Page 38 of Check You Out

He chews again and chuckles. After a few seconds of silence, he closes his eyes and lets out another low groan.

My brain wanders, and I start going through the sounds that Aidan makes. For a person who doesn’t talk much, he makes quite a bit of noise. From the varying sighs of exasperation and exhaustion to the soft chuckles of amusement and mirth. There are still so many sounds I’ve yet to discover. I wonder if he makes a similar moan when he’s touched in a certain way. Or does he gasp? Or is he one of those guys who hisses “fuck”?

He finishes his cookie and licks the crumbs and salt from his fingers. Heat pools in the pit of my belly and there’s buzzing in my ears. Thelma is still on his lap, and he’s still running a hand over her back. He’s so hot.

The tea kettle whistles, and I jump, scrambling to turn off the stove. My hands shake as I grasp the handle and lift the kettle to pour it in the mugs but stop. I grimace when I remember that the tea is on the top shelf, out of my reach. An idea forms in my head. I point to the open cabinet. “Can you help out a vertically challenged girl?”

He chuckles and sets Thelma gently on the ground. “Of course.” He rises to his feet and walks over to me, stopping only a few inches away. He eyes me for a second, and I’m sure he expects me to move out of the way. I stay put. I want to see what he does.

Will he ask me to move out of the way?

He steps into my space and I’m enveloped with the dizzying scent of coffee and cinnamon. Bracing my hands against the edge of the counter, I lean back to accommodate his tall frame looming over me.

His gaze travels above my head to the shelf behind me. “Any preferences?” He reaches behind me and examines a box of tea.

“Nope, just pick whatever suits your fancy,” I squeeze out. My view is nothing but his chest and chin, so I tip my head back to see his face. My ribcage heaves as my fingers grip the counter behind me and the edge cuts into my fingers.

Aidan rummages around in the cabinet behind my head nonchalantly, like he’s not within inches of potentially kissing me. His eyes focus on the descriptions of certain teas, picking up each box and reading the descriptions. He seems so calm, so focused, but I can’t help but notice that the vein in his neck rapidly speeds up, or the fact that the pace of his breath increases with each box of tea.

He spends a good amount of time examining one box and sets it down on the counter. He drops his head, and I can feel his hot breath on my cheek. “What about this one? I like the artwork.” He holds the box for me to see.

“I love Bengal Spice,” I croak out. “It’s one of my favorites.”

He smiles. “Even better.” He brings his hands to hover at my arms.

Heat and lust thicken my blood as we stand there, barely touching. The areas where we do touch are on fire. His hands grip my elbows. His chest skims against mine. His hips frame my lower abdomen.

“Do you want me to move?” Aidan asks.

“No,” I reply and close my eyes, tipping my head back and giving him full access to me. Oh my god, can you just take the hint and kiss me already?

“I-I-I, um,” Aidan splutters out.

“Fuck it,” I hiss out and make myself move forward, closing the space between us. I can feel his breath caressing my lips and then we—

MEOW!!!

A thunk and a ball of fur follows as Thelma leaps up onto the counter next to me, knocking over a mug and the box of tea with a clatter. I jump and, in the process, my head strikes the cabinet behind me, letting out a nice thunk. “Shit!” I hiss out. Tears well in my eyes and my lip quivers. I bring my hand up, only to find a warm hand cradling the back of my head. Aidan holds me. His face is filled with concern, but his heavy-lidded eyes reveal something deeper still lingering.

Thelma! You cockblocking bitch!

16

Aidan

“Are you ok?” I breathe. My thumb brushes against Charlotte’s scalp where a slight bump is already forming. The cat rubs her face against my arm, purring contentedly like she didn’t just interrupt one of the greatest moments of my life.

Charlotte Ferguson just tried to kiss me. I think. Maybe. I’m pretty sure she was reaching for a kiss.

Oh god, what if I read this all wrong?

But she said she didn’t want me to move. She gave her consent. She was the one who reached for me.

Charlotte rubs the back of her head and winces, not noticing the anxiety swirling in the pit of my stomach. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

I take a step back from the cabinet, gently pulling her with me toward the chair. “I should go.”

Her eyes widen. “What? Why? You haven’t had your tea yet.”