Chapter 27
27
Aidan
“ T hank you.” The sound is small and a little sad. She’s tucked up under my chin and I feel her words against my chest more than I hear them.
“Of course. I told you last night I’ll do anything for you.” I pull back and wipe at her tears with my thumb. “Anything at all, Lisbeth. I hate that you’re sad, that you’re hurting. But I will drop everything to hold you. To help you through whatever it is.”
With a finger under her chin I tilt her face up to mine. I need to know that she understands this.
“You own my heart.” I kiss her lips, swollen from crying, red from chafing against my shirt.
“If I promise that I’m not running or hiding, can I go to the restroom?” Little by little she unwraps herself from me. Running her hands from my back and up my chest, pushing away. “I just want to splash cold water on my face. God, I got tears all over you.” She sniffles as she runs her hand over the tear stains on my shirt. “I’m sorry?—”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” I watch her go and pull out my phone and ring Finn. I scrub at a thoroughly clean spot on the bar, waiting for him to answer.
“What d’you want, Aidan? I thought you were taking my shift.”
“I was—I did—but I need you to come in. Take it back.”
“Mmm. I don’t think so. Pretty happy wit’ where I am right now.” I hear the sheets rustle and what sounds like a sharp slap and a yelp.
“Christ, Finn. Just fucking get here. I need to go. I’ll take whatever shift you want next week, but just fucking get here.”
I toss my phone to the bar as Lis comes out of the loo. Her face shiny and free of makeup. She looks absolutely perfect.
“Oh my God, Aidan. I don’t have a choice, do I? I have to go to my sister’s wedding. And that dress—I really am going to have to squeeze my fat ass into it.”
She looks to her untouched pint still sitting on the bar. Her shoulders droop again as she pushes it away.
“Lisbeth, there’s not a thing you have to do. Nothing. But whatever you decide to do, that you want to do, I’ll be there with ye. If ye need a reason to be out of town, we’ll go. Anywhere you want. If you decide to go, I’ll go too—if you want me there.”
My hands slide down past her hips, gripping tight, I pull her close. “And you’re perfect, love. Fucking perfect. Not another word about your arse. I love you the way you are, and wouldn’t want you to change a thing.”
She slides her hands around to the back of my neck, scraping her fingers through my scalp, pulling me down to meet her lips. “Thank you.”
This time the words are spoken against my lips and become a sweet kiss. Until I feel her teeth nip at my bottom one, driving me insane.
I grip her tighter, spinning so her back is to the bar. I have her caged in, just arching her back over the bar. Every inch in contact from our thighs to our lips, holding her, taking the kiss deeper. The groan that escapes me, and the press of our bodies leaves no doubt that I need Lis.
I need to be alone with her.
Finn needs to fucking get here in a hurry.
“Hate how we left things last night. I wanted to wake up with you this morning.” I press my hips into her as I trail kisses from behind her ear, down to her delicate collarbone. “Want to wake up with you every day, love. But I’ll wait, if that’s what you want. I’ll wait for you as long as it fucking takes for you to be ready.”
The scent of her lotion is intoxicating. The feel of her curves, electrifying. But the sound of her gasps and sighs and moans whispering across my ear is absolutely dangerous. I’m lost in her, absolutely consumed.
“Is this why you wanted me here so fast?”
Finn is leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching us. The shitty smirk on his face says he’s been here longer than I thought.
I grab Lis’ hand and pull her out into the bright sun. We stand there for a beat, my thumb drawn to her wrist. While I’m looking around, deciding where to go, Lisbeth steps in front of me, sliding her hands up my chest, resting her forehead between them.
“Are you done here? Is Finn?—”
“Finn was supposed to be here anyway, I just couldn’t be still this morning, so I opened the bar. I took a couple days off—planned on spending them with you.” My words come out low and gravelly.
She tugs me down the street toward her flat. “Come on. Gracyn is home, but we need to talk. She’s—I talked with her this morning. God—that’s why I came to the pub. I was going to grab us some donuts and then come find you. Your car was there, so—And then Rob and Maryse?—”
She starts and hops through her thoughts too many times for it to make any sense. I pause at the steps leading to her door. Lis turns, up one step to face me. It’s just enough height on her that I have to lift my chin to meet her eyes.
“Why did you come to find me?” She pulls on my hand trying to move me up the steps looking back and forth between my face and the door. I shake my head slowly. “Tell me, Lis. Why were you coming to me?”
“Yes. I wanted to tell you yes.” She shifts closer to me, her cool palms on either side of my neck, her thumbs barely brushing my ears. It takes a minute, but then, with a whoosh of relief the tension that’s been with me since last night, drains out of my shoulders.
I pull her body flush against mine and kiss her deeply. “You mean that? Truly?”
“Yes, I need to help Gracyn find a roommate, but I want to do this—I want to be with you.”
With my hands on her hips, I squeeze, digging my fingers into the sides of her arse. “Go pack a bag, not a lot, just for a day or two. I’m taking you away—stealing you and keeping you with me always.”
I fight with myself to let her go for even a minute. She said yes and God help me, I’m afraid it’s a dream.
“I’ll be back in an hour. You’ll be ready, then?” My mind is whirring through the things I need to do—through the places I can take her. Much as I love the vibe and pulse of New York City, I want something quieter, more intimate. I nip at her bottom lip, the one she bites when she’s thinking hard about something, and I back away.
