Chapter 22 Iris
IRIS
Aidan’s lips land on mine, and my heart launches into my throat. I go rigid, brain spinning out in a hundred directions as I try to process what’s happening.
But then his fingers slide into my hair, tilting my head back to deepen the kiss, and my brain stops working as my body takes over.
I let my hands land on his chest, where I can feel his heart thundering.
Something about the feel of his heartbeat under my palm makes my pulse skyrocket, and I lean into the kiss, parting my lips to let him in.
I half expect him to come to his senses and stop, but his tongue sweeps hungrily into my mouth, possessing, claiming, making my knees shake.
Heat streaks through me, and I arch into him, desperate for more.
Then, just when I feel as if I could die happily in this moment, it’s over.
When he draws back, he looks as stunned as I feel. We stare at each other for a beat, breathing hard, until Savannah clears her throat loudly.
Dammit, I’d forgotten they were here.
Aidan had too, apparently, but his eyes clear at the reminder, and he leans into my ear, whispering, “Play along.”
“So, you two are…” Savannah gestures vaguely to us, face scrunched in disbelief, and Aidan slides an arm around my waist.
“Yup,” he says, pressing his lips to my temple. “Lucky me, huh?”
Savannah’s eyebrows climb to the ceiling. Beside her, Kendall gives me a small smile. I always thought she was nicer than Savannah, but that doesn’t excuse her never standing up to her, letting her push both of us around.
Aidan leans back to run his eyes over me from head to toe. “God, you’re gorgeous. You want that dress, baby?” he asks, gazing at me adoringly.
“I, uh…” Shit, I can’t even think. Is this what it would feel like to be Aidan’s girlfriend?
“Yeah, you do.” A seductive smile slants his lips. “And I’m getting it for you.”
The fog in my brain clears enough for me to answer. I have no intention of letting him buy the dress for me. It’s a nice offer, but I don’t want to complicate things.
Or maybe I just don’t want to confuse my poor heart.
My chest aches as I gaze up at Aidan, pretending to be my boyfriend so I don’t feel foolish in front of the women who used to torment me in high school. But I do feel foolish, because I don’t want it to be pretend.
I want it to be real.
“You’re not paying for it,” I tell him firmly, but he gives a playful roll of his eyes, glancing at the others.
“She’s so stubborn,” he says, squeezing me affectionately. “I want to buy her the entire store, and she won’t let me.”
Then he steps directly in front of me, gazing at me with warmth in his eyes, and he doesn’t have to do this because the others can’t even see with his back turned, but he strokes my cheek, gently brushing his lips to mine. It’s so soft, so tender, that I can’t tell if he’s pretending anymore.
“I’m buying it for you,” he murmurs. “End of story.”
I would protest more—I should—but it’s impossible with the way he’s gazing at me. With the way my breath is so shallow, trapped in my lungs.
“Okay,” I whisper, and slip back into the fitting room, heart racing. I try to ignore the trembling in my hands as I change back into my usual clothes, wondering if he’ll kiss me again when I step back out.
God, I wish he would. Even if it’s only pretend.
Savannah and Kendall approach the fitting rooms as I exit, their arms laden with clothes.
“It was so good seeing you,” Savannah says in a syrupy tone, slipping behind the fitting room curtain.
“You too,” I mutter, not meaning a word.
I place the pile of blouses and the dress on the counter with a sigh. Aidan glances up as I do, his brow lining with concern.
“You okay?” he mouths, and I give a shaky nod. I don’t feel okay, but I can’t tell if it’s because of Savannah or because of the way Aidan kissed me.
He seems to sense it, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to pull me into a hug.
It’s completely unnecessary given the others are in the fitting rooms, but I take the chance to rest my head against his chest, just for a second, and breathe.
His warm, spicy cologne fills my nostrils, that hint of pencil shavings even though we’re miles away from his drafting table, and it’s all I can do not to push up onto my toes and steal another kiss.
But we part, and I have to pull myself together. There’s a bowl of mints on the counter, and Aidan reaches for one, his eyes straying to my pile of clothes. He’s not actually going to pay for anything, is he?
I grab a mint too, contemplating what to purchase.
My head is still swirling after what happened when the bell on the door trills again, distracting me, and an older woman steps into the store.
I’m about to tell the shop assistant I’ll just take the first blouse, but Savannah’s voice drifts from the fitting room.
“Can you believe she’s with that guy?” she says to Kendall through the curtain. “He’s like twice her age.”
I freeze. For a second I’m so shocked I just stand there, mouth agape like an idiot. They must have heard the bell ring on the door and assumed we’d left.
My eyes dart to Aidan. A muscle jumps in his jaw, and I shrivel, mortified. She was insulting me, yes, but it feels like a blow to him, too. A comment about his age.
Which, quite frankly, I love. Is it weird that I’m into a man so much older than me?
Maybe. But he’s hot as hell, with those threads of silver in his hair, the little smile creases beside his eyes.
More than that, he’s kind and sweet. Isn’t that what actually matters?
I think of Daisy and her friends, knowing I’m not alone in liking an older guy. I’m not ashamed of it in the least.
I glance at the fitting room curtains, anger burning hot in my chest. They can say what they like about me, but not about Aidan, and with blinding clarity, I realize that I don’t have to take this.
I put up with their shit for years, but I’m not in high school anymore.
Aidan’s kiss has emboldened me. Made me realize I can stand up to them, I can show them I’m unaffected by their petty bullshit.
I wait by the counter, fists tight at my side, until Savannah steps out of the fitting room. Her gaze collides with mine, and she draws up short, lips forming a silent O. But instead of apologizing, she smirks.
And I snap.
“You know what?” I grit out, stepping forward. “You haven’t changed either, Savannah. You’re the same nasty girl you were in high school.”
She huffs, jaw opening in disbelief. Kendall steps out of the fitting room, eyes wide as she looks between the two of us.
“And just so you know,” I add, “I like that he’s older. It’s fucking hot. He’s fucking hot. I call him Daddy, and he loves it.”
Aidan chokes on his mint. When I glance at him, the dynamite in his gaze could set me alight.
Holy shit. He would love it, wouldn’t he?
A thrill pulses through me, and I focus back on Savannah.
“Have a nice life,” I mutter, then walk from the store with my chin held high.
The cold air hits me the moment I’m outside. Snow falls in soft, fluttery flakes, and I suck in a cleansing breath, surprised to find I don’t feel as shaky as before. If anything, I feel stronger. I should have stood up to Savannah a long time ago.
Aidan appears beside me a moment later, a large bag in his hand with the words The Mariner’s Daughter emblazoned on the side. I glance at it, frowning. Maybe Savannah isn’t the only person I’ll need to stand up to today.
But then he says, “You were amazing in there,” and everything in me softens. I half expect him to add “baby” like he did earlier, then catch myself.
This is the problem with pretending. My heart wants it to be real.
“Thanks,” I say, voice coming out a little husky.
His eyes roam my face, intense and dark, full of all the words he’s not saying. I wait for him to explain the kiss, to tell me it didn’t mean anything, that it can never mean anything, but instead, he releases a deep, steady breath.
“Come on,” he murmurs, swinging the bag over his arm. “Let’s go eat.”