Sometimes, it made him nervous that Xavier and Eve, Jaxon and Holly, Bryce and Emma, and Kallan and Isla were romantic couples. Wasn’t it tried-and-tested advice not to mix business with pleasure?
But then, he also knew that these guys probably wouldn’t stay active if only one partner was an IR. Some very good agents before them had chosen to become inactive after their personal cases had been solved in order to save their relationships.
The couples in front of him were indeed extremely lucky, with each of them having had valid reasons to become IRs. And the whole team was luckier that they’d all accepted the IR life with open arms and heart.
Again, he was jealous.
Well, he could still ask the chiefs for permission to let Felicity join them, right? They could always say no—
Whoa, whoa.
Did he really want to ask for a special dispensation for a woman he wasn’t even dating? How so damned selfish of him to even entertain that thought when he’d always been the one warning the initiates to stick to the rules for everyone’s safety? What was more, who was to say Felicity would ever want to have anything to do with the Indie Rebels? Just because her best friend was one didn’t mean she’d automatically accept the IR life—one full of secrecy and danger.
And there was always the risk that what had happened to Priscilla would happen again…
He let out a heavy breath. No. If he ever wanted to meet someone with whom he could share the rest of his life, that someone would already have to be an Indie Rebel. That would be his best bet for a successful relationship. Unfortunately, he had yet to meet a single, available IR who made his heart race like Felicity did. And, for the life of him, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
It had been over a week since he’d last seen her at the New Again workshop, and she was still constantly in his mind. And what about those erotic dreams he’d been having lately? He’d even started looking forward to going to bed, hoping that he’d have another hot, sweaty dream of Felicity.
“So, are you ready to brief us with a new case?” Xavier asked Aidan.
Aidan snapped himself out of his rumination. “There are no big cases needing multiple agents at this stage. As you know, that won’t last for long, so, for now, enjoy the time off.”
“Some time off, hey?” Kallan said, grinning at Isla. “Great! I’ve been wanting to book Lovers’ Hideaway Cottage to celebrate our engagement.”
Isla made an apologetic face. “Don’t forget that Mum and I are still working on an important legal case. We have a deadline.”
“You can work from there, right? Promise I’ll leave you alone whenever you want me to.”
Isla thought for a second. “Yeah, okay.”
“Great!” Jaxon said. “Can’t wait to see this Lovers’ Hideaway Cottage.”
Kallan frowned. “Hey, it’s for Isla and me only. Book your own dirty weekend somewhere else.”
“But Isla said she’ll be busy,” Bryce quipped. “We’ll help keep you occupied.”
The others cheered.
As the couples continued to tease each other about romantic holidays, Aidan hid a sigh. He’d always enjoyed listening to this kind of banter before, but now, he was simply annoyed. He smiled, though, as he didn’t want them to know what was going on in his head. He wouldn’t be able to explain himself because it was plain crazy. How could he pine for someone he’d hardly spent time with? Ridiculous.
Isla, sitting next to him, whispered, “You okay?”
Aidan looked at her. “I’m fine.”
“You’ve been miles away for most of this debrief.”
“You guys hardly needed my input.”
Isla smiled. “Fel asked about you yesterday.”
His heart instantly banged hard. “She did?”
“Yes. She said you agreed to help move big and heavy items for New Again, and she wanted to know when you might be available as she was interested in buying some pieces. Mind you, there’s no reason why she, Kallan, and I won’t be able to carry them ourselves. But she said they’re really heavy, and since you offered, might as well see if you’re free. Anyway, she said she would have called you direct, but she didn’t know your number.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“Of course not. I said I’d ask you first. By the way, thanks for hanging around to help her with the cabinet locks. Kallan told me what happened.” Isla sent him a knowing smile, her brow arching.
“What’s with that look?” he asked innocently.
“As if you don’t know.”
Aidan chuckled. “I can’t go out with your best friend, Isla.”
“But you want to.”
He exhaled harshly. What was the point of denying it? “Doesn’t make any difference. I’m still not doing anything about it.”
Isla scrunched her nose. “I totally understand why, but I still think it’s such a shame.”
Oh, he agreed. But it didn’t change the situation. Still, he wanted to keep talking about Felicity. “So, what are the big pieces she wants to get?”
“An extra-large couch and a solid-wood bed frame, among other things. You really want to help?”
He shrugged. “Depends on the timing.”
“There’s no need. Kerrod should be able to give us a hand. You don’t need to see Fel again.”
He couldn’t help his frown.
Isla shook her head. “Oh, you have it so bad.”
“No,” he insisted. “I just don’t like to hear I’m not needed.”
Isla scoffed. “Yeah, right. Anyway, what else happened after Kallan left?”
“Didn’t she tell you?”
“No. We didn’t get to talk for too long, so we left any other conversation for tomorrow. I’m meeting her for lunch. All she really wanted to know was your phone number.”
“You should have given it to her. I wouldn’t have minded.”
Isla widened her eyes. “I wouldn’t have given your number to anyone without your permission. Hello, senior IR!”
“Oh, of course.” Honestly, why was he having these mind lapses all of a sudden? He was usually very security conscious, even with people he already knew.
