Page 58 of Digging Deeper

I roll my eyes even though he seems entirely serious, then I ask, “You sure I don’t look stupid?”

“Not even a little bit.” He kisses me again.

I smile at him and peck his lips, then try to think of a way to make my boring costume better. “Oh, do you have any fake blood?”

“I think there’s some left,” he says.

“Awesome. I’ll put some on my neck and be your victim.”

He grins and walks closer, wrapping an arm around my waist to draw me in. “Is that right?”

“Mhm.”

He leans down to nibble on my neck, then he bites down and sucks. “Right here?”

I groan, breathlessly saying, “Yeah.”

“I’ll just give you a hickey. Problem solved.”

I chuckle and push his shoulder. “No way, José.” When he lifts his head, I pull his face in to kiss him, then rest our foreheads together.

He smiles at me and brushes his nose along mine as he tightens his hold on me and whispers, “I like your costume.”

“Yours is better.”

He rolls his eyes. “Duh.”

I laugh and push his shoulder. “Make me your victim.”

His eyes crinkle in the corners in amusement, but he kisses my lips, drags me into the bathroom, and grabs the tube of fake blood. “It’s going to stain your costume if it runs down.”

“That’s fine. I’m never wearing this again.”

He pauses to look me in the eyes. “Don’t throw it away.”

My brow furrows for a moment before I laugh. “You have some kind of nurse fantasy or something?”

“Maybe.” He shoots me a small grin that I return before chuckling.

After he finishes with the blood, there’s a knock on the door, so I answer it, and when I open the door, my eyes widen. “Holy shit.”

Aiden’s hand is on his chest as he looks at the creepy, rocking horse doll, saying, “Why would you put that on your porch? You trying to give me a heart attack?” He turns, seeing my face, then frowns and looks down at himself, brushing his hand across the front of his costume. “Is it bad? Should I change?”

“Holy shit, Aiden. You look smokin’,” I blurt as I pull him inside the house.

His cheeks immediately flush. “Really?”

I nod. “You look amazing!” I step back to take him in again. He’s wearing a toga that shows off just how muscular and fit he is. I never realized how built he was because he never wears tight-fitting clothes when we hang out, but I shouldn’t have been surprised considering he works out all the time for work.

Drix walks over and says, “Hey, man. Nice costume.”

“Thanks.” Aiden blushes harder.

Drix wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to place a kiss on my temple.

It’s only a couple of minutes before Holden and Jameson arrive, and when they walk in, the three of us can’t stop laughing at them. They’re dressed up as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—Holds is the peanut butter half, and Jameson is the jelly. It’s absolutely ridiculous and completely awesome. I give Holds a hug, and he wraps me up in his fabric slice of bread, and all I can do is chuckle at him.

“The car’s here,” Drix says, peeling me away from his brother to wrap me in his arms again. Since the night I finally told him about Taylor, he’s been more tactile with me, and I definitely love it. If I could stay in his arms for the rest of my life, I would. It’s my favorite place to be.

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