by Jill Sanders
“He’s failed. Of course. Still, I fear that one day he’ll find the right buttons to push to close this place for good and take my Wildflowers, my sisters, away from me.”
He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. “Is that why you won’t allow us, what we have, to move beyond sex?”
She shook her head. “No. Part of it, maybe, but… no.” She nudged him back. The champagne buzz had worn off slightly, and she was back to having a level head. “This”—she motioned between them—“can’t happen because of so much more. If you knew everything, really, you’d understand.”
“Then tell me everything.” He reached for her hands, but she pulled them away.
“No.” She shook her head and locked her heart away again. “Sex is all I have to give,” she said softly. “Nothing more.” She turned away from him and walked over to pick up her shoes. “The band has started playing again,” she said into the darkness. “We’d better head back before we’re missed.”
“Aub,” he said when they reached the pathway and she’d bent over to slip on her heels again. “You may not want to hear it, but I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’m here, waiting, until you’re ready to open up to me all the way. You can’t scare me off.” He turned her until they were eye to eye. “Harold Smith can’t scare me away.” When he bent down and placed his lips over hers, she felt a shiver race through her. How many times had he kissed her before? So many she couldn’t keep count. This kiss, however, was different. It was new. Somehow, the soft kiss seared her soul, made her heart ache for something she knew was impossible.
When her eyes stung again, she turned away from him and started walking towards the music again.
He easily caught up with her and took her hand in his. “See,” he said cheerfully, “this is nice too.”
She tried to avoid him for the rest of the night, but Aiden was stubborn and kept finding her and dragging her to the dance floor to sway with him. Since she’d been given more champagne, she went along with it and couldn’t stop herself from melting or vibrating in his arms.
He even walked her back to the apartment like a real date would have. She kept telling herself not to let him in, since she knew how it went. The moment she let down her guard, her protection surrounding her emotions, he would win her over again and she’d find herself falling head over heels for the man, something she’d told herself she would never do for anyone.
Which is why she’d pulled back from him months ago. When he’d mentioned the word love, fear had consumed her, and she’d run as if the devil himself was on her heels.
Just remembering that had her blocking him from entering her apartment.
They had sent off Dylan and Zoey in the white limo less than half an hour ago. Dylan had surprised Zoey with a trip to Bora Bora for their honeymoon. An entire week in a private cabana on the water sounded so romantic that Aubrey almost wished she could find happiness herself.
“You aren’t going to at least let your date kiss you goodnight?” he asked with a smile. Damn him. Why did he have to have a sexy Rhett Butler kind of smile? All those pearly white teeth, that firm jaw line, that mouth that she knew all too well what he could do with.
“No,” she said suddenly as she shook her head, blocking those thoughts. Everything spun with the slight motion, and she held onto the door. Damn all that champagne. “Thank you,” she managed to say with a smile. She was so relaxed now that she hoped she would be able to make it to her bedroom and change out of the dress and heels before falling on her bed.
“Aubrey.” Aiden’s deep voice stopped her. “It’s just a kiss,” he said with another smile that had her knees going weak.
“Fine.” She waved her hands. She expected a quick peck on the lips, but his hand slid slowly around her waist. Then he pulled her closer until their bodies bumped together. Her breath hitched at the feeling of his hard body as more memories of what it felt like to explore, to enjoy, that same body had hers reacting.
When his lips finally brushed across hers, she was thankful he was almost holding her upright. Somehow, her fingers had tangled in his hair as she kept him captive.
“More?” he asked against her lips.
“Hm,” was her only response as she ran her tongue over his lips.
“My god.” The exclamation caused them to jump apart.
She’d removed her heels hours ago and had, before the kiss, been holding them. Now they were at her feet and she tripped over them as she tried to move away from Aiden. Thankfully, Aiden’s hands remained on her hips, keeping her upright.
“I can explain,” Aubrey said to Elle, who was standing at the base of the stairs, smiling up at them.
“Something tells me that’s not the first time the two of you have done that,” Elle said as she started up the stairs towards them.
“I can explain,” Aubrey said again, causing Aiden to chuckle.
Elle stopped in front of them. “Hey, cousin.” Aubrey watched her friend wiggle her perfectly manicured eyebrows at Aiden.
“Hey.” Aiden chuckled.
“So?” Elle asked him. “Am I right?”
“Don’t,” Aubrey warned, but it was too late.
“It’s not,” Aiden replied.
“So, how long has this been going on?” Again, Elle asked her cousin instead of Aubrey.
“Elle,” Aubrey started, but her friend’s narrow gaze flew to her and Aubrey shut her mouth.
Aiden glanced over at her before shrugging. “A while.”
Elle turned to Aubrey. “Confession time?”
Aubrey wanted nothing more than to slink away and pass out, but she knew her friend all too well. There would be no rest until she had the full story.
“What are you doing here anyway?” Aubrey asked, changing the subject.
Elle laughed. “It won’t work. I forgot my bag of things when I changed up here earlier. Now…” She motioned to the pair of them. “How long?”
“Three years,” Aubrey mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Elle gasped. “Did you just say…”
Aubrey grabbed her friend’s arm and rushed her into the apartment. Aiden followed them inside.
