“This old thing?” Lizzie holds the skirt of her dress out and watches it flair as she spins in a circle.

  I grin down at her, enjoying the way she looks at me—like I’m the only man in the room. “Can we finish making our rounds so we can go home?” she asks.

  “In a hurry, Ms. Donovan?” I whisper against her soft, pink lips.

  “Only a little.”

  Lizzie

  “I didn’t think that reception was ever going to end,” Aiden says, all but dragging me down the hall. “Your place, or mine?”

  I have to practically run to keep up with Aiden’s long strides down the hall. I laugh breathlessly. “Yours. I share a bedroom wall with Edna.”

  “Good call.” He unlocks his door, pushes it open, and I don’t know who reaches for whom first, just that we’re in each other’s arms, reaching, grabbing, tugging at each other’s clothes.

  His suit jacket is gone, followed by his tie, and when I grab the front of his shirt and rip it open, we gasp. Buttons fly across the room.

  “Oh my gosh.” I cover my face and try not to laugh. “I’m so sorry, I got carried away. I hope you don’t—”

  Aiden shuts me up with a kiss. His low growl pushes me from amused to level ten turned on. “Hottest thing you’ve ever done.”

  “Even hotter than giving you head?”

  “I take it back. Second hottest.” He scoops me into his arms. When we get to his room, he lowers me to my feet. “Turn around.”

  I do as he asks, gathering my hair in my hand in the process, exposing my neck. I look at him over my shoulder as he slowly lowers the zipper. Goosebumps skitter up my back at his light touch.

  “I thought you were going to rip it off.”

  “Another time,” he promises, sweeping his hands up my spine. Aiden places a kiss to the nape of my neck and along my shoulder, pulling the straps of my dress down as he goes. The material falls to my waist, exposing my breasts to the cool air. My nipples tighten. “You’re a gift…my gift. I want to take my time with you.”

  My bones turn to mush, making it hard to stand. But that’s okay because Aiden has me. He has me in his arms, cradled against his big body as he lowers me to the bed, and we shut out the rest of the world.

  The only light comes from the moon casting a glow through an open window. It’s not much, but enough to see.

  I blink and reach for Aiden when he suddenly disappears. Pushing onto my elbows, I watch him crawl off the bed and shuck his pants along with his boxers. A second later, he’s crawling up the bed, his warm body pressing me into the mattress.

  I glide my arms up and around his neck. Aiden palms my thigh, guiding it to his hip, allowing his body to fit snugly against mine. His erection is warm, hard, and throbbing against my core. I lift my pelvis, letting him know I’m ready, but Aiden has other plans.

  He cradles the back of my head, his brown eyes dark with passion as he stares down at me. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

  “Aiden.” I lift my chin.

  He nuzzles my nose and then lowers his lips, claiming me.

  I always thought if I got lucky enough to be with Aiden like this, that it might be awkward. Two best friends coming together with so much intimacy and passion. But it doesn’t feel awkward at all. It feels perfect—like coming home after a long day and curling up on the couch with a good book and giant bowl of ice cream.

  Everything about this is new and exciting, yet familiar and comfortable, and I can’t think of a better combination.

  I arch my back, needing more of him. Warm lips travel along my jaw to the soft spot behind my ear. He kisses me softly and nips at my ear before nibbling his way down my neck to the swells of my breasts. When he dips his head and takes a tight bud into his mouth, what little control I’d been holding onto snaps.

  My hands are in his hair, my hips moving of their own accord as he rocks against me. There’s not a single space between us. His body feels delicious against mine, all hard muscles and soft skin. And those lips.

  God, those lips.

  I moan, pushing my head against the pillow, thrusting my breasts into the air as he kisses his way down my stomach, and then suddenly, he’s gone. I sit up and watch him pull a condom from the nightstand.

  “Let me.”

  Aiden shakes his head and rips open the foil packet. “If you touch me right now, I’ll explode.”

