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Was it possible for a body to explode? The way her chest ached – as though it was so full of emotion it could burst – made her think it might be. Sitting there against his hard, strong body she felt like a teenage girl again, the one who followed the college boy around, asked him questions about his classes, and asked for his help with her horses. Anything to keep his attention.
Until he noticed her. Really noticed her.
And she hadn’t been the lovesick puppy any more. She was a girl in love with a boy so much it made her heart sing. She’d been obsessed with him the same way he’d been with her. And that summer it was as though there was nobody else in Angel Sands except Aiden Black. They’d made the town their own, sneaking down to the cove to make out on the rocks, buying separate tickets for the movie theater, then snuggling down together inside. Making eyes at each other across the counter at the Beach Café, neither of them saying a word.
There were times he’d sneak into her room. Climbing over that damn tree and using the blanket of night to find her. He’d held her in his strong arms as they talked for hours, making up stories about their future, stories she really thought would come true. And when the words ran out, the kisses would begin. Soft at first, then heated, until her whole body felt like it would burst into a ball of flames. And she’d begged him to finish what he’d started, to make her his the only way he could. To seal their promises with the one thing they could never take away. But he’d resisted, telling her they should wait, they shouldn’t have their first time in her parents’ house. That he wanted to be certain she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Somehow, his chivalry had only deepened her love for him. It hadn’t stopped her from trying, though.
Until that heartwrenching night when everything changed.
“Mom, can I stay over at Uncle Aiden’s tonight?” Nick’s sleepy voice brought her out of her thoughts. Aiden’s hand froze on her arm. “Owen always goes to his dad’s on Saturdays. They call it boys’ night. I want a boys’ night.”
For the first time since he’d started touching her, she turned to look at Aiden. His eyes were dark, his expression serious. Their stare lasted a second too long, enough to send her heart pounding once again.
“I don’t know…”
“He can stay if it’s okay with you.” Aiden’s voice was rough. “I have a spare room.”
Her body was still stuck in the after-effects of their conversation and his touch. Pulses of electricity were shooting beneath her skin, making her feel tender and raw. “It’s okay with me.”
“You can drink beer, if you want,” Nick said, suddenly awake. “Owen’s dad does. And they eat pizza and watch movies. His dad’s really cool. Like you.”
Reluctantly, she pulled away from Aiden’s embrace, her skin turning cold where he’d been touching it only a moment before. She took a deep breath, trying to center herself. “I’ll pack you a bag with your things,” she said, smiling at Nick. “But you have to promise to do what you’re told. When Aiden says it’s bedtime, it’s bedtime. No messing around, okay?”
Nick was the picture of innocence. His eyes were wide, his bottom lip dropped open. “Of course,” he agreed, sneaking a smile at Aiden. “Anything you say, Mom.”
18
Brooke sat at her compact kitchen table, legs curled up underneath her, as she reached up to check her messy bun. After dropping Nick’s bag off at Aiden’s house, she’d come home and showered, pulling on an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt, since she wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Her latest assignment was in front of her, and she was going through her tutor’s comments with a pen in her right hand, scribbling notes on the lined pad beside her.
It was getting harder to concentrate. She was so tired, yet she couldn’t switch her mind off. Each time she tried, he’d claw his way into her thoughts again. She remembered the way his fingers had felt as they caressed her skin. Did he know he was setting her on fire? He had to, right? You didn’t touch somebody like that without meaning it.
She tapped her pen against her lip, remembering what he’d said. That she was out of his stratosphere, but he wanted her anyway. She couldn’t help but think the tide had changed now. She was the one who was punching above her weight – the poor student batting her eyelashes at the rich businessman. She was the one doing the wanting, too. She could feel the tingles right down to the tips of her toes.
It was clear she wasn’t going to get any work done, so she pushed the books closed, piling them up on each other to put them away on the shelf. As she was about to close down her laptop, her phone began to buzz. Glancing down at the vibrating device, she saw Ember’s picture appear on the screen and she picked it up, swiping her finger to accept the call.
“Hey.”
“Hey, how did today go?”
She’d forgotten Ember had been there when Aiden had made arrangements for today. “It was really good. We went out on a whale tour. Nick went crazy over it.”
“I know.” Ember sounded smug. “Griff told me.” She cleared her throat. “Well, he told Lucas who told me, which is the same thing.”
“What else did Griff say?” Brooke asked. The grapevine seemed to be working faster than usual. A glance at her watch told her it was only a few hours since they’d left the boat, yet word was already spreading. She felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of being the subject of gossip.
Been there, done that. She didn’t want to do it again.
“Only that you and a certain… um… old flame were looking mighty close. His exact words were ‘you couldn’t pry them apart with a tire iron’.”
Brooke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How she and Aiden had kept things quiet all those years ago, she’d never know. Maybe technology had been their friend – or rather the lack of it. Nowadays you were only a swipe of a finger away from having your secrets unleashed on the world. “We’re friends. We have Nick in common.” She wasn’t ready to admit her feelings to her friend. She was barely ready to admit them to herself.
“That’s not what Griff saw.”
“You’d believe him over me? I’m devastated.” Brooke traced the pattern of wood on the table in front of her. “It doesn’t matter anyway. There’s no future in it, even if either of us was interested. We have nothing in common.”
?
??Apart from Nick.”
