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"He's coming!" Kaitlyn announced.
Since there was no place to hide in the expansive backyard, everyone assembled in a row to await Aidan's arrival through the back door. Angelina came through first, then Aidan. His eyes widened when everyone shouted, "Surprise!"
He looked stunned, and for a moment didn't move, just looked mightily embarrassed. Then he cracked a half-grin and ran his hand through his hair, stepped out into the yard and headed toward the throng of people awaiting him.
Melissa maneuvered herself into the back of the crowd, hoping he wouldn't notice she was there.
She should have known that wouldn't happen. He'd no more greeted a couple of people when he stilled for a second, turned his head slightly to each side and zeroed in on her. The air stilled, and when he made eye contact with her the jolt of electricity seared her blood to boiling.
Aidan headed straight for her, parting the crowd like Moses did the Red Sea.
Melissa swallowed, her throat gone completely dry. Her heart pounded against her ribs and her entire body felt alive. What would he say when he made his way to her?
She was almost too afraid to imagine. The urge to bolt surged through her and she actually considered it for a moment. Maybe he'd ask her to leave, considering the way she'd run from the hotel a few days ago and the way she'd avoided him.
He stopped in front of her. His expression gave nothing away. Curious, maybe? Or astounded that she had the nerve to show up?
For the life of her she couldn't think of a thing to say to him, and yet there were so many things she wanted to tell him. At the moment, she could think of only one thing.
"Happy Birthday, Aidan."
Chapter Fourteen
First, a surprise party, and to top it all off, Melissa? Talk about the unexpected. He certainly hadn't anticipated a party and all these people, and sure as hell hadn't counted on Lissa taking part.
"Thanks," he said in reply to her birthday wish. Nice answer, but he was still too dumbfounded at seeing her to have a chance to interpret what her presence here tonight meant.
"You don't look any older."
"Good to know."
She rocked on both feet, seemingly nervous and uncertain of whether she should even be there or not. God, she was so beautiful she took his breath away. Red looked good on her. Short dresses looked great on her.
"You're gonna have to get a better vocabulary now that you're nearly over the hill, little brother."
He smiled at Logan's taunt. "Just emulating my big brother's speech patterns."
"Asshole," Logan whispered in his ear.
"Dickhead."
Melissa chuckled. "Brotherly love?"
"It's always this way," Aidan explained. "What can I say? He adores me."
"You're a pain in the ass, Aidan," Logan replied, then hugged him. "Happy birthday."
His mother came up and kissed him. "I know all you want to do is spend time with this lovely woman here, but you have guests to greet."
"Besides," Shannon piped up after she kissed Aidan's cheek, "I need help in the kitchen so I'm stealing your woman."
His woman. Was she? He sure didn't think so, not after the other night when she'd run like hell out of his hotel room. She glanced at him with wide-eyed reluctance as Shannon dragged her away.
"You can talk to her later," his mother said. "Go, say hello to all the wonderful people here to celebrate your day."
He nodded and did his duty as host and celebrity for the day, laughing at all the potshots about his advancing age and ticking biological clock. The evening passed in a whirlwind of activity. There wasn't a moment that someone wasn't pressing a drink into his hand, and he'd hugged and kissed so many people by the time dinner was ready that he'd claimed chapped lips.
Truth was, he was having a wonderful time, pleased as hell that so many people had come to share his birthday.
The only thing he had to complain about was he hadn't spent any time with Melissa. She'd been commandeered by his entire family and seemed to enjoy serving drinks, appetizers and laughing with all the guys.
That part pissed him off. Didn't all his buddies know she was off limits?
As he downed yet another drink, he almost laughed out loud. It wasn't like a sign that said Property of Aidan was plastered to her butt. Although the idea had merit.
"You look like you want Melissa for dessert."
Aidan turned and grinned at Logan. "Maybe I do."
Logan shook his head. "You're hopeless. Didn't we talk about this?"
"Yeah. I ignored you. Can't help it. She's something special."
Logan arched a dark brow. "Special, huh? Special like all the other girls you sleep with?"
"No. Not like that at all."
"Come on, Aidan, she's just another piece of ass. As soon as the new wears off, you'll be on to another conquest."
Irritation sparked a flame inside him, and the temperature rose considerably outside. "I think you need to watch what you say about her."
With a barely visible twitch of his hand, Logan lowered the temperature before anyone noticed. He smirked. "Got your magic all riled up, did I?"
"What's your point here?"
"You care about her."
"Of course I do." As it was he could barely focus on Logan while trying to follow Lissa's every movement.
"More than the others."
"I'm not having this conversation with you."
"You'd better have it with someone, because if you're leading her down the garden path and then planning to dump her on her ass, then you're not only fucking with the girl, you're fucking with our business. Don't do it."
"It's not always about business, Logan."
Logan cast an icy glare at him. "To me, it is."
"I've got it covered. Let me handle it."
Logan shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "Famous last words. You have no idea what you're doing, but I hope you get it straightened out before we end up with a train wreck that costs us the casino."
His brother's words stayed with him as he watched Melissa surrounded by a throng of his friends. Did he have it under control? He could barely control the elements when he was around her, let alone the situation between them.
Whatever the hell that was. Her presence here tonight made him curious, especially since she'd been avoiding him like a virus the past week. Why was she here? Did it mean she'd gotten over her fear of him, of his magic, of their relationship?
And what of their relationship? How did he feel about it? Where was it going?
Shit. Too many questions and he hadn't had a free minute to talk with her to find out any answers.
But she was here, and that had to mean something. Sooner or later he'd get her alone, and then they'd figure out where they were headed.
After all the fussing over him, the dinner, the cake, the gag gifts and well wishers hovering nearby, the evening began to wane. Guests said their goodbyes and left, until finally it was just Aidan and his family.
And Melissa.
She'd stayed to help clean up, carrying trays into the house, laughing and talking alongside his mother and sisters as if she were part of them.
Aidan slumped down onto a bench as the reality hit. The thought of her actually being part of their family didn't send him running in the opposite direction.
Holy hell, what did that mean? Was he in love with her? He shuddered at the thought. He never fell in love. Love was permanent--it meant settling down with one woman. He swore he could never do that, he enjoyed women too damn much to spend the rest of his life with just one.
It had to be that she'd been so elusive. He still wanted her. His cock twitched whenever she was nearby. Oh hell, for that matter, it twitched whenever he thought of her. Walking around half-hard all the time wasn't comfortable. He needed to be inside her, needed to feel her hot pussy squeezing him until he pumped his come deep within her.
That had to be the only thing he was feeling. Unbridled lust, not love.
So he waited for time alone with her. Waited while his family hovered as if they didn't have anything better to do with their time. He itched to get his hands on Melissa and grew more irritated with every passing minute that the rest of them lingered.
Finally, they began their trek toward the house. Shannon and Kaitlyn claimed an early shopping excursion the next day and kissed him goodbye. Logan was headed back to work, and his parents said they'd be in the house.
He was alone with Melissa, who sat on one of the opposite picnic benches and smiled hesitantly.
