“I am,” I say, still not seeing the issue.
He lets out a heavy breath. “That’s ten years between us. When you were finishing university, I was changing nappies and working double shifts.”
There’s a spark of frustration flaming inside me. After the way he just kissed me like I was as essential as the breaths he takes, he’s hung up on birth years?
“Is that supposed to matter to me?”
“Shouldn’t it?” His thumb stills against my palm. “I’m at a different stage in life. I’ve got the baggage to prove it. You deserve someone who?—”
“No,” I interrupt, my voice firm. “I deserve someone who makes me happy. Aidan, I’m not some naive girl who doesn’t know what she wants,” I continue, shifting closer. “I run my own business. I make my own decisions. And I’m choosing to be here.”
He searches my face, and I let him see everything. The certainty, the want, the stubborn determination that runs through every MacKenzie that’s ever walked this earth.
“Fucking hell, Lucy. I couldn’t stay away if I tried.”
Then he leans in again, lips meeting mine with a softness that catches me off guard. He tastes like fresh mint from the tea he was drinking, cool and grounding against the heat of our kiss.
This one isn’t desperate like before. It’s slower, deeper, his lips coaxing mine open with a slow sweep of his tongue teasing against mine. When we part, the room spins just a little, andI’m dizzy with it. His fingers trace the curve of my jaw, light as a whisper.
“I should get you home,” he murmurs, but he doesn’t move.
“Probably,” I reply, even though my body leans toward him. “Or…I could stay a little longer.”
His eyes gleam with something dark that I can feel more than see. For a heartbeat, I think he’s going to kiss me again. Instead, he stands slowly and reaches for my hand.
“Come on,” he says.
I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. He leads me through the living room to a back door I hadn’t noticed before. When he opens it, cool night air rushes in, and we step out onto a small wooden deck. The night sky stretches above us, a canvas of deep blue scattered with stars that seem close enough to touch. The moon hangs low, casting silver light across the yard and the trees beyond.
“Oh,” I breathe, taking in the view. “This is beautiful.”
Aidan stands beside me, his shoulder grazing mine. “It’s why I bought this place.”
I lean against the railing, tilting my head back to take in the vastness above us. “I can see why.”
He hums low in his throat. Out here, everything slows. The questions I haven’t dared ask don’t feel so loud anymore.
“You ever bring anyone else out here?” I tease.
He lets out a quiet breath that might be a laugh. “No. I like the quiet. Doesn’t usually make sense to share it.”
“What about now?” I ask, my voice catching just a little.
His mouth curves into a near dangerous smirk. Then, slow and sure, he lifts his hand, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers trail down, skimming the side of my neck, making me shiver.
He steps closer, crowding my space until my back meets the railing and he’s all I can see. I let myself take him in,savoring every detail. The surprising length of his lashes, the small scar just above his brow that I must have missed before, the way his gray eyes are dimmer now, like the calm after a storm rather than the storm itself.
His hands settle on the railing, caging me in. “What doyouthink?”
I blink up at him, brain scrambling.What do I think?
I think my heart’s somewhere in my throat, because I can’t remember what I asked him. Not with his body so close that I could count the freckles dusting the bridge of his nose if I wasn’t too busy staring at his mouth.
“What…” I start, then stop, because I honestly can’t remember what we were talking about.
Aidan’s smile widens before his mouth finds mine again. His lips move over mine with aching patience, drawing out every heartbeat, every breath. It’s like he wants to make sure I feel it everywhere. And I do. God, I do.
His hand cradles the back of my neck while his thumb grazes just beneath my jaw, coaxing me closer.
