No Kissing Allowed

by Melissa West

  I took a step away and reached into my back pocket for my cell, glad that I’d opted for skinny jeans instead of the dress Lauren begged me to wear. My eyes widened as I peered down at my phone. “Sorry, I have to take, uh, make a call.”

  “Now?” He looked like a five-year-old who’d just had his birthday balloon popped.

  “Sorry.” I pushed through the crowd, toward the bathroom, and clicked my phone, intending to fake a call, but then my eyes zeroed in on the missed text on my screen.

  Aidan: Sorry, had to leave work early to meet with a client. Are you around tonight?

  He’d sent it over an hour ago. I quickly typed back that I was at the club and wished he were with me. There. I could say things without getting romantic, without confessing my feelings. A moment later my phone flashed again.

  Then I’m on my way.

  I straightened, sure that he was joking. What if someone we knew saw us out? But then I remembered that we were in a city of over eight million people. The likelihood wasn’t there.

  The line to the bathroom took forever, so when I came out twenty minutes later, I had to scan the club in search of Lauren or Grace. Finally I spotted them and started over, but then my gaze caught on someone at the bar. A giant smile spread across my face, and I tried to rein it in before I reached him. Aidan.

  He was dressed in jeans and a button-down, his hair messy; a fine stubble covered his perfect face. I wanted to run my fingers across his jaw, feel its roughness. But then the bulge-pusher, Eli, cut in front of me, and I blinked to regain focus.

  “You disappeared on me,” he said.

  I faked a smile. He really seemed to be a nice guy. A horrible dancer, but nice all the same. “Sorry. I was just going to meet a friend.”

  I motioned to the bar, and he turned, scanned the people there, and then his eyes went wide. “Is that Aidan Truitt?”

  I sucked in a breath.

  “Is he coming over here?”

  “He’s my boss. He’s probably just coming to say hello,” I said, hoping my voice sounded more even than it felt.

  “You work for Aidan Truitt?”

  “Sure. What does it matter?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing. I just know his name, his story. How he refused to come work with his dad’s company and instead went to the competitor. Seems pretty low if you ask me.”

  I gritted my teeth together. “You don’t know him, so maybe you shouldn’t judge.”

  Aidan arrived before I could say another word. He started for my hand, but I managed to slip out of reach without it looking too obvious. “Aidan, hi, funny running into you here.” He gave me a quizzical look, so I quickly added, “This is Eli. He works at Graham Group.”

  Realization crossed Aidan’s face, and then he was all business. He lifted his hand to shake Eli’s. “Nice meeting you.”

  Eli launched into a thousand questions, everything from Aidan’s advertising philosophy, to his political preferences, to his favorite gym. After a while, I felt embarrassed for the guy and desperate to be free from his crazy questioning and dance skills.

  “Well, it was nice meeting you, Eli. And I’ll see you Monday, Aidan. I was just heading out.”

  I started to go around them when Eli grabbed my arm. “Are you sure you’re ready to go?”

  My gaze fixed on him as I pulled free from his grasp. “I’m sure.”

  “But, we were—”

  Aidan stepped between us, forcing Eli to take a step back. “She said she’s leaving. Now allow her to leave.”

  Eli threw up his hands. “Yeah, all right. Of course. Another time, then, Cameron.”

  I breathed in Aidan’s clean scent, and then he said good-bye to me, too, and disappeared through the crowd. My heart sped up as I quickly texted Lauren that I wanted to leave. That was…wow. Aidan stood up for me like I was his—

  I shook the thought from my mind before it could fully form when my phone buzzed.

  Aidan: Coffee? There’s a small café a block away. Shouldn’t be busy at this hour.

  Is that risky?

  Aidan: Yes.

  Aidan: But you’re worth it.

  My heart began to dance as I reread his words. Why don’t we go to my apartment instead? Lauren’s out for a while, and I make the best hot chocolate in the world.

  “With whipped cream?”

