Evie smirked and snuggled into Thorn’s broad chest. Aaron knew she was trying to get a rise out of him, but the problem was that it worked, and he sulked until she finally decided she wanted another marshmallow and returned to the chair beside him.
“You’re pretty grumpy,” she murmured, watching Willa and Lana wander around the yard discussing the flower gardens. “Not having fun?”
“Coney Island and a bonfire aren’t exactly my idea of a fun night,” he told her dryly.
“So, why’d you come?” She twisted her roasting stick like a pro, browning the marshmallow on all sides.
“Because it’s your birthday, and it was what you wanted to do.” He raised his eyebrow. “And I wanted to spend your birthday with you.”
“Aww. Aren’t you sweet?” Evie grinned and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “But you know we could have done something else together, and you wouldn’t have had to come with all of us today.”
“I probably still would have come,” he admitted. “I enjoy hanging out with you.”
“Apparently, you don’t like to share me, though.” She teased, grinning as she dug two graham crackers out of the box. “The look on your face when I was cuddling with Thorn.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself.” Aaron rolled his eyes, annoyed he hadn’t hidden it better. “You’re a brat.”
“Whatever.” She handed him a smores. “You adore me.”
“I kinda do,” he admitted, feeling his heart flutter when her smile widened.
“Now that’s a birthday gift,” she teased.
“Brat.”
Chapter Sixty: The Kiss
Evie watched with a small smile as Aaron walked through the restaurant, pausing occasionally to talk to people. It was his twenty-ninth birthday, and Nissa had booked his favourite restaurant for a private event, inviting his friends from all three divisions of Sloane Enterprises. Since he occasionally helped train the security guards and bodyguards, the place was packed.
Turning, she looked around for someone she knew and caught sight of herself in the reflection of a glass divider. Shifting the gift bag in her hand, she tucked back a strand of loose hair and checked to make sure the tight, knee-length red dress she’d thrown on was still sitting right. She was late because she couldn’t decide what to wear, and when Nissa called asking where she was, she’d grabbed the first dress on the pile on her bed and pulled it on. Now she wished she’d gone with the black sundress with the red polka dots.
Evie didn’t see anyone she knew and moved toward the bar, dropping her gift on the table with the pile of presents, wondering how long she needed to stay before it wouldn’t be rude to leave. She ordered a vodka cranberry and turned again, finally spotting Tommy and Nissa with Cole and Lana near the back of the room. Thorn was on assignment for the rest of the summer, which made her very unhappy. They usually used each other as an excuse to leave things like this.
The bartender passed her drink to her, and she picked it up, taking a sip as she looked around again. She saw Aaron talking to a tall blonde woman and quickly looked away, tryingto ignore the way her stomach twisted. She glanced toward the door, wishing she could leave, but she knew she had to say at least hi and wish him a happy birthday.
Looking over again, she was debating interrupting him when he looked up and saw her. His smile shifted instantly from polite and cheerful to something far more natural and intimate. He said something to the woman he was talking to, and Evie frowned as he walked away from her, heading straight toward Evie instead.
“You came.” Aaron swept his eyes up her body, and Evie felt her cheeks heat up. He’d been getting more and more obvious about the way he looked at her, and Evie was both flattered and confused. They had grown closer over the last six months and had become far more affectionate, but she’d been under the impression she was getting another “brother.” If the way he was looking at her right now meant what she thought it did, she’d been missing a lot of signs.
“Of course.” Evie smiled at him. “It’s your birthday. I wouldn’t miss that.” She gestured toward the gift table. “I left your present over there.” She’d gotten him a first edition copy of Doctor Who: The Vault: Treasures of the First Fifty Years, something she was pretty sure he would love.
“Thanks, but you didn’t have to get me anything.” Before she could respond, he reached out and took her hand. “Come on, I want to talk to you.” He led her away from everyone, ducking into an empty private party room.
Evie followed curiously, wondering why he wanted to talk to her away from the others. He shut the door behind them and turned, looking her up and down again.
“You look incredible, by the way.” He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to tuck the strand of hair back into her loose bun.
“Thank you, and so do you.” Evie swallowed as his fingers trailed down the side of her neck. He wore beige cotton pants, an untucked blue button-down, and white tennis shoes. Aaron was very good-looking in an all-American, homecoming-king way, and she had snorted with laughter when he’d once told her he’d been the quarterback for both his high school and university teams, just as she’d guessed when they first met.
Aaron smiled at her. His hand slid down her arm to her hand, then he pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her waist and bringing her tight against him. “I have a birthday wish I’m hoping you can make come true.”
“And what would that be?” Evie looked up at him in surprise. If the hard bar pressed against her stomach was what she thought it was, she had been reading things very wrong.
“I want a kiss from the most beautiful woman in the building.” His eyes flicked to her lips, and she felt her stomach flip.
“So, I should go find Nissa for you?” she joked weakly. There was no way Aaron Denton was interested in her. She was about as far from his usual type of looks and personality as possible. But that was definitely his cock pressing against her. She could feel it twitch.
“So funny.” He rolled his eyes. “I want a kiss from the woman who has been supportive, sweet, and caring while still calling me out on my bullshit.”
