Chapter Sixteen

Blake

 

I closed my laptop, finally completing a full two chapters of my book. I got up from the bed where I was working and looked in the mirror. I was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants—not exactly the proper attire for a barbeque.

I hadn’t spoken much to Aiden over the last couple days, not since his abuela stopped by. All of my clothes were in his room, his closet, the one we were supposed to appear to share. Ugh, I didn’t want to go in there, to even see him right now, but I knew it was unavoidable.

I opened up my door, listened down the hall, and heard Aiden rustling around in the kitchen. I took the opportunity to sneak into his room, into the closet, and sort through my outfits for something to wear.

Alyssa, Holly, and Liam were coming, and I knew Aiden invited them as a buffer. I was depressed and distant, and it was obviously bothering him, but I wasn’t in the mood to be cheered up. I was horrible for what I was doing to his abuela and to his mother.

“Are you up and moving?” I heard Aiden yell from the kitchen.

“I’m getting dressed,” I called back, quickly grabbing a blue summer dress from its hanger.

“They’ll be here in less than an hour. I could use some help,” Aiden said, now standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

I held the dress tightly against my chest, my eyes fixated on his strong arms oozing out of his tight t-shirt.

“That’s pretty,” he said, motioning to the dress I clutched.

I smiled, trying hard not to blush, but I knew I was by the heat on my cheeks.

“I’ll let you get dressed,” he said sweetly, backing out of the room.

I exhaled, letting out the tension I’d held inside. Why did I get so frazzled when he was around? He drove me wild; everything about him aroused me, his eyes, the way he looked at me, his voice.

A few minutes later, I was dressed, my hair pulled into a loose bun, and my makeup applied just lightly enough to give me a warm glow and some color on my lips and cheeks.

Aiden was in the kitchen, slicing onions with a large cleaver. He turned to greet me as I entered the room, his eyes red, watery, and tears streaming down his cheeks. I giggled at the sight of such a strong man crying over an onion.

“Want some help?” I asked, taking the knife from his hand.

I turned on the faucet, making the water as cold as possible, and finished slicing the onion.

Aiden was watching me with amazement in his eyes as I sliced each piece without flinching.

“How do you do that?” he questioned.

“The cold water helps,” I smiled.

He shook his head and sighed lovingly as he moved towards the fridge. He pulled out the burger, moving it to the counter where he had a large tray covered in aluminum foil already prepared for the patties.

I helped him form the burgers, placing each one carefully on his prepared tray. Being so close to him made me tingle, and thoughts of what we’d done on the kitchen counter where we now worked started flooding my mind.

Arousal worked up between my legs, making my panties warm and tacky against my skin. I shifted back and forth, trying to find some relief from the swelling skin as Aiden made things worse by accidentally brushing against me as he leaned towards the tray to place his completed patties.

I was ready to attack him, to push him against the island and take him right then and there, when the doorbell rang.

His eyes filled with a strange disappointment at the sound, as if he could read my mind, knowing that given a few more minutes I wouldn’t be able to control my urges.

“I’ll get it,” I quickly spoke, grabbing a towel to wipe my hands before heading towards the front door.

Holly ran into the house, chasing after her little puppy as I opened the door, and Alyssa smirked with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, she takes him everywhere,” she offered as an apology for the unruly pup.

I smiled. I didn’t mind.

Liam walked in, gripping me tightly in his arms for an embrace. It was awkward to hug my brother so tenderly. We hadn’t been that close for a long time.

“You look good. Happy,” Liam said, pulling back from our hug and staring into my eyes.

I was happy, most times, but other times, I was riddled with guilt.

“Thanks,” I said calmly.

“Hey, asshole, you bring beer?” Aiden called from the kitchen, immediately gaining Liam’s attention.

He gave me a quick smile, and then ushered into the kitchen, carrying his cooler.

“You know I couldn’t put up with your ass without it,” Liam teased Aiden.

Alyssa rolled her eyes at the men’s brass behavior.

“So, how are you doing?” she asked, giving me a strange smile.

