‘Where are you taking me?’ She sounded intrigued as the noise and chatter of the guests fell away behind them.
‘Just hang on.’ He ran his fingers along the top of doorframe to locate the key, then unlocked the door to the garages. The old lock had seen better days and it took a grunt of effort to force the rusted mechanism open. Taking a step inside, he kicked aside a broken wooden pallet and checked the rest of the floor was clear. ‘Come on.’ He held out his hand and beckoned her inside.
Kiki took a tentative step over the threshold. Folding her arms across her chest, she gave a little shiver. The warmth of the sun didn’t reach inside the dank space, and there was a marked difference in temperature. She rubbed her hands on her arms as she looked around with a puzzled frown. ‘You wanted to show me a dusty old garage?’ A shy smile lit her face. ‘Or was that just a ruse to get me alone? I saw the look on your face when your friend was flirting with me. Did he make you jealous?’
Aaron blinked, surprised at the directness of her comment. ‘Yes. No, I mean. Yes, I wanted to show you the garage.’ Needing a ruse to get her away from Leo, he’d decided to see what she thought about Daniel’s idea for the teashop and gallery. Now they were alone, it seemed like a mistake. It wasn’t his news to tell; he didn’t even know if they’d finally decided to ask Kiki to run it.
She took a step closer and the warm, sweet citrus fragrance from her shampoo filled his senses. In her heels, she stood barely a head shorter than him. With her head tipped back, and her dark eyes filled with promise, he couldn’t remember why he’d brought her in here, nor why keeping his distance from her had seemed like the right thing to do.
Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip, and everything inside him went hot and tight. ‘I’m not very good at this,’ she murmured.
He shouldn’t ask. He needed to get back on track, remember what it was he wanted to show her. Tell her about the conversion plans. Other bits of his body overruled his brain and instead he asked, ‘Good at what?’
Time slowed. He felt like the rest of the world ground to a halt as she went up on tiptoes and closed the distance between them. She inched closer and her breath teased his lips as she whispered, ‘This,’ and brushed his mouth with a soft kiss.
A million sensations bombarded him at once: shock, hope, fear and a huge bolt of lust. Not sure which to react to first, Aaron froze. He watched, helpless, as her thick lashes fluttered up and saw his lack of reaction register in her eyes. A crease furrowed her brow as a rush of colour turned her face ruddy, even in the shadowy light. Her lips formed a little ‘O’ of surprise, and she took a step away.
The loss of her heat spurred him into action, and he banded his arms around her waist, dragging her back against him. He swallowed the shocked gasp on her lips and dove into the sweet, wet warmth of her open mouth. She tasted faintly of peaches, from the Bellini she’d been drinking, like summer and rich, ripe fruit. Shifting one hand, he plunged his fingers into the thick mass of hair cascading down her back and gripped her neck to angle her head better.
Her hands rose to grip his shoulders, the neat, short nails pricking his skin through the thin cotton of his polo shirt. A greedy noise escaped her throat and she stretched her lips wider to accept the press of his tongue, curling hers around it in an eager dance. He’d expected her to be shy, and her enthusiasm spurred him on. He slipped the hand on her waist lower to cup the curves of her bottom, drawing her closer against the aching front of his body.
Breaking free, she tipped her head back, gasping in air, offering the tender skin of her throat for his claiming. ‘Aaron.’ Her fingers curled into his hair, pressing his head down, encouraging him to explore the exposed skin between the thin straps of her sundress.
He traced the delicate line of her collarbone to her shoulder, easing the strap down to reveal a familiar scrap of flamingo-pink lace. The last time he’d seen her bra it had been wrapped around his foot as he tried to stop the crammed belongings from tumbling out of the boot of her car. She’d been so embarrassed, so vulnerable and scared, he’d sworn to do whatever it took to protect her. Even from himself.
‘Kiki,’ he groaned her name into the hollow of her shoulder. ‘Kiki, we can’t, we mustn’t.’
‘Please, Aaron, please. The children are fine and no one will come looking for us for a while. Kiss me.’ She tugged the back of his hair, an insistent urging for him to lift his face.
He resisted. ‘This is a mistake. We’re friends.’
