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“Gimme.” Lily took the baby in her arms, then scrunched her eyes and laughed. “Oh, I see what you mean.”
Aidan’s chest tightened.
That was when he wondered if she had taken the morning-after pill. She was going to do it this morning, and of course, he’d stormed out.
He would ask her.
Lily handed Baxter to Fletcher—who disappeared in the back to, he assumed, change him—and locked her eyes with Aidan’s. For a long moment they stared at one another, and he wished his family would vanish into thin air so he could speak with her.
A nudge in his ribs got his attention. Aidan dropped his gaze to Amelia.
“What are you doing?” she whispered at him, frowning.
“Nothing.” He shook his head and took a drink.
“Leave that poor girl alone, Aides. She’s way too nice for you to go and break her heart.”
Blake stared at him and then turned curiously to glance at Lily. “Did you—?”
“Stop. I’m not...I’m not breaking anyone’s heart,” Aidan said under his breath.
What would they think if he told them she had basically rejected him?
Disbelief, probably.
But here they were.
––––––––
FORTY MINUTES LATER, they landed on Maui, where a Mercedes Benz bus greeted them. After taking a quick business call while their luggage was being loaded, Aidan was the last to climb on.
Which meant the only spare seat was next to Lily because everyone was coupled up.
He nudged his bag under the seat and sat down.
“Hi,” she said softly, and he felt the urge to pull her into his arms when he saw how uncomfortable and confused she looked.
The bus roared as it pulled out onto the road, providing them some privacy to speak. Aidan turned his body toward her.
“I apologize,” he said quietly, and Lily nodded. His hand slid onto her thigh before he knew what he was doing. “Lil, I am sorry. I had no right to say that. Or leave so abruptly.”
“No, you didn’t,” Lily said quietly, “But you don’t understand my situation. How could you?”
Right.
How could he?
Because he was sitting on a bus heading to a property that was costing them fifty thousand dollars a night and wearing a sixty-four-thousand-dollar Audemars Piguet watch?
Because today he’d already earned ten thousand dollars. Not including interest. After tax.
And it was only noon.
Because he had over a billion dollars in cash and investments and couldn’t comprehend having to stay in a situation where he was being treated inappropriately by someone more powerful than him. Where he had to choose between putting up with crossing boundaries and paying for food, utilities, and medical bills for someone he loved.
Fucking hell.
Aidan clenched his teeth.
