by Jill Sanders
“Yeah, me too.” He nodded and felt defeated once more. What would it take to get through to her? “How about we meet up later to finish this?”
She instantly started to shake her head, but then stopped. “The beach? Eleven o’clock.” She moved back towards the building.
He thought about how tired he was but then realized he didn’t care about sleep and nodded quickly. “See you there.”
While he worked on the sink, he heard the roaring party going on next door. When he was done replacing the faulty faucet, he poked his head in the door and watched for a few minutes as Aubrey and her friends moved around the guests as if they were born for their jobs.
Did she know that even though she was trying to avoid the L word, it filled every part of her day?
She loved her friends, the camp, and her job, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she owned up to the fact that she loved him.
Why else would she have kept him around all this time? He’d known for a while now that he’d fallen hard for her. It was obvious months after they’d started their strange relationship.
Of course, he’d tried to deny it since he’d been burned before. But shortly after the camp had opened its doors, he’d owned up to his feelings. At least to himself, since he knew how Aubrey would react. Which is why he’d made a point to keep the L word out of his life as much as possible.
He headed back to his place, showered, and changed into some fresh clothes. He cooked himself dinner for once and watched a few minutes of the game before falling fast asleep on the sofa.
His phone ringing woke him hours later. He was so groggy he didn’t know where he was for a moment.
“Yeah?” he answered, then cursed himself as realization dawned on him. It was a quarter past eleven. Jumping up, he tripped over his shoes and cursed.
“Forget something?” Aubrey’s sexy chuckle stopped him.
“I fell asleep.” He sighed. “I guess it was a longer day than I thought.”
“No problem. Why don’t you open the door and let me in. We can have that talk inside.”
He rushed to the door and yanked it open. Aubrey stood outside, holding an umbrella. “It wouldn’t have worked anyway. The rain started about half an hour ago.” She shook the umbrella off and laughed as she stepped inside.
She’d changed clothes as well. Now she wore jeans and a blue T-shirt. Her long red hair was twisted in an intricate braid and was still wet from either the rain or a shower.
She looked just as lovely as she had in silk and lace.
“You got a new sofa,” she said, moving into the living area.
“Yeah, finally.” He switched off the television, tossing the remote down and turning back towards her. “Hungry?”
She shook her head and watched him. “I’m not afraid, you know.”
“Oh?” he asked, rubbing his hands over his face. “Drink?” He moved into the kitchen and grabbed a beer.
“Sure, I’ll have one of those.” She motioned to him and sat on his new sofa. He handed her the beer and sat beside her to take a sip of his own.
“You aren’t?” he asked her, picking up the conversation. It was something they did, something he’d missed about her being around all the time.
“No.” She sighed after taking a sip of the beer. “It’s not fear that keeps me backing away.”
“If it’s not fear…” He left the question hang in the air.
“I’m not afraid. I’m avoiding it on purpose,” she admitted.
“Okay. Because of your past?” he asked. “Your father?”
“Yes, it’s not for me.” She leaned back.
“What isn’t?”
She glanced sideways at him. “Love.”
He surprised her by laughing.
Chapter 9
She felt her frustration levels spike hearing his laughter.
“What?” she asked, but he was still laughing at her. Setting down the beer, she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned and waited for his laughter to die down.
“That has to be the funniest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He smiled over at her.
“You think it’s funny?”
“Yes,” he answered with a grin. “Love is for everyone.”
He’d started using the word in almost every sentence, which of course was annoying the hell out of her even further.
“No, it isn’t,” she said between gritted teeth.
“Yes.” He reached up and touched her arm softly. “It is. There isn’t a magical pattern to stop a person from obtaining it. You love your friends, right?”
“Of course,” she almost gasped.
“Then, love is for you.” He motioned with his beer before taking another sip.
“That’s different.” She stood up and started walking around his small living space. She’d been in the two-bedroom trailer in the past three years almost as much as she’d been in her own room in the apartment. “Friendship is not romantic.”
“So, it is actually romance that you’re afraid of then?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“No. Yes.” She threw her hands up. “The forever-after kind of stuff is not for me.” She waved towards him. “I’ve never wanted it. I’ve never searched for it. I don’t deserve it.”
He frowned and set his beer bottle down slowly before standing up and walking over to take her shoulders in his hands. “What makes you say that?”
“It can only bring problems.” She kept her eyes focused on the middle of his chest. Just being this close to him did things to her. Still. Even after being with him for the past three years, he still had the ability to turn her knees to jelly. One more reason for her to push him away.
She couldn’t chance letting any man have that much control over her.
“Because you fear your father?” he asked softly.
Closing her eyes, she nodded. He lifted her chin up until she opened her eyes and met his. They were filled with worry and kindness. In all of her years, she had never met another man like
Aiden. He’d given her everything she’d wanted and had met each of her demands, both physical and emotional. But then he’d started pushing her further, needing something she knew that she wouldn’t give him. Couldn’t give him.