Kiki’s hands slipped from his hair to his shoulders. ‘What’s that phrase everyone uses, ‘friends with benefits’. Why can’t that be us?’ She nuzzled his cheek, pressing soft kisses next to his ear.
He twisted his face away from her mouth. ‘Stop. We shouldn’t.’
Her body language changed, the languid press of her curves fading into rigidity. ‘You’re serious.’
She leaned her weight back against his hands, and he forced his fingers to uncurl and release her. As she stepped back, her heel caught on some of the rubbish littering the floor and she staggered. Aaron lunged for her, but she raised her arms to ward him off and righted herself. ‘Don’t.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Aaron stuffed his useless hands in his front pockets before he did something foolish like pull her back against him.
‘I thought…’ Kiki paced a couple of steps away, turned back and raised a shaking finger at him. ‘You kissed me back. I mean, you really kissed me back.’
‘I know, I’m sorry.’
She wrapped her arms around her middle. ‘Stop saying that. Why are you sorry? I thought you wanted this, too.’
Aaron closed his eyes against the disappointment and confusion on her face. What a mess. If he didn’t find the right words to explain, he might risk everything he was fighting so hard to preserve. ‘I like you, Kiki. I think you’re beautiful and brave and I admire you so much for taking control of your life.’
A bitter laugh rent the air. ‘There’s a but coming, isn’t there? What is it? Is it the kids? I thought you cared about them, too.’
‘I do. God, I do. They’re brilliant. Living with you all is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’
‘So, it’s me then.’ The hurt in her voice sliced him like a knife. ‘It must be me, that’s the problem.’
He couldn’t have that, he couldn’t have her blaming herself; that would make him as bad as Neil. ‘It’s not you. This might seem like a good idea right now, but what happens further down the line? You’ll get things together. Once this place is up and running, you’ll have more financial independence—’
‘This place? What are you talking about?’
‘Daniel and Mia are going to convert this into a gallery and teashop. They want you to run it for them. Things won’t always be like this. They’ll settle down and then you won’t need me any more. If we act on these feelings it will just get messy when whatever this is between us runs its course.’
Kiki turned her back on him. ‘You’ve really thought it all through, haven’t you?’
The strap of her dress still hung halfway down one arm, displaying the frivolous lace of her bra. Damn, he wished things could be different, that there wasn’t so much at stake. ‘It’s all I’ve thought about for the past few weeks. I want you, Kiki. I want to be with you, but I can’t see how this doesn’t end badly for all of us.’
She laughed again, a bitter, angry sound without an ounce of warmth, and swung back to face him. Anger blazed in her eyes. ‘You’re so convinced things will go wrong, you won’t even give us a chance. How flaky do you think I am? That I’m so pathetic and needy I’ll just latch on to the first man who enters my life, but only until a better offer comes along?’
Kiki stormed towards the half-open door. ‘You really don’t get it, do you? You are the better offer, Aaron. You’re the best offer I’ve ever had in my life. It’s just a shame you don’t feel the same way.’
‘Wait!’ He couldn’t let her go back to the
party, not in this state. People would notice, and then she’d never forgive him. How could trying to do the right thing end up going so wrong?
Clenching her hand around the dusty wooden frame of the door, she glanced back at him over her shoulder. ‘Wait for what? For you to humiliate me even more? No thanks.’
‘Let me go first then. Take a couple of minutes and really think about it and you’ll see that I’m right.’
Her hand slid down the frame and she pulled it back with a curse. ‘Damn it.’ She poked at the centre of her palm and winced. ‘Bloody splinter.’
‘Here, let me look.’ Aaron took her hand, holding it when she would have pulled away until she dropped her shoulders and stopped struggling. Tugging gently, he led her forward until he could better see by the light spilling through the open door. A dark sliver stood out against her pale skin and he pressed his nails down on either side until it eased free. He lifted her hand close to his mouth and blew the splinter away.
Her fingers curled around his. ‘Why are you so sure this won’t last?’ She didn’t sound angry any more, just curious and a little sad.
He kept his eyes fixed on the delicate lines webbing over her palm. If he looked into her eyes, he might weaken and try to delay the inevitable. ‘Because you’ll leave me. Everybody does.’
