He stared at her, then his gaze dropped to her hands. “You’re trembling.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, fine. I hate storms. We used to live in Kansas when I was little. Our house got hit by a tornado. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever lived through.”
Aiden’s eyes widened as he put the car into drive and started down the path toward the highway. “Are you kidding me? How did I not know this? Were you hurt?”
“No one was hurt. We were in the basement, but we could hear the roar of the tornado and the sound of breaking glass. We had to wait for several hours before the rescue team could get us out. I was terrified.” Felicity closed her eyes and tried to push the memory away.
The feel of Aiden’s warm hand on hers brought her out of her thoughts. He squeezed her hand. “That must have been terrible.”
“We were lucky. Three people died that night. The thunder and lightning just remind me of that.”
Aiden paled. “I’m sorry. We should have left earlier.”
Felicity withdrew her hand from his. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll just feel better when I’m back at the resort in my warm villa.”
He ran his hand through his hair and drops of water flew everywhere. “Warm and dry sounds good right now.”
“We’re soaked.” Felicity giggled. At least her blouse wasn’t see-through. “The last time we were this wet was—”
“The time you pushed me into that fountain, and we got in a water fight.” Aiden’s grin stretched wide across his face.
Felicity laughed. “I haven’t thought about that in years.”
“That cop was not happy.”
“I was so embarrassed. I thought he was going to give us a ticket.” Heat crept up her neck just thinking about it.
“That day we shared our first strawberry-banana milkshake.”
The magic of that day flooded back to her and she remembered how they’d laughed together. How Aiden had held her hand. And—emotion closed her throat. “And our first kiss,” she said softly.
The mood shifted and Aiden sobered. “Right.”
Felicity mentally banged her head on the window. Why had she said that? Why open up those old wounds? She didn’t need to bring that up. That’s the last thing she should be thinking about. But, of course, now that she’d said it, all she could think about was Aiden’s lips on hers, the smell of his cologne, and how she’d felt like she was flying.
“Sorry,” she said.
“No. We have a past. It was stupid of me to think we could dance around it.” Aiden stared out the front windshield. The wipers were working overtime.
Felicity unzipped her backpack to check on her camera. It gave her something else to do rather than think about Aiden’s kisses. Her camera was dry, thank goodness.
A boom of thunder sounded and Felicity gripped her seat. At least they were out of that blasted boat.
Aiden glanced at her. “Remember that school talent show you made me go to?”
Felicity held in a laugh. “How was I supposed to know they were going to make the audience participate?”
“I couldn’t believe they dragged me up on stage.”
“You looked cute in that outfit they made you wear.” She pressed a finger to her lips.
He gave her a flat look. “It was a tutu.”
Felicity couldn’t hold it in any longer. She busted up laughing. “At least you were a good sport about it.”
“Yeah, I’m just scarred for life.”
“You poor dear.” Felicity appreciated what he was doing. She knew he was trying to get her talking so she wouldn’t be nervous about the storm. It was nice of him. “What music do you listen to in your car?” Before he could answer she pushed to eject his CD.
He grabbed it out of her hand before she could see what it was. “Hey,” she protested. “Give it.”
“Nope.”
“Why? What are you listening to?”
He slid the CD into the side pocket of his car door. “None of your business.”
She punched his shoulder. “What is it? Come on. Just tell me.”
He didn’t say anything, just held a smirk.
“Okay, if you won’t tell me, then I’ll guess.”
He shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“Taylor Swift.”
He snorted. “Seriously? That’s what you think I listen to?”
She laughed and brushed a piece of wet hair out of her face. “Okay, I just wanted to see your reaction with that one.”
“Guess again.”
“Okay, how about Imagine Dragons.”
“Nope.”
She scowled at him. “Nope? That’s it? How will I know if you’re telling me the truth if you don’t let me see the CD?”
A grin crept onto his face. “If you guess it, I’ll give you the CD.” He made an X over his chest. “Cross my heart.”
“All right, fine.” She tried to think of a band he might like. “Marooon 5.”
“I would listen to them, but that’s not the CD.”
She blew out a breath. “Give me a hint at least.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know, I think you’re doing a pretty good job without any hints.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Fine. It’s an older CD. That’s your only hint.”
She shifted in her seat, frustrated with him. “Whatever.” She eyed the door he’d slid the CD into. “It must be something embarrassing, because you grabbed it and didn’t want me to see it.”
He didn’t turn to look at her, but he didn’t deny it either.
“What would a guy like you be embarrassed about listening to? Miley Cyrus?”
“Ha, right. Like I’d listen to her. Come on. What kind of music do I like?”
Of course. Felicity hit the dashboard. “I know what it is. Nickelback.”
Aiden pulled the CD out of the door and handed it to her. Yep. It indeed was Nickelback’s album, All the Right Reasons. She slid it into the CD player. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. I don’t know why people make fun of them. They’re a good band.”
“People are stupid.”
“Right? It’s like, let’s-all-pile-on mentality.”
