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I noted Lenny Kravitz singing “Again” from his docked iPod. Aiden watched me carefully from across the counter as I picked it up, scrolling through his library. I loved every single song he had programmed. After placing it back on the docking station, I turned up the volume a little.
I shook my head and looked up at him with a smile. “It’s uncanny. It’s like you know exactly what I love.”
“Does it make you nervous?” he said with a smile. I opened my mouth to answer, but he started the blender. I made a face I’m sure was less than alluring, and he stopped the blender. “What was that?” I started to speak again, but he turned the blender on a higher speed. I rolled my eyes and took a seat at his comfortable breakfast nook overlooking the water.
“Sorry about that. We can’t have your sassy mouth ruining another date,” he said, bringing me a freshly filled margarita glass.
I licked the salt then took a sip. “I said I was bad company today.”
“Oh, but you look so damn beautiful, Nina,” he whispered in my ear before grabbing my hand and leading me out to the deck. I sat in his oh-so-damn-comfortable-where-the-hell-do-I-get-one-of-these lounge chairs and watched the waves with my feet crossed at the ankles. Aiden picked up my discarded Louboutin and raised an eyebrow.
“Fair warning, I’ve already been drinking,” I said, ignoring the obvious question in his eyes, and taking a huge sip of the perfect frozen concoction. “And I plan on drinking more.”
“That bad?” he asked sincerely, placing my shoes underneath his chair.
“I don?
?t think you would believe me if I told you everything,” I replied, staring into my drink. “And I don’t want to ruin this…This is amazing,” I said, looking around me. I hadn’t actually braved a long look at Aiden. I knew if I did it would be impossible not to touch him. I couldn’t shake his stare. His eyes were on me, roaming every inch of me.
He’s obviously fond of silk pantsuits.
“This could be a bad pairing, you know. A bar owner, a newly ambitious alcoholic,” I said, laughing as I finally turned to him.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful.” His sincerity had me sitting straight up in my seat. I was beyond stunned as he washed me with his stare.
I fought hard to keep in my chair as I made a joke. “Have a few of these before I got here, huh?” It was anything but comical. I was having a hard time breathing as I let my eyes trail down his sculpted chest to the sexy light patch of hair just above his drawstring.
Fucking…yum.
“Well, Aiden, thank you, and you aren’t so bad yourself.” I lowered my lashes and batted them as I took another drink.
“Okay.” He grinned as if he knew I was trying desperately to clear the air. He grabbed my empty glass and came back minutes later wearing a t-shirt. He gave me a wink as I moved my head back and forth to Lorde.
“So I thought I would take you surfing in the morning,” he said, taking a sip and settling in the chair next to me. I set down my drink and turned to face him, leaving my head on the cushion and tucking my legs behind me.
“I forgot my toothbrush,” I said, clearly not giving a shit.
He chuckled and looked at me again. “What’s wrong, sad girl? What can I do?”
“Just be here,” I said, smiling. “This is good,” I said, honestly.
He exhaled loudly but dropped it as we sat soaking up the sun.
§§
I woke up as the sun was setting, and hadn’t realized I’d dozed off. Aiden had covered me in a blanket, and I shook it off quickly to look for him to apologize. I found him in his kitchen sautéing vegetables. He had showered, and his hair was still damp and lay loosely over his forehead. I watched him for a few minutes. His outfit was the same: a white t-shirt, shorts, bare feet, and completely and utterly fuckable. He smirked as he noticed me watching him.
“Sleep well?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, mortified. I knew I must look like a mess and suddenly had an unbearably full bladder.
“Restroom?” I asked.
“Around the corner,” he said, still smiling. “By the way, you would make a terrible drunk.”
“I said ambitious, not experienced,” I reminded him, smiling in return. I walked into the bathroom, noting my horrible, mangled hair and the dark smudges underneath my eyes.
First things first.