Chapter Eighteen
Mia leaned across the kitchen table, eyes wide as saucers. ‘And then what did you say?’
‘I didn’t say anything. What was the point? He’s made up his mind and I’m too tired to try and persuade him to be with me if that’s not what he wants. I won’t beg him; I won’t beg for anything from any man ever again.’ Kiki forced the vehemence into her tone. By preference, she wouldn’t have talked to anyone about what had happened, or rather hadn’t happened, between her and Aaron. She wanted to curl up in a ball and maybe cry for a week until her bruised pride healed. Two children didn’t leave a lot of room for self-indulgence, so she’d tugged on her big-girl pants and got on with things instead. Not talking about it hadn’t been an option, however, when Mia practically pounced on her the moment she’d arrived for work.
Saturday morning had been pretty excruciating until Aaron had taken himself off on a bike ride, giving them both some well-needed breathing space. She’d thought she’d made a good attempt at putting a brave face on things until Matty had sidled up to wrap his arms around her waist and ask why she was sad. It had been the kick in the backside she’d needed to shake off the disappointment. The children came first, last, always, and they’d been through enough emotional turmoil. Giving them a safe, comfortable place to live was more important than any hurt to her feelings. Being around Aaron was good for them, especially Matty. A little embarrassment wouldn’t kill her.
Things had been easier once she’d made up her mind to act like nothing had happened. Aaron had seemed relieved at the lightening of the atmosphere, and between them they’d made a damn fine job of pretending everything was normal. She didn’t feel normal, though. If she’d had a time machine, she would have jumped inside in a heartbeat. Knowing the taste of him on her tongue, the feel of his hands in her hair as he pressed her close, was torture. She’d been hyperaware of his every movement, caught herself watching him out of the corner of her eye too many times to count. That would stop soon, though. Once the memory of that kiss started to fade, they’d go back to being just good friends. If it didn’t stop, she didn’t know what she would do.
‘Bloody hell, Kiki Dee.’ Her sister sat back in her chair and huffed out a breath. ‘Aaron seems so sensible and put together. Talk about still waters! I never would have encouraged you if I’d thought he’d reject you. Stupid bugger, I could brain him. Can’t he see how perfect you’d be together?’
Kiki shrugged. ‘Maybe that’s the problem. Madeline sowed that stupid idea in my head in the first place and we all got carried away with the fantasy. Real life isn’t like that, and I should have remembered that better than anybody.’
‘Hey, don’t be down on yourself, or Mads for that matter. Yes, she pointed out how well suited the two of you are, but if you hadn’t already been attracted to him, it wouldn’t have made any difference.’ Mia was right. It didn’t help much.
She tugged on the end of the braid trailing over her shoulder. An area of high pressure had settled over the country, bringing with it a stifling heat. Not for the first time, she regretted the mass of her hair. Maybe if she cut it, she wouldn’t keep thinking about the sensation of Aaron’s fingers sifting through it.
Enough. There was work to be done. Mia might be her sister, but she didn’t get paid to sit around drinking tea. She stood up. ‘It is what it is. I’m going to make a start upstairs.’
Mia rose, too. ‘I’ll lend you a hand. Daniel’s rooting around in the garages looking at some design sketches Luke did for him.’ She sighed. ‘It won’t be long before the hammering starts again.’
She didn’t want to think about the garages. Not now, maybe not ever. Which might make things a bit awkward if Mia and Daniel really did want her to manage the place. Mia hadn’t said anything when Kiki explained Aaron’s reason for taking her in there. Maybe Aaron had misunderstood and they intended to run the teashop themselves after all. Or maybe Mia has other things on her mind right now.
Kiki shook herself. The wedding was just over a month away. With everything going on, she couldn’t understand how calm Mia seemed. Maybe she wasn’t the only one wearing a brave face. She linked their arms as they headed towards the stairs. ‘Now, surely we can find something better to talk about.’ Kiki tapped her lip and made a big play of searching for another topic. ‘Anything going on with you? Any future plans? Anything, Bueller, Bueller?’ The silly quote from one of their favourite films sent them both into fits of laughter.
