Chapter 19
Aiden
AFTER CHECKING THEtime, I walk through the bedroom toward the open bathroom door and stop there to watch May lean across the counter and apply something to her lashes.
“Sorry, I’m almost done.” She meets my gaze in the mirror, and I walk toward her slowly.
“What time do we need to be there?” I step up behind her, placing my hands on her hips, the material of her robe so thin it’s easy to tell she has nothing—or close to nothing—on under it.
“Eight.
“Are you sure we need to go?” I look down at her round ass, and my hands itch to move the silky material up over her waist.
“Unfortunately, yes.” She turns to face me and rests her hands against my chest. “Next weekend, we are doing absolutely nothing.”
“That’s going to be difficult for you to pull off, baby, since just this afternoon you promised your mom we’d have dinner with her and your dad next Saturday.”
“Damn, I forgot about that.” She drops her forehead to my chest. “Why did you let me agree to that?”
“Because I’m still trying to win your dad’s approval,” I say, and she tips her head back, and her brow wrinkles.
“My dad likes you.”
“I’m not sure about that.” I give her waist a squeeze. He might tolerate me, because he loves his daughter, but like is not how he feels about me.
“When you got between him and me, you earned his respect, which is more important than him liking you.” She leans up to kiss my jaw, then heads into the closet. “Do you think Bridgett is going to be okay?”
The change of topic doesn’t surprise me. I know she’s worried about my sister, more so now after what we learned today. Hell, I’m worried about her… and pissed at our mom for not wanting better for her daughter.
“Like you said, baby, what she decides to do is up to her.” I lean against the doorjamb of the closet. “I just really hope she thinks about why she was still taking her birth control after her husband told her that he wanted them to have a kid.”
“Yeah, me too.” She takes off her robe, and it’s a serious form of torture, seeing her in a skimpy pair of panties and a bra, knowing I won’t be able to take them off her for hours. “I can’t believe your mom wants her to go back to him.”
“Babe, my parents have stayed together for years, and I don’t know that they’ve ever been happy. So I’m sure my mom is thinking that she did it, so why can’t Bridgett suck it up and do it too.” I watch her skim a pair of pants up her thighs.
“That so dumb,” she grumbles, grabbing a white silky-looking top off a hanger, putting it on and tucking it in. “I can’t imagine staying with someone I wasn’t happy with.”
“Yeah, but that’s because you’re not a woman who thinks happiness is attached to material things.”
“I guess.” She grabs a pair of heels off one of the shelves and steps into them. “Okay, ready.” She lets out a breath and turns to face me.
“What time is this thing over?” I let my eyes roam over her.
“I think eleven. Really, it depends on when the kids all take off. I’m sure most of them will have plans that have nothing to do with the dance.”
“So three hours.”
“What?” She tips her head to the side.
“I have to keep my hands off you for three hours.”
“Yes.” She shifts on her heels while her pupils dilate, and I take a step toward her but stop when her cell rings in the bedroom.
“If that’s someone calling to make plans for tomorrow, tell them we’re busy.”
“I will.” She laughs, walking past me, and I follow her into the room and watch her pick up her phone. “It’s Kenton.” Her worried eyes meet mine.
“Answer it, baby,” I tell her gently.
“Hey, Uncle Kenton.” She takes a seat on the side of the bed and drops her eyes to the floor. “What does that mean?” she asks, then she lifts her chin, meeting my gaze. “Is he sure the IP address is connected to the school?” She bites her lip. “No, no one; it doesn’t even make sense. Okay, sure, thank you. I’ll talk to you soon.” Her shoulders sag as she hangs up the call, and I squat in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “Justin was able to finally trace the IP address that the person used to sign up for the dating site, and whoever it was used the school’s network.” Her head comes up. “So Mike is someone I know… or someone who knows me.”
“Is he sure?”
“He wouldn’t have called to tell me unless he was sure,” she whispers, and my jaw clenches as rage floods my veins. For weeks, she’s unknowingly come into contact with someone who is very obviously obsessed with her.
“You need to call and tell your boss you can’t help out tonight.”
“I can’t do that. She’s already short-staffed.” She shakes her head as I push up to stand. “And Kenton is calling the detective on our case to give him the information, so hopefully he’ll find the person.”
“That’s all great, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re in danger now.”