus.
Of course it’s the grounded, responsible brother pulling up, and not the free-spirited, unpredictable one.
Madison spins back to me, a pinch in her brows. “Sorry. I have no idea why he’s here.”
Reaching out, I tuck that wayward piece of hair behind her ear and let my touch linger for a moment. “Stop apologizing, Madison. You have nothing to be sorry for. We can talk later.”
“Okay,” she murmurs, glancing over her shoulder quickly before turning back to me and rising to her toes for a quick peck.
She’s jogging down the steps and is by her brother’s side before I even realize what’s happened.
It’s such a simple gesture, yet doing it in front of her brother feels big. Or maybe that’s something she does all the time. The reality is we don’t know each other—at least not on a personal level.
I know what her work ethic is like. I know how she is with her family. I’m starting to learn about her likes and her dislikes, but I know nothing about her past. About what her relationships look like or even if she’s ever been in one.
And just like that, something in my brain clicks. Even if it’s only in the smallest of ways, Madison has become part of my life, a life that’s been wildly unpredictable, especially lately.
This life of mine has led me to some terrible places, and while I know Madison is the furthest thing from terrible, what if that’s exactly what I end up being in her life?
Aiden gives his sister a hug and watches her turn to offer me one more wave before she heads for her truck, officially getting her day and week started.
When his eyes move to mine I don’t have to see them behind his sunglasses to know his gaze is assessing.
Everything about his body language—the crossed arms and wide stance—tells me he’s taking in all he’s seen since we came into view.
“I got a call from your head of security,” Aiden finally says as he walks up the porch stairs.
“I figured you would.”
Knowing this is likely going to be a lengthy conversation, I pivot for the cottage and hold the door open in silent invitation.
One thing I like about Aiden is he doesn’t need words. He follows me without question and takes a seat at the island as I move to start a pot of coffee.
Ian and I didn’t specifically talk about sharing anything with Aiden, but I made sure he was aware the local sheriff knew about my stalker. I figured it would only be a bonus that there was someone in town trained to handle precarious situations.
Maybe that was the reason Ian delivered the instruments last week. Better to get an idea of exactly who Aiden was in person than over the phone.
When the coffee finishes, I glance over my shoulder in silent question. At Aiden’s nod, I grab an extra mug from the cupboard and pour the coffee.
“I don’t have any cream, but I do have some milk and sugar.”
“Black is fine.”
That doesn’t surprise me.
Turning, I slide the mug across the island and give Aiden all of my attention, not wanting to miss whatever this visit is about.
“What did Ian tell you?”
Aiden spins the mug around on the counter, his attention focused on his hands. The longer the silence stretches the more my stomach churns.
Why the fuck can’t he answer that question?
“I don’t know how deeply Ryan thought about suggesting you stay in Stonebridge, but you either landed in the safest place you could be, or the most dangerous.”
Aiden finally meets my gaze, and while I have no doubt he’s good at keeping the things he wants hidden wrapped up tight, something like unease slips past his defenses.
But it’s gone so quickly, I think I might have imagined it.
“The jury’s still out on that one.” He shrugs and lifts the mug to his lips.
“I don’t…” My words trail off, having no idea how to respond to that.
But of course Aiden doesn’t need the words to continue. “Before I was a small-town sheriff, I was a special agent with the FBI. More specifically, I was a supervisory special agent—or as a civilian might say, a profiler.”
“I’m not—”
Aiden doesn’t let me finish the thought, continuing as if I never opened my mouth.
“Stalkers aren’t necessarily something the BAU handles, and they definitely weren’t something my unit dealt with, but Ian is still going to send me everything he has so I can build a profile.”
His attention stays focused on me, but the sound of the mug shifting against the counter starts up again, and suddenly I’m wondering what made Aiden switch careers. Working for the FBI seems like a pretty prestigious career, one that isn’t given up lightly.
Maybe one day I’ll earn learning Aiden’s full story, but I know that day isn’t today.
“I—thank you.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I see the way you are with my sister. I won’t warn you to stay away, that’s not the kind of brother I am, but I swear if you hurt her, whether through your actions or the actions of people around you, I will hurt you worse than you can possibly imagine.”
Aiden lifts the mug to his lips and takes one more gulp before giving me a brief nod and turning for the door. He’s gone before I actually register the threat in his words, but even when I do, I don’t blame him for them.
I replay everything that’s happened with Madison—the heated looks, the intimate touches, the loaded kisses. Everything in me wants to dive headlong into the decision we made this morning, but Aiden’s words swim in the background of my mind.
Am I putting Madison in danger?
Will this all blow up and hurt her?
Should we be giving this thing a shot?