“Where are we going? What do I need to bring?”
Nothing. You don’t need to bring a fucking thing. “Beach, whatever you need for the beach.” I take two steps back to her and kiss her like I can’t stand the idea of being apart. Because I can’t.
Her laughter follows me as I run back to the pub to grab my car. I add finding a nicer vehicle to my list of things to do. Not for today. I only have an hour, less than that really.
On the way to my flat, I call a client from a couple weeks ago. He’d told me of a quiet little beach town on the Connecticut coast. He offers to have his assistant book us in for the next two nights. The confirmation for the Madison Beach Hotel pings through on my phone as I log in to my Airbnb account to take care of renting the townhouse Lisbeth likes.
I shove clothes in my bag—shorts, swim trunks, a couple t-shirts. My phone pings with an email as I debate bringing my trousers and a nice shirt. Just in case. Christ, we really don’t need to bring a fucking thing. Room service is all we need.
I take the steps to Lis’ flat two at a time, reading my email as I go. Three sharp knocks to the door, and I wait. And wait. Gracyn’s voice filters through the door, “Lis—can you get that?”
As soon as the door opens, I stalk in. Hands weaving through her hair as I push her up against the wall. Her hands come up underneath my arms, gripping tightly. The kiss is hungry, desperate, and full of how much I missed her in the past hour.
“Aidan. Oh my God.” She’s breathing me in, just as much as I am her. When I’m sure I don’t care that her roommate is here, Lis pushes at my chest. I pull back just enough for her to speak. “Let me grab my bag.” I pull her in, kissing her again before I release her.
But I don’t really let her go. Hands firmly on her hips, I follow her to her room. Gracyn steps out of Lis’ room, looking like she’s holding tight to a secret.
I drag my hands from Lis, not wanting to let her go. “I owe you a lifetime of gratitude. I promise to take good care of her and always put her first.”
Gracyn looks me up and down, trying hard to look parental. Hands on her hips, toe doing a little tap-tap-tap on the floor. “I warned you months ago what will happen if you don’t. Just keep that in mind, and treat my girl right.”
With a kiss on her cheek and a wink, her smile peeks through.
“Love, before we go, can I use your printer? I want to sign and send the contract for the flat back.” I flip open her laptop and see a familiar picture saved in the lower right-hand corner.
I print the contract and sign it. While it scans through and into my email, I click on the image. It’s me. My school photo from primary.
“Were you stalking me?” I tap at the screen eyebrow cocked, smirking at Lis over my shoulder. “I’m flattered.”
“I Googled you—God, ages ago. I thought you were adorable and saved it. I might have cropped out one of your school friends, though.” Nose wrinkled and her eye-closing smile takes over her face. “I guess that is kind of stalkerish. Do you mind? Want to email, canceling that contract?”
“Hmmmm—I don’t. I want to take you away. I want to spend every minute with you—loving you.” I grab her hand and her bag, pulling her along behind me.
Lis
Tension hangs heavy in the car. The two-hour drive through Connecticut is an exercise in patience and self-control. One that I’m not prepared for. One that I’m failing miserably at.
“So, you’re not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“I’m not. You’ll have to wait and see,” he quips like he knows what I’m thinking—that I have no patience.
“I really suck at surprises. Maybe you should give me a hint?” I turn in my seat and lean toward him. I absolutely hate the car’s console right now; I feel like it’s separating us by miles.
The scruff on his jaw rasps as he runs his hand up and down. “I don’t know. I planned this trip, packed for it, and secured our flat in less than an hour. I think you should let it be a surprise. Maybe let me take care of things. Maybe let me treat you to a few days away, where you don’t have to worry about a thing.” He struggles to hold a serious look on his face, and his cheeks start rising in a smirk. “Maybe, you should just lean back, enjoy yourself, and thank me for wanting to treat you to something special.”
“Maybe.” It rolls off my tongue as I sit back and watch this man. How am I this lucky?
Before I can reach into the back seat to grab my bag, Aidan’s pulled it out on his side of the car. The strap resting across his chest pulls at his t-shirt highlighting all the peaks and valleys. The lines and the muscles I know by heart.
I didn’t know that men like him existed in real life. Kind and protective, a gentleman—but not spineless or weak. He ushers me into the lobby and checks us in.
The concierge explains the hotel’s amenities as she clicks away at her keyboard. The beach, the restaurant, complimentary cocktail hour.
I hear her talking, trying to pull Aidan into conversation, hanging on his responses. He’s polite, but short, clipped almost, trying to move things along.
“Thank you.” He tucks the plastic room keys between his teeth while shoving his wallet back in his pocket with one hand, pulling me toward the elevator with the other.
When the doors are closed, Aidan hits the button for the fourth floor. And all politeness is suddenly gone. He crowds me into the corner, hands on the walls on either side of me. Caging me in.
“Lisbeth, we’re not goin’ to make that cocktail hour. Ye okay wit’ that?” His eyes are dark, his voice is darker, accent thicker.
He steps back as the doors open at our floor. I smile at a couple with a toddler and baby, loaded down with beach bags and a cooler as we exchange places.
“Probably a good thing they’re headed out. Nap time would definitely be ruined,” he mutters as he pulls me down the hall.
Stunned, a little off kilter, I look from the elevator to Aidan and back again. The woman hands her toddler a shovel from their beach bag and winks at me as the doors slide shut.