Elle had changed out of her bridesmaid dress and was wearing cotton pants and a flowing tank top. How had she changed so fast? Had Aubrey and Aiden been some of the last to leave the party?
“Three years?” Elle repeated.
“Close to it.” Aiden shrugged, then pointed towards Aubrey. “Her idea, not mine.”
“Thanks for that,” Aubrey hissed.
“What?” Aiden chuckled. “It’s true.”
“Why?” Elle moved over and sat on the sofa. “Why did you hide it from us? We’re your family.”
“Not that I don’t love you four, but let’s face facts. If you’d known about”—she waved between her and Aiden, unable to put a title to what they had other than sex-friends—“you would have assumed there was more than there is.”
“Three years,” Elle repeated slowly. “There has to be something more after three years…”
“No,” Aubrey answered quickly, then glared at Aiden, challenging him to defy her.
Thankfully, he remained quiet. Still, the look in his eyes told her it was killing him to not say anything.
“Three years,” Elle repeated as she shook her head. “I’m not buying it.”
“See.” Aubrey threw her hands in the air as she started pacing the floor, now fully sober and wide awake. “This is what I was afraid of.” She sighed and turned back to Elle. “Honest, we’re just…” She cringed inwardly, but held her ground. “Sex-friends. A means to mutual release.”
Elle glanced over at Aiden and frowned back at her when he didn’t even so much as blink in response.
“Fine.” Elle sighed. “I’ll leave whatever this is between the two of you.” She stood up and then walked over to grab up her bag. Throwing it over her shoulder, she walked over and hugged Aubrey. Instantly, Aubrey relaxed.
“It’s your secret. I’ll keep i
t if you want,” she said softly into her ear. “You’ll always be my sister, but…” She pulled back and noticed Elle’s slight frown. “Please don’t break my cousin.”
“I won’t. It’s just sex,” she added quickly. “I think after tonight, the others already know.”
Elle sighed again then left the apartment.
“So,” Aiden said from behind her, “if this is just sex, why haven’t we had any for more than six months?”
Chapter 8
Aiden could no longer hide the hurt. Now that they were alone again, he watched Aubrey closely. He’d hidden his pain and feelings from his cousin since he didn’t want her pity. Nor did he want the entire story to get back to the rest of her friends or the camp.
“That’s because you were trying to turn it into something else,” Aubrey said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Was I?” he asked softly, suddenly feeling too tired to debate the facts.
“You know you were.” She started pacing again.
“I remember just saying I loved the feeling of being inside you.” He moved closer. “Which I do. Along with loving the way your body fits against mine, the taste of your lips, the smell of your sex when you come for me.” He moved even closer to her. She’d made him so hard earlier that he’d spent the entire evening readjusting his suit pants.
“Aiden.” Her voice was just shy of a moan.
“I think it’s the word love”—she winced when he said it— “that you have an aversion to.” He reached out and brushed a finger down her arm and watched her eyes go foggy again. “Don’t you love the feeling of me touching you?” he asked as his fingers continued to slide over her soft skin.
“Hm,” she said then shook her head quickly and tried to pull away.
“I can stop if you want,” he said, trying a new tactic as he pulled his hand all the way away from her. When she swayed slightly towards him, he smiled and lifted his hand once more. This time, he brushed it over her dress, across her nipples, and watched as they puckered through the thin material for him. “Parts of you love my touch,” he said with a smile. “I bet there are lots of ways your body loves to respond to mine.”
She sighed and swayed again as his hand moved lower until he brushed a hand over her thigh. When she slid her legs apart slightly so that he could cup her through her dress, he chuckled. “Don’t you love being touched?” He continued to use the word that she hated so much, hoping, knowing, she would someday get used to it. “What if I did this.” He slid up the material until his palm ran over her bare skin. She arched and grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady herself. “Don’t you love the feeling of skin on skin?” He traced her neck with his mouth. “Love me kissing you?” His hands moved up to cup her outside of her underwear. “Love being touched?” He shifted slightly so he could pull the slight material away from her. “I bet you’re going to love me sliding my fingers into you.” He nudged the material further away from the goal. But instead of touching her, instead of doing what he’d just told her he would, he pulled back completely, leaving Aubrey standing in the middle of the room swaying as she looked at him with confusion.
“When you decide that we can use whatever word we want to describe what’s between us, you know where to find me.” He desperately wanted to kiss her, to sweep her up into his arms and haul her to her bed and do what he’d been dreaming of to her for the past six months, but he knew he had to make this stand if they were going to go anywhere beyond just sex-friends.
Walking out of her apartment was the hardest thing he’d had to do in his entire life. He knew it was the right thing. If he was going to prove to her that there was more between them, then he had to remove sex from the focus. He needed to prove to her that she wanted him in all the other ways. Which meant sex was going to have to be off the table altogether.
He believed that was the only course he could take to convince Aubrey to take a chance with him on a more personal level.
He’d expected her to suffer, but the following week, he was the one who had grown more frustrated. Aubrey had kept busy with her friends, filling in for Zoey while she was off for her honeymoon.
