I didn't say anything. My heart was so confused I didn't know what to say. Aiden didn't do relationships, but his boss thought I was good for him. Apparently, this amazing thing I had going with Aiden was just a fling, but then Ben's words gave me the illusion of hope.
I felt Aiden return to laying on his back beside me. Just our shoulders touched and I ached for more. I wanted him, fling or not. I wasn't sure the true depth of what I felt yet, but I knew I definitely felt something.
I didn't know how this vacation was going to end. I wanted to believe it would be a fairy tale, that Aiden and I would go back to Chicago and live happily ever after. But Aiden wasn't a prince and I wasn't Cinderella. There was a very real chance that we would never see each other again once this dream of a vacation ended.
I tried to tell myself that I was okay with that, but deep down I knew I wasn't. I already felt things for Aiden that I didn't want to give up. I liked the way he made me feel. I like who I was when I was with him. I didn't want to go back to my old life and go back to what I had been.
I took his hand in mine and squeezed, pushing my uneasy thoughts to the side. Tonight, I would share whatever secrets Aiden asked of me. I would accept that this was just a short term thing and do my best to enjoy it.
“It's my turn,” Aiden said, taking the bottle from its spot in the sand. “Tell me about your first kiss.”
“You're going to laugh. It was pretty terrible,” I warned him.
“I sincerely doubt that,” Aiden replied, pulling me to rest on his shoulder. “Kissing you is never terrible.”
I nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, soaking up the feeling of his arm around me and the smell of his skin. If this did have to end at the end of my trip, at least I would have some amazing memories.
Chapter 16
“Vacation agrees with you,” Kathryn commented, startling me out of me out of my day dreams.
“What?” I could feel a blush blaze across my cheeks and I wondered if she could read my thoughts. They were certainly blush-worthy.
“You've been staring off at the water with a happy smile plastered on your face for the entire meeting,” she informed me.
“Sorry. Did I miss something important?” I couldn't even remember what the meeting was about. “I wasn't sure if I got the projector set up properly--”
“Everything was fine,” she assured me, with a smile. “I'm just stating that you look very happy. That assistant must be very good for you.”
I relaxed and grinned. “He is.” She had no idea just how good. He was beyond good.
“I'm guessing you have dinner plans tonight, then,” Kathryn said with a knowing smile.
I starting packing up the laptop and notes from the meeting. “Not if you need me. You brought me here, so you have dibs on me.”
Kathryn laughed and shook her head. “I don't need you tonight. I'm just meeting a couple of old school friends and thought I'd invite you to tag along so you wouldn't be bored.”
I stopped and bit my lip. Aiden was taking me out to dinner, but Kathryn might know someone who had some pull with the law school.
“You should go keep adding to your happy glow,” Kathryn told me, seeing my hesitation. “We're going to just be reliving old times. And none of them are on the school board, so unless you are planning on changing firms, they won't get you far. I just didn't want you to spend the whole trip by yourself.”
I smiled gratefully as I put the last few things from the meeting away. It was almost unnerving how easily Kathryn could read me. “Thanks. How'd you know what I was thinking?”
“I was there once and remember how desperate I was to follow my dreams.” She held open the conference room door for me. “Just make sure you're ready for the meeting tomorrow. I'll actually need you to take notes next time.”
“Yes, ma'am,” I promised, turning off the light before leaving the room. “I'll be there and ready.”
Kathryn started down the path in the opposite direction of me, but she paused and looked over her shoulder. “Have fun tonight,” she said with a wink. It was very clear she knew exactly what kind of fun she was expecting me to have. I blushed a deep crimson, but she had already turned around and started walking.
I watched her for a moment before turning and heading to my room to put the laptop away for the day. Grinning, I walked faster, already imagining just how good the night was going to be. I clutched the laptop bag to my chest, closing my eyes and feeling the warm sunshine as I thought about Aiden. There was nothing in the world that could ruin this trip.
Happiness. I embodied the word. Aiden's hand was warm in mine, holding me close to him. Golden sunlight glinted off the curls of his hair and glimmered in the green and brown depths of his eyes. He walked through the resort as if he owned the place, all calm confidence and charisma. I walked proudly beside him, knowing that every female who saw him wanted to be in my shoes.
He glanced over at me, smiling at what he saw. I blushed, feeling beautiful in his gaze. The way he looked at me made my heart flutter and the space between my legs heat. I loved the way his shirt displayed his broad shoulders and tapered to his narrow waist. He managed to look sexy just walking down the street. If there hadn't been people around, I would have pinned him to a palm tree and had my way with him.
He tugged gently on my hand, pulling me away from the restaurant and toward the beach instead. My light skirt caught the gentle breeze off the ocean and fluttered slightly, threatening to expose me, but I followed him willingly. Ben sat at a small table overlooking the beach reading a newspaper. I nodded respectfully as we passed, earning a slight head bob from him. Aiden ignored him completely.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we stepped off the path and onto the sand. I was glad I had chosen sensible but cute flats as shoes. I didn't have to take them off as long as I didn't kick up too much sand. “I thought we were going to dinner.”