Page 16 of Pillowtalk

Aaron

Aaron stared at the battery-operated clock that hung over the fire he’d managed to get started. In the dim light, he could just make out the larger hand tick past the9while the small crawled toward the8.He tore off another chunk of his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich and tossed it to Charlie, who immediately went up on his hind legs to catch it midair.

“Atta boy,” he praised, but his mind was halfway upstairs with Kennedy. He wasn’t at all surprised by her change in attitude toward him, given how he’d been acting. The devil on his shoulder was growing louder and louder each time he bumped into her, and when he saw her earlier so casually dressed, long, bare legs and painted toenails, faded pink hoodie that revealed a white thin-strapped undershirt pulled tight across a breathtaking chest…he’d barely strung two words together, let alone kept his staring under control. When he’d managed to rip his eyes from her, he’d had to do some internal convincing yet again. He’d been down the road of falling for the wrong girl. Jared never forgave him for it, and he didn’t blame him in the slightest.

Jared’s gone,the devil whispered, and Aaron shook his head free of the awful thought.

A roll of thunder rumbled overhead, and Aaron’s gaze drifted up the stairs. His instincts told him to go check on Kennedy—just to see if she was all right—but warning signs popped up, telling him to keep his distance. She’d come down here if she wasn’t, and Aaron wasn’t sure how many more times he’d find the strength to stay away. The hours ahead of him were going to be nothing short of torture—most likely penance for past sins.

Charlie jumped up onto the couch next to Aaron, nudging his head under the crook of Aaron’s arm. The pup wasn’t too keen on the summer storms that blew in even on the clearest of days. Aaron absentmindedly stroked the gray and white fur on top of his dog, tapping an anxious rhythm against the rug under his foot. Maybe she was asleep. It was early for most people, but the darkness might have convinced her it was much later. Or she might be working; laptop batteries last awhile, and if it was full when the power went out…

She could be bored; he certainly would be if his mind wasn’t running like a freight train. The decent thing would be to at least provide her with some company. He had stuck to his allotted time last night; he could do it again. Set the timer for when the lights blazed back on, and he could go back to being just another person she met while on vacation.

Yes, he was good with that, but just as he found his resolution, Charlie jerked, his tail suddenly beating wildly against the back of the couch. His collar jangled as he lifted his head toward the stairs.

She stood at the bottom of the stairwell, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders, the pink hood of her hoodie up on top of her tangled, short hair. Her chocolate eyes were wide and apologetic, almost wary that she’d trespassed into his space. Aaron’s gut dipped at the expression, and he grinned, hoping that he looked more inviting, less torn about being around her.

“Hey,” she said. Aaron held back a chuckle at the timidity in her voice, despite the friendly greeting.

“Hey.”

Thunder crashed overhead, and Kennedy winced, her entire body jerking and curling into the blanket. Something silver gleamed as she hugged it to her chest, and Aaron felt his heart stop for a brief moment with the realization of what she was holding.

“I can’t stay up there anymore,” she said with a laugh. Aaron lifted his gaze from the urn to her hesitant eyes. “There are too many noises. And I swear one more breeze is going to knock that wing of the place right off and blow it into Oz.”

Aaron’s lip quirked upward, and he patted the spot next to Charlie on the couch. A buffer is good, and the husky was a nice big one.

Charlie’s tail grew even more wild and anxious as Kennedy padded her way over and slunk into the couch cushions. His whole body shook against Aaron, waiting for the okay to pounce on the new person.

“You okay with dogs?” he asked, ignoring the mouthwatering scent of coconut and lemon that she brought into the room.

She tilted her head, a curious smile teasing the corner of her mouth. “Yes…” she said, dragging the word out in all its suspicion.

Aaron grinned and nodded to the pup. “Go ahead.”

Charlie whipped around so fast that Aaron got a tail to the chin while Kennedy had to cling to the urn so it didn’t topple to the floor. Her laughter was muffled by fur as Charlie prodded and nudged her into scratching his ears.

A surprising warmth slipped under Aaron’s skin as he watched them, and he felt himself relaxing as if he were settling in a hot tub after a long day of work. A bemused chuckle fell off his lips, and as soon as Kennedy got Charlie somewhat settled down, she lifted her eyes to his.

“Youarethe only one he listens to,” she said. “He was a lot more aggressive the first time I met him.”

Aaron turned a stern look at his dog. “How aggressive?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she assured him, patting the husky lightly on the top of his head. Charlie’s tail swung back and forth even as he lay down. “How old is he?”

“Nine months.” Aaron put a hand on Charlie’s back. “Got him when he was three months, and thought he could use a bit of training before the big road trip. We’re still working on it, though.”

“Road trip?”

“When I moved. I was in L.A. up until about a month ago.”

She blinked her surprise away. “Why’d you come back home?”

“Needed it,” Aaron said, shocked at how easily the words fell out. “The classic soul-searching after a friend passes away.”

His nerves jerked at the candor that had run away with him. He didn’t know what had come over him—something in the relaxed way she made him feel had his thoughts tumbling out with no filter. He had better fix it soon, though, or she would find out just how oftenshehad crossed his mind since she’d been in town.

Kennedy’s expression, however, was not one of sorrow or anger at the offhanded comment about Jared’s death. It was the opposite, actually. Her eyes brightened, and there was a sparkle somewhere in her grin.

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