Page 106 of Fostering Chemistry
Aaron let go of my hand and leaned his forearms against the railing. “It really does feel like my hometown.”
“Isn’t it?” I moved closer to him and put my hand on his back, rubbing lightly. Even such an innocent touch felt a bit bold. I wasn’t used to being out in public touching, laughing, and holding hands with a man. Actually, I didn’t have all that much experience with that kind of thing in private, either.
“Before age seven, it felt like I didn’t have one.”
My hand slid up to his neck and squeezed gently. “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t talked much about that period of his life, and I was afraid to ask.
“Don’t be. I basically won the lottery after that point.”
I couldn’t argue with that. When we’d arrived at the condo this morning, it was even more spacious and luxurious than I’d remembered. The kitchen had been completely stocked with everything we could want to eat. I wondered which of his siblings had done that, or could it possibly be staff? His family was definitely wealthy, but for a scholarship student like me, it felt a little surreal.
But that wasn’t who Aaron was as a person. And I was pretty damn fond of who he was as a person.
He took me to his favorite Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a cuisine unfamiliar to me, but I really liked the spicy chicken and that delicious flatbread.
Back at the condo, we watched some TV, though not too late. Aaron had put me in the same beautiful suite I’d changed in last time. We lingered a little awkwardly at the doorway. After asking permission, he gave me a kiss that made me melt against him, but I didn’t invite him in, and he didn’t ask. This week was about all four of us, not just the two of us. It wouldn’t have felt right.
And then in late morning,they arrived.
“Wow,” Diego said, giving a low whistle as he surveyed the spacious condo. “Pretty sure the entire Baylor House could fit in this living room.”
That was quite the exaggeration, but it kind of felt true. The living room was gorgeous, with cream-colored fabrics and soft gray leather. There was a fireplace surrounded by a sunken sitting area, a great view of the city, and—to Cody’s obvious delight—a grand piano.
After a quick lunch, we did more touristy things, taking an inclined train up to Lookout Mountain, which provided a spectacular view of the city and the river running through it. It was fun, but the vibe was different with four of us there. I was conscious of how much time I spent with each of them. Whose hand I held. Who I smiled at the most. It wasn’t that I wanted tohave to keep score all day, it was just that I was a little nervous about how this all would work out for us.
And very, very nervous about the sleeping arrangements for tonight.
Aaron was the one who brought that up after we returned from another nice dinner out. He clearly knew the best restaurants in town.
“There are three bedrooms,” he began. “Mia’s already installed in the suite, so I guess two of us guys should double up.”
“I could sleep on the couch,” Diego offered.
“No,” I said, taking a deep breath. But I’d already given this matter a lot of thought.
“On the piano?” he joked. But none of us were laughing. The atmosphere wasn’t tense—but it wasn’t exactly relaxed, either.
“I think each of you should take a bedroom.” That earned me three looks of surprise.
“And what will you do?” Aaron asked carefully.
“I thought maybe I could bunk with one of you.” I closed my eyes briefly. That wasn’t even the hardest part to say. “Each night, with one of you.” It was the most diplomatic way I could say it, but I could feel the heat flood my face. I couldn’t look at them, even though I’d been thinking about this all day.
“No,” Diego said instantly. “We’re not passing you around like...”
Cody looked at him sharply. “If you finish that sentence, we’re going to have a problem.”
Okay, this was going worse than any of the scenarios I’d imagined. “I just... I’m not saying that we... I just...”
“It’s okay, Mia,” Cody said, surprisingly gently. “No one’s judging you.” He gave Diego a look when he said that.
That gave me a little courage. “I want to spend time with you all. I want to get to know you better. It’s just sleep. Why can’t I share a bed with you?” Except I knew it might be more than sleep. We all knew that.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Aaron asked.
“Yes. If that’s what you guys want, too.”
“I’m not going to say no to that,” Aaron said. “But only if I know you’re 150% you’re comfortable with it.”
