She was still drifting in a sea of throbbing happiness when she felt Aiden slip free. Then he lifted her and carried her to the massive bed. He threw back the duvet, then lowered her to the crisp white sheets with delicate care. Heat blazed across her cheeks as she realized he was fully clothed. As if sensing what she was thinking, he grinned as he shed his clothing. When he climbed onto the bed beside her, a thrill of new sexual desire shot through her, despite the fact that she was still panting and quivering with her release. But she knew they needed to talk first. He dragged the duvet over them and drew her close. He traced soft circular caresses over her stomach.
"I put in my notice at work," she said quickly. It was better to get it out, right?
Aiden pulled up to look at her, bracing on his arm. His other hand kept moving over her skin, almost absently, like he couldn't stop touching her. He considered her words for a moment, then asked "Why?"
She rubbed her lips together, not sure what to say. What if he didn't want what she wanted? What if he was still happy with how things were between them?
"I told my parents I want to rebuild their cabin… from design to construction. All of it."
That had been a hard conversation. She'd considered not telling them until they returned, but she didn't know where to find their insurance information. It was impossible to explain about the fire without outlining, however briefly, something about the trial. She'd tried to convince them that she was safe now, but they were still ending their holiday at the next port of call to return home. Guilt had tugged at her, but her mom had dismissed her concerns. She'd said that was what love was. They wanted to be with her. They were there to support her. No matter what.
Between their support and her love for Aiden, everything in her life had suddenly become so clear. Hopefully Aiden would see things the same way.
"I see." He nodded slowly.
"I'm excited about architecture for the first time in a long time," she said. "Thinking about this plan makes me giddy."
A ghost of a smile drifted across his face. His hand stilled. His palm lay hot and heavy against her belly. Such a simple touch, and yet it calmed her. He grounded her. And he made her feel like they could soar through the clouds. All at the same time.
"And…" Now was the tricky part. The part she wasn't sure whether he'd like or not. "I want to do it with you."
He lifted an eyebrow. "You want me to help build a cabin?"
"Well, not just that…" How could all of her practiced words evade her now? She covered his hand with hers as she stared into his eyes. "I love you, Aiden Randall. I don't know how you feel but—"
He pulled his hand free from hers and put his finger over her mouth to silence her, mimicking the action she'd done earlier in the lobby.
"I love you too." As he removed his hand from her mouth, his thumb grazed her bottom lip in a soft caress. "Don't ever doubt that."
A fluttering joy leapt through her. He brushed his lips over hers in a fleeting kiss that was over almost as soon as it began. It would have been so easy to sink into kisses and caresses again… but they both seemed to recognize there was more to say.
"I…" He cleared his throat. "I should have told you that before. Years ago." The side of his mouth kicked up in a slight grin. "I was so busy guarding my heart, I didn't realize that I was only living half a life."
Kayla brushed his cheek lightly with her fingers. "You can trust me with your heart."
He glanced away then seemed to force himself to look into her eyes again. He swallowed. "I guess I have some baggage, hey?"
The way he said it, made her heart ache. All she wanted to do was hug him until he truly understood how loved he was. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." He frowned. "But I can sum it up for you. My biological parents, my adoptive parents, my first wife… none of them wanted me. Not really. Not when it counted. And I vowed that I would never let my son or my granddaughter question whether I wanted them in my life. They have always been my first priority." He locked his gaze with hers. "And now I want you to be my priority too."
A rollercoaster of emotions had swept over Kayla as he spoke, but by the end she was smiling.
"I want to be with you too, Aiden," she said. "I know this is a change… And I don't want to push my way into your life if you aren't ready for a full time thing… But I want to see if we can have more… Do you want to give it a shot?"
Aiden pressed his forehead to hers.
"Absolutely," he said without hesitation. "And I do want full time. All I can think about is having you in my life all the time. In my arms every day. In my bed every night."
She shakily exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Thank God."
"Exactly my thoughts," he said with a laugh. Then he lifted up to look in her eyes again. "But you don't have to quit your job. I came to the city yesterday to look at apartments… I put a deposit on one. I have two interviews set up for next week with some builders."
"You? In the city?" Her jaw dropped. All of his beautiful artistic skills would be crippled by working for a regular builder. Even if she hadn't already made up her mind about what she wanted, she would never have let him do that.
"I can't live without you, Kayla." He shook his head. "Not anymore."
"But what about Cassy?"
"It isn't like I'll never see her again. Besides she is starting preschool next year and she won't need the same type of babysitting that she needed before." He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. "I talked to Chris about my decision and he said he didn't know why I hadn't come to the city… to you… before now."
"What if I don't want to live in the city?"
He pushed his fingers between hers, entwining their hands. "I will follow wherever you want to go. Your wish is my command."
"In that case," she said, "we'll move to Sanctuary Lake. I want to start my own architectural firm and only take projects that excite me. They may not be big. Maybe it'll only be a few cabins. But that will be enough. And I want to live with you in your beautiful home. But none of that really matters…" She stared into his eyes. "Because all I really want is you."
"You have me. Always." His eyes gleamed and a grin spread over his face.
Then she pulled him down again, sealing her declaration with a kiss.
"Now, then, as you were saying…" Her voice had taken on a husky quality that revealed the direction of her new thoughts. She twisted in the bed beside him. She drew her leg over his and hooked it around his hip. A languorous heat spread over her at the feel of his powerful body against her inner thigh. "What was that about my wish? My command?"
If you want to read more books about the Randall Brothers and Sanctuary Lake, check out the first book in the series, Trust Me (Sanctuary Lake #1).
To find out more about Lori Whyte's books, check out her website or join Lori's newsletter!
About the Author
Lori Whyte lives with her husband and two cats in Alberta, Canada. She writes contemporary and paranormal romances. From werewolves to dragon shifters to hot guys next door, her heroes are always strong and protective, just the way she likes them.
loriwhyte.com/
Hot Silver Nights: Silver Fox Romance Collection Page 69