Mia leaned back against the wall and wiped her eyes. ‘Madeline says another week and she’ll be finished with my dress. I can’t wait to see it.’
‘Oh, Mimi, we should have a fitting party for you!’ Kiki led the way into the forest bedroom and they began to strip the bedding. ‘If you can wait until next Saturday, we could make a girls’ night of it.’
Her sister bundled the dirty sheets together and dropped them on the floor by the bed. ‘But it’s Matty’s birthday next Saturday...’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t believe he’s going to be seven. When did he get so big?’
Kiki laughed. ‘Too big! He’s declared his birthday a girl-free zone—including me. He and Aaron are camping out in the garden so they can go stargazing. He doesn’t know about the telescope yet, nor about the book Dad sent for him. He wants to ask Richard and Daniel to join them.’ Her heart skipped. Her darling boy had so many good men in his life and he was thriving under their watchful care. Another reason not to let this hiccup with Aaron get in the way.
Mia bustled out, returning moments later with an armful of fresh linen. ‘Well, if they’re going to have a boys’ night, then we should have a girls’ night.’
‘Exactly! I’ll make some treats and pick up a bottle of champagne. We could make it into a bit of a hen night. I know you said you didn’t want one, but we should do something to celebrate. The bank holiday weekend will be mayhem here and the weekend after will be too close to the wedding if you want any alterations made to your dress.’ She could picture it already. Yes, there would be guests staying, but they had a separate lounge next to the dining room and were largely self-sufficient in the evenings. ‘I’ll make a few extra bits and we can put them out in case any of the guests fancies a snack.’
‘That would work. The honesty bar in the lounge is working really well, and most people are happy to stroll on the beach or take a bottle back to their rooms after dinner.’ Mia walked around the bed and wrapped her arms around Kiki. ‘It’s a lovely idea. Thank you, Kiki Dee.’
Kiki held her tight. They’d come so close to losing each other; probably would have done if she’d stayed with Neil. A lump tickled the back of her throat. ‘You’re the best sister a
girl could ever have.’
Mia pulled back and Kiki could see she was blinking back a few tears of her own. ‘One of the best sisters.’ She sighed. ‘I wish Nee was here.’
‘Me, too, but the opportunity in New York was too good for her to pass up. Did you get in touch with her about the wedding?’ Kiki had sent her an email letting her know about her change in circumstances and had received a chatty reply. It sounded like their little sister was having a ball and learning a lot during her art residency. ‘Is there any chance she might make it back for the wedding?’
‘She’s not sure, but she said she’d try. We’ll make a room up for her just in case. That’s something else we need to sort out, who’s sleeping where.’
Seizing the opportunity, Kiki decided to press a point they’d been arguing back and forth. ‘I still think you and Daniel should go away for the night.’
Mia shook her head. ‘I don’t see the point. This is our home and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Daniel said the same when I asked him.’
‘But you should have something special.’ Kiki racked her brain as she straightened the plants on the dressing table and wiped everything down with a duster. Of the four guest suites, this was her favourite. She loved the cool, fresh colours and greenery everywhere. She ran the duster gently over the thick leaves of a rubber plant which filled the corner by the window. Madeline had selected plants hardy enough to survive Mia’s brown thumb. Little African violets lined the windowsill in the bathroom, and a hanging cascade of baskets held a riot of ever-sprouting spider plants. The only other room with live plants in was the harem…
‘Of course!’ Kiki clapped her hands together, forgetting she still held the duster. Coughing through the little cloud of dust, she grinned at her sister. ‘I’ve got the perfect solution!’
***
Kiki looked around the happy chaos in the back garden and tried not to think about the mess four grown men and two small boys were likely to generate. Simon and Christopher, Matty’s new best friend, had been added to the sleepover party. Richard had accepted with an alacrity that surprised her, going so far as to furnish a selection of fizzy drinks and enough sweets to make them all sick as dogs. Matty and Christopher were racing around the bottom of the garden, drenching each other with a pair of fluorescent Super Soakers. Charlie darted between them, squealing with shocked delight every time one or other of the boys aimed a stream of water at her. The sheer joy on her son’s face was enough to lessen the pang caused by her impending banishment.
Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove Page 17
