Chapter 30 Aiden #2
“What looks good to you, Sweetheart?” I ask Annalise, but I should know better already.
“I’m stuck between rocky road and strawberry. Ooo, or maybe mint chocolate chip.”
Of course, she couldn’t just pick one; that wouldn’t be my Ana.
No, not mine.
“How about you get two of them, and I’ll get the third and the cookies and cream? Then we can share.” I suggest knowing she’ll probably eat most of it when I don’t.
“You’re too good to me.” She sighs and kisses my cheek.
But she isn’t mine, as much as I wish she could be.
I wait for the cones I ordered and pay the young man behind the counter before joining her.
“What have you noticed?” I ask. I couldn’t observe the room behind me without being obvious, so I’m hoping she has picked up on something.
“The girl closest to us is out, she’s been smoking her weed vape, and I don’t think they are letting us do drugs for a mock mission.”
They kicked a student out for smoking cigarettes; there is no chance they are letting someone smoke weed. This is a fake mission in an ice cream shop, not a drug bust with deep undercover assets. “Doubt it.”
“Okay, so that leaves the couple, the guy sitting by himself, and the family of four.” She says as we discreetly profile each of them.
The solo male gets up then and leaves.
“Scratch that, it’s down to the family of four and the couple since the drop point was set in advance.” I point out the obvious.
“Wait, say that again,” she says, excitement filling her quiet voice.
“Say what? That we had a set drop point?”
“That’s it! The family can’t be our contacts because there is no way they could sit here all day with two small kids, but the employee who has a set shift would already know he’s going to be here the full drop-off window without raising suspicion!”
Looking at the man who took my order and money, I notice he’s acting suspiciously. Too many looks in our direction, too fake a smile. That’s our guy.
“He’s the one,” Annalise echoes my thoughts out loud. “But now what? Do we just walk over there?”
“No. We wait. He’ll do something, I’m sure of it. If he’s the contact, he knows how this works.” This is how it always works on these missions. Once the drop contact knows we know it is them, they make the move.
Now there is nothing to do but eat our ice cream and wait. Or in my case, watch Ana eat her ice cream cone and take several small bites of mine.
“How’s your ice cream? Oh, here, let me clean that up for you.” The ice cream scooper says as he approaches our table. That’s my opening.
I reach into my pocket and lift the hard drive up, sliding it under the towel as he does another pass pretending to wipe a spill in front of me. As fast as it appeared, it disappears into his apron pocket.
“Thanks for coming in today. Hopefully you’ll come back next time you’re in town,” he says as he walks back behind the counter.
Annalise leads us out of the ice cream shop and into the early afternoon light. As long as there aren’t any surprises, we should get back to Scion with enough time to get unpacked and showered before our debrief.
I’m about to open her car door, when she pulls me into a kiss.
I want more than anything to take her back to our rental to celebrate our win, but I can’t.
This isn’t real. This was only a mission, and she played her part perfectly.
I fight all my instincts and pull away from her soft lips to open her door.
“We did it. Mission’s over,” I don’t know if I’m telling myself or distracting her, but she smiles back at me, trying to act like that kiss never happened.
“Yeah. We did.”
I’ve tried everything to keep my mind off her and him. But as if her mere presence isn’t already hard enough to ignore, she won’t stop talking, which makes it impossible to get her out of my head. She eventually gives up and lets the music fill the air, but I can still feel her watching me.
How many other guys has she been thinking about, dreaming about, maybe even texting while she’s been lying next to me, kissing me, and giving me those seductive eyes?
Is that guy from the dining hall two weeks ago one of them?
How many guys am I going to have to watch her flirt with once we get back? Or see her walk into the dining hall with, and have to question if he got to hold her all night and wake up to her sexy, sleepy voice.
“I can’t do this anymore!” I let out as I pull off onto a gravel road and throw my car in park. I need out of this car. I need space to think away from her for a few minutes…But no, she jumps out right after me.
“What is going on, Aiden? What am I missing?” Her voice is trembling.
“Who is Matt to you, Annalise? Your boyfriend? A fuck buddy?” I won’t yell at her, but I can hear how frantic I sound.
“What?” She sounds shocked, and I guess that makes sense. “Matt’s my friend.”
“Then why are you breathlessly calling out his name in your sleep?”
She doesn’t answer for a minute. I can see her brain calculating. “He’s like my brother, I swear.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Why are you calling out another guy's name in your sleep? Why, when you’re letting me go down on you, letting me hold you—not for the mission, but when we’re alone—like it means something, like I mean something to you.
” I barely take a breath, too worked up and needing answers before I implode.
“Why are you calling out his name in your sleep when you’re making me fall for you with every fucking breath I take? ”
“You’re—falling for me? I thought you were just acting?”
“You seriously think that? You think I’m that good of an actor?
My missions should be the only things on my mind, but instead, you’re all I can think about.
It feels like I’ve been training for this my whole life, but now I find myself wanting to throw everything I’ve worked for away, so I don’t miss a single moment with you.
“I would have failed this mission happily if you had asked me to stay in bed with you yesterday morning. Not for sex, but because I would give anything to see that smile you give me when you’re surprised and excited to get your way.
It’s so pure, as if every man you’ve ever known hasn’t groveled at your feet for the opportunity to give you everything you want. ”
She tries to cut in, but I don’t let her. All my thoughts and feelings are flowing out of me like a volcano, and I need them out so I can stop burning.
“I don’t give a fuck about what they’ve done for you, Ana, as long as you let me be the only man to put that smile on your face.”
She stares at me; I guess I have my answer, but then she’s jumping into my arms and wrapping her legs around my waist.
“Matt is JUST my childhood best friend, practically my brother. I can tell you more about him later if you want, but I promise there never has been anything between us like that, and there never will be.”
She kisses me, an all-consuming kiss that has me groaning into her mouth and really wishing we were somewhere isolated, not pulled over on the side of a busy highway.
“Wait.” I pull back from her slightly, “What about the guy you wrapped yourself around like this in riding class?”
She rolls her eyes, “You’re an idiot. He’s also just an old friend, and I promise to tell you that story later, too, if you’ll shut up and kiss me already, Aiden.”
“Nope. Nuh-uh. It’s Ace, Honey, or husband to you.”
She scoffs and slaps my chest. “I’m not calling you husband! We’re not even dating.”
I kiss the sensitive spot right above her collarbone, “Yes, we are, Sweetheart. You’re all mine now.” I nip the same spot, making her groan, “And I don’t share.”
Our relationship is about to seriously piss some people off, but I’m done trying to fight what we have. Everyone else will have to get on board, or get fucked, because I’m choosing her for me.
I have her sitting on the trunk of my car, tongues entangled and forgetting where we are until cars passing by start honking.
“Come on, Ace. We gotta get back to Scion, we have a debrief to get to.”