Page 56 of The Billionaire's Kiss (The Sherbrookes of Newport)

“How is everyone?” he asked, joining her as she’d hoped he would.

“Paige is fine and will be home today. My nieces are doing well. They were six weeks early, so they’re small and will be in the NICU for a little longer. The hospital won’t let them come home until they weigh at least four pounds. Except for their low birth weights, they’re healthy.”

“You were hoping she’d have girls.”

Until Saturday, the youngest generation of Sherbrookes and Belmonts had consisted of boys. And as much as she adored her nephew and her cousins’ sons, she’d hoped for two nieces. And hopefully, when Courtney gave birth later this year, she’d get a third niece so Scott’s twins wouldn’t be so outnumbered by their male cousins.

They could talk about her family or any other topic he wanted later. Right now, she wanted him to tell her why he’d driven all the way here in the middle of the night instead of calling her.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here? You could have called me or waited until I came back to Avon.”

“I didn’t want to have this conversation on the phone or wait and see if you came back.”

“I told your sister why I was in New York and when I’d be back.”

“Yeah, well, she wasn’t in a sharing mood,” he grumbled before shifting his position, so he was closer to her. “It doesn’t matter. Even if I’d known when you’d be back, I wouldn’t have been able to wait, and I would’ve come here. I messed up on Saturday, and I’m sorry. I don’t think about what happened to Troy often anymore. When I saw Bryon, it hit me hard.” He swallowed and clasped his hands together.

She watched as a mix of emotions played across his face. And as much as she wanted to tell him she understood, she kept quiet rather than interrupt him.

“And sitting there with you surrounded by people that had the same or even more wealth and influence as his family, I assumed they were all the same. That in the same situation, any one of them would get away with what Bryon did. I lumped your family into the group too, and I shouldn’t have.”

“You’re right about some of the people there, but not most.”

“It doesn’t matter. Who your family associates with doesn’t change who you are.” He touched her cheek. “Or that I love you.”

Jake and Trent were never going to let her forget they were right. Maybe she’d tell them it took Aaron a full week before he knocked on her door so that she could say they weren’t 100 percent accurate.

Moving closer, Juliette put her arms over his shoulders and rested her forehead against his. “I’m glad you’re here. Whatever you said on Saturday doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.”

She didn’t want him changing his mind. At the same time, she remembered Charlie mentioning how she’d found adjusting to the media attention the family often got difficult. She wasn’t sure Aaron had considered that at all. If he hadn’t, she didn’t want it coming up in a month from now and causing him to have second thoughts again.

“Aaron, I love you, but I need to ask you something. The media is going to bother you, especially when we go to events like my cousin’s wedding or a fundraiser. Some people have a hard time with that. Will you be okay if a picture of us together shows up on the Star Insider website or on a magazine cover at Gorham’s?”

Instead of answering, he kissed her first. “I think I’ll look good on the cover of a magazine.”

Well, he had her there. The first time she’d seen him running, hadn’t she thought he should be starring in a summer blockbuster with her brother-in-law? “I’m serious, Aaron. I know Charlie had a hard time getting used to the media attention. It most likely won’t happen too often since we’ll be in Avon, but I guarantee you it will happen.”

Aaron slipped his arms around her and kissed her again. “Don’t worry. I considered all that.”

Good. “I love you.” She pressed her lips against his in the briefest of kisses. “And I’d love to stay here with you all day, but I need to watch my nephew so my parents can go to the hospital. Unless you need to get home, I’d like you to come with me.”

“The only place I need to be today is with you.”

Even if her dad, all her uncles, brother, and male cousins had stood in the room, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from crushing her lips against his and showing him how much she loved him.

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