Page 71 of Patio Lanterns

“Okay,” she said cautiously. “But only for a couple of minutes. I really should be getting back. We have a big day tomorrow.”

He flashed a smile. “Great. Let’s finish up here, and we’ll hit the road.”

Turns out, a trottage was a mobile home that aspired to be a cottage, and Aidan’s was located in a beachfront trailer park. There wasn’t a lot else that could be said about it, but as they sat looking at it from the front seat of his idling pickup, Robin pretended to be interested.

“I’m renting until I can afford to build my own place. If things go as well as I think they will, it shouldn’t be too much longer,” he said. “If you wanna come in for a minute or two, I can show you around.”

Robin fell under the spell of Aidan’s persuasive smile, which was exactly what she was afraid would happen. She could hate him for being so smug if he weren’t so sweet. Damn these Hunter men and the power they wielded over her self-control. “Only for a minute or two.”

Aidan’s place was neat and modest, and after he gave her a ten-cent tour of such memorable highlights as the broom closet and dishwasher, Robin found herself on one end of his couch with a beer in her hand.

“So, do you still like to swim?” she asked him. “I remember you were always in the water. I think you were half fish.”

“Yeah, I still love it and try to get out there when I can. Wish I had more free time, but you know, with work and all.”

“Right,” she nodded as their conversation succumbed to an awkward pause. Probably because she and Aidan had never been completely alone together in the same room. Maybe that would be something they could talk about.

“You know what I just realized? We’ve never been alone together, just the two of us.”

“Nah, that can’t possibly be true.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. Someone else was always around. Usually Lark,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But believe me, it wasn’t for my lack of trying. I would’ve given up a kidney to be alone with you back then.”

“And now? Has this moment lived up to all your expectations?”

“Oh yeah,” she kidded. “My heart’s just a-racing over here.”

“So, uh, back then… what did you imagine might happen if we were ever alone together?”

She choked on her laugh, and it got caught as a weird throat gurgle. “Oh, I’d probably embarrass us both if told you.”

“I think I might have some idea,” he said with a soft chuckle. “You kinda spelled it out in that letter you wrote.”

Ugh. She was never going to live that damn letter down. It’d probably end up printed on her tombstone.

“I was so stupid. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, copying those things straight out of one of my mom’s trashy novels,” she admitted. “I blame them for overstimulating my active imagination.”

“Not many fourteen-year-olds use words like ‘throbbing manhood.’”

She laughed along with him. “Dead giveaway, right?”

“Well, whether or not you wrote it yourself, I was flattered.”

“What? You were?”

He nodded. “It was shitty that things went down like they did when your folks found out about it. Nothing was ever the same between us after that.”

“I was mortified. I didn’t think I could ever look you in the eye again.”

He smiled. “But you’re looking at me now.”

She giggled nervously before taking a long pull from her beer. As she swallowed, Aidan took the bottle out of her hand and placed it beside his on the table.

“A lot has changed since those days,” he said, his voice low as his gaze fell to her lips.

She froze. Her heart pounded so fast it upended her equilibrium and made her senses wobble. What the hell was happening? “Aidan…?”

He leaned in closer and cupped her face, his warm, malty breath tickling her.

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