“Like I said,” Isla said with a huge sigh, “such a shame.”
Aidan smiled cheerlessly. He already felt envious that Isla was going to see Felicity tomorrow. “By the way, how close is she to Sophie? Funny how your best friend’s close to a cop.”
“Yeah. Kallan mentioned that Sophie’s joined New Again. I’m glad they have someone like Sophie there for them during the workshops. But I don’t know much about her, except that she’s a competent cop. Clearly, she’s caring as well, joining New Again to look after the girls outside of her official duties.”
Aidan nodded. “What about a woman named Lydia? She came to see Fel that day. I don’t think she’s a member.”
Isla let out a little gasp. “Describe her.”
“Mid-thirties, tall, longish blond hair—”
“No way. She went to see Fel?”
“Yes, she wanted to talk to Fel, but she refused.”
Isla crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat. “She’s Nolan’s sister.”
“And Nolan’s that bastard ex of hers?”
Isla nodded.
“What did she want to talk to Fel about?” he mused.
“I don’t know, but I’ll definitely ask her tomorrow. I can’t believe she hasn’t told me about Lydia turning up there. I bet she didn’t want me to worry.”
Aidan would like to know, too. He was already logging a mental reminder to ask Isla about it next time.
Or better yet…
“Can you give me Fel’s number? I’ll call her to ask when she might need the heavy furniture moved.”
Isla frowned. “Hey, you know I’m only teasing you, right? I actually don’t want you to get Fel’s hopes up. She’s not into anything casual.”
“I just want to fulfill a promise I’d already made to help. Besides, I’d also hate it if I hurt
her in any way. You know that.”
“Well, then…” Isla took out her phone and tapped on the screen. “I trust you to do the right thing by her, Aidan. And you’re lucky that she did want me to give you her number if you asked for it.”
His phone buzzed with Isla’s text, and he saved Felicity’s number. He didn’t know how to respond to Isla’s comment about trusting him around Felicity. Truth be told, he was starting to wonder if he could rely on himself to hide his attraction from her. But after learning that it was Nolan’s sister who’d been bothering her, he’d made up his mind to see Felicity again. If he could risk his life for other people, he could check that Felicity was okay, right?
Why he just couldn’t leave that job to Isla, he didn’t want to know.
Half an hour later, the eight left. Aidan went down to the basement to check on the four women and three men working there. He found nothing of concern and nothing that required his immediate input.
Great. He had some time to call Felicity. He went back upstairs and into his bedroom, where he could have complete privacy.
His heart thudded hard as he called her number. He was looking forward to hearing her voice and could already picture her pretty smile.
He couldn’t remember if he’d ever felt this way before. It scared him a bit, to be perfectly honest.
But it was more than Felicity’s good looks and great personality that captivated him. The air of vulnerability she exuded called to something deep within him, and he couldn’t help but respond to it.
She wasn’t picking up her phone right now, though. Perhaps Felicity was one of those people who ignored calls from numbers she didn’t recognise?
He hung up and sent her a text instead, stating it was him trying to reach her. Less than a minute later, she was ringing back.
“Hi, Fel,” he answered delightedly.
“Hi, Aidan. Sorry I missed your call.”
“No worries. How’ve you been?”
“Not bad, thanks. Busy, but I’m sure you must be, too,” Felicity said with a little giggle.
He smiled. He wasn’t the only one nervous and excited. “Isla said you need an extra pair of hands to move some heavy furniture.”
“Oh, yes. Only if you’re available this Sunday afternoon from around one. No pressure, though. I just thought I’d ask you because…” Felicity sighed. “I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten about your offer.”
“Of course. Happy to help. Let me just check if I’ve got anything on this Sunday.” Aidan opened the secure IR app on his phone. Thank goodness, there were no new messages from anyone stating he’d be needed on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, it remained that way. “I’m free. I can help.”
“Great! Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Do you want to talk to Kallan to organise where you’re gonna meet and all that? I’ll wait for you guys at the workshop so I can prepare the space. We still have some pieces in the room, but we need new stock.”
“Sure. By the way, I take it you didn’t get the headboard.”
“No. But I’m happy with my bookcase. I’m painting a field of flowers on it.”
“Wow. Can’t wait to see where you’re at with it.”
“I’ll show it to you on Sunday.”
“Great. See you, then.”
“Bye.”
Aidan inhaled deeply. He just wanted to help—and to see Felicity.
Just see her.
That was all.
Chapter 6
Felicity rushed inside the café where Isla was waiting for her. She greeted her friend with a kiss. “So sorry I’m late.”
“No worries. I figured you were in a meeting you couldn’t get out of.”
Felicity sat down, grinning guiltily.
Isla lifted a brow.
“I just didn’t realise what time it was,” Felicity admitted.
“That busy, huh?”
“Not really. Which is lucky because I’ve been so out of sorts lately.”
“What’s wrong?” Isla asked with a frown.
“Oh, Isla.” She slumped in her chair. “Aidan is driving me nuts!”
“What? What do you mean? Has he been calling you? I did give him your number yesterday.”