“I’m okay,” I replied.

“So, dating your husband does seem to agree with you,” Alyssa grinned.

I just smiled, neglecting to ruin our fun day with my doubts and anxiety about the situation.

Before I could close the door, Luke pushed his way through.

“This where the party’s at?” he questioned, carrying a case of beer in one hand and a bottle of white wine in the other.

“It is now,” I agreed, taking the wine as he pushed it in my direction.

I needed a drink, probably one stiffer than wine, but it would have to do.

“Why are you in here making the food? You have a wife now,” Luke teased as he entered the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes as I pushed past him, reaching for a couple glasses to share the wine with Alyssa.

“She doesn’t cook,” Aiden said with a smug grin.

“Really?” Luke gasped, giving me a look of surprise.

“I don’t even know if she can cook,” Aiden added, teasing me with a wide smile.

“Oh, she’s an amazing cook,” Liam piped in, blowing my cover.

Aiden looked at me, his eyes narrowing on mine as his lips curled into a smile.

“Good to know,” he grinned.

Alyssa grabbed my arm as I snatched up the glasses and the wine and pulled me towards the back door. Holly was already outside, running through the yard with her puppy chasing behind. We sat down at the table, poured the wine, and watched her play.

“You do look really happy,” Alyssa noted, breaking our peaceful silence.

I took a long sip of my wine and offered a quick smile in her direction.

“I’m just struggling to keep my heart out of all this,” I admitted.

Alyssa looked surprised by my comment. “Why would you do that?” she asked.

“Aiden is amazing, but this isn’t real. He wants to please his abuela, so us acting more like a couple makes that easier,” I replied.

Alyssa didn’t look as if she bought into my response, shaking her head and giving me another eye roll.

The guys came out of the kitchen, loud and laughing at an inside joke. Liam immediately moved to Alyssa, leaning down to kiss her cheek from behind her chair. She smiled so easily, and her eyes lit up at the touch of his lips. I watched her reach up, place her hand over his that rested on her shoulder, and then they both looked out towards the yard where their daughter played with such love and devotion.

Luke pulled a seat out next to me, leaning in close. A little too close.

“When you plan on starting a family?” he joked.

I slapped him playfully on the shoulder, and then caught a glimpse of Aiden’s eyes fixating on mine.

Luke’s joke made me think of Anna-Marie, and her need to be a great-grandmother, and his mother, Liana, who dreamed of becoming an abuela herself one day.

The sad part was, I could see myself having a family with Aiden, a child, a puppy, and it being real, not fake. Stop daydreaming, Blake, I scolded myself internally as my heart began to swell.

I got up, determined to avoid any more of this conversation. Holly called for me as I stepped from the deck into the yard. She was on the other side of the pool, tossing a Frisbee in the air for her puppy to catch. He was missing it every time, but would quickly grab it once it hit the ground and growl playfully as she tried to pull it from his mouth.

I moved towards her, taking a seat in the grass beside her, and letting the puppy pounce onto me, nearly knocking me over. He licked my face, his paws bigger than I expected, pushing into my chest as he continued to maul me with love and affection. I couldn’t help but laugh and gave in, letting him knock me onto my back.

“He likes you,” Holly smiled.

“Did you bring your swimsuit?” I asked Holly when I finally made it up from my back.

The puppy found a butterfly to chase, quickly losing its interest in licking off my face.

“I did,” Holly grinned, lifting her shirt up to show me the one-piece swimsuit underneath.

“After we eat, we can swim,” I smiled.

“You’ll swim with me?” Holly asked excitedly.

“Of course,” I agreed.

I couldn’t believe how much the girl looked like Liam. Her long blonde hair, her bright blue eyes—she really was the spitting image of him. I could see Alyssa in her as well, but only through her shape, which was much more womanly than little girlish at twelve.

“You ready to eat?” Aiden called out to us, gaining our attention quickly.

I was starving, and the smell of the burgers he’d put on the grill was making my mouth water.

I grabbed Holly’s hand and walked towards the deck with her as the puppy chased behind us, nipping at our ankles with each step.

