“An RV, and don’t be so judgmental.”
“Fine, but he better not call me Didi.”
Aiden stood as Abby and Deirdra neared the group. Deirdra sat between Jock and Grant, and Aiden drew Abby into his arms, standing a few feet away from the others. “Everything okay with her?”
“She’s being her overly cautious self about Jagger.”
“I guess that makes two of us. I sent a text to my partner, Ben. He’s friends with Jared Stone. Jagger checks out on all fronts. Jared knows his family, says they’re good people. He’s a hard worker, though as Jagger mentioned, he’s never taken Jared up on a long-term offer. The longest stint he’s held was three months at a shot.”
“Aiden, that was really nice of you, but I could have checked his references.”
“I know, but I’m leaving tomorrow, and I wanted to be sure you were safe. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“I know you didn’t.” She went up on her toes and kissed him. “Sending a text to keep me safe is a lot different from buying me a ten-thousand-dollar Viking range and double oven combo.”
It had cost fourteen grand, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Come on, you two,” Leni said. “We’re going to play Never Have I Ever.”
“Back to my college days,” Aiden said, and they went to join the others.
Although Aiden was having a great time with everyone, as the night wore on, he wanted to be alone with Abby. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and said, “Dance with me?”
She glanced at the others, looking a little embarrassed, but she said, “I’d love to.”
He helped her up and gathered her into his arms, swaying to the song Jagger was playing.
“Look at Mr. Romance over there,” Leni said with an approving smile.
“I want to dance. Come on, hubby-to-be.” Jules popped to her feet, dragging Grant up with her. “Jock, get up and dance with your wife.”
“I’ll never turn down that suggestion.” Jock stood and helped Daphne up.
Brant held out his hand to Cait. “What do you say?”
She bit her lower lip and looked at Leni.
Brant offered a hand to Leni, too. “Come on. Let’s be the talk of the island. Just me and two beautiful ladies.”
Leni stood up, and Cait said, “You two dance. I’m good.”
“Come on, Cait,” Brant urged.
She stroked Dolly’s head and said, “No, thank you. Have fun.”
Brant looked at Deirdra. “Dee?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Deirdra answered, her skeptical gaze still locked on Jagger.
Brant and Leni danced a few feet away, and Aiden noticed Abby watching Deirdra and Cait as Cait and Jagger struck up a conversation. He loved the way her brow furrowed when she worried about her sisters and her friends. Hell, he loved everything about her. Her all-consuming kisses and loving touch, her laughter and smile, and the way she held his feet to the fire when he gave too much.
“Are you worried about one of them?” he asked. “Or all of them?”
“Neither. Cait looks content. We know she doesn’t dance, and Deirdra is more comfortable in her office than on a beach. She’s probably thinking of all the work she’s going to do when we get home tonight and how much she hates having sand in her shoes.”
“You’re probably right about that.” He gazed into Abby’s eyes and said, “Are you having a good time, Abs?”
“Yes. This has been fun, and today couldn’t have gone better. I was so nervous, and Deirdra floored me with her compliments. In case I haven’t said it enough, thank you for pushing me into the competition. I feel good about it now, and I never would have done it without you.” She gasped, and her unstoppable smile cut right to his heart as she said, “I still haven’t paid you back for the entry fee. I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting. I promise to write you a check tonight.”
He laughed. “Do you have any idea how much I adore you? You have paid me back a hundred times over by making me the happiest I’ve ever been. I don’t want your money, baby. You gave me your heart, and that’s the only thing I want.”
Her cheeks pinked up, and she said, “So you don’t want the sexual favors I have lined up for tonight?”
“You are the sexiest woman on the planet.” He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her breathless.
Her eyes went hazy with the unmistakable look of love and lust, and she said, “I don’t want to sound ungrateful for everything my friends have done, but I’d really like to lock up the Bistro and head home so I can wrap myself up in you for the rest of the night.”
She didn’t have to ask twice.