  I spun around to find Aidan behind me, a sexy smirk on his face as he leaned in closer. Warmth pooled low in my belly, spreading through me as I stared into his eyes. Whipped cream and Aidan. This could get interesting. “Is there any other way?”

  The smirk turned into a full smile, and I found myself appreciating how it changed his face. How the intense expression he wore at work turned playful and fun. “Ready?”

  I nodded. “Can we walk together?”

  His gaze dropped to my lips as I spoke, and the warmth in my belly lit on fire, swarming through me, every fiber in me itching to take that tiny step between us, to press my lips to his.

  He chuckled lightly and my gaze snapped up. “What?”

  “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  We made our way toward my apartment, walking close but not touching. “Thanks for the save back at the club.” My fingers ached to reach out to him, to hold hands as we walked. No feelings, I reminded myself, but my heart refused to slow down.

  We stepped inside my building, and Aidan veered toward the stairs without my having to say a word.

  “No problem. He didn’t seem like your type anyway.”

  I smiled. “Oh, yeah? And what’s my type?”

  “Taller. Blond-ish. Willing to avoid elevators for you.”

  My smile widened. “That’s a very important trait.”

  He held the door to the second floor open and then followed me down the hall to my apartment. I unlocked the door and flicked on the lights before tossing my keys in the key basket and glancing around. Lauren and I kept the place pretty clean, but she’d recently taken up crocheting and often had yarn all over the tables. Thankfully, there was none in sight.

  “So, hot chocolate, huh?” he asked, as he cocked a hip against the kitchen counter.

  I laughed. “I have wine, too, if you prefer.”

  He moved over to the space beside me and crossed his arms over his chest, making his biceps bulge against the thin fabric of his button-down. “Hot chocolate is good.”

  Setting the milk steamer on the stove top, I reached for the rest of the ingredients, conscious of his eyes on me as I moved. It was intimidating, but also unbelievably hot to know that he was watching me.

  “Nutella?”

  “Trust me.”

  “I trust you more than I should. More than most people I know.”

  My gaze lifted, and I realized I felt the same way. I shouldn’t trust Aidan—I barely knew him—yet our conversations were so effortless that I found myself spilling parts of my life that very few people knew. “We don’t really know each other, do we?”

  “I know you, Cameron. I see you. You’re smart and driven, but your drive isn’t like other people’s drive. Titles motivate people. Money. But you? You’re driven by your independence. Your ability to say you did it all by yourself. Do you have any idea how rare that is for someone your age? Hell, for any age.”

  “You talk like you’ve been working your whole life.”

  “It feels like I’ve been working my whole life. I used to go to the office with my dad when I was a kid, listen as he ordered people around like they were nothing.” He paused, losing focus as he stared across the kitchen. “Then he left my mom and me, and we became nothing. At least to him.”

  I glanced up as I stirred the ingredients into the already steaming milk. “You weren’t nothing.”

  “No, but we had nothing. No money. Moving from apartment to apartment because she couldn’t afford rent and would eventually get kicked out, all while he vacationed at his house in the Hamptons, refusing to pay child support. I know what it’s like to have no food, no home, and to have to work every h
our to prove myself, only to see flashy Harvard grads walk in and expect the world.” He stopped, and I glanced up again from my chocolaty creation.

  Mom had taught me how to make the recipe years ago, and it was still my favorite. My heart tugged at the memory of the first time we made it together, her smiling, as beautiful as ever, me standing on a stool so I could see. My heart ached again. It’d been months since I’d been home. Too long. Listening to Aidan talk about his horrible upbringing made me appreciate the life and love my parents had given me all the more.

  “What?” I asked after he didn’t continue.

  “Nothing. I’ve just never admitted that to anyone before.”

  I poured our hot chocolate into mugs and turned around to pull the whipped cream from the fridge. It was Reddi-wip, nothing special, but it would serve its purpose. I shook the can and began spiraling it onto the steaming drink when I felt Aidan step up behind me, his head over my shoulder, his strong chest against my back. He placed his hands on my hips, his fingers splaying around to my stomach as he leaned down to press a single kiss to my neck.

  I drew a breath. “I like when you do that.”

