Page 20 of Lust & Lies
“I’ll say this and then I’ll let you remember the rest on your own. It was you who taught my baby brother how to pick a lock.”
“No!” I gasped. “Me?”
“Yes, you,” Aiden insisted, chuckling. “Now, have a seat while I finish up the food. I still need to prepare some rice.”
I walked back to the island, dragging my fingers along the edge of the counter before sitting.
“Was I a criminal?” I asked.
“Criminals get caught,” Aiden answered without missing a beat, already moving back into his cooking rhythm.
“No.Convictedcriminals get caught. Anyone who commits criminal activity is a criminal. I’m a criminal, aren’t I?”
He was laughing now, full-blown laughter. It sounded good.
“You’re not a criminal. You grew out of the picking locks stage a long time ago.”
“So, we’ve known each other since we were kids, huh?”
He froze, hand pausing mid-stir. Had I probed too much?Shit. I needed to be patient. I could get him to reveal stuff as long as I didn’t push too hard and too often.
“I know, I know,” I said quickly. “You can’t tell me.”
He looked over his shoulder, and his intense gaze met mine. “I’ll just say this for now. I’ve been in love with you for a very long time, Mrs. Park.”
I swallowed, unable to look away from him. A flicker of something bloomed within me. Not a memory. But a feeling. Could feelings count as memories, too? I didn’t really know how to describe this flicker of emotion.
Was it love? Was I remembering my love for Aiden Park? The spell he had over me was broken when he turned back to what he was doing. I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
I sat there staring at him, trying to figure out my emotions as he finished cooking and started plating the food. Aiden broughtthe plates over, setting mine down in front of me, then his beside it.
Two bowls of rice followed, and then chopsticks, napkins, and a spoon. From the way he was setting everything up, I could tell he’d done this for me before.
Not my weak ass growing teary-eyed again as I stared up at him.
I blinked them back, noting the way he moved my bowl to the side and my napkins closer, trying to get them perfect for me.
“You’re all set,” he said, taking a step back.
“This feels like a lot,” I mused, eyeing the spread.
“This actually isn’t much at all.”
I inhaled deeply, mouth already watering. “It smells sooo good.”
“Let me know how it tastes.”
As he sat down, I asked, “Do I know how to use chopsticks?”
“Damn, I forgot.” He stood again. “I can show you how to use them if you’ve forgotten.”
“I can probably figure it out. It should be like riding a bike, right?”
He chuckled, and my heart did a little flip in my chest. If he kept this up, I’d have a heart attack soon.
“Try to use them,” he told me, standing behind me now.
“Okay.” I picked up the chopsticks and tried to use them.
