He released her. “I haven’t asked you this before, but what happens when you’re not available on a Sunday afternoon for the workshop?”
“Isla has said she’s happy to stand in for me. She hasn’t had to yet, but she’s obviously the perfect choice if I can’t make it. Plus, a couple of the girls are very close to being able to run the workshops, and they’ve said they wouldn’t mind. Another one, Tessa, is already helping out with maintaining our online shop. I’m relieved, to be honest. While I love running every aspect of New Again, there are times when I hope to have Sunday afternoon off. A couple more months, I’d say, and I can do that.”
“That’s good, because I’d love to take you away for a long weekend sometime.”
Felicity grinned. “Can’t wait. I so enjoyed this weekend at Bowral.”
“Well, we weren’t exactly alone. Mar took so much of your time.”
“I didn’t mind,” Felicity said with a laugh. “But it would be nice to spend all weekend just with you.”
“Mm,” he agreed. “Well, I better leave you to it so you can focus on what you have to do.”
“Uh-huh. Because you’re such a distraction for me,” Felicity said, grinning.
“I’ll see you again soon.”
“Okay. I want to have dinner at your place next.”
Aidan couldn’t help but laugh, partly from relief that he could now say yes to that. “Sure. When would you like? Say, Wednesday?”
“Sure. If that’s not too soon.”
He raised his brows. “Too soon?”
“Well,” Felicity said with a shy smile, “I thought you might want some space.”
“Why?”
“Because…you might be sick of me already?”
“Are you sick of me already?” He wasn’t being too needy, was he?
“Of course not. Just checking. And I’m happy with Wednesday. I can’t wait, actually.”
“Great. You’ll let me know if you need space, right?” he asked worriedly. The last thing he wanted was for Felicity to feel pressured into seeing him too often.
Felicity slung her arms around his neck. “I will. And for the record, I’m far from needing space when it comes to you.”
He smiled. “Phew. I’ll see you Wednesday, then. I’ll pick you up from work.”
“I can go there myself. I’ll go home first and get my car.”
“Nah. Since I’m very flexible, I wouldn’t mind picking you up.”
Felicity shook her head in wonder. “You’re spoiling me, you know that? And I like it.”
He chuckled. It would be his pleasure to keep spoiling Felicity—and keep her safe.
They kissed passionately, and Aidan was tempted to take Felicity to the bedroom again. But he had to go back to Control to pack the last of his stuff.
He’d miss the place he called home at Point Piper, but he was looking forward to the new chapter in his life at Kingsgrove, then at Burwood. When he was settled into his own place, he’d think about asking Felicity to move in with him.
He had to admit, though, that it felt surreal being an inactive Indie Rebel. But he was sure he’d get completely used to it soon.
Chapter 14
A week later…
Felicity arrived at the workshop twenty minutes before its start, just as she received a text from Sophie. Good! Sophie was coming today, and she’d be arriving in a few minutes to help set up.
After Sophie’s questioning last week, she’d been keen to find out if Sophie would still be attending the New Again workshops. She’d wanted to call and ask, but considering Sophie’s job, Felicity hadn’t wanted to put Sophie in a difficult position. Surely, there was some sort of rule regarding police not socialising with people who were part of their investigation.
Perhaps the authorities had determined that she had nothing to answer for regarding Nolan’s lies? It could be why Sophie was attending the workshop again. That would be a relief.
Admittedly, Nolan’s absurd claims had been giving her a few sleepless nights. The man hadn’t moved on, so to speak, and she couldn’t help but feel a little scared about it. If he could set her car on fire in anger, nothing else he did would surprise her.
Thank goodness for Aidan. He was so great at making her feel safe. He didn’t even need to do anything. Just his presence and the vibes he exuded were enough to calm her worries.
“Hello,” somebody said from behind her.
Felicity turned around. “Hey, Sophie! How’s it going?”
