He reached over the console and laced his fingers with hers.Bringing her hand to his lips, he brushed a kiss over her knuckles.“I was hoping you’d want to do that.”
Her arm went lax in his hold and a deep calm settled over his body.They’d been through so much, but they were really only at the beginning.
A beginning that he needed to grow.
***
Dez’s flesh tingledas she stepped into the warm bath at Aiden’s.She lowered herself into the water.The cold that clung to her bones like a second skin slowly disappeared, from the outside in.She stretched out her body and got as low as she could, nearly tucking her chin beneath the surface.
It was practically morning, and her brain buzzed with fatigue, threatening to shut down at any moment.But there was no way she could have crawled into bed with the rancid stench of fear still stuck to her, along with the dirt and grime from the river and the overall grungy sensation of being hunted by Meredith.
Her mind replayed the feeling of the river tossing her around as if she were a lone sock in a washing machine.She’d been so cold.So helpless.A situation that was almost entirely foreign to her.The only other thing that compared was having someone stalk her and vandalize her store.
But it was over now.She inhaled deeply and let out a sigh.She couldn’t live in the past.Even if the most haunting, traumatizing thing that had ever happened to her had taken place only hours before.It was still in the past.
All that was guaranteed was this moment.Here at Aiden’s.She brought her mind to the present and let go of all that had happened.Part of her instinctively wanted to venture into the future and obsess over what would happen between Aiden and her down the road, but that wouldn’t be useful either.
Yes, she wanted to be with him.But maybe he didn’t feel the same.In the car he sure seemed to want her close, but that didn’t necessarily mean he wanted her forever.She closed her eyes.
Just this moment, Dez.This is the only moment that matters.
She woke alittle while later to her arms twitching.The water had cooled down.She’d either dozed off or fallen into meditation.She pulled the tub stopper, grabbed her towel from the counter, and stood.After drying herself off, she took out the warm leggings and long-sleeved shirt she’d packed and pulled them on.
She brushed her teeth and scrubbed the remnants of makeup from her cheeks, then exited the en suite bath and stepped into Aiden’s bedroom.
He sat on the bed, his hands clasped in front of him.He glanced up when she came closer, and his hands parted, gesturing for her to come to him.Without hesitation, she rested her hands on his shoulders.
He’d showered.Dry clothes covered his body and his hair was fanned out a bit, unstyled and unruly.
“You could have gone to bed,” she said, her voice soft.
He shook his head, and his fingers flexed on her hips.“I needed to see for myself that you’re okay.”
She chuckled and lifted her hand to drag it through the strands of his hair.“Of course I am.Thanks to you.”
He snorted.His eyes met hers, the most luminescent green.“All I did was go for a swim with you.If you hadn’t spotted the low branches, we might not have made it out.”
She placed her palm flat against his cheek as annoyance flared inside her.“Are you kidding me?If you hadn’t taken down Meredith, she probably would have shot me in the water.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw.“I’ve never felt so crazy in my life.Her holding that fucking gun to your neck...Christ.I wanted to kill her with my bare hands.”
She pressed her lips to his, to anchor him in the moment.“Thank you for getting there when you did.And for jumping in the water.When I saw you dive in, I knew we’d make it back out.”
His arms circled her waist, hugging her.His cheek rested against her chest.She embraced his shoulders and toyed with the hair at the back of his neck.After all that had happened today, the last thing she’d expected was to be comforting Aiden.But it felt so good seeing this side of him.
He cared.
What that meant wasn’t important right now.All that mattered was that they were here for each other.“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered against his temple.
He nodded and dragged her onto the bed beside him.“I can’t let you go.Not yet.”
She giggled and tucked herself against his side.His arms stayed wrapped tightly around her.“I’m not asking you to.”
He reached over and clicked off the lamp and darkness filled the room.In seconds she fell asleep to the sound of Aiden’s breathing.
CHAPTER 16
Aiden opened hiseyes.Fatigue threatened to pull them closed again, but the bright sunlight filtering through the curtains made him stay awake.