“I told you, I’m not afraid of him.” He smiled down at her.
“You should be,” she said with a sigh. “I’d better…” She glanced towards the door. “I have an early morning class.”
He dropped his hands, and she missed his touch instantly. God, she was a fool.
“I’ll drive you back. It’s still raining,” he said quickly when she opened her mouth to argue with him.
“Fine,” she said after thinking about walking back to the main building in the rain and the darkness.
She rode in his truck in silence, watching the rain hit the windshield.
“When are your next days off?” he asked her as he turned into the main parking lot.
She thought about it. “We’re all working double until Zoey and Dylan come back. Normally I’d have tomorrow off, but now…”
“Are you working dinners?”
“Yes, until Thursday night. I have that one off.”
“Dinner then?” he asked her as he put the truck into park. “As in a date,” he clarified.
“No—”
He stopped her by putting his hand on her arm again. “You wanted to know what was next. For me, it’s going out on a real date with you. I think I’m owed it,” he said softly.
She sighed and tried to find any excuse, any reason to deny him. Then it hit her. In the three years they’d been together, he hadn’t denied her once. Not when she’d wanted to keep their relationship a secret from her friends. Not when she’d come to him after breaking things off and needed one more romp.
“Okay,” she finally answered him. “Thursday.” She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her by pulling her closer.
“Good, now that that is settled.” His eyes moved to her lips, and
she had a temporary lapse in her strength to deny him as his mouth covered hers in a soft kiss.
She melted against him. God, she’d missed this. Missed being in his arms. Missed feeling his mouth move over hers. When she felt her entire body shake with want, she placed her hand on his chest and nudged him back. He leaned back easily and dropped his hold of her.
Yet another thing he willingly gave her.
“I’ll see you on Thursday.” She jumped out of the truck before she had second thoughts. She’d forgotten her umbrella at his place, which left her rushing through the drizzle towards the building.
Rushing into the front lobby, she hugged herself as she walked up the stairs and let herself into her apartment. The place was empty and dark, making her miss the times when it had been filled with the five best friends. Sure, it had been crowded, noisy, and there had been no privacy, but it had felt like home. Now, it just felt… lonely.
She peeled off her wet jacket and hung it by the door. Then she toed off her hiking boots and placed them in the shoe rack Liam had built.
Making her way back to her room, she decided that a hot bath would help ward off the chill and loneliness. She was soaking in the tub, totally relaxed, when her phone buzzed, shaking her from her thoughts. Seeing her father’s number on the screen, she thought about ignoring his call, but then sighed and answered. After all, it was past midnight. Maybe something was wrong?
“Hello?” She shifted in the water so she wouldn’t drop the phone.
“I’m throwing a party on the tenth and require your attendance,” her father said.
Her father had never been one for pleasantries. Or for kind words.
“I’m sorry.” She held in a sigh. “I won’t be going back to New York then.”
She’d made herself clear several times now, each time he’d called to request her presence or demand she stop the foolishness of not giving him what he demanded.
“It’s not negotiable. This party means a lot—”
“Harold, why can’t you understand it? It wasn’t just your obligation that ended on my eighteenth birthday,” she interrupted. “I won’t be coming back. There is nothing left in the city for me. I have my life here. My business, which needs me. I can’t simply take off every time you demand it.”
“This is your final answer?” he asked her.
“It is.” She relaxed slightly. It had taken her years to learn how to deal with the man. Pushing him away and keeping him always at least an arm’s length away was the only way to handle him.
“Fine.” When he hung up, she tossed her phone down and dunked her head under the water and screamed in frustration.
She tried to forget her father’s call over the next few days. Staying busy was easy since she had more classes to fill her time. Each day started well before sunup and ended close to midnight. She ached in places she’d never ached before.
She was actually looking forward to having an evening off. The fact that she’d be spending it with Aiden was the only issue she could foresee.
So much of her life had been kept from her friends. It wasn’t as if in the past few months, she’d tried to hide anything further from them. It was more like they’d each been so busy with their own private lives during their off hours.
The camp was doing better than the five friends had ever expected. They were booked solid for the next six or so months. With each new cabin finished, more guests signed up until they had to push reservations back. If they had a dozen more cabins, they could fill them.
River Camps was now more successful than any of them could have ever imagined. They had opened up the dining hall for dinners two nights a week so that even the locals could enjoy Isaac’s meals. They usually packed out on those evenings and were thinking about starting to take reservations.
Which had her wondering where Aiden was going to take her on their date. It wasn’t as if there were a lot of choices in town, but Destin was only fifteen minutes away and had many restaurant choices.
How long had it been since she’d been out on a date? She’d tried dating a few times in school, but each time Harold had interfered, and she’d been left to pick up the pieces of her young heart. How could she explain to Aiden any of that? He wouldn’t be able to understand her pain or her fears.
