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I let the words sink in.
“Cards on the table?” I asked.
“Lay it on me, babe.”
“I still have feelings for Oliver and Diego.”
Aaron let out a chuckle. “I know, Sophie girl. You wouldn’t be the girl I’ve come to know if you were able to dump someone and then get over them so quickly.”
I flinched at his use of the word “dump.”
“I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I just meant that you’re not the type to entertain surface-level type stuff. Anyone looking at the three of you could see there were genuine feelings. It’ll take time to get over that.”
“And those feelings don’t bother you after what we did last night?”
“Nah. If anything, it makes me like you more because you wouldn’t just mess around with someone you don’t care about. And I meant what I said to Julie. We should enjoy our time here how we want. So I’m open to whatever that means for us.”
That was surprising. Most guys I’d dated in the past were jealous or possessive, or both. It always led to unnecessary fights because they would take something innocent and twist it into something malicious. I’d spoken to another guy at the bar, or said hello to a neighbor I saw in my building’s lobby, or in one particular instance, I stopped to pet some guy’s dog. Can’t make this shit up, folks.
“Besides,” Aaron said with a grin that gave me goosebumps, “my mom would be proud after that whole reverse harem book obsession she’s had the past two years.”
I snorted a laugh. “Oh, I’m sure she’d be over the moon.”
“Hey, relationships take all forms these days.” He gently tugged on my arm, pulling me closer and wrapping his arm around my waist to stave off the shivers. It really was getting chilly. “How about we agree to see where this goes before we start planning any polyamorous adventures.”
“Fair enough. So, does that mean we’re dating now?”
“Duh. Keep up, Sophie girl. I thought that was clear.”
A laugh burst free. I felt lighter and more carefree than I had in days. This vacation was supposed to be a mix of fun and brand promotion. Instead, I’d turned it all into the “Sophie Show,” where I got lost in my feels, all up in the drama, and no longer knew which way was up.
We walked a while longer before returning to the villa, finding everyone lounging around and chatting in various spots.
Viv called out from the living room when we arrived. We found her and Zander cuddled up on the couch, looking cute as all get-out. “Jess just stopped by. She said we’re off now because of the morning’s events and the group chats. They’re compiling the footage for today’s episode, so no pressure to do anything tonight. She also brought over a couple of DVDs we could watch to chill out.”
“Oh, cool,” Aaron said. “Anything good?”
Viv shrugged, but Zander chimed in,“Die Hard!”
He and Aaron shared a fist bump.
Eh. I had to be in the mood forDie Hard, and after the drama from today, it was a romcom kind of day.
“Want to help me with dinner?” Aaron asked as he leaned into the fridge and came back with arms full of ingredients.
“Sure thing. Just point me in a direction, chef.”
“You chop. I’ll sauté. Deal?”
“Yes, chef.”
We both got to work making fajitas for everyone. I chopped peppers and onions while Aaron turned on the stove and started preparing the chicken. He made sure to keep it light and fun, coming up behind me and putting his arms around me to guide the knife and show me proper cutting protocol.
By the time I had worked my way through the mountain of veggies, I was sweating—and not just because of the work I’d been doing. We were feeding ten people, since Gia and Daniel were still on their getaway, and that required a lot of chopping and focus. But all I could do was fixate on the man commanding this kitchen like a pro and how well we worked in tandem.
The careful caress of his fingertips on my arms and hips in passing was never enough. I wanted his touches to last longer. It was as if lust had taken up permanent residence in my brain, and the bitch was banging on a tambourine while doing the Macarena, making sure I was paying attention.
With the food ready and the tortillas warming in the oven, Aaron set plates around the table while I followed with the silverware.