Aiden pulled the burgers from the grill, placing them on a large orange tray. Alyssa offered to help as I walked towards the kitchen to bring out the toppings.

“Holly’s done nothing but talk about how cool it is to have an aunt,” Alyssa smiled as I handed her the tray of onions and tomatoes.

“It’s pretty cool to be one,” I admitted.

“She’s always considered Aiden her uncle,” Alyssa added.

I smiled.

“Maybe we could keep her one night, or even a weekend,” I offered.

“She would love that,” Alyssa agreed.

I opened the door, letting Alyssa exit first with the large tray, and overheard Luke talking to Aiden.

“You should get Blake a puppy,” he said.

Aiden smiled, but he didn’t have time to respond before I walked outside, interrupting their conversation.

The puppy pushed against my leg as I took my seat, and Holly giggled as she reached down to pet him.

“You could get a puppy, and they would be cousins,” Holly announced.

“I guess they would,” Aiden smiled.

I loved the thought of having a furry little friend running around the house. We had the perfect yard, minus the pool that would need to be covered to prevent any accidents. The thought if having a little family with Aiden, even if it was just with a puppy, made my heart warm inside my chest. Our marriage would still be fake, but our bond with the puppy, as a family, that would be real.

Everyone finished eating and changed into swimsuits for a quick dip in the pool. The guys were all drinking, cutting up, and roughhousing in the water, while Holly, Alyssa, and I hung out by the edge in the shallow end, taking turns playing with the puppy that seemed afraid of the giant watering hole.

Alyssa let out a squeal as she pulled backward, her head almost going under. I turned to catch a glimpse of Liam, underneath the water, pulling at her waist as he lured her into the deep end. Before I could react, hands gripped my waist, and I was pulled right along with her. I squealed out with surprise and excitement as Aiden’s touch startled me.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Aiden smirked as he came up from the water.

“Yes, you did,” I laughed.

His eyes danced on mine as his smile turned into a wild grin. I splashed water at him, squirming to be released from his tight grip.

My body tingled as his hands slid down my waist, to my ass cheeks, giving them a tight squeeze before releasing me into the water alone.

“Want a beer?” Luke called out, already out of the pool and standing at the cooler.

Aiden held up his hand as he swam to the ladder, and quickly exited the pool. As soon as he was gone, I missed him. I hated that he had such a strong grip on my heart already. I had to toughen up if I was going to make this work.

Liam kissed Alyssa on the cheek before following his friend to the cooler of beer. I swam to the edge, staring out at the guys, watching Aiden as he joked with his friends, my brother. They were all family. We were all family. It didn’t matter if this was a marriage of convenience; we all loved one another.

The rest of the day, I was able to let go of my guilt, and for a while, it felt as though this was real. Aiden was sweet to me, and the more he drank, the more affectionate he became. After a few glasses of wine, I quit pulling away and started reacting with the same affection.

We held hands under the table while Luke and Liam talked about the rehabilitation ranch Luke was scheduled to work. Alyssa looked towards our direction a few times as if she knew we were sneaking to touch under the long wooden table.

By the time everyone left and the house was cleaned up, I was exhausted. All I could think about was snuggling up into bed, preferably not alone, and falling asleep.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” Aiden asked as if he’d read my mind.

I was shocked at his question, mainly because I’d been hoping he’d ask.

“No sex, just sleep. All night, not part of the night,” he added.

I knew he was referring to the times I’d snuck out after sex. I wanted to stay those times, but it just scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react in the morning, waking in his arms. I didn’t want things more awkward between us than they already were, so I’d sneak out.

No sex. Just sleep. How awkward could it be?

“Yes,” I agreed before thinking it through.

Aiden smiled, wrapping his arm around me, and ushering me to the bedroom.

He stripped out of his tight t-shirt, slid out of his shorts, and climbed into the bed wearing only his boxer briefs.

I snuggled in beside him, wearing the shorts and t-shirt I’d put on after swimming, and let his warmth soothe me to sleep.