Aiden gave her a smile and, for the first time since she’d arrived, she got the impression it was genuine. They listened to music the rest of the way to the resort.
As Aiden pulled off the highway, Felicity stared at the palm trees whipping so violently in the wind. “This doesn’t look good.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” He drove through a back street until he got close to the beach. The road ended. “Your villa’s just up this sidewalk. Ready to make a run for it? I’ll go with you.”
Felicity’s throat constricted as she looked at the dark sky and the torrents of rain coming down, but she didn’t have much choice. She didn’t want to sleep in Aiden’s car. “All right.” She clutched her backpack and they both got out and ran for it.
The wind almost blew her off the sidewalk as she sprinted to the front door of her villa. The rain felt like stinging pinpricks. She was soaked before she got halfway there. Lightning lit up the sky as she unlocked the door. They tumbled inside. Aiden shut the door and a loud bang of thunder shook the villa.
Felicity took one look at Aiden and couldn’t hold in a laugh. “You look like you jumped into a swimming pool.”
He grinned at her and shook his hands, water dripping from his fingers and clothes. “So do you.”
She flipped the living room light on. “Do you want to stay a little while? Maybe the rain will let up in a bit.”
“Sure.” He walked to the fireplace. “I’ll get a fire going if you want to change.”
“Yes, thank you.” Felicity left him in the living room. She cringed when she passed by the mirror in her bedroom. She looked horrible, like a drowned rodent of unusual size. But what did it matter? The Aiden ship had sailed. She was not trying to impress him. She stripped off her clothes and dressed in a dry pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then
she tackled her hair with her comb.
When she looked decent, she exited her bedroom. Her throat closed when she looked at Aiden, sitting by the fire, his shirt off. He’d hung it by the flames, obviously so it would dry. But dang, she didn’t need to look at his bare chest right now. His chiseled, sculpted bare chest. Her gaze bounced around the room before settling on the carpet.
“You don’t happen to have a shirt that would fit me, do you?”
Felicity made a face. “If I have a shirt that will fit you, I’m dieting for the next millennium.” She backed up toward her bedroom. “But you can wear my bathrobe.”
He chuckled. “Okay.”
She ran into her bathroom and came out with the fluffy, pink robe. She tossed it at him. “Here you go.”
He made a face but slipped it on. “Better?”
She tried not to laugh but couldn’t help herself. “You look...great.”
“Shut up. I’m confident enough in my masculinity to wear a pink robe.”
“Okay.” She took a step toward her room. “Just a sec.” She ran in, grabbed her camera, quietly shut her door and snapped a picture before he realized what she was doing.
Felicity had never seen him move so fast. He was to her in half-a-second. He reached for her camera, but she held it behind her back. “Give me that,” he said while taking off the pink robe, his laugh betraying him.
She backed up, but her bedroom door stopped her retreat. “Never,” she said.
He took a step forward and braced himself against the wood, his arms trapping her to the solid barrier of her door. He leaned in closer. “You’re going to destroy that picture,” he said, his voice just a whisper, his gaze penetrating. Heat from his bare skin wrapped around her.
Her heart thumped so hard she was sure he could hear it. The smell of rain mixed with his masculine scent, and it made her head spin. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid. “Okay.” She handed him her camera.
He didn’t move back at first, just stood there, inches from her face. His gaze traveled over her cheeks then down to her lips. Finally, he took a step back. She tried to breathe normally as he stared at her, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Thanks,” he said.
She couldn’t say anything in return.
Chapter 8
Aiden knew it was time to leave. The rain hadn’t let up, but the crackle of attraction between him and Felicity was growing, and he needed to get out of there before he lost all his senses and kissed her. He deleted the photo off her camera then handed it back to her, trying to suppress his smile. “Here you go.”
“Too bad. I could have had fun with that photo. My girls on Facebook would have loved to see it.”
“Over my dead body.”
He crossed the room and pulled on his T-shirt. It wasn’t completely dry, but he had to get out of there.
A loud crash sounded as a long piece of debris broke through the kitchen window. Felicity screamed. He ran to her as the lights flickered and went out. She sucked in a breath.
“It’s okay,” he said, pulling her close. “I’ll fix the window.” She shuddered in his arms as the wind howled and the kitchen curtains flew around in a crazy dance.
“It’s not a tornado. We’re safe here.” He rubbed her back and she laid her head on his chest. It felt good to hold her again. Like she belonged in his arms. His throat swelled as he pressed his cheek to the top of her head. She seemed to calm down as he hugged her to him.
Aiden pushed back the urge to run his fingers down her cheek. He had to get a hold of himself. He was not Felicity’s boyfriend. They were barely even friends anymore. And that’s the way it should be.
“You okay?” His voice came out raspy and he cleared his throat.
Felicity nodded and backed away from him.
“I’m going to look at the damage.”
“Okay.”
He crossed the room and walked into the kitchen. The flashes of light from outside didn’t offer enough, so he took out his cell phone and turned on the flashlight. Broken glass was scattered over the counter and the tile floor. Rain water came in the broken window. He picked his way toward the sink and opened the cupboard. A box of garbage bags was stuffed near the back. He pulled one out and started picking up glass.