Since she’d met him, he hadn’t feared anything really. She knew that his business could be fragile, just as hers was. All it took was the wrong sort of people speaking out and the phones would stop ringing and the money would stop coming in. Could he survive that? Would he want to?
She didn’t want to give him a chance to decide. She couldn’t afford to.
“What are the chances of you helping out tonight?” Elle asked her during lunch. “I know it’s your night off…”
“Can’t,” she said between bites. Looking around the room of friends, she swallowed and figured there was no use hiding it any longer since it was common knowledge that they’d been together. Even if the relationship didn’t go any further, she at least wanted a chance to explore it. For his sake. Who knew, maybe once they started dating, they’d figure out they didn’t have anything really in common. “I’ve got a date.”
Everyone sitting around the table stopped and stared at her. “A date?” Elle asked.
“Aiden?” Scarlett asked.
“Of course.” Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Who else would it be with?”
“I can’t believe you kept that from us all this time,” Hannah said.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell everyone you were a virgin before Owen,” Aubrey countered.
Hannah sighed. “Fine, I guess we’re all entitled to our own little secrets.”
Aubrey smiled. “I promise, this is one of the last I’ve been keeping from you.”
“One of the last?” Elle asked. “Meaning there are others.”
Aubrey laughed. “That’s for me to know.” She finished her sandwich and stood up. “But not now. Now I have to show a bunch of people how to kick butt.” She tossed her trash into the can and left her friends.
Being a black belt in both tai chi and judo had its perks. The movements were like second nature to her now. She didn’t even have to think as she moved around the mats. Today there were only four others in her class, which meant she got plenty of time to show them the basics firsthand. She helped them get into each position correctly and even showed them a few fun theatrical flips and tosses for show. Actually, she’d gotten the hint that most of the people who signed up for her classes did so just to see what she could do. Word of mouth had passed around the camp about her skills. She’d even created a few online videos for fun one night and had more than a hundred thousand views. Thankfully, she’d remembered to mention the campgrounds in it. She’d like to think that she had done her part to bring more customers to River Camps.
After her last class of the day, she decided she had time for a quick swim before heading back to shower and dress for her date. Stripping off her sweaty clothes, she showered off quickly at the outdoor shower area before jumping into the cool water. On her fourth lap, she noticed Aiden standing along the edge of the pool.
Damn, he looked so sexy in his work clothes, which entailed worn jeans, work boots, and a T-shirt that stretched over his muscles.
When she stopped at the edge of the water and looked up at him, he knelt closer and smiled down at her.
“Cooling off?” he asked her, his eyes running over her and causing her to heat again.
“Working here does have its perks.” She laughed and moved over to sit on the long underwater bench less than a foot away.
“I was on my way to talk to Elle about the new cabins.” He glanced up towards the main building.
“I’m sure she’s in her office.” She relaxed back.
“Now all I want to do is join you in there.” He sighed.
She glanced up at him again and noticed that he was sweaty and covered in a layer of sawdust.
“Why don’t you? You can meet with Elle later.” Sh
e motioned towards the water.
He glanced back down at her and shook his head. “Work first, play later,” he said with almost a groan.
“Okay, go meet Elle, then come back. We have time.” She glanced at the clock that hung over the bar area.
“That I could do.” He nodded. “Half an hour. Tops,” he promised and stood up. She watched him disappear.
“You’re one lucky woman,” an older guest said from a few feet away from her in the water.
Aubrey glanced to where Aiden had just disappeared. “Yes, I sure am.” She thought about their relationship for the next half hour while she waited for him. She watched guests come and go and ordered a cocktail for herself to enjoy by the pool.
She had just jumped in the water again when Aiden rushed back, tossed his backpack down by her things, and jumped in beside her.
“Awwww,” he sighed just before he sank below the water. “God, I needed just a few minutes of downtime,” he said after surfacing and pulling her close. She tensed slightly and glanced around. It was a hard habit to break, being concerned about who saw them together. Instantly, she convinced her body to relax into his arms. After all, everyone who mattered already knew about them. “I’ve got one more meeting before I can head home, shower, then come back and get you tonight.”
“I could—”
“No.” He shook his head. “Don’t reschedule on me,” he warned.
She shook her head. “No, I was going to suggest that I meet you at your place to save time.”
“No.” He smiled at her. “I’ll pick you up. Let’s do things the proper way. I’ll pick you up, drive, pay for the meal”—he leaned closer and lowered his voice— “and kiss you goodnight on your doorstep.”
She chuckled but held onto him as he kicked them towards the deeper end of the pool.
“Ten minutes,” he warned before kissing her.
Almost exactly ten minutes later, his phone rang, causing him to jump from the water and answer it. His eyes moved over her while he talked on the phone as she walked out of the pool and sat in a lounge chair.