Page 49 of Hard Knock Hero

“Shit,” Aiden muttered. He let go of me.

“How did you get in here?” I asked.

Scarlett’s pale skin was turning crimson. “I texted you a million times, and you didn’t respond. And then I was knocking downstairs, and you didn’t answer. I used that key you gave me for emergencies.” She was talking fast, gesturing wildly. “And your apartment door was unlocked, so I just…” Her eyes scanned over Aiden’s naked chest, and she spun around in the doorway. “Jessi, we need to talk.”

I glanced sheepishly at Aiden. “I’ll take Scarlett downstairs.” I needed to talk her off the ledge she was teetering on.

He went to pick up his T-shirt from the ground. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

I nudged her out of the doorway and closed it behind me. “Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll explain.” But the minute Aiden was out of sight, she grabbed my arm, holding me there on the landing.

“He’s yourbrother,” Scarlett hissed. “How can you possibly explain…” She waved her hand at me. “What you two were justdoing?”

Oh, Lord.

I clapped my hand over her mouth. “Please, for the love of dessert, stop talking. He’s not my brother. He’s not Trace.”

Her eyes bugged. Then narrowed. “You lied to me?” Her voice was muffled behind my palm, but I could make out the words.

“I’m sorry. Let me explain?”

A few minutes later, I was arraying every dessert from my freezer on a plate in front of Scarlett in the hopes that she would forgive me. “So not only is henotyour brother, you’d never even met him before a couple days ago?”

“He was stuck here because of the bridge being out. He was heading to a rental cabin.”

“Yet now he’s living with you and clearly enjoying the benefits? Not that I’m judging. Since he’s not related to you, I guess you can have at it.”

Scarlett broke off a piece of chocolate-chip cookie.

“Please don’t be mad?”

She huffed. “I’m not.” A bigger chunk of cookie popped into her mouth. “In fact, I’m jealous. Where’s my sexy out-of-towner for a meaningless fling? All the stranded tourists who’ve stumbled through the sweet shop have been either children or a hundred years old.”

“It’s not a fling, exactly. He’s been protecting me. Helping me hold off Chester and Mitch Rigsby.”

How could I explain the connection that Aiden and I had after just a couple of days of knowing one another? How I could suddenly trust this man more than anyone else in Hartley? Maybe even more than my actual brother?

Scarlett didn’t know the real Aiden, so there was no way she could understand. I barely did either. But there was something special about him. I was drawn to him, and I didn’t want to deny this connection that we had. Or deny the attraction that I was feeling.

“Aiden got into a fight with Chester because he was defending me. Then Owen tried to make Aiden leave town. That’s why I said he was my brother. And the lie just grew from there. But the chemistry between us grew as well. I didn’t expect that. I wanted to tell you, I really did. I’m so sorry.”

She rolled her eyes. “I guess I sort of get it. You’ve been in a really tough spot with the Rigsbys, and Owen hasn’t always jumped instantly into the fray. I heard all about the brick they threw at your window. That was so awful. I would’ve come by yesterday if I’d been able to. Ishouldhave. You needed a protector.”

I smiled and squeezed her hand. “You’re offering?”

“I would’ve tried.”

“That’s kind of you. I’d been doing pretty well on my own. But Aiden makes for excellent backup.”

“With those muscles? No wonder.” She smirked and nudged my shoulder. “So he’s not your brother, and he ended up in Hartley by chance. But who is he aside from that? I just saw the man half naked with his tongue down your throat. I should know a few non-scandalous details about him so I don’t blush when I face him next.”

We shared bites of brownie and half-unfrozen cheesecake while I told her about Aiden Shelborne. Nothing too personal, not that he’d shared a ton of personal stuff with me. But I felt myself smiling even broader as I talked about him.

“You really like this handsome stranger. Are you catching feelings?”

“I can’t. He has to leave in a couple more days for work, and he’s not planning to come back to Hartley.” That thought sobered me.

“So this is a little free dessert to thank him for his help?”

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