‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
I nod, silently gathering the words to tell him just how much I want to do this, but just as I grasp them the door swings open and knocks them clean out of my brain.
‘There you are!’ Evie says, as we both stare in shock. ‘It’s getting late– I was worried you’d got lost.’
‘Evie!’ Aiden says.
It’s more of a yelp than a word, but he swallows it down and tries once again. ‘I thought your flight was this morning?’
‘It got delayed,’ she sighs, before beckoning us in. ‘They’re putting us up in hotel rooms tonight– a pre-trip slumber party. But I thought I’d treat you both to dinner before I headed off.’
She leads us through her grand foyer, down the hall and into her dining room, where her large ornate table is set for three.
‘Malia, my nutritionist, hadn’t left for the weekend yet, so she agreed to prepare a nice spread for us all,’ she says.
I haven’t recovered from the whiplash I got when Evie opened that door when her nutritionist emerges from the side door, the decadent platter in her hands making my jaw drop. The smell of the freshly sliced steak hits me before I see it, and when my eyes home in on it, I almost sob with appreciation. It’s a charcuterie board. A steak charcuterie board. Sliced steak, fans of cheese, lightly toasted bread slices and grilled vegetables lie among small ceramic bowls of creamy sauces and mashed potatoes.
‘You two must be starving– you’re so quiet.’ Evie pulls up a seat at the head of the table. ‘Sit! Eat!’
I catch eyes with Aiden as we both lower into our seats, positioned opposite each other, either side of the table. Hesmirks knowingly. It sets off the cascade of butterflies and I lower my eyes to the table.
‘Are you two OK?’ Evie asks, her tone growing concerned.
‘Yeah, was just a long drive,’ Aiden manages to say, swooping in to our rescue.
‘Ah, I see.’
She doesn’t buy it, but decides to leave it there, leaning across the table and grabbing some sliced fig. As she leans, she catches my face, pausing to take a closer look at it.
‘Maddison, babe, you look really flushed. Is it hot out there?’
I catch sight of myself in one of the twisted metal candlesticks on the table. My reflection is horribly distorted, but clear enough to show wisps of hair escaping the bun I threw my hair into post-kiss, and the light sheen of sweat on my forehead.
Aiden barely stifles his chuckle.
‘Very,’ I say, trying to drown out his interruption. ‘Don’t let the rain fool you– it’s something else out there.’
‘Really? I found it quite chilly.’ Aiden leans back in his seat, smirking at the new scowl I send his way. ‘You sure you’re OK, Maddy?’
I thought we were a team in this, but the gleam in his eye says otherwise.
‘Pretty sure,’ I say, giving him a pointed look the second Evie redirects her attention to her plate.
He huffs a laugh to himself, smugly spearing a head of asparagus with his fork and maintaining eye contact. Looks like this dinner just became the latest in our series of games.
‘Why don’t you tell Evie about the drive?’ I ask curtly. ‘Those country roads were intense.’
I purse my lips and stare at him. He shakes his head back. The night is young and we’re just getting started.
We are at each other’s throats the rest of the way through dinner, but differently this time. It is teasing, and flirty, andtakes place in the intensity between our eyes and the occasional nudge under the table. But as we finish up and wave goodbye to Evie, the reality of the situation starts to set in. Before I know it, I am up the stairs and locked in my room before he’s had a chance to say a word.
‘You did WHAT?’ Kimi screams, managing to shake the room even through the tiny speaker on my phone.
‘Quiet!’ I whisper. ‘But I know. Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you.’
‘I’m not shocked,’ Devi says, detective face in check. ‘With the tension you two have and his arms, it was bound to happen at some point.’
‘So, what happens now?’ Raina asks, as all three of them wait in silence.