He had only bumped into her a handful of times, but each time, he’d grown more sexually frustrated. He’d teased her, flirted with her, and didn’t give a shit who had watched or known about it.
He could tell she was pissed about it, but then again, he was pretty sure the rest of the Wildflowers knew already. Especially since, the morning after the wedding, Scarlett had saved him a spot next to Aubrey at breakfast and lunch.
Even Liam had mentioned his excitement about him and Aubrey. His assumptions were confirmed almost a full week after the wedding when Owen stopped him at the jobsite over at Hammock Cove. The crew was just finishing up pouring the pool deck when Owen drove up in his new truck.
“Hey, I was just about to call you,” Aiden told Owen.
“Saved you a call then.” Owen shut the door of his truck. “I was coming out here to see how things are going. Looks like they’ll be done early?”
Aiden sighed. “If we can get the rest of the permits on time, we should be on time. Yeah.”
“So.” Owen glanced around, looking slightly uncomfortable. “Hannah and I were talking wedding and, well, she mentioned something about you and Aubrey being an item. Honest, she didn’t hear it from me. Anyway, Hannah wanted to know if you two would be a joint invitation.”
He chuckled. “If I can swing it, yes.”
Owen’s eyebrows shot up. “Problems? I thought you two had just gotten started.” He moved aside for a group of contractors.
Aiden leaned against his own truck and crossed his arms over his chest. “Going on three years.”
“What?” Owen glanced over at him. “Seriously?”
“It started shortly after we began rebuilding the camp. Aubrey only wanted it to be… physical.”
“Now?” Owen asked.
“I’ve never met a woman more afraid of the L word in my life.” He sighed.
“Isn’t that usually the man’s problem?” Owen joked.
“Oh? You have that problem?” he asked him.
Owen laughed. “For a while, yeah. But then I realized how stupid I was being and… well, you know the rest.”
“As far as I can tell, the two of you are stupid happy together,” he added with a chuckle.
“We are.” Owen’s smile grew. “Wedding fever has struck, especially after last week.” He motioned to the clubhouse, which was almost finished. “Now we’re thinking of adding our own new place to the grounds.”
“The nice thing about Hammock Cove is its location,” Aiden added with a shrug. “I’ve been debating snagging a lot for myself. Building a home of my own as well.”
Owen slapped him on the shoulder. “Say the word and any lot is yours.” He leaned closer to him. “I have an in with the developer.”
That evening, he ran into Aubrey and knew that the rest of her friends were starting to be an issue with her. When he tried to wrap his arms around her, she pushed him away.
“Do you have to keep doing that?” she asked him. “Now everyone knows about us. And we aren’t even an item anymore.”
“Aren’t we?” he said, pulling her even closer. He smiled when she relaxed into his arms. “Normal couples date before… moving on. Just because we’re moving backward doesn’t mean this isn’t still us together.”
“We are not moving backward.” She tensed again. “Away. We’re moving away.”
He chuckled and nodded to her hand on his arm. The fact that she was holding him close and not pushing him away made his point.
She dropped her hand instantly. “I’m beginning to let my guard down around you.” She groaned and stepped back. He let her go, since they were once again heading in the same direction.
The fact that he still had a tool belt strapped to his hips and worn work boots on while she was draped in silk and wore heels was just another barrier he knew had to be broken.
H
e’d come a long way in the past three years, from starting his own business with just three crew under him to working with more than two dozen crewmen on two major projects. He’d been excited knowing that he could financially afford a place in Hammock Cove. It made it more possible to have a future with Aubrey, if she’d have him.
“Our little secret is out in the open now.” He changed tactics.
“It was bound to get out sooner or later.” She sighed. “I should’ve prepared for this. I guess you could say I’ve always hated being a planner.” She shrugged.
He’d known that she was a fly-by-the-seat person from the moment he’d met her. She could easily be convinced to drop everything at the drop of a hat. That was one of the things he liked so much about her.
Even though she looked and acted high society, she could easily have an impromptu swim at the beach or a hike through the woods before stepping into a ballroom dressed in expensive silk and hobnobbing with the rich and famous.
“Does it bother you?” he asked her. “That your friends know?”
She shifted slightly as if thinking and then shook her head. “I guess I’ve gotten over it. I mean, for the past three years or so I’ve been living in fear. I guess you can say it’s like a weight that’s been lifted.”
He nodded. “Okay, so we’re out in the open. What next?”
“Does there have to be anything?” she asked. “I mean, we’ve agreed that—”
“We never agreed. You broke things off. I had no choice in the matter.” Now he was pacing. He was still hot and sticky from crawling under one of the older cabins where the plumbing had busted. He needed a shower and his bed. Instead, he was looking at least another hour thanks to the sink in the guest bathroom of the main building.
The buildings around the campground were old. Very old. He’d done what he could to get them up and running three years ago, but now a lot of the old pipes needed work. He hated to bring the troubles to Elle and her gang since they were busy planning weddings.
“No, I supposed you never agreed.” She sighed and glanced off towards the dining hall when music started playing in the distance. “I have…” She motioned towards the building.