  I can’t help but smile. That smile fades as Aiden slides the condom over his straining erection. His muscles ripple with the movement. His body is hard with sleek lines, dips and crevices I ache to explore.

  Mine.

  I hold out my hand. Aiden drops a knee to the bed and follows me down. Our gazes lock, and in his, I see things that I’ve only ever dreamed of. Promises and dreams and hope for a future that has always seemed so far out of reach are suddenly tangible.

  “Aiden.” Cupping his jaw, I brush my thumb against his bottom lip. I whisper his name again. Aiden captures my lips with his, and then he’s inside me. With one swift push of his hips, Aiden and I become one. His body stretches mine, and when he pulls out and pushes back in, he pauses.

  “You feel so good.”

  I wrap my arms around him, moving my hands to his ass to urge him forward.

  “Please, Lizzie.” Aiden puts his face against my neck and pins his hips to mine. “I just need a minute.”

  Like I could ever deny him. Raising my legs, I wrap them around him and cradle the back of his head in my hands. Aiden kisses me with a quiet urgency, and after a few beats, our bodies begin to move.

  “I’ll go slower next time,” he promises, rocking his hips against mine. “But right now, I need you.”

  “I need you, too.”

  His hips retreat and then push in again, this time farther…deeper.

  Aiden kisses my cheek, my neck, my breasts as we find a long, slow rhythm. With each thrust, he pushes his hips against mine, rotating them in a way that hits my clit. I gasp.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” I shake my head and move my hips. “I didn’t realize it could feel this good. Please, Aiden, I need you to keep moving.”

  “I love you, Lizzie.” Aiden’s voice is raw, the vulnerability in his eyes matching mine as sweat beads on his forehead.

  “I love you, too, Aiden. So much.”

  And with that, he picks up his pace, rocking in and out of me.

  Harder.

  Faster.

  We pant and breathe whispered promises as he pushes my body further than ever. A tight ball of pressure builds low in my belly. Every thrust of his hips sets me on fire.

  Aiden laces our fingers together and pulls them above my head, pinning my arms to the mattress as he pounds into me. My orgasm builds tighter and tighter, causing little spasms down my legs. Finally, I let go.

  My body pulses around his as I buck my hips, desperate to drag out the best damn orgasm of my life.

  Aiden’s back stiffens. His movements are no longer long and smooth but jerky as he follows me over the edge. Unlocking our fingers, Aiden buries his face against my neck and rolls off me. He pulls me to the side, fitting me into the crook of his arm, then rests his lips to the side of my head and says, “Now that I’ve had you, I’ll never get enough. I think I’m addicted.”

  That sounds good to me. I sigh and cuddle against him, letting the gentle beat of his heart lull me to sleep.

  16

  Lizzie

  Life is short. Chase the dream that sets your soul on fire. –Liz

  I’m startled awake by the sound of sirens blaring. Aiden stirs beside me but doesn’t wake up. We turned to each other several times throughout the night. He made love to me more times than I can count. My muscles ache, and I know he must be exhausted because I’m spent. I curl up to his side and close my eyes, only to be woken up a few seconds later by a loud bang.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Rubbing my eyes, I sit up and shake Aiden. “Aiden, something’s going on.”

  “Huh?” It takes him a few seconds to come to, but when we hear another bang followed by a crash, he jolts out of bed.

  My phone is lying on the nightstand, and I grab it. It’s 5:30 in the morning. Who in their right mind would be making this much noise at this time?

  “Stay here.”

  I wrap the sheet around my naked body, swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and watch Aiden yank on a pair of jeans. Next thing I know, he’s rushing back into the room, yelling my name.

  “Get dressed. It’s Edna,” he says, pulling a shirt over his head. “There’s an ambulance here and paramedics. Hurry.”

  Shit. I don’t have any clothes here, so I grab a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from Aiden’s drawer and follow him out of the apartment.

  Edna’s apartment door is wide open, and we rush to it, only to be shoved back. “Sir, I’m going to need you to step back so they can work on her.”

