Page 39 of Heating Up (Nugget)
“You getting your eyes full there?”
“At the risk of being fresh, I’d like to get my hands full.”
She swatted at him to knock it off, but her girl parts were saying something entirely different, like:Go ahead and feel me up right here in the front seat of your truck. But she knew he was only flirting with her because the woman he loved was marrying someone else. Today. Probably at this very moment.
They walked together to the house, Dana carrying the candy. There was a note tacked on the door that said, “Meet us at the pool.” They followed a path to the rec center and opened the gate to the pool area, where Brady had taken over the outdoor kitchen and pizza oven. Sitting at the big island was, shit, Griffin. Lina emerged from the pool in a bikini like a freaking beauty contestant.
Dana tensed and Aidan put his arm around her.
“Is it too late to leave?” she whispered.
“Hey,” Sloane called from the pool, where she sat on the edge in a swimsuit, dangling her feet in the water. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Yup,” Aidan said, trying to be discreet. “Sloane didn’t say anything to me about them coming, so maybe they’re just swimming.”
“What took you guys so long?” Sloane came over. “Brady’s making pizza for appetizers. Harlee and Colin are on their way. What do you have there, Dana?”
She looked down at the boxes of candy and felt like an idiot. “It’s my family’s chocolates.”
“Holy crap.” Brady had also joined them. “I never put it together that you were that Calloway. I love Calloway chocolates. I think they’re even better than See’s, and See’s are pretty damn good.”
“Thanks.” She handed them to him.
Next thing she knew Griffin was hugging her. “I didn’t know you were coming.” He looked at Aidan and back at her and his lips curved up.
Lina waved from one of the big lounge chairs.
“Come say hi to Lina,” Griff said, and Dana didn’t know why they had to go to her. Why couldn’t she come to them?
Aidan tightened his arm around her and she wanted to kiss him in sheer gratitude. They walked over to Princess Lina, who was rubbing tanning lotion on her shoulders. Like Griff, Lina gave her a big hug, which knocked Dana for a loop.
“I’m so sorry about your house. If there’s anything you need while Colin and Pat are rebuilding, let me know. I’m home for the summer.”
“Thank you,” Dana said, feeling incredibly uncomfortable but mostly like a bitch because she wished Lina wasn’t being so nice. Especially in front of Aidan.
Griffin introduced Aidan to Lina. And Dana gave him props for not ogling her in her tiny bathing suit. Harlee and Colin came through the gate carrying a big cooler.
“Want to get some pizza?” Aidan asked and steered Dana toward the big stone oven. Once they were out of earshot, he said, “I didn’t know they were coming, I swear.”
“It’s okay. Today is about you, not me.”
“What are you talking about?”
She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Uh . . . your ex . . . getting married.”
Aidan stepped back and shook his head like he had cobwebs in it. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” And then he kissed her.
* * *
It wasn’t much of a kiss, just a peck, really. If Aidan had had his druthers, he would’ve gone all in. Tongue and everything. But they were in the middle of a gathering and people were watching. But damn if Dana didn’t drive him to distraction. Case in point: He hadn’t thought about Sue once this afternoon. His whole focus had been on getting Dana to come with him. And when she’d put on that dress he’d nearly lost his mind.
“Are you crazy?” Dana stood there, staring at him like he had a screw loose.
But she hadn’t tried to stop him. In fact, she’d wound her arms around his neck and had gone up on her toes to reach him better. When he’d finished the kiss, she’d almost lost her balance.