The girls hugged Abby, and the guys shook hands, tugging Aiden into manly embraces.
“We’ll get together when you come back for the grand opening,” Grant said.
“Have a guys’ night,” Jock suggested.
“Or go for a sail,” Brant offered.
“That all sounds good to me,” Aiden said, realizing he was going to miss them, too.
When the girls hugged him goodbye, Cait hung on longer than the others and said, “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too. I’m glad you and Abby and Deirdra have each other. Will you be here for the grand opening?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.” Aiden kissed her cheek and said, “Take care, Cait.” He hugged Deirdra and whispered, “Have you figured out that I’m not after Abby for her inheritance yet?”
Deirdra laughed softly. “Yes, and you’re actually good for her. I haven’t seen my sister this happy since she was a kid. I wish we had more time to get to know each other.”
He glanced at Abby and said, “Hopefully we’ll have plenty of time for that in the future. Take care of yourself, Deirdra.”
“You, too. Cait and I will lock up the restaurant. Get out of here before my sister bursts.”
Aiden and Abby headed back to the house, making out all the way up to the bedroom and forcing themselves to remain clothed until they were safely behind Abby’s bedroom door. Then their mouths crashed together, shoes and clothes went flying, and the second they were naked, Abby dropped to her knees, taking him in her mouth, stroking and sucking, and holy hell, he couldn’t take it. Aiden hauled her to her feet, and they tumbled to the bed in a tangle of gropes and hungry kisses. “I’m never going to make it a month without you,” he growled, feeling feral. He reclaimed her mouth, rough and greedy, and she was right there with him, taking as much as she gave. She arched and writhed, getting the head of his cock wet with her arousal, rubbing her softness against his hard frame. Fuck, he was going to miss her. He tore his mouth away, needing to see her face. “The minute I’m back in the States, I’m coming for you, Abby de Messiéres.”
“Yes,” she panted out, her eyes glistening with sadness and love and so much more.
He grabbed her wrists, holding them by her sides as he moved swiftly down her body, kissing and loving, and finally, blissfully, feasting on her sweet, hot center. He wanted to stay right there, pleasuring her for hours, long into tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, but his leaving hung in the balance like a ticking time bomb.
“Oh Looord.”
She rocked against his mouth, her wrists pinned by her hips as he took his fill. But just as there was no end to his love, his need for her was endless. He moved his mouth higher, using teeth and tongue to make her gasp and mewl. Her thighs flexed, her hips shot up, and with one twist of his tongue, she cried out, loud and unabashedly. Her hips bucked as he released them and moved lower, feasting on her. She grabbed his hair, her hips rocking, a stream of indiscernible sounds flying from her lips.
“Aiden! Need you,” she pleaded.
He grabbed a condom from the box in the nightstand, sheathing himself faster than ever, and buried himself in one hard thrust. He covered her mouth with his, loving her with everything he had. She tasted of sunshine and happiness, sins and seduction, and all the other g
lorious things she brought to his life, including hopes of a future he so desperately wanted. She squeezed his arms, scratched his torso, and clutched his ass, her nails digging into his flesh. Everything she did—every touch, kiss, and sensual noise—was exquisite. Just as he felt her body constrict like a vise, heat shot down his spine, and they spiraled into oblivion together, crying out each other’s names, clawing, pawing, pleading for more, until they collapsed to the mattress, sated and spent in each other’s arms.
“I wish I could stop time,” Aiden said against her cheek, kissing her again and again, wishing he had better words, bigger words. Words that were as vehement as their love, but his head was spinning, his leaving hovering like a dark cloud.
She didn’t respond, just burrowed deeper into his arms.
“I love you, Abby. I love you so damn much.”
She held him tighter, burying her face in his chest.
“Look at me, baby.” When she lifted teary eyes to his, he felt his heart crack open. He kissed her softly and said, “Two weeks, Abs. In two weeks I’ll be back from overseas, and I’ll come for a weekend. That’s a promise.”
