Page 22 of Vain
“How magnanimous of you,” I snap, feeling pushed into a corner, even though I quite like the thought of him pushing me into a corner and?—
“What’s that look on your face for?” he murmurs, a knowing grin on his lips.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I whirl around and grab my hoodie off the sofa, ready to slide it on, but Aiden stops me by placing his hands over mine.
“It’s warm out. Far too warm for a hoodie,” he tells me softly.
I look out the window at the clear blue sky and force myself to swallow the sharp retort.
“I know. I’m used to it.”
“I know you are, but what I’m trying to say is you don’t need it. I’ll be right beside you. Nobody is going to notice with what you have on anyway. And even if they did, and they felt idiotic enough to say something, I’d cut their fucking tongue out.”
My mouth drops open in surprise. He reaches up and closes my mouth before tugging the hoodie free from my hands and tossing it away from me. Instead, he slips his fingers through mine and leads me toward the door.
“Do you need anything else? Actually, it doesn’t matter. We can always come back and grab it. First, let’s get you fed.”
Still in shock, I let him lead me out, stopping only once we reach the doorframe. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling as if I’m about to force myself through some kind of invisible barrier. I tap my leg with my free hand three times before I take a step over the threshold.
He watches every move I make, but he says nothing. He patiently waits for me as I shore up my defenses. I tug down the sleeve of my gray Henley even though I know it covers everything, just like my jeans cover everything else. I guess it’s the thinness of the top that makes me wary. If someone ran their fingers over the material, they’d feel the uneven and bumpy skinbeneath it. I look at Aiden, who is waiting me out, and realize he’s already seen me naked. He’s seen all my scars, and he’s still here. He still wants me. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?
I nod and tighten my grip on his hand. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“That’s my girl.” He kisses my temple before walking me to the stairs. I let my mind drift as we head down. I like it when he calls me that. I’m sure there are feminists around the world rolling their eyes at me right now. Belonging to someone isn’t exactly something anyone aspires to, yet I know—or at least I hope—that Aiden doesn’t mean it negatively. It sure as hell doesn’t make me feel anything negative when I hear it. The opposite, actually. It makes me feel wanted, like I belong. That’s an unusual feeling for me. I’m the girl who can be the most popular person in the room but also the loneliest. Or at least I was before I took a step back from it all. I thought I’d miss it, but I really don’t. I love being a part of the movie scene, but I hate the fame that comes with it. The irony is not lost on me.
“There she is. Are you hungry? I was just about to make some breakfast.” Marley grins at me as we walk into the kitchen. That grin gets even bigger when he sees my hand in Aiden’s. I try to pull it free, but Aiden tightens his grip until I give up.
“Breakfast sounds great, Marley. What are you making?”
“Well, I’m open to requests as you’ve caught me before I’ve started. Are you in the mood for anything in particular?”
I bite my lip and think about it for a minute, but Marley’s smirk tells me I’m not fooling anyone. Given the choice at breakfast, I pick the same thing I’ve picked since I was a little girl.
“Banana pancakes with chocolate chips and a bowl of strawberries.”
He winks at me. “You got it. Aiden?”
“That sounds good, actually. I’ll have the same. Do you mind if we grab some coffee and wait out on the deck? It might be nice to get some sun before it turns into Satan’s hell hole out there.”
I snort, laughter erupting from me at his description. Marley chuckles, too, just as Greyson enters the room.
“What did I miss?”
“Aiden, trying to adjust to the heat,” Marley answers.
“Ah.” Greyson’s gaze drops to our joined hands. He says nothing, his eyes taking on a thoughtful expression for a minute before he shakes his head.
The man is very protective of me, which is hardly surprising. He’s been more of a father to me than my actual dad ever was. He likes Aiden, I can tell, but I was Greyson’s girl long before I became Aiden’s. Crap, now he’s got me thinking that way too.
“I see there has been a new development,” he says, his tone neutral.
I bite my lip. Aiden lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of my palm.
“There has been, yes,” Aiden confirms before I can find my voice.
“You think this is wise, given everything that’s happening?”
Again, there is no anger in his voice, just mild curiosity.