“Good, thanks. I’m so glad I can make it today. I’ve missed working on my corner shelf.”
Felicity smiled, suddenly shy. Things weren’t the same with Sophie, and she wasn’t sure whether to act like she hadn’t been affected by Sophie’s investigation or come right out and ask questions to satisfy her curiosity.
“How’ve you been?” Sophie asked.
“Mainly good, thank you,” she said sincerely.
Sophie appeared to scrutinise her to see if she was telling the truth, then smiled. “I’m really so glad to hear that.”
Felicity chuckled. Sophie’s clear concern relaxed her. “Hey, I was meaning to ask you about Nolan’s accusations against me. Is that something we can talk about or is it a no-go?”
“It’s still an open case. But—and I’m saying this as your friend, not as a police officer—I believe you and not Nolan.”
Felicity sighed with relief. “Thank you. I actually wasn’t sure if you were even coming back here while that’s ongoing.”
“I’m off the case, unfortunately. I’d already mentioned to my boss a while back that I’m attending the New Again workshops, so I was surprised when he asked me to work on Lydia’s complaint. I thought that he simply didn’t think there was much to it. Then, it occurred to me that maybe he didn’t know that you’re running the workshops and that I’ve grown close to you girls. I had to disclose those facts, so now I’m not working on that case anymore.”
“Aw. I hope that was okay with you.”
“I would have loved to help you fight back against Nolan again, so I pleaded to assist with it in some small way. But it was a firm no. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to miss these workshops. I’m enjoying it so much. I’m just glad I wasn’t ordered to not attend anymore.”
“Phew. I’m glad you can still keep coming. We all enjoy your company. And you know that some of the girls feel really safe with you around.”
Sophie nodded. “I’m happy to help in that way, too.”
Felicity smiled. “I kept wanting to call you after you questioned me, but I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to. When I got your text a few minutes ago that you were coming, I wasn’t sure if I should talk to you about it. But I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, and all the girls, and the workshops,” Sophie said with a laugh. “Glad you’re not too worried about Nolan’s claims.”
“I’m sure they’ll see I’m innocent. What could they possibly find when there’s nothing to find?”
Sophie nodded. “Best not to let any of it bother you. Anyway, let me just say that you look fabulous.”
“You like my haircut, huh?” Felicity touched her hair. “I always prefer keeping it this short.”
“It does look good, but it’s not just that. You’re glowing.”
Felicity blushed. “Thanks.”
Sophie walked to the piece she’d started working on three weeks ago. “Can’t wait to start painting this baby. I wasn’t very happy with my chair, so I hope this will look far better.”
“Hey, you did well with that chair, considering it was your first refurbished piece.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to be too nice. I can take it.”
“I’m not just being nice,” Felicity said insistently. “My second piece didn’t make any profit. In fact, we lost money on it. We sold it just to get rid of it. I said second piece because I kept the first for myself.”
“Really? Well, that makes me feel better. At least we broke even on mine, right?”
“Hello, hello!” Tessa said from the threshold. “Glad to see you here today, Sophie. It’s been a while.”
“I know,” Sophie said. “How are you?”
“Good. Looking forward to finishing my small table today. And how are you, Fel?”
“Great, thank you.”
“You’re always great since you met Aidan,” Tessa said with a laugh. “Is he picking you up this evening?”
“No. He has to prepare for a meeting tomorrow.”
“You guys see each other often?” Sophie asked.
“About three or four times a week.”
“Wow.”
“Oh, they’re getting really serious,” Tessa supplied.
Sophie cocked her head. “Are you?”
“Yes. Aidan’s great. I don’t want to mention him in the same breath as Nolan, but I have to say he is the total opposite.”
“That’s good. What does he do again? IT, right?”
“Yup.”
Sophie shook her head. “I’m in the wrong industry. Those tech guys make so much money. Where does he live? Point Piper?”
“What? No,” Felicity said with a laugh. “He’s well off, but not that well off. He lives in Kingsgrove.”