  He kissed my neck again. “This?”

  “No.” I turned around to face him. “I like when you let down your guard around me. When you tell me about your life, and then you draw close, like…” I shook my head, embarrassed to say what I was thinking. I could be wrong.

  He lifted my chin. “Like what?”

  I swallowed hard as my eyes met his. This close, I could see the flecks of gold in the brown, how they seemed to move every time he blinked. “Like you feel better when you’re near me.”

  He released a breath. “I feel alive when I’m near you.” And then his lips were on mine, gentle this time, careful, full of emotions we weren’t ready to explore. Emotions we weren’t supposed to have. A tingly sensation moved through me, clouding my mind, and I rose onto my toes, not wanting the kiss to end. Not wanting this—whatever we were—to end. The feeling overwhelmed me.

  I parted my lips, and Aidan pulled me flush against him, his tongue slipping inside my mouth. He took his time, exploring my tongue, my teeth, my lips, never rushing the kiss. It wasn’t urgent or full of want. It was something else, something deeper. His hands moved down my back, and a shiver rippled through me. Lauren could be home any minute, which meant I had a decision to make—either move this to my bedroom and explore Aidan in all the ways I craved, or pull away now and tread cautiously instead. Protect my emotions, my heart.

  “Cameron…” he whispered, the words spoken against my lips. “This—it’s…”

  I pulled away from him so I could better read his expression. “Are you afraid?”

  His eyebrows drew together. “Afraid?”

  “Of what could happen at the office if we continue this.”

  Aidan cupped the sides of my face with his hands and stared into my eyes as though he were searching for the answer in me instead of himself. “The only thing in life that’s ever scared me is the fear of missing something. A deal. An opportunity.” He kissed me softly. “You. I don’t want to miss this.”

  “But, what if—”

  He kissed me again before I could continue. “Let me worry about the what-ifs. I won’t let anything happen to you. If it falls, it falls on me.”

  My heart puddled onto the floor, and I realized I was afraid of the same thing—missing this. Despite his rules and mine, I didn’t want to miss this. For the first time in forever, I had that tingly feeling in my gut, that nervous ache for the next visit, the urge to smile anytime I heard his name. I finally had all those things, and I didn’t want to give them up. Risk or not. This might not be forever, but what was? What really lasted forever? Nothing. No one. The best we could do was live wholeheartedly in the few moments that genuinely made us happy.

  Aidan made me happy. Label or no label, feelings or no feelings.

  I smiled.

  “Is that for me?” he asked, his own mouth curving up into a grin.

  “Lately, they’re all for you.”

  His smile softened as our gazes held, and he had just begun the lean-in when I heard a key in the door and then voices. For a moment, I contemplated just introducing Lauren and Grace to Aidan, despite our no friends or family rule. But then they were inside the small hallway, barely out of view, and another voice hit my ears, this one sending me into full freak-out mode. I shoved Aidan back, my eyes wide as I frantically motioned for the pantry door. He shook his head no, and I nodded yes, and I was ready to scream at him to get in there, when Lauren called Alexa’s name, and understanding crossed Aidan’s face.

  I had just enough time to close the pantry door before they walked into the kitchen, feet away from the very spot Aidan and I had been kissing moments before. My heart sped up as my hands trembled from the adrenaline rush.

  “Hey,” I said, the tightest, fakest smile known to womankind on my face. Dear God, get me out of this and I will go to church every Sunday for the next month. The girls stared at me like I’d sprung horns. All right, fine, the next year. Please, God, come on.

  “Um, hey,” Lauren said, drawing out the y. “We ran into Alexa at the club and decided to just come back here for drinks. You okay?”

  Grace turned around to grab wineglasses and a bottle from the fridge.

  “I can help,” Alexa said, grabbing the glasses so Grace could uncork the wine.

  My eyes widened at Lauren, and I nodded toward the pantry door, but she just shook her head like I was insane. “What are you…?”

