Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Hitting Netflix, I searched for Suits, finding the episode Aiden had left off on. I got myself settled on the sofa, pulled the TV tray closer to me and dug into the food. I moaned and closed my eyes as I took in all the flavors of the lasagna.
“You weren’t even going to wait for me?” Aiden said with a chuckle as he sat down beside me with his plate.
“Oh, sorry! I figured you might end up going out tonight after all.”
He gave me a confused look. “Why would you think that?”
“Um, well…I guess I thought maybe you were making plans for a date?”
Throwing his head back and laughing, Aiden bumped me on the shoulder and said, “That’s funny. No, Sherry is a volunteer at our church. She’s fairly new to town. She wanted to know if I could help out with setting up something for the kids on Sunday after church.”
“That’s nice of you,” I said, trying to act casual. I needed to get myself in check if I wanted to hang out with Aiden as friends.
“Oh man, Emma. This is the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Is it all homemade?”
It was my turn to laugh. “No. I bought the pasta at the store and the sauce is from a jar. I do have one secret ingredient, but I can’t share it with you.”
He took another bite. “I’m going to have to keep you on even after Hadley doesn’t need a nanny, just for this lasagna.”
Smiling, I tried to ignore the way that sent my heart beating faster. I hit play on the remote, and we were soon immersed in the show and our lasagna.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AIDEN - WAKING UP, NOT ALONE.
The feeling of warmth against my entire body made me pull in a deep, slow breath. I hadn’t felt peace like this in a long time. If ever. I knew what it was in an instant.
Emma.
She’d drifted off to sleep last night while watching TV, and her head had eventually fallen against my shoulder. I should have woken her up and told her to head up to her place. Instead, I grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it around her. She snuggled even closer, and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I’d longed for the feel of someone against me for months.
This wasn’t simply someone though.
Her. I’d wanted to feel Emma next to me. Against my body, where I could keep her warm and safe.
I slowly opened my eyes when I realized we were both lying on the sofa, Emma tucked in front of me.
We’d slept together all night.
Crap. Crap. Crap. How in the world am I going to get out of this?
Emma started to stretch—then instantly froze. I closed my eyes and did the cowardly thing. Pretended I was sleeping.
The feel of her body slowly moving against me nearly had me coming undone.
What in the hell was happening to me? Why did this woman make me feel things I hadn’t felt in years? Hell, she made feel things I’d never even felt with my own wife.
She wiggled a bit more and whispered, “Aiden?”
When I didn’t move, that prompted her to hurry off the sofa and exit the room. It wasn’t until I heard her climbing the steps that I breathed normally again. Once the sound of the door going out to the balcony had shut, I sat up, dragged my hands down my face and groaned.
My phone was on the coffee table, and I reached for it, pulling up my messages.
Me: Are you busy? I need to talk to someone.
Dalton: Working in the garage. Tammy took the girls in for breakfast at The Egg and I. Come on over.
Me: Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up.
Dalton: Everything okay?
I blew out a frustrated breath and replied.
Me: No. Nothing is okay.
Dalton: Take a deep breath and I’ll see you in a bit.
An hour later, I was walking into Dalton’s garage. He was under the ’55 Chevy he was restoring.
“How’s it going?” I asked, pulling up a chair.
“This car is a money pit; that’s how it’s going.” He slid out and looked up at me, his smile fading when he saw me. “Dude, you look like hell.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a gruff laugh.
“You need a beer?” he asked, getting up and heading to the small refrigerator he kept out in the garage.
Gaping at him in disbelief, I replied, “It’s not even ten in the morning.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he said with a wink.
“Nah, I’ll pass, but I’ll take a water if you have one in there.”
Dalton reached in, tossed me a water, then sat beside me. “Talk to me, Aiden. I haven’t seen you look this bad in a long time.”
I stared at the water bottle as I tried to figure out where to start. “Do you think we’re only allowed one love in our lives?”