“I think I saw a broom in the closet,” Felicity said. She crossed the room and pulled one out. Then she swept while he continued to put the large pieces into his garbage bag.
“You’re handling this well.”
Felicity smirked. “Inside I’m freaking out a bit that this place doesn’t have a basement.”
“We don’t get tornadoes here. Only hurricanes.”
She laughed. “That makes me feel much better.”
“Actually, Belize hasn’t had a direct hit from a hurricane in many years. The people here say it’s because they pray them away.”
“I didn’t realize the people were religious.”
Aiden dropped another piece of glass in his garbage sack and it make a clinking sound. “Yes. Very.”
She swept for another few minutes then picked up the dustbin and Aiden held open the trash bag so she could dump it. “I think that’s all the glass.”
Aiden grabbed the duct tape and another garbage bag. “I’ll tape up the window.”
Felicity opened the closet and stored the broom inside. “Whatever happened to those headaches Grams would get? Does she still have them?”
Aiden shook his head. “You know, I haven’t heard her complain about a headache in a long time. The doctor said they were probably migraines but couldn’t offer up any solution other than medicine, and you know how stubborn Grams is about that. She refused to go on any pills.”
“So, the headaches just stopped?”
Aiden pulled a long piece of duct tape off the roll. “Yeah. I think it was around the time we moved here. Imagine that. I hadn’t thought about it before, but maybe something about the air pressure here stopped them.”
“This is a paradise. I think my health would improve if I got to sit on the beach each day and sip pina coladas.”
Aiden chuckled as he taped up the garbage bag. “Maybe.” Felicity might be onto something there. The wind pushed against the bag, but it held. “That should keep the wind and rain out.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze darted to the plastic as the wind made it push in and out.
He walked to the fireplace and added another log. “I don’t know if we’ll get electricity back tonight.”
The wind howled and Felicity hugged herself. “Are you sure you should go out in this?”
What was she saying? That he should stay there, with her? He swallowed. Not a good idea. He walked to the door and looked out of the glass inlay. Unease crept over him. The palm trees swayed erratically in the wind. Leaves and other debris blew past. He didn’t want to get hit with something. “Maybe you’re right. It does look bad.”
“Then stay.” Conflicting emotions played across her face. “I mean, if you want to.”
He nodded and rubbed his neck. “All right. I can sleep on the couch.”
“I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow.” Felicity disappeared into her bedroom and came out with the comforter from her bed and one of her pillows.
“What if you get cold?” He took the blanket from her and tossed it on the couch.
She shrugged. “I should be fine.”
His stomach growled and he gave her a sheepish look. “Guess my stomach is telling me it’s time to eat.”
She smiled and glanced toward the kitchen. “I haven’t bought anything, so unfortunately my cupboards are bare.”
“We usually stock the fridge with milk. That’s about it.”
“Oh, I do have a few things in my carry-on.” Felicity ran to get them, and Aiden went into the kitchen and took out a couple of glasses from the cupboard. He poured the milk and brought them into the living room. The fire crackled and he set the milk down on the coffee table.
Felicity returned with two granola bar
s and a bag of peanut M&M’s. “This is all I have left.”
Aiden sat on the couch and grinned at her. “Looks like a feast to me.”
She sat next to him, her apprehension clear. He scooted one of the glasses of milk closer to her. She handed him a granola bar.
Thunder crashed and Felicity jumped.
“Don’t think about the storm,” Aiden said. “It will be over soon.” He wanted to pull her to him again but wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He enjoyed being close to Felicity too much. He had to remember what it had been like after she left him. The unending pain. He sat back and folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t need that again.
She nodded, a forced smile on her face. “I know it will. It’s stupid of me to be afraid.”
“It’s not stupid. You had a terrible thing happen to you.” The fact that she’d shared that with him made him feel good. Like she trusted him, at least a little bit. And that made him want to protect her. He took a bite of his granola bar. “This is good.”
She laughed. “It’s something to eat.”
A comfortable silence fell between them as they ate. When he was done, he crumpled up his trash and tossed it onto the coffee table. “What are you up to tomorrow?”
Felicity folded her empty wrapper. “I don’t have plans.”
“Do you want me to take you on another excursion?” He chuckled. “Since this one worked out so well.”
She laughed, but it was a bit strained. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know.” He studied her. “There’s an excursion we offer that takes you on a hike through the jungle. It includes a waterfall. I think you could get some great photos.”
She smiled and fiddled with the wrapper in her hand. The smile seemed forced. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
And there it was. The truth. Felicity would never forgive him for the past. Why did he even ask? Spending time with her was a stupid idea. What was he just telling himself moments before? He leaned away from her. “Right.”
“I mean, if it’s a big group that’s probably okay.”
Oh, brother. How was he supposed to interpret that? He couldn’t tell if she wanted to go with him or not. He wasn’t even sure how to respond. He settled on a non-committal, “It would be.”
Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex (Billionaire Series Book 4) Page 5
