morning. What did that dark stubble feel like? I fought the urge to reach over and find out.
Murph was wrapping up the meeting, and Aiden turned to me and arched his brows for just a second. What did that mean?
I saw you checking me out just now? Stop staring at me, crazy?
I turned away and cleared my throat.
“Ready?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah.”
I got into the passenger side of his truck, staring straight ahead in hopes of avoiding awkward looks between us. I tried not to think about his guttural grunts of satisfaction as he pounded himself into the screamer.
Especially at the end. His final grunt had been half groan, deep and primal. Colby had always frozen when he started coming, his mouth hanging open in a silent O.
My comparison of Aiden and Colby filled me with guilt and shame. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of Aiden this way. In fact, I adamantly didn’t want to think this way about
any
man. I was trying to find my way on my own now.
“Coffee?” Aiden asked as we approached a gas station just outside the campground. I shook my head as he pulled in and parked. “Water? Anything?”
“No thanks.” I fiddled with my phone, scrolling mindlessly to avoid looking at him.
He came back a couple minutes later, taking a sip of his tall cup of coffee before putting his arm around the back of the seat to look over his shoulder and back out. My skin tingled with awareness from the closeness of his hand to my shoulder. Just feeling his heat had me thinking about his naked, muscled body yet again.
He turned onto the highway and sighed softly. “Hey, about last night—”
“Let’s not,” I cut in, cringing. “I think we should just forget about it.”
He sighed again. “I was an asshole to you, and I can’t forget about that.”
“You were fine. I’m sure anyone would be put off if they found out someone was watching…an intimate moment.”
He turned to face me, eyes wide. “You were
watching
? I thought you were just—”
“Ugh, Aiden.” I buried my burning face in my hands. “Can we please not talk about it?”
A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “Drew.”
I shook my head, my face still in my hands. “Let’s just talk about tornadoes.”
He sighed and laughed at the same time. “All right, look. You’ll never guess what I’m thinking right now.”
I peeked over at him. “What?”
“Colby would laugh his ass off if he could see us right now.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “He would. Nothing ever made him uncomfortable.”
“We were about as different as two people could be.” Aiden shook his head slowly. “Maybe that’s why we worked as friends.”
“You had storm chasing in common.”
“Yeah.” His expression turned serious as he stared at the road. “You know…I meant to call, or drop by and ask how you were doing. I’m sorry I never did.”
“It’s okay.”
He glanced at me. “So…how’re you doing?”
The concern in his greenish brown eyes melted me a little. “I’m doing all right. Things were really hard right after he died. I was grieving and canceling wedding and honeymoon plans at the same time. But Jackie and Shayla picked me up and got me back on my feet. My sister came and stayed with me for a while. And eventually, the hardest part passed.”
I looked out the window at a pristine farm with a white picket fence and bright green fields. The fence reminded me of the one at the small brick bungalow I’d had my eye on back home. Colby and I had talked about buying a new place after we got married. My dreams of a white picket fence had been forgotten when he died, and I didn’t think they’d ever be back.
My mind wandered and I let a question spill out without thinking.
“Did you know her?”
Aiden turned to look at me, brows arched in question. “Who?”
“You know…last night.”
His face fell. Why had I brought it up again? And why did I even care?
“No,” he said. “It was just…stupid, I guess.”
I
Murph was wrapping up the meeting, and Aiden turned to me and arched his brows for just a second. What did that mean?
I saw you checking me out just now? Stop staring at me, crazy?
I turned away and cleared my throat.
“Ready?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah.”
I got into the passenger side of his truck, staring straight ahead in hopes of avoiding awkward looks between us. I tried not to think about his guttural grunts of satisfaction as he pounded himself into the screamer.
Especially at the end. His final grunt had been half groan, deep and primal. Colby had always frozen when he started coming, his mouth hanging open in a silent O.
My comparison of Aiden and Colby filled me with guilt and shame. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of Aiden this way. In fact, I adamantly didn’t want to think this way about
any
man. I was trying to find my way on my own now.
“Coffee?” Aiden asked as we approached a gas station just outside the campground. I shook my head as he pulled in and parked. “Water? Anything?”
“No thanks.” I fiddled with my phone, scrolling mindlessly to avoid looking at him.
He came back a couple minutes later, taking a sip of his tall cup of coffee before putting his arm around the back of the seat to look over his shoulder and back out. My skin tingled with awareness from the closeness of his hand to my shoulder. Just feeling his heat had me thinking about his naked, muscled body yet again.
He turned onto the highway and sighed softly. “Hey, about last night—”
“Let’s not,” I cut in, cringing. “I think we should just forget about it.”
He sighed again. “I was an asshole to you, and I can’t forget about that.”
“You were fine. I’m sure anyone would be put off if they found out someone was watching…an intimate moment.”
He turned to face me, eyes wide. “You were
watching
? I thought you were just—”
“Ugh, Aiden.” I buried my burning face in my hands. “Can we please not talk about it?”
A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “Drew.”
I shook my head, my face still in my hands. “Let’s just talk about tornadoes.”
He sighed and laughed at the same time. “All right, look. You’ll never guess what I’m thinking right now.”
I peeked over at him. “What?”
“Colby would laugh his ass off if he could see us right now.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “He would. Nothing ever made him uncomfortable.”
“We were about as different as two people could be.” Aiden shook his head slowly. “Maybe that’s why we worked as friends.”
“You had storm chasing in common.”
“Yeah.” His expression turned serious as he stared at the road. “You know…I meant to call, or drop by and ask how you were doing. I’m sorry I never did.”
“It’s okay.”
He glanced at me. “So…how’re you doing?”
The concern in his greenish brown eyes melted me a little. “I’m doing all right. Things were really hard right after he died. I was grieving and canceling wedding and honeymoon plans at the same time. But Jackie and Shayla picked me up and got me back on my feet. My sister came and stayed with me for a while. And eventually, the hardest part passed.”
I looked out the window at a pristine farm with a white picket fence and bright green fields. The fence reminded me of the one at the small brick bungalow I’d had my eye on back home. Colby and I had talked about buying a new place after we got married. My dreams of a white picket fence had been forgotten when he died, and I didn’t think they’d ever be back.
My mind wandered and I let a question spill out without thinking.
“Did you know her?”
Aiden turned to look at me, brows arched in question. “Who?”
“You know…last night.”
His face fell. Why had I brought it up again? And why did I even care?
“No,” he said. “It was just…stupid, I guess.”
I
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