Ace grinned and winked at me before turning his attention to Aiden.
Sexy bastard.
I dipped my head, feeling slightly scandalous for thinking about sex while my son stood right in front of me.
“Sure was,” he answered Aiden.
“I thought you were sleeping in,” I said. He’d had a night flight the evening before, which usually meant that he slept in late the next day. Thankfully, though, he was off for the remainder of the weekend.
“I tried to sleep in but couldn’t since you two weren’t here, so I decided to do a quick workout.”
I could barely smother the smile that passed through my lips.
“Mama and I want you to come on a picnic with us,” Aiden said before I could.
“Thanks for speaking for me.” I stared down at him with my hands on my hips.
He shrugged and turned back to Ace. “Wanna come?”
More and more each day, it was apparent that Ace had become Aiden’s hero. He could do no wrong in my son’s eyes.
“A picnic?” Ace looked up at me. “You know your mom was the first woman I ever took on a picnic?”
“Really?” Aiden looked between the two of us.
“She’s the only woman I’ve taken on a picnic,” he added with a laugh.
My belly flip-flopped.
“Aiden, go upstairs and change your clothes. Then you can help me pack up the food to take with us.”
Aiden was on the run before I could even finish my sentence.
I gasped when Ace snatched me by the waist as soon as Aiden was out of sight.
“You smell good,” Ace murmured into my neck.
“And you smell like sweat.” I squirmed out of his hold, pushing him away. “You’re not going anywhere with me smelling like that.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “You can join me in the shower.”
“Hell no,” I whispered. “Aiden is here.”
“Turn his tablet on. He won’t know the difference.”
I pushed him in the direction of the stairs. “Go. I need to make some sandwiches and pack up the food.”
It took about thirty minutes for Ace to shower, Aiden to change, and for me to prepare the food I bought the day before. Instead of making sandwiches, I packed bread, cheese, and turkey, along with a few condiments and silverware to make them once we sat out.
“All set?” Ace asked Aiden as he came down the stairs.
“Affirmative,” Aiden answered. He’d taken to using as much Air Force terminology as he could learn. He’d even gone so far as to start practicing his military time. Lately, I found myself having to do the mental calculations in my head from military to pedestrian time, since it didn’t come naturally to me.
“Thank you,” I told Ace as he held the door open for me.
“I’ll take this,” he said, taking the wicker basket out of my hands.
“Here you go, Mama,” Aiden said, holding the door of Ace’s truck open for me.
