“I love you,” I mumble, which makes him chuckle.
“And I love you.”
“I think…” I manage to murmur.
He raises his brow, waiting for me to finish my sentence.
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” I blurt out as my stomach lurches, and I hold back the bile in my throat.
Aiden lifts me in his arms and rushes me to the bathroom, gently placing me on the floor. My arms grab the edges of the seat as I move my head over the bowl. Squatting next to me, he rubs my back as the nausea worsens, then with the little warning, my stomach starts to wretch. He holds my hair back as the alcohol escapes my body.
I have no energy as I sag, completely wiped out from today’s events. Aiden dabs my mouth as I daze out. I slowly wake as he carries me to the bed, and I feel him undressing me, but I can’t move to help him as I fade in and out.
I taste the water as I drink it even though my eyes don’t open.
Then blackness hits.
“Jeni. Jeni, wake up.” I hear as I slowly open my eyes to the morning sun. I feel surprisingly okay with only a slight, bearable headache. Aiden softly runs his knuckles down my cheek as I open my eyes fully.
“Good morning, beautiful.” His usual morning greeting chimes through the air as I rub my eyes. “How are you feeling?”
I take in a deep breath and sit up in the bed next to Aiden. “I think I’m okay.” The memory of me heaving while he held my hair comes flooding back. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”
Aiden chuckles as I put my head in my hands. “Don’t be. As long as you’re healthy, I’m only too happy to hold your hair. I’d rather be with you, then I know you’re okay.”
I take a sip of water and clear my throat. “Was I a complete mess?” I ask, feeling like a damn idiot.
“You were a hot mess.”
I half-smile. Drinking the last of my water, I place the glass on the bedside table as he watches me intensely. Stumbling out of bed, I walk to the bathroom wearing only my panties and look at myself in the mirror. I have sunburn across my face and down the length of my arms as well as on my chest. I exhale at the sight. “Stunning,” I mumble sarcastically as I pull out my toothbrush and brush my teeth.
Walking back into his bedroom, I glance at Aiden as he lies on the bed with a tiny part of the black sheet covering his groin. The rest is out on display as he relaxes. I inhale sharply at the sight of his ripped stomach, those thick thighs, and muscled arms. Goosebumps litter my skin just admiring him. I need to be near him, so I run to the bed and crawl my way, so I’m sitting on top of him.
“You must be feeling better. Either that or you’re still a little drunk.” He lets out a slight chuckle.
I move down to kiss him as his arms wrap around my back, pulling me to him as we kiss slowly.
“Try not to do that again,” he demands.
I look at him, confused. “You don’t want me to kiss you again?”
He laughs. “No. Don’t worry me like that again. I wasn’t sure if I should take you to a hospital or let you sleep it off. You worried the shit out of me.”
“I think the sun might have dehydrated me. I kept drinking wine, and that was obviously a bad idea.”
He kisses my nose. “I don’t care one bit if you drink, just be careful.” He slaps my ass and moves me off him so he can sit up. “Time to get dressed. We have a double date to get to.”
I look at him and arch my eyebrow. “Um… what?”
“We’re going bowling. I invited Chris and Sarah. I know you ladies are itching for a double date. C’mon, up you go.” He smirks like he knows I’m shocked right now as he stands to get dressed.
I laugh, thinking he’s joking. “Wait! You, Aiden O’Connell, want to go… bowling?”
“Yeah, it sounds like fun, so I organized it with Chris.”
As I stand, I shake my head and go sort through my packed clothes.
We grab a quick breakfast, then head to Aiden’s Aston Martin.