“And then . . . ?”
He brushed a kiss over her freckles, knowing he’d miss the sight of them, too, and said, “Then I’ll be back again for the grand opening, and we’ll figure it out from there. Once I handle my quarterly commitments, I can work from anywhere.”
“Here?” Hope glimmered in her eyes.
“Absolutely.”
The hopeful smile that had first reeled him in curved her lips, soothing the fissure inside him. They held each other until he had no choice but to take care of the condom, and when he came back to bed, she settled into his arms and drifted off to sleep. He lay awake, reveling in her soft snores and the sweet hum he loved so much, in the feel of how right they were together.
He brushed his lips over her forehead, drinking in her familiar scent, which had become as much a part of him as the air he breathed. He didn’t question how far they’d come, or why he hadn’t fought his feelings for her even for a moment. He thanked whatever higher powers had brought them together and whispered, “You changed my world, Abigail de Messiéres, and when I come back, I’m going to change yours.”
CHAPTER TWENTY–THREE
ABBY AWOKE TO the feel of Aiden’s tender kisses, and for a split second she felt like everything in the world was right and wonderful. And then she remembered he was leaving on a nine o’clock flight.
“Abs,” he whispered. “Wake up, babe. We have one last thing to check off our list.”
She tried to remember what was left on their list. Skinny-dipping. She shook her head, snuggling deeper into his warmth, eyes still closed. “I’m not going skinny-dipping, and I’m not ready to go pack up your room at the resort.”
“We’re not doing either. I promise.”
She opened her eyes, his handsome face coming into focus in the dimly lit bedroom.
“Hi, beautiful. Want to throw on a sweatshirt and pants, bundle up in blankets, and watch the sunrise with me from the hammock?”
Just when she thought her heart couldn’t get any fuller, he made her shift things around and make room for more. “I’d love to.”
They bundled up and headed into the chilly predawn air. The shells they’d collected by the lighthouse were still filled with birdseed. It was a nice thought, but the birds weren’t interested. They made their way across the lawn, passing the gardens they’d planted together, and climbed into the hammock. Abby nearly tipped them out as they got situated, bringing laughter, embraces, and more wonderful kisses. When they settled in to watch the birth of a new day, she couldn’t help wondering what Aiden would be like when he left the island. She hadn’t gotten to see him as the workaholic businessman he and Remi claimed him to be, though given how much they’d done while he was there, it wasn’t hard to imagine him in a suit and tie, working endlessly.
“Do you think I would like Workaholic Aiden?” she asked.
“I hope so, but I’m not sure that version could exist around you. Or at all anymore, quite honestly. I like this version of myself better. The guy I am with you.”
She melted at that. “I like this version of myself better, too.”
“With you I have discovered so many parts of myself that I never knew existed, and the thing is, Abs, I think they only exist with you. And now I’m heading back to work with an even greater task than finding a life.”
“What’s that?”
“Figuring out how to function after leaving such a big part of myself behind.”
Tears welled in her eyes. He kissed her lips, then her freckles, as he’d done so often, and still it felt as intimate as the first time.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “We’re a good thing, baby. The best thing.”
She rested her head on his chest, and they lay in comfortable silence, sharing tender kisses, tight embraces, and heartfelt whispers. Eventually the sun peeked over the horizon, making its slow ascent into the sky.
After a long while, Aiden said, “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get showered. I have a surprise for you.”
“It better not be another oven,” she said lightly.
They lingered under the warm spray of the shower, making love one last time. Then they gathered Aiden’s things and drove over to the Bistro.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as he put his arm around her.
As they walked along the side patio, he said, “I thought it would be fitting to share the last breakfast of my vacation where it all began.”
A gust of salty sea air stung her cheeks as they came around the front of the Bistro. Abby’s heart swelled at the sight of the table Aiden had been sitting at when she’d first met him. It was draped with a white tablecloth, with all the fancy trimmings of their first breakfast together, including a single rose in a crystal vase. In the center of the table was a covered silver platter.