“Kingsgrove?” Sophie asked with a hint of a frown.
“Uh-huh.”
“Right. I guess I just imagined him to be living in a suburb like Point Piper,” Sophie murmured.
“Do you think you’ll be living together soon?” Tessa asked.
Felicity shook her head. “We haven’t even talked about it. But, to be honest, I miss him when he’s not around.”
“Whoa, sexy times must be real good,” Tessa said teasingly.
“It’s not just that—although, yeah, sexy times are real good,” she said with a chuckle. “I just miss everything about him.”
Tessa placed her palms on her chest. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Tessa.” Felicity glanced at Sophie, who hadn’t been smiling, but flashed her one when she saw her looking. Was she boring Sophie with the topic of Aidan? Or, considering that Sophie had expressed attraction to Aidan, was she jealous?
“So, what do you like most about Aidan?” Sophie asked casually.
Felicity shrugged. She didn’t want to keep prattling on about Aidan if it made Sophie uncomfortable.
Tessa laughed out loud. “Do you have to ask? You’ve seen Aidan, right?”
“Yeah,” Sophie said with a snicker.
“And Fel just said sexy times with him are real good.”
Felicity smiled, feeling compelled to express that it wasn’t only Aidan’s physical skills and attributes that attracted her to him. “He’s also gentle, and he seems to know when to just hold me quietly. He’s very…intuitive. And he makes me feel special…wanted…cherished.”
Sophie stared at her. “Wow.”
She smiled shyly. “I haven’t had that with any man before.”
“You’re so lucky,” Tessa said with envy.
“Right,” Sophie said with a smile that seemed a tad forced.
“What about you, Soph?” Tessa pried, seemingly oblivious to Sophie’s expressions. “Anyone interesting in the horizon?”
“No,” Sophie said, wrinkling her nose. “Haven’t had much time to find a decent man to date. Where do you find them, anyway?”
Tessa scoffed. “Don’t ask me. The last guy I dated turned out to be the devil himself. Lucky I can laugh about it now.”
Felicity exchanged smiles with Tessa. Thankfully, they’d both mended spirits that had been broken by their exes.
“I have to say it’s hard finding someone due to my line of work,” Sophie said. “Men I meet seem to find me intimidating.”
“Mm.” Felicity searched for some encouraging words, but all she could think of was, “I’m sure the man for you is out there.”
“Sure,” Sophie said dryly. “Anyway, it doesn’t bother me. I mean, it would be good to meet someone, but if I don’t, then I don’t. Know what I mean?”
Felicity nodded. If Kerrod were looking for a girlfriend, she’d introduce them. But Kerrod seemed to be enjoying single life too much. He wasn’t in the same space as Sophie when it came to relationships.
She hoped that Sophie would find a decent guy to date soon, because she didn’t like the thought that Sophie might still be attracted to her boyfriend.
Felicity was surprised to receive a text from Aidan just as she and the other women were cleaning up the room after another fruitful and fun-filled afternoon.
Hi, babe. Finished prepping for tomorrow. Wanna go out to dinner?
She bit back a smile. More and more, Aidan was proving he couldn’t get enough of being with her, either. Oh, she was so in love with this guy. She texted back.
Yes. Just finished here. Where do you want to meet?
How about at your place? Then we can decide where we want to go.
Okay. See you soon.
“What’s your man texting you?” Tessa asked.
Felicity looked up from her phone. “How did you know it’s from Aidan?”
All the women laughed.
“Your face,” Tessa said, chuckling.
“Really? Well, I just can’t help it. This man tickles me everywhere, including my heart.”
“Aww,” said everyone.
“I might need to run a check on Aidan’s background,” Sophie said, sounding serious.
Felicity frowned. “What do you mean?”
Sophie waved dismissively. “I’m kidding. Sorry. Bad joke.”
