AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His lips twitched. She narrowed her eyes. So help her, if he was laughing at her, she just might clobber him as well. But without moving another muscle, he sat down.
“I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”
“I don’t. But it was my brother who’d hit you. I have to make sure you’re okay.”
As she stepped closer to him to examine his face, she took the peas from him and put them on the table. The subtle smell of bergamot and citrus she knew so well by now, wafted around her as she bent down. Ignore it. He was a patient; that was all. She was here to make sure he was okay, not salivate over him. Hesitantly, she put out a hand to lift his face. Electricity crackled around them. Seriously.
Trying to school her face to stay impassive, she turned his face to the one side. His pair of blue eyes stayed on her face, though.
“I was on my way to tell you I’ve spoken to Webster…”
“I’m here to make sure you’re okay. I’m not listening to any more of your lies.”
Around them, the air thickened, breathing was fast becoming difficult. What the mere presence of this man could do to her. She had to get out of here and quickly.
Fortunately, the skin on his chin hadn’t split, it had only been bruised. “You’ll live,” she said as she stepped back. But instead of retreating in a dignified manner, her foot caught the leg of the table, she lost her balance, and staggered backwards.
Aiden shot up, grabbed her shoulders to steady her. For long minutes they stood staring at each other, the only sound their heavy breathing.
“I have to go,” she finally got out through dry lips.
“Vivian, please. If you’ll give me a minute, I can explain the whole thing…”
But she was already heading toward the front door. “I’m not giving a reporter another chance. You should know that, I’ve told you.”
“Damn it, woman. He turned her around. “Please, there are others—”
“I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say, Aiden. Please let me go.”
His head came down so fast she didn’t have a chance to move away. Warm, urgent lips folded over hers. For a millisecond she ignored the hysterical little voice screaming she should leave and she leaned into him.
He lifted his head. “This… the way we are when we’re together, the way I kiss you—that should tell you I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“But you have.” She opened her mouth again but she had no more words. “Put the peas back on your chin.” Without looking back, she hurried towards her car.
*
Aiden stared afterVivian until her car disappeared around the corner before he closed the front door. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. There was no one else to blame but himself. Hadn’t he vowed not ever to get involved in someone else’s business again? But there he’d been, playing the knight in shining armor, sword in the air, coming to the rescue when the damsel in distress was quite capable of wielding her own sword, thank you very much.
He’d try one more time and send her a message. If that didn’t help, there wasn’t anything left here for him to do. He had the feel-good story his boss had been looking for, he’d head back home.
Home? If he were honest, his nice apartment in Portland had never really felt like home. It was a place to stay, to sleep, to eat, but it lacked the warmth and…
Cursing a blue streak, he got out his phone. The woman had him so tied up in knots, he wasn’t thinking straight.
*
Annie was lookingout of the window, waiting for Vivian. The moment she parked her car, the front door flew open.
“Is Aiden okay?”
Rolling her eyes, Vivian got out of the car. “He’ll live.”
“What did he say?”
“He tried to get me to listen to him…”
“But you refused.”
