Page 38 of One Time in Paris
Aiden’s fingertips brushed against hers, and she caught her breath, a warm rush of tingles going up her wrist. “Hey. Look at me for a moment.”
She swallowed hard, then turned her gaze toward his.
“I’m just Aiden. And you’re just Isla.”
“But you’re not?—”
“But Iam.” Aiden gave her a gentle smile. “And I need to be. To you, anyway. I don’t want you looking at me the way you did in that van. Quinn was supposed to be the head of the company—he’s the one with the title. I just fell into the role I’m in when he abdicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s how I ever saw myself. Or how I see myself now. I don’t live in a penthouse or drive an expensive car. And some days, I wish I could go back to the military, where life was simple and the meals were shite, but at least I had friends who valued my friendship and not competitors who only valued my pocketbook.”
“Why does it matter how I look at you?” Isla asked dryly.
Yet something in his words hit her hard.
Like he knew. Heunderstood.
He saw her.
“It just does.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. “I’m not sure where I belong anymore, Aiden. What world I’m really a part of. Living the bohemian, salt-of-the-earth existence on the beach—where I’ve also worked harder than I ever have in my entire life—has changed me.”
“That’s understandable.” He held her gaze. “I’ve felt that same confusion before—in the military. Helped me to think about the last time I felt like I belonged. And that led me back to London. And it wasn’t a career or prestige that called to me as much as it was my family. I wanted to be a part of them again.”
She smiled wistfully, remembering the way Aiden had vanished for a while. How strange it had been when she visited the Camdens with Callum, and Aiden wasn’t there.Like a huge, gaping hole, really.She’d been so happy when he’d left the military.
The idea that Aiden had needed to go off andfind himself, though, had never occurred to her.
When is the last time I felt like I belonged?
“I’m not sure if I know when I even stepped off course. Moving to Costa Rica felt so right—so fun. Fixing up the inn, painting the rooms, and designing the new layout was so exciting. I think I ran on sheer adrenaline for months until reality set in.”
“Isla Scott . . . adrenaline junkie. I might have known.”
That delicious brush of his fingertips came again, and she held her breath. Then she reached her own fingers toward his, letting the back of her knuckle trail against the palm of his hand.
“Isla, darling.” Tomas sauntered toward her, arms extended. “Ready for this?”
Before she could answer, he caught her in a hug and lifted her off her feet, twirling her around before setting her back down again on the tips of her toes.
The action had the effect of setting her off balance, and her cup dropped out of her hand, landing in the grass beside her. She leaned into his broad, strong chest, the spice of his cologne filling her nostrils with its familiarity and warmth. He brushed a kiss against her temple. “This is going to be fun,” Tomas breathed.
Fun.She managed a smile, then pulled back. “Can’t wait,” she forced out, then leaned over to grab her fallen cup. But the lid had popped off, and the tea spilled.
She sneaked a glance back toward Aiden once again.
He was gone.
16
AIDEN
No doubt about it—Vegashad opened a door tosomethingAiden didn’t know existed.
If anyone had asked him about Isla before that trip, he would have smiled—probably fondly—and said something nostalgic about the girl he’d known since childhood. Brilliant actress, funny, warmhearted.
But now?
Now I’m sitting at a wine tasting in a coffee shop, wishing I was drinking wine instead of coffee, and every time Tomas touches her, I feel sick.