“Oh, Aiden. How did you do this without leaving the house?”
“I’ve made a few friends while I’ve been here.” He lifted the top off the platter, revealing several delicious pastries. “Keira’s specialties.”
She got choked up and hugged him. “You spoil me.”
“No, babe. I treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
She remembered how she’d called him a god for sharing his breakfast with her the first time they’d eaten together, and he’d told her she should set that bar a bit higher. There was no bar higher than Aiden Aldridge.
They moved their chairs close together, talking and sharing their breakfast treats, soaking in every second together. With the sounds of the sea kissing the shore and the sun warming her cheeks, Abby thought today would be perfect, if only Aiden didn’t have to leave.
When they finished eating, they lingered as long as they could, before Aiden said, “I think it’s time.”
He rose to his feet, drawing her up and into his arms and gazing so deeply into her eyes, she had no doubt that he could see everything she felt. He ran his fingers through her hair and said, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you what I feel for you in a different way, but nothing seems big enough. Some people find their first loves in middle school or high school, and for the rest of their lives, nobody measures up. Others go their whole lives without finding the one person who makes them feel complete. I am so lucky to have found my first, last, and only love at thirty-eight.”
Tears slipped from her eyes.
“I love you, Abby, and I’m going to keep finding new and different ways to show you and tell you until you hear it even when we’re miles apart.”
Aiden had made it to almost forty years old without having to deal with the pain of leaving a woman he was in love with behind. Standing on the patio of the Bistro with Abby in his arms, he wished to hell he could go forty more and stay right there with her. But there were meetings to be had, business to be conducted, and arrangements to be coordinated if he hoped to change his life in a way that made
sense for both of them.
He gazed into the big, beautiful green eyes that owned his heart and soul and did what had to be done. “We’d better get up to my room to pack up the rest of my things, so I have time to drop you at home before going to the airport.”
They drove to the Silver House, and he held her in the elevator, his heart aching anew with every passing minute. He never could have imagined putting anyone or anything other than Remi and her family above work, but every iota of his being screamed for him to say fuck it all and stay on the island. He gritted his teeth against the urge, knowing it wasn’t a possibility. There were too many people counting on him.
When they walked into his room, it felt like he was treading in someone else’s life. He’d slept there only a handful of nights, though his work files were strewn across the desk and dresser. There was a finality to packing his belongings, the last step before heading back to the world that no longer seemed quite as important.
“Where are your suitcases?” Abby asked, putting on a brave face, but there was no hiding the sadness in her eyes.
“Come here, babe.” He gathered her in his arms, holding her tight.
“Goodbyes suck,” she said shakily.
“They sure do.”
“I’m not a weepy girl. I’m sorry I keep losing it.”
He leaned back far enough to see her face and said, “Don’t you dare be sorry for loving me enough to miss me. I’m sure as hell not sorry for loving you so much I physically ache at the thought of leaving you.”
“We’re a mess,” she said.
“The best kind of mess, but I’m pretty sure love is supposed to be messy.”
She pushed out of his arms and huffed. “No more tears. Suitcases?”
He retrieved his suitcase and briefcase from the closet and set the briefcase on the table. “Would you mind throwing my files in the briefcase, and I’ll pack my stuff from the bedroom and bathroom?”
“Sure.”
He kissed her forehead and went into the bedroom before he lost his mind and hauled her into his arms again. He shoved his clothes into the suitcase, then packed his toiletries. He took one last look in the mirror, barely recognizing the suntanned man staring back at him. He hadn’t shaved in days, and his hair was in need of a trim, curling at the edges. But it was the unfamiliar look in his eyes that stopped him cold. He’d always seen a shrewd businessman staring back at him, and while he knew he could recapture that man when he walked into a boardroom, he liked this new look even better. It was a look of relaxation and happiness.
Maybe We Will (Silver Harbor) Page 34