  “Work on her?” I ask, straining my neck to look past the guy. “What do you mean, work on her?”

  “Are you family?” the man asks.

  “No. She doesn’t have any family. We’re her neighbors,” Aiden says.

  “And I’m her emergency contact. My name is Lizzie. Can you please tell us what’s going on?”

  The man doesn’t have time to answer because a stretcher carrying Edna barrels out of the apartment. The paramedics shout orders to each other as they whizz by, only slowing long enough for one of them to yell out, “We’re taking her to Bourbon Regional.”

  Aiden grabs my hand. “Let’s go.”

  I look at my phone for the hundredth time. “Why hasn’t anyone come to talk to us yet?”

  Aiden doesn’t answer the question I’ve asked over a dozen times. Instead, he snags my hand and pulls me onto his lap. “I’m sure they’ll come talk to us as soon as they have information.”

  Sagging against him, I cry. Everything hurts. My body from these damn chairs, or maybe from making love to Aiden all night, and my heart. My heart really hurts. I put a fist over the offending organ to try and lessen the ache. It doesn’t help.

  “I hate that she’s alone.”

  Aiden’s arms tighten around me. “She’s not. She has us.”

  “But we’re all she has, Aiden. There’s no one. Not a sibling or a kid. What happens if we ever decide to move?”

  “We’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

  “She has to be okay.”

  “She’s too stubborn to be anything but.”

  I laugh and kiss Aiden’s neck.

  The minutes drag into an hour. I stand to stretch my legs, and Aiden does the same. We pace across the tiny space, and finally, a doctor in light blue scrubs walks into the room.

  “Are you the family of Edna McCarthy?”

  Aiden and I dart across the room. “We’re her neighbors. My name is Lizzie, I’m her emergency contact. She doesn’t have any family.”

  The doctor nods and shakes both of our hands. “I’m Dr. Flannagan.”

  “How is she, Doctor?” Aiden asks.

  “Edna had a myocardial infarction.”

  “A what?”

  “Sorry.” Dr. Flannagan smiles softly. “Myocardial infarction is the fancy term for heart attack.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” I ask.

  He nods. “She’s resting now. We’re going to move her to the third floor and watch her for a couple of days. We want to run some more tests and get a cardiologist in here to evaluate her further.”

  I sag against Aiden. “Can we see her?”

  “Yes, but she probably won’t be awake for a while. We’ve given her some medicine to help her rest.”

  “We understand,” Aiden says, taking my hand in his. “But we’d still like to sit with her if that’s okay. We want her to know she’s not alone.”

  “Follow me.” Dr. Flannagan leads us down the sterile hall and stops outside of a wooden door. “She’s a strong woman. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “You’re welcome.” With a final nod of his head, Dr. Flannagan leaves.

  “You ready?”

  My heart beats so hard that I’m afraid it’s going to jump out of my chest. I hate hospitals. I hate the smell, the look, the cold colors. I hate it all. “Yes.”

  Aiden pushes open the door, and there’s Edna, pale against the stark white sheets. Oxygen tubing is in her nose, and an IV in her hand is hooked up to some sort of drip. A monitor on the wall emits a low, steady beep as I walk forward and take Edna’s cold hand.

  “Hey,” I whisper, dropping to a chair beside her bed.

  Edna blinks up at me with sleepy eyes. “Hi,” she manages to say. Her voice is raspy and low. She squeezes my hand as though she needs my touch as much as I need hers.

  “You gave us a scare,” I say, my voice breaking.

  “Stop that. No crying.” Edna’s eyes drift shut, and when she opens them again, she looks at Aiden and holds out her hand. He walks across the room and sits beside her, his big, warm hand enveloping hers. “Are you officially out of the Friend Zone?”

  Aiden and I look at each other and laugh. “Yes,” he says. “Thanks to you.”

  “Pfft. I had nothing to do with it.” She cuts a frail hand through the air as her words morph into a cough. “My throat is dry.”

