“I can see that.” She laughs, and I smile. “Now, less pouting and more working. I want to get home to my guy before he passes out on the couch.”
“I’m not the one who came over to gossip,” I sass, and she rocks her hip into mine, making me laugh.
Three hours later, with the gym lights dimmed, I look around the room with everyone else. With sheer white material and strings of flowers hanging from the walls, tables with overflowing centerpieces on the outer edge of the dance floor, and about a million lights dangling from the ceiling, the space looks nothing like the gym it is but a fancy ballroom at a five-star hotel.
“It looks great,” Aiden says, and I tip my head back to look up at him.
“Do you feel like going to a dance with me tomorrow night?” I ask, and he dips his chin to meet my gaze.
“Are you asking me to prom, doll?”
“I am, I have to chaperone since the flu wiped out some of the staff who were supposed to help out.”
“Am I going to have to keep my hands and mouth to myself all night.” He wraps his arms around my waist, and I smile.
“Yes.”
“So we can’t sneak off and make out?” he asks just loud enough for me to hear and I shake my head no.
“But I promise I’ll make it up to you when we get home,” I tell him quietly, and his lips skim my cheek.
“I’m gonna hold you to that, doll.” His warm breath brushes across my earlobe, making me shiver.
WITH MY ASSon the island and Aiden standing between my spread legs, his hands gripping my hips and his mouth on mine, I kiss him like I didn’t just have him inside me an hour ago.
“Fuck,” he bites out seconds later when the doorbell rings, his lips stilling on mine.
“That’s your sister,” I remind him, and he groans while the sound of disappointment climbs up the back of my throat. “Sorry.” I push him back a step so I can hop down off the counter, and he adjusts himself.
“You owe me huge for this,” he grumbles, and I grin at him, then head for the door. After a week of me bugging him about having Bridgett over for dinner, he finally asked her, and she declined, which was disappointing. But later, she messaged asking if she could come for breakfast, which is now.
So he might be annoyed right now, but if the relationship between him and his sister changes for the better, I know he’ll feel differently. Or I hope so anyway.
I open the door with Aiden right behind me, plastering a smile on my face, and Bridgett looks between her brother and me. “Hey,” I say softly, not wanting to scare her, because it already looks like she’s about two seconds away from bolting. “Come on in.”
“Thank you.” She hands me a bottle of champagne that I didn’t notice her holding. “I didn’t know what to bring.” She looks from me to her brother and whispers, “Hi.”
“You didn’t have to bring anything.” I shut the door as Aiden awkwardly gives her a one-armed hug.
“Your home is beautiful.” She looks around when we get to the end of the hall, bringing us into the kitchen and living room area.
“Thank you.” I take her coat when she pulls it off and place it in the closet. “So how have you been?”
“Okay.” She licks her lips. “I…” She looks at her brother. “I think I might go back to Conner’s house.”
“What?” Aiden barks, and I place my hand on his back.
“Is that what you want?” I ask her gently, and she shakes her head, then shrugs.
“I need to be there if I’m going to work on things with him.”
“So you talked to Mom,” he growls, and tears fill her eyes. “Jesus, Bridgett, what the fuck? That guy is a dick who cheated on you with every woman who crossed his path, and you’re going back to him, because that’s what Mom wants?”
“I think your brother is trying to say that you do not have to go back to him unless that is what you want.”
“I don’t have a job. I don’t have money. I don’t have anything.” She fights back a sob that hurts to hear.
“I know this isn’t really my place, but can I ask what happened between the two of you?” I go around the counter and take a seat next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
“He wanted a baby.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “I couldn’t get pregnant.”
“I’m sorry.” I rub her back, knowing not from my own experience how hard that is but because my sister and cousin’s wife went through the same thing.
“Don’t be. I couldn’t, because I was secretly taking my birth control.”
“Oh.” My eyes widen, and I meet Aiden’s gaze, finding his jaw ticking.