Page 29 of Forever Theirs

It was perfect.

Even their little cabin, which was bigger on the inside than I expected, held the same warmth and peace that they exuded together. Well, Aiden exuded and worked double-time to pull from Miles. They fit together, each different yet a match with the other. Aiden was the outgoing one, always talking and including Miles or me in the conversation. Though there was a heaviness in his honey-brown gaze when he regarded his friend when he thought no one else was looking. It almost seemed like sadness or guilt. I had noticed it the night before at the bar but obviously didn’t feel comfortable then or now to ask what it was about.

Then there was Miles. The clear protector and provider of the two. His gaze constantly bounced around the room, sweeping and exploring. Without a doubt, I was utterly safe in his proximity. Miles was quiet, reserved, and sometimes blunt, but it didn’t hurt my feelings. It was just him. His reticent nature compared to Aiden’s outgoing one made sense, considering his background.

It made me wonder how much he still dealt with from his time in the Navy and what he saw and did. The SEAL I met on that one assignment mentioned that most come back home with more trauma than they realized and didn’t know how to ask for help. And based on a few things at the bar, I had to wonder if his trauma was both emotional and physical. At one point, he caught me ogling his thick, corded forearms. He stiffened as if acting on instinct and quickly yanked down his sleeves, fidgeting until the cuffs covered both wrists.

Though it made me curious more than anything, it made me want to wrap both my arms around his waist and hug him until he couldn’t breathe, until the pain that I thought I caught behind his hazel gaze bled out from him and into me.

I barely knew the man, yet the idea of him hurting, sustaining that weight alone, made my heart ache.

“Earth to Aspen.” A hand waved in front of my face. Completely caught off guard, I jerked back, elbow slipping off the table as I straightened in the chair. “Fuck, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I blinked several times, clearing my unfocused gaze, and turned a smile up at Aiden, who studied me with an air of concern.

“You’re exhausted. The travel day, then us keeping you up late. You need to sleep.” I slid a side-eyed glare to Miles. “Since you said you got little last night.”

Shoving off the counter, he started for the front door. Without another word or even looking back, Miles stormed out of the cabin, leaving me alone with Aiden and very confused.

“Um, well, that’s…” Aiden trailed off and cleared his throat. “You looked like you were about to fall asleep sitting up. Knowing the way his mind works, seeing you that tired reminded him of the eye mask thing.” Brows pulled in tight, he shifted to regard the door. “Or he went to go kill the sun since that’s what woke you up so early.”

Despite fighting a yawn, the corners of my lips tugged upward. “That’s ridiculous.” Pushing back from the table, I stood and reached both hands high overhead, a low groan slipping free. The stretch had the hem of my shirt rising, exposing a sliver of my stomach. Fingers gripped around the bottom, I yanked it down only to still at finding Aiden’s hooded gaze glued to the section of exposed skin. The tip of his tongue swept along his lower lip, making a shiver slide down my spine like a gentle caress.

“I love your place,” I blurted in an attempt to distract myself from the fluttering in my stomach and the heat building in my veins from his simple stare.

Floppy locks of hair shifted with his sharp headshake as if trying to break free of a spell, and he ran a hand through the shiny strands, pushing it away from his face, which automatically fell right back into his eyes. “Oh, yeah, thanks. It’s been ours since we moved here. That”—he gestured to the stone fireplace—“is my favorite spot in the house during the winter. I love sitting as close to the flames as possible after coming back from a snowmobile outing. The sounds of it crackling and the smell are winter to me. Add in someone to cuddle with and, if it weren’t for my job, I’d never leave that six-by-six area in front of the fire.”

My throat suddenly dry at imagining that perfect scene with me in Aiden’s embrace, I swallowed hard and awkwardly crossed both arms over my chest, immediately unfolded them again, and then shoved both hands into my front pockets to stop my awkward movements. I wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable with him, yet I was. Not because I thought he’d try something I didn’t want, but with the way I kept squeezing my thighs together to ease the slow throb, I was on the verge of begging Aiden to ease the ache. I didn’t care how pathetic that made me, as long as he helped release the buildup of sexual frustration that started the moment I met him.

“Come on.” Tugging one of my hands free, he interlaced our fingers to guide me toward the leather couch. “Who knows how long Miles will be. We can hang out while we wait for him, or if you want to take a nap, you can use my bed.”

Another rush of nervous anticipation filled my veins, making me burn from the inside out. His low, husky tone mixed with his words made the swell of need grow, settling at the apex of my thighs in a steady throb. My breath hitched, and my lower belly fluttered with desire. Sweat gathered along the back of my neck with the sudden surge of heat.

Damn, this was bad. All Aiden did was mention his bed, not even suggesting him being in it with me, and I was unbearably hot and ready to say screw it to all my concerns. Not once in my life had I had an instant attraction to someone I actually enjoyed spending time with or had the overwhelming desire to latch on to someone—or someones—like a flying squirrel slamming into a limb or a tree.

“Couch is great,” I croaked, voice failing. Rolling my eyes at myself, I fell onto the comfortable cushion, and a moan escaped. I skimmed my palms over the buttery soft leather as the cushions continued to shift, molding around my body. “Oh, wow, this is the most comfortable couch I’ve ever sat on.” The entire frame groaned, shifting under the weight of another. I forced a single lid open and found Aiden sitting on the opposite end, back against the arm, facing me with the smirk that never left his face. “Can I ask you something?”

He regarded me before responding. “I’ll answer anything you ask about me, but if it’s about Miles, then he needs to be the one to answer whatever questions you have.”

“Of course,” I said in a rush. “I wouldn’t ask you to talk about your friend behind his back.”

Aiden’s shoulders lowered from around his ears. My brows pulled in tight, studying the motion and what that meant. Did many women either intentionally or unintentionally pit the two against each other or ask questions that weren’t theirs to answer?

“But…” I paused and licked my lips, darting my gaze to the unlit fireplace to break his focused stare. Studying the soot-covered stone, I forced myself to ask the question that wouldn’t allow me to fall asleep quickly last night. “Why me?”

After a few seconds with no response, I forced my attention to Aiden, who stared at me with confusion in his eyes. “Why you what? What are you talking about, Aspen?”

I searched his face, finding only confusion and honesty there. Fuck. He had no idea what I was talking about. Bile moved up my throat with the sudden drop of my stomach. The yummy sandwich from minutes ago churned in my gut. Shoving off the couch, I stumbled around the coffee table and started for the door. Embarrassment heated my cheeks and had tears burning behind my eyes.

Did I misunderstand him? Didn’t Miles say that he and Aiden both were interested in me? But if that was true, why did Aiden not understand my question?

I shook my head so fast to get my whirling thoughts together that sections of dark hair slipped free from the loose bun to frame my face. “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry. It’s just that last night Miles said something, but I must have misunderstood. I just thought when he mentioned both of you…” Sealing my lips shut, I inhaled deeply through my nose to keep the tears from falling.

I barely had my trembling fingers wrapped around the door handle when Aiden’s larger frame pressed against my back, his hand sealing to the door, trapping me in place.

“Aiden, please. Let me leave.” I rolled my hot forehead along the cool wood, attempting to center myself and my thoughts.

A hand on the back of my neck, slightly squeezing, had me chancing a glance over my shoulder. Worry lines marked Aiden’s face as he scanned mine.

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