“I’m sure Fel would know by now if Aidan’s anything like Nolan, right?” Tessa pressed, looking at Felicity.
“Of course,” Felicity said. “I can guarantee you he’s nothing like Nolan. And if—if—he ever turns out to be, I promise all of you I’ll be out the door the moment I realise that.”
“We’re sure he’s fine,” Sophie said, smiling.
Felicity smiled back, although she couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Sophie had said something so inappropriate about her boyfriend to a group like this. What had possessed Sophie to say that?
Well, perhaps she was the one who’d been too insensitive of Sophie’s feelings. She’d blabbed on about how happy she was with Aidan. “Sorry, girls. Please don’t hesitate to stop me if I talk about Aidan again.”
“Hey, I like hearing about you and Aidan,” Tessa said. “It gives me hope that there are still a lot of good men out there.”
The others murmured their agreement.
Felicity glanced at Sophie.
Had Sophie smirked before giving her a big smile?
Felicity slowed down her car to turn into her building’s parking area. As she did so, she noticed a familiar vehicle parked on the street. Oh, Aidan was here already.
She grinned, waving at him before heading to her allotted car bay. Maybe she should give him keys to her place. Or better yet, maybe they could exchange house keys.
She parked and hurried to the front to open the door for her boyfriend.
“Hi,” Aidan said, then kissed her on the mouth.
“Hi. You were quick,” she said breathlessly. Why did this man have this effect on her? And why did she keep asking herself that question when she knew the answer? She was in love.
“I was already out to buy some new batteries for my portable keyboard. Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“Storm’s? We said we wanted to go there the other day.”
“Okay.”
“Let me get changed quickly.” She turned to lead him up the stairs to her unit.
“I’ll join you in the shower,” Aidan said in a whisper.
She shook her head, pretending to frown at him. “Then, we won’t get to go to Storm’s again. We have to be there as early as we can.”
Aidan made a face. “I don’t know why they don’t take bookings.”
“Because they don’t need to when there’s always a queue of people wanting to get in,”
she said with a laugh. As they reached her door, she faced Aidan and pulled his head down towards hers so she could speak in his ear. “Feeling horny, are you?”
“Only when I think of you. And since I always think of you…”
She bit her lip, her breathing shallow. “If I wasn’t starving, I’d strip your clothes off right now.”
Aidan frowned. “You choose food over me?”
“But…” She batted her lashes innocently. “I need energy for bed.”
Aidan inhaled sharply. “Can I stay over again tonight?”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“In you go, then.” Aidan gave her butt a light tap. “The sooner we finish dinner, the sooner we can get back here.”
Felicity chuckled as she opened her door. “You’re insatiable.”
“That I am. For you. Go.”
She hurried to her bathroom, her face splitting from her grin. This man made her so damned happy. She felt so lucky to have met him. More than that, she couldn’t believe he was hers—and that he loved her. Ah.
During her shower, Felicity thought of Sophie. For all of Sophie’s denial that meeting a decent man wasn’t important, Felicity still believed Sophie would prefer to have one in her life. And if Sophie did have a crush on Aidan, how on earth could she be comfortable socialising with Sophie when Aidan was around?
Maybe Aidan knew of nice guys they could introduce to Sophie? Hm. That would be a topic she’d bring up during dinner.
She finished showering and went to her bedroom to choose an outfit. Looking through her wardrobe, she selected a burgundy-coloured, rib-knit dress with a low-cut, V-neckline. Best of all, it was stretchable so taking it off was as easy as getting out of a shirt. Aidan wouldn’t have to fumble with zippers or buttons later.
She chuckled softly, glancing behind her open bedroom door to see if Aidan was watching from the lounge room.
He was!
She blushed.
“Thinking of something funny, huh?” Aidan called out.
“Maybe,” she said as she put on her underwear. Then she slid her dress over her head, shimmying a little to adjust it in place.
Aidan: The Rescue (Indie Rebels Book 5) Page 13
