Page 114 of His to Cherish
I smiled, loving how easily he could read my mind. “Whatever you say.”
After a quick kiss, he turned to Lucas, who was talking to Tyson about the baseball season. The men engaged in a friendly rivalry between the Tigers and Cubs, which was Aidan’s favorite team, and Blue and Paige and I chatted about nothing important. Before I knew it, Camden arrived and our group spent the next few hours laughing, drinking, and enjoying the music before we moved to an outdoor field for the fireworks.
Aidan was sitting on the blanket, hands behind him and his knees bent with his feet on the ground. He pulled me down and adjusted us so I sat between his knees.
As the first set of fireworks went off and background music began to blare through speakers, he wrapped his arms around his knees, caging me in.
“This is nice,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck with his nose.
The warmth from the air and his breath sent pleasurable shivers racing down my spine.
“And your friends are pretty incredible.”
“So are yours,” I whispered between the firework blasts. “Even if they aren’t here tonight, it’s clear you guys have a special friendship.”
I was thinking back to the night of Derrick’s birthday. In all the hours of fun, my curiosity about David hadn’t diminished.
“We all met in college,” he began to explain. “There’s been some crazy shit between us, but they were there for me when Derrick was little, always helping out. We used to get some crazy looks around campus when we’d be hauling this little kid all over the place.”
I laughed softly, imagining these sexy grown men as barely adult males, struggling to take care of a kid. But it warmed me, too. Not only were they successful and handsome, they were incredibly kind.
Good men.
It was about time I’d found one of those.
“Anyway, David went through some shit in Chicago after Declan’s ex-wife left him a couple of years ago, but that really isn’t my story to share. He started talking about coming back to help him out at Fireside Grill and leaving his job, but Dec refused his help. Told him to get his own shit together. Then everything with Trina happened, and then Derrick…I think he just thought it was time. We’re all trying to get him to pull his head out of his ass like Tyson said, but it’s slow going. The man’s messed up.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I said, and twisted so my lips brushed against the column of his throat. A low growl escaped his lips.
“How is it that I’ve had you so many times this weekend and yet all I want to do is take you home right now and make love to you again?”
I swallowed, emotion thick in my throat. “How is it I feel the same way about you?”
His head dipped and his eyes met mine. His jet-black hair blended in with the dark night sky. Fireworks boomed in the distance. Lights from the blasts flashed in Aidan’s dilated pupils.
Music blared through speakers. Kids ran with sparklers, dancing and squealing. Murmurs of verbal appreciation of the show going on echoed around us.
I heard none of it.
Saw none of it.
It was just Aidan and me—speaking a thousand words and making promises as we stared into each other’s eyes, even though not a single word was spoken.
The screeching of a loud firework followed by a ground-shaking boom broke the contact between us and I shifted in his arms, looking back at the brightly lit sky.
As the finale thundered and blasted, making it feel as if we were close enough that the fire from the fireworks would rain down on our heads, Aidan’s arm tightened around my shoulders and his lips rested against my ear.
“You know what I said outside Beth’s the other day, that someday I’ll be letting you know I love you and I don’t want you worrying that it has anything to do with Derrick?”
A reply lodged in my throat. “Uh-huh.”
He nipped at my earlobe and soothed the sharp sting with his tongue and then his lips, sucking on my sensitive skin.
“I just want to prepare you that that day will come soon, and I want you to be ready to hear it.”
—
“Well this is a surprise.” Aidan’s green eyes gleamed in the sun as he watched me approach.