  I pointed at the hot chocolate, still untouched on the counter. Lauren shrugged, so I pointed again at the two mugs, then the pantry door. Please understand what I’m freaking telling you! She shrugged, and I was sure my body was going to explode from tension and frustration, when she glanced at the mugs again and then her eyes went wide and she whispered, “Is there a dude in our pantry?”

  I nodded slowly.

  Her eyebrows threaded together. “Why?”

  Alexa and Grace went on into the living room, and I jerked Lauren toward me. “Aidan is in the pantry. Alexa works at our office, remember? I need you to get her out of here.”

  She glanced back. “I can’t just throw her out.”

  “Hey,” Grace called. “What are you two talking about in there?”

  “Nothing!” we both shouted, and I closed my eyes. Oh my God. This wasn’t happening. Then a genius idea occurred to me. “Take her to your room.”

  “What? No. That was only the one time in college. I don’t—”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not to hook up with her. God. Go show her those shoes and bags you brought home from work the other day. She’s crazy about fashion. She’ll love it.”

  Lauren looked more mortified than when she thought I wanted her to seduce Alexa. “What if she wants me to give her something?”

  I almost laughed at Lauren’s blatant selfishness, but then I thought of Aidan on the other side of the door and panic ripped through me again. “Please.”

  “All right, but if she takes something, you’re buying me a replacement.”

  “Fine, whatever, just please go.”

  Lauren disappeared out of the kitchen, and I heard her explain she’d brought home a few things from Bergdorf’s that had been sent to her boss in hopes he would agree to carry them the next season. A second passed, then just as I suspected, Alexa asked if she could see them, and they were all heading to Lauren’s room. I waited until Lauren’s door clicked shut, then yanked open the pantry door and began dragging Aidan to the front door.

  “Wait,” he said.

  I pushed him toward the hallway. “You have to go. She could see you.”

  He stared at the door, then back at me. “Come with me, then.”

  “To your apartment?”

  “Yes.” He took a step toward me. “No roommates. Just you and me.”

  Voices carried from the other side of the door, pushing my already-jumpy heart to a near heart-attack state
. “I can’t right now. They’ll know something’s up.”

  “Lauren and Grace already know, right?”

  “Yes, but I’m not worried about them.”

  He sighed heavily. “You’re staying.”

  “I have to.”

  “All right.” He reached for my hand and tugged me closer, kissing my lips easily before pulling away. “Then stay with me tomorrow night. We can do whatever you want. Takeout. Movie. Whatever. But stay with me.”

  A thousand thoughts swarmed through my mind all at once—worries and doubts, excitement and intrigue. Could I keep to the rules if we spent time together alone? But despite my uncertainty, only one word managed to break free.

  “Okay.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aidan texted me his address the next day after I refused to allow him to take a cab over to pick me up. The day was intense enough without my having to worry about cleaning up or explaining why Lauren was still in her PJs at five. And normally on a dreary day like today, I’d be right there with her, but instead, I was walking into Aidan’s apartment building, nervousness and excitement coursing through me in even turns.

  I adjusted my overnight bag on my shoulder and peered around for the stairs when my gaze caught on the man leaning against the wall beside the stairwell door. A smile stretched across my face.

  Aidan.

  He wore loose jeans, an old University of Tennessee T-shirt, and the UT hat from the first time we met. His hair stuck out from below the hat in a disheveled mess, and he clearly hadn’t shaven since Friday morning for work, but damn if this look wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever seen on him.

  “Did you adopt my phobia?” I asked as I neared. “Or are you being intentionally sweet?”

  He pushed away from the wall and grabbed my bag off my shoulder. “I’ve adopted a few terrible habits since you threw yourself at me at that bar. It’s starting to become a problem.”

  “Hey,” I said, pushing his chest, but then I felt the tightness of his pectoral muscle, and suddenly my thoughts were no longer so light. Aidan’s gaze locked on me as he took my hand and ran his fingers easily through mine, causing the fire in my stomach to roar to life. Oh my, this was going to be a very, very dangerous night. I reminded myself to stick to our rules. Everything would be okay so long as I stuck to the rules.