I trust you.
I exhale in relief. He trusts me. Implicitly trusts me.
And having his absolute trust about something like this?
I just fell a bit more in love with him.
Another message drops in from him:
Claire, you don’t have a poker face. I can tell what you’re feeling when I look at you, and I LOVE that. I wouldn’t want to change that about you, either. Yourface is open and honest, and it makes you even more beautiful to me. I know you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my position with the team, so if you trust Jamie, I’ll trust him, too.
I stare down at his message, stunned by Aiden’s perception of me. And he’s made something I’ve always considered a negative a good thing.
If I weren’t at work, I might get teary over this. But since I’m sitting here at Real Miami, I blink back the tears and text him back:
You’re an amazing man. Thank you for understanding this.
Brooks is typing …
I trust my girl, that’s all.
HOW DID HIS PREVIOUS GIRLFRIEND LET THIS MAN GO?
I will never take for granted how lucky I am to have Aiden. That I get to date this man, continue to get to know him, to call him my boyfriend.
Thank you. I know this isn’t what we planned, but we’re safe.
Aiden immediately messages me back:
I know. Hey, I miss your face. Do you want to come over for dinner after work?
Do I? I can’t reply yes fast enough.
Nor can I wait to see my new boyfriend tonight.
Chapter Thirteen
As soon as Aiden opens the door, his muscular arms enfold me into him. I feel his lips on the top of my head, and I close my eyes as his warm, hard body melts against mine. I smell the wonderful combination of fabric softener, soap, and cologne lingering on his skin.
My pulse burns as his arms tighten around me, as if he can’t hold me close enough. His large hands span across my back, and one moves up to the nape of my neck, cradling me gently.
I feel safe. Cared for. Missed. He’s communicating all these things to me by the way he’s holding me.
I like this place, being in Aiden’s arms like this.
And I think it’s someplace I’d like to stay.
Milo barks, and Aiden chuckles, pulling me inside his apartment and shutting the door behind us. “It looks like I’m not the only one who missed you,” he says. Then he puts his fingertip underneath my chin and tilts my face up toward him. “But he’s going to have to wait because I’ve got to do this.”
Aiden dips his head, his lips capturing mine. The kiss is slow and leisurely, and my hands slide up his hard, muscular chest, coming to rest over his heart. A happy moan escapes my lips as he breaks the kiss.
“I missed you,” he murmurs, dropping a sweet kiss onto my forehead.
Ooh, I’m so falling for this man. HE MISSED ME! And he believes in forehead kisses! And just SWOON.
“I missed you, too,” I say.
Milo barks again. We both look down, and he’s sitting next to me, his tail wagging excitedly as he looks up at me with his big brown eyes.
