Page 31 of Pillowtalk

She checked the clock hanging on the wall above Aaron’s head. “It’s only five thirty.”

“You want to sleep some more?”

She snorted softly behind her hand. “I don’t think I can.”

“Well, I’ll come back to the B&B around eight. You can help me load the truck.”

Her head tilted in intrigue. “Load it with what?”

He hoisted himself up from the couch and with their hands still joined, she went with him easily. “Just something Jared loved to do after big storms like this.”

Kennedy hadn’t been surprised in so long that her stomach flipped with anticipation. Anything Jared loved to do would most likely require a good, sturdy pair of shoes and clothing she wouldn’t mind ruining. Whenever he’d suggested something bold and daring, she would groan and drag her feet the entire way. But—and she was touched that Aaron picked up on it—after a night when she pushed Jared from her mind, she needed a day to prove to herself that she hadn’t forgotten him.

She was tempted to wrap her arms around Aaron’s bare torso, not only to feel those mouthwatering muscles before he covered them up, but to express her gratitude for his very understanding nature. She knew that it wouldn’t stop there, though, not with his tempting skin and the memory of last night so fresh in her mind. So she only squeezed his hand, and then they both parted ways to get ready.

—

Kennedy’s stomach took a dive along with the four-wheeler she was straddling. The dirt hills were more like mounds of mud, splashing up her pant legs and spraying her bare arms as she tore through the trails. Austin hollered and buzzed past her on his own four-wheeler, his body much muddier than hers. A laugh came from deep within her, and she turned the wheels and raced after him.

They weren’t the only ones out here; when Aaron had pulled the truck and trailer up, five other families were unpacking their own bikes and quads, strapping on helmets, and getting ready to enjoy what the rain had done. He must’ve known—or had the same desire—that Kennedy needed to be around people today. There were times when it was too much and times when it was just right. He hit the nail on the head with this one.

“Swing back around!” Aaron called out as he pulled up next to her, a wide grin set on his face under the mud-spattered goggles and helmet. “Jared’s favorite jump is up over there!”

She followed his lead, Austin falling in behind her. Whether they were doing it on purpose or not, Kennedy always felt so safe between them—that whatever spontaneous thing she was about to do that she normally wouldn’t have, they were both there to make sure she was taken care of.

The ground dipped low before it trailed up like a roller coaster, and Aaron gave her a wickedly sexy glance over his shoulder as he rolled up and over the peak. The next moment, he was gone from her sight, but she heard his low, strong voice holler out as he went down the hill.

“Lean back and keep it straight!” Austin called out as she got to the top. Her heart leapt out in front of her at the steep drop that lay ahead, and her breath stopped short in her throat. She shook her head frantically, wishing she could back out, but the machine under her had already started to roll down behind Aaron.

“I don’t want toooooooooooo!” Her voice was a high cry that carried over every hill around them. The wind pushed against her face, whipping her light short-sleeve shirt as she went straight down to the ground below. Her stomach barrel-rolled, mud splashing up her back as the four-wheeler bumped over the uneven terrain. Through the rush, she could see Aaron at the bottom, one foot settled in a mud puddle as he waited for her with unabashed amusement. If she had the guts to lift her white-knuckled hand off the handlebars, she’d give him a very tall, very playful one-fingered salute.

Her screams throbbed in her throat the entire way down, but as she neared the bottom her fear bubbled into laughter, and her heart slammed back into her chest with a beat as strong as the wind blowing over them. She stopped the four-wheeler a few feet away from Aaron, arms trembling as she slowly eased off the handlebars.

“Oh, I hate you right now,” she teased, her voice coming out in a shaky rhythm. Aaron lifted his goggles, settling them on top of his helmet, his face noticeably dirty where he hadn’t been covered. A jolt ran through Kennedy, and her smile faded as she blinked against the visual.

He looked like Jared.

It was only for a split second, so short she wasn’t even sure she saw it right, but it was there. Something in his eyes, in the way his smile curled through the speckled mud, the way his chest rose and fell with the rush of adrenaline, the way he lookedat her.

Her stomach crumpled, aching from the workout it was getting all day. Aaron and Jared were worlds apart. Jared had been loud and bold. He took chances and did anything that came to mind. Even physically they didn’t have much in common. Jared was the blond-haired, blue-eyed dream, average height and build, but strong, and fit against her so naturally, both physically and emotionally, she’d often thought of it as a perfect fit. That was the thing with perfection, though. It was fleeting.

Aaron was such a contrast that she began to worry about her mental state for ever seeing Jared somewhere in there. Aaron was quiet and careful with his words. He seemed to act only after contemplating every outcome, never diving in, for fear of the consequences in front of him. Physically he was the dark knight, cocoa-colored hair and those warm honey eyes. He was tall, thin, and toned, and yet…he too fit against her. Her skin flushed with heat at the reminder of his body pressed tight with hers, his chest strong and immobile against her pliant breasts. Her lips popped open to keep up with her breathing patterns. How could she fit so perfectly with two very different men? The words she’d spoken earlier couldn’t have been more true; it simply did not seem fair.

A splash up her side broke her from her thoughts, and she threw a shocked grimace at Austin, who had just slid in next to her, his tires slinging mud across her whole left side.

He gave her a giant smile. “Not so bad, right?”

She shook her head at him, flicking off the mud that now covered her entire left arm. Her eyes went to Aaron, who was sliding his goggles back on. “Kennedy, when I give the signal, you hit the gas with everything you got.”

“Shit,” Austin said from her side, and she let out a laugh as Aaron swung around and blocked him in before he could go anywhere. Aaron nodded to her and she punched it, kicking up a wave of mud that soaked the two brothers from head to toe. She threw her head back in laughter and kept on going, knowing it was only the beginning of their mud fight.

—

The sun hadn’t come out all day, and Kennedy wondered if another storm was brewing. But the locals didn’t seem too concerned about it.

“I hear there’s gonna be a lake party this weekend,” Austin said, jumping off the trailer and landing next to Kennedy. The mud had dried on his face, his thick beard caked so much it looked a different color altogether. “You want in?”

Her gaze automatically went to Aaron on the other side of the truck. He was strapping in the four-wheelers, his muscles taut as he pulled the cables tight. His eyes met hers briefly before she turned back to Austin.

---