Page 121 of Done with You

Oona and her sisters all snorted and shook their heads.

“Later,” Jordan said, holding out his hand. “But right now, we must dance.”

Rayma giggled and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up and twirl her out onto the dance floor, which was outside under the tent on outdoor carpets that were usually used for camping.

Their chosen song came on and they twirled around the dance floor like two newlyweds with very little rhythm but a whole lot of love.

Oona sipped her wine and smiled as she watched her baby sister giggle and grin when Jordan dipped her.

Soon, the song changed and the dance floor filled up. Jace was dancing with Peyton, Mieka had Nate out on the floor, and Pasha and Heath were showing everyone that a married couple with kids could still grind like teenagers.

“Care to dance?” came a dark rasp that had Oona’s nipples instantly pebbling.

Triss was off snuggling with Asher, his hand on her belly, rubbing it affectionately, so Oona had been by herself, until Aiden sidled up. She glanced up at him, then down at his outstretched hand.

Smiling, she took it and allowed him to pull her to standing and lead her out to the dance floor.

It was a song that shouldn’t have been slow danced to, but they slow danced anyway.

She liked that.

“I want to take back what I said before,” he said, his hand sliding further down her back.

Her brows knitted together and her heart rate picked up. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to start things in Montreal.”

Now her heart was threatening to shatter. What the hell? Her palm grew sweaty in his and heat sprinted up into her cheeks. Did someone just crank the heaters? Why was is so hot under the tents all of a sudden?

They’d just had sex in the bathroom, and now he was telling her to pound sand? Did she completely misread everything that happened in the last few days? The progress they’d made? The progress that he’d made. Was he going to tell her that the sex was terrible, too? Just drive that final stake into her heart for good measure.

She made to pull out of his embrace, but he held on tight. “Aiden, let me go.”

“I don’t want to start things in Montreal until I’ve done the work. You deserve me in a better way than I am right now. You deserve me fixed, for lack of a better term.”

Oh!

Her heart softened. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “You’re not broken.”

“I know. But I’m pretty banged up. I need to heal, so that I can be worthy of being with you. You deserve me after I’ve done the work. And for myself. I’m not doing the work for you. And this isn’t lip service. This is me, telling you that I want a second chance. Or maybe it’s a third chance. But when I’ve done the work.”

She smiled and blinked through threatening tears.

“I don’t expect you to stay celibate or not date. So if you find the love of your life between now and when I’m fixed, that’s okay. I want you to be happy.” He squeezed her tighter. “I mean that with my whole heart, Oona, you deserve to be happy. But, if you’re not with anybody, and still interested, I’d love to cook you dinner, tell you about my day and hear about yours.”

Well, that had to be the most romantic proposal for a future date she’d ever received.

Her lashes fluttered and she blinked rapidly, trying to stave off the tears.

“I’m really sorry for everything I’ve put you through. For all the horrible things I’ve said. For all the horrible things I did. You are a remarkable, strong, brilliant, beautiful woman, and for the record, you’re great at sex, too.”

She huffed a laugh.

“And you didn’t deserve a word of my anger. Every word I said to you, I was saying to a mirror. You were right. I was using you to hurt myself. And I’m sorry.”

She smiled and closed the gap between them until their bodies were pressed tight against each other. “I’d love for you to cook me dinner.”

He smiled and splayed his hand across the small of her back. “And you promise you won’t try to pay for half the food and my utility bill?”

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