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“Well, then,” Zach said, giving Olivia a silly little bow. “I’ll leave you two to say your goodbyes. Safe travels.”
“Bye, Zach.” She gave a cute little wave. “Thanks again.”
Aiden and Olivia stood side-by-side as he walked up the front path, neither of them moving or speaking until he disappeared into the house.
“Well, then,” Aiden said, then repressed a cringe. Zach had literally just said that. Wasn’t he supposed to be a super suave Dom who swept women right off their feet? He couldn’t believe how fucking awkward he was being.
“Well, then,” Olivia echoed as she turned to face him, meeting his gaze for the first time since they’d left the cabin. She really did have the most beautiful eyes—a true sapphire blue. He’d never seen quite that shade before.
Desperate for anything to say at all, he pulled out his phone. “I’ll send you all the pictures you took,” he said, selecting them in his photos app and attaching them to a blank text message. “Here, put in your number.”
She took his phone and entered the ten digits quickly, hitting the send button before she handed it back. “Thank you.” Her voice was so quiet, as if she was having trouble speaking.
“Of course. I can’t very well send you home without all your mushroom pictures.”
She cracked a tiny smile. “That would be a real tragedy.”
“Liv, I—” His throat was way too tight, and he had to take a moment to compose himself. “I had a wonderful time this week. Don’t ever forget how incredible you are.”
Stepping forward, she pressed her face against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. His muscles started to relax the moment they were touching again.
“Thank you, Aiden. For everything. I’ll never forget you.”
And then she was gone, practically fleeing to her car.
Stop her!
The thought repeated in his head over and over, in perfect time with his pounding heart. No matter how urgent it got, though, his feet stayed rooted to the spot as she climbed behind the wheel, fumbling with her keys. The Bronco roared to life, and she was backing up moments later, clearly not wanting to linger.
Don’t let her drive away, you fucking idiot!
But that’s exactly what he did.
Heart breaking in his chest, he watched her car move down the long driveway. Then her taillights disappeared beyond the front gates, and Olivia was gone.
He stood there for several long minutes, staring at the last place he’d seen her car. It was like his body had forgotten how to move.
When at last his brain was firing on all cylinders again, he made his way slowly toward the lobby, his feet dragging along the flagstones. His toe caught on one of the steps as he climbed onto the porch, and he steadied himself with the railing.
He felt weak. Drained. Like he was on day five of a raging fever.
“So,” Zach said as Aiden shouldered his way through the door. “How’d it go?” The man’s cocky little smirk was nowhere in sight. And the laugh that always seemed to be right beneath the surface of his voice was gone.
“Not right now.” Unable to face the accusation in Zach’s eyes, he turned toward the porch. Fuck getting his stuff. Housekeeping would forgive him this once.
With a little tsking sound, Zach muttered, “That’s a little dramatic, but you do you, man.”
Aiden paused on the threshold, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. “I’m not being dramatic,” he ground out.
“Forgive me. Walking around like someone just died and storming out of the house are totally normal behaviors for you. My mistake.”
Screwing his eyes shut, Aiden made himself take several long, slow breaths. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said at last.
“Oh, I guarantee you I would,” Zach shot back. It was the first time Aiden had ever heard true anger in the man’s voice, and he found himself turning around out of sheer surprise.
Zach stood behind the reception counter with his arms crossed tightly over his heathered gray vest, his thin black eyebrows slanted into a furious V.
“I’m sorry,” Aiden said, staying by the safety of the front doors. Zach legit looked like he was about ready to take a swing at him. “But I honestly don’t know what I did to piss you off.”