  Aiden grabs the pink pitcher of water on her bedside table and pours her a small glass. Bringing it to Edna’s lips, he helps her take a sip.

  “Not too much,” I warn.

  She relaxes against her pillows when she’s done and sighs. “You look tired.”

  “It’s your fault.” I laugh and brush another tear from my face. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I had a heart attack.”

  “Edna.”

  “Too soon?” She laughs and blinks slowly.

  “If you’re tired, sleep. Aiden and I will be here when you wake up.”

  Edna considers that for a second and then shakes her head. “I can sleep when I’m dead. I’d rather talk to you. When does the next trivia game at the Senior Center start?”

  “You just had a heart attack, you shouldn’t be worrying about a trivia game.”

  “I’m thinking that since you two are a couple now, Aiden will have to join the women’s team.”

  “No way.” Aiden laughs and shakes his head. “I can’t leave my brothers hanging.”

  Edna laughs, and I stand up. “Can we please talk about something other than a stupid trivia game?”

  “Like what, dear?”

  “Like the fact that you just had a heart attack. Do you understand how serious that is? You could’ve died, Edna. Maybe we should be talking about what we’re going to do when you get out of here. You’ll need to change your diet to something more heart-healthy. No more salt or—”

  “Lizzie.” Edna frowns. “I’m okay.”

  “But you could’ve died,” I sob. Aiden releases Edna’s hand and walks around the bed to hug me.

  “But I didn’t. I didn’t die, and no way in hell am I giving up salt. I love salt.”

  Is she crazy? “You have to do something.”

  “I am,” she says. I sniff and turn in Aiden’s arms to look at her. “I’m going to live the rest of my life the way I want to live it. I’m going to eat salt and chocolate and probably French fries because you know how much I love them, and I’m going to be as active as God will allow me to be, and you’re going to accept it.”

  “Edna—”

  “I love you, Lizzie. And I love Aiden. If I could’ve had a son, daughter, or grandchildren, I’d hope that they would be just like the two of you. I’m grateful that I’ve had you two to help take care of me the past couple of years. But let’s face it, I’m no spring chicken, and I’m going to die. Everyone does.”

  “I know that. But I’m not ready for you to kick the bucket.”

  Edna laughs. “There’s my girl. How about you sit back down here and tell me about how Aiden swept you off your feet.”

  “It’s an epic love story that I’m sure you’re going to enjoy,” Aiden says, kissing Edna on the head. “And while Lizzie tells you about it, I’m going to call my parents and reschedule our dinner plans.”

  “Don’t do that because of me,” Edna insists.

  “It’s done. We’re not leaving you.”

  “Ever,” I reiterate.

  Aiden

  “Sweetheart, why don’t we go home? You can get cleaned up, we can grab a bite to eat, and then you can come back up here,” I whisper so that I don’t wake Edna. It’s four o’clock in the afternoon. We’ve been here all day, and we’re both exhausted.

  “I’m not leaving, Aiden.”

  My cell rings for the hundredth time in my pocket.

  Lizzie kisses my cheek. “Answer it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Go. And bring me back a Diet Coke.”

  I pull my phone from my pocket and slip out the door. “Hello?”

  “Aiden, it’s Ryan. I have some great news.”

  “Now really isn’t a good time,” I say, dragging my hand through my hair.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m at the hospital with my neighbor. She had a heart attack and—”

  “I’ll be quick,” he says. “We want you to relocate.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t say no just yet. I know it’s a big step, but it’s something we’ve talked about before.”

  “Years ago, when I first started designing for you.”

  “And now the time for that conversation has come. We want you here permanently as head of the gaming division. It comes with a fat raise, a corner office, and we’ll pay for all of your moving expenses. Aiden, this is the chance of a lifetime.”

  Holy shit. This is my dream. This is what I’ve always wanted. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

  “Ryan, I—”

  “Don’t say no. Finish up whatever you’re taking care of, then call me. In the meantime, I’ll pull together some final numbers. Tell me you’ll think about it.”