“Yeah, he called me to say he’s happy to help on Sunday.” She shook her head. “I just can’t stop thinking about him!”
Isla’s jaw slackened.
“Help me,” Felicity pleaded. “I can’t make up my mind.”
“About what?”
“About…” She gulped audibly. “About having a fling with him.”
“What?”
Felicity wanted to laugh at her friend’s clear shock, but hid her face in her hands instead. She herself couldn’t believe what she’d just said out loud. But it had been on her mind for a while, and the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t see why it would be a problem.
“You can’t be serious, Fel,” Isla said in a dazed tone.
Felicity looked at her friend. “I’ve been thinking about this for days. And I’ve been asking myself, why would it be so bad for me to have casual sex with a man that I find absolutely attractive to the point of distraction? Why can’t I have that experience?”
“Oh, honey. It’s not that it’s bad if you do it or that you can’t have the experience. It’s just that you’ve never been interested in flings.”
“Sure. But why can’t I change my mind about that? I’m not the old Felicity anymore. I’ve spent the last three and a half years avoiding guys who want to go out with me. I think I’m ready to free myself of that limitation, too. Why shouldn’t I go for something exciting and different?”
Isla stared at her for a long moment. “I don’t know what to say, to be honest.”
Felicity’s spirits deflated. She’d hoped that Isla would be thrilled about her declaration. Her bestie had been her biggest cheerleader in her journey to increased self-worth, where she’d learnt to give herself permission to express her needs and wants and take steps to get them. But Isla looked really worried.
“Is it really such a bad idea? Do you think I won’t be able to handle it?”
Isla reached for her hand. “I know you can handle anything. But just because I believe that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about you getting hurt.”
She smiled, touched. “Thanks, hon. I know what you’re saying. But I honestly just have to do something. Specifically, I want to get Aidan out of my system so I can concentrate on my work and other things again. I’m sick of just thinking about him and not doing anything to…alleviate my itch.”
Isla let out a surprised laugh. “Wow, listen to you! Can we order lunch before we continue to talk about this? Maybe food will help me think straight again.”
Felicity chuckled. “My Aidan-induced mindlessness is rubbing off on you.”
“Probably,” Isla said with an eye roll, picking up the menu.
They ordered a burger each and a salad to share.
“So,” Isla said when the server left them, “Aidan told me yesterday that a woman named Lydia turned up at the council when he was there and that you didn’t look too happy about it. Was it Nolan’s sister?”
“Yes, none other,” Felicity said flatly.
“What did she want?”
Felicity snickered. “I didn’t want to talk to her at all, so I made it clear I didn’t want to chat. She texted me a week before that day, asking to meet, as she has questions about their father’s assets when Nolan was still managing them. I told her then I had nothing to do with that so no point seeing me.”
“You want me to talk to her? I’m sure she’ll remember who I am.”
“The lawyer who helped put her brother in jail,” Felicity said with a laugh. “I’ll let you know if she insists on talking to me again. Hopefully, Sophie scared her off. She was there when Lydia turned up. Did Kallan tell you about Sophie joining New Again?”
“Yes. We assume she wants to watch over you girls?”
“Uh-huh. We’re so thankful tha
t she’s willing to spend her free time at our workshops, especially Tessa and a couple of others who are still being bugged by their exes.”
Isla nodded approvingly. “I’m glad she’s doing that. She’s very generous of her time. So, what else happened when Aidan was at the workshop? I take it he managed to pick the locks?”
“No. He tried hard, but he couldn’t do it. In the end, Sophie had to step in.”
Isla cackled, seemingly enjoying that particular tidbit. “And did he leave straight after?”
“No. He helped me clean a clogged hot glue gun.”
“Really? How helpful of him.”
“Yeah,” she said with a breathy sigh.
“I bet he also wants to unclog himself in you.”
Felicity gasped out a laugh. “That’s so terrible, Isla!”
“I know,” Isla said, shoulders shaking from laughter. “Bad joke.”
“You really think he’d want to sleep with me?”
Isla sobered. “I think it’s pretty obvious that he has the hots for you, too.”
Felicity’s lips stretched into a wide smile. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s just wishful thinking on my part.”
“No, but that doesn’t change the fact that he wouldn’t want anything long-term,” Isla said gently. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue thinking about him.”
“But I’m not thinking long-term at all.”
“O-kay,” Isla said slowly.
“Just a one-night stand.”
Isla stared at her.
“Although, the way I’m feeling, one night might not be enough. So, not a one-night stand but multiple hook-ups.”
Isla shook her head in awe.
“Hey, didn’t you feel this…lusty towards Kallan in the beginning?”
“Oh my God, yes!” Isla said theatrically. “And I still do. But I’m just surprised about this new side of you.”
“Me, too. But having said all that, a big part of me is still scared. What if I fall in love with him? Or what if he falls in love with me, and I’m not ready for a serious relationship?”
“Yes, those are very real possibilities. Have you thought of what you would do if either of those happens—if you went ahead with hook-ups, that is?”
Aidan: The Rescue (Indie Rebels Book 5) Page 5