Page 127 of Phishing for Love
“Yes, you can,” he says soothingly. “It’ll be fun. And it’ll be over before you know it.”
I press a hand to my stomach to calm the flutterings there. “What if they don’t like me?”
Aaron abruptly stops walking, requiring me to stop too. He places his hands on my shoulders and turns me to face him. Then, in the middle of the sidewalk, in a pretty town called Barracat, right in front of everyone, he leans down and kisses me, a deep, sensual kiss that drives out my nerves and stirs a new kind of fluttering inside me. Which, I guess, is his objective.
Lifting his head, he murmurs, “Of course they’ll like you. Everyone likes you.”
“You didn’t at first.”
He grins. “Only because I was fighting my attraction to you.”
“This is my first time meeting your friends,” I say. “I want to make a good impression.”
“You will. Lucas and Nina are just ordinary people, super easy to get along with.”
Ordinary people? Not quite. Lucas, apparently, is a bodyguard—apologies, security agent—who’s been on the protection detail of various politicians and big-name celebrities. Nina is the owner of Soul Fare, a wildly successful restaurant with a menu that’s won a slew of awards. That’s where we’re meeting them for lunch and, despite Aaron’s assurances, I’m still intimidated.
Two weeks have passed since the lunch at my parents’ house, where we learned the awful details of what happened to Aaron’s parents and sister. Since then, I’ve observed a change in him, almost as though something has loosened up inside him. Four days ago, he asked if I wanted to join him for lunch on Saturday to meet Lucas, a close friend he used to work with in the security field, and Nina, Lucas’s wife. I said yes, of course, trying not to show my shock and pleasure at the invitation.
It’s the first time Aaron’s invited me into his life, to meet people from his past.
It feels like a big step. Itisa big step.
We drove for an hour to get to Barracat, a quaint town where Soul Fare is located.
“You look amazing,” Aaron says now, his gaze roaming admiringly down my body, “but that dress is pure torture.”
I wanted a summery but sophisticated look. The green floral midi dress with tie straps gives off casual, summer vibes and highlights my green eyes. I’m hopefully pulling off thesophisticated part with my hair, which I opted to straighten, and which now hangs like a silky caramel curtain down my back.
Aaron, though, is not fully appreciating my hair, because he’s still caught up in the wonder that is my dress. “One tug on those straps and the entire dress falls down,” he points out with a how-can-you-do-this-to-me groan.
“No tugging then,” I reply cheekily.
“There’ll be tugging later,” he promises under his breath.
As we step through the glass door of Soul Fare, Aaron places his hand on the small of my back and everything inside me melts. If ever there’s a gesture designed to undo me, it’s that one. So intimate and protective and possessive, all at once.
A beautiful woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and a ready smile greets us as soon as we enter. “Aaron!”
“Hey, Nina.”
“It’s been far too long,” she gently scolds him, giving him a hug. “What’s kept you away? The awful jokes Lucas feels compelled to pass on?”
“Watch it, wife,” growls a deep male voice belonging to a man I can only assume is Lucas. He possesses the same tall, wide-shouldered build as Aaron, but his eyes are green and his hair a rich brown.
“Hey, buddy,” Aaron greets him, doing the hearty back slap men do.
Lucas, however, doesn’t appear satisfied with that greeting, because he pulls Aaron in for a prolonged hug, his eyes concerned. “Good to see you, man. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” Aaron agrees without elaborating.
How interesting that both Lucas and Nina have mentioned Aaron hasn’t visited in a while. I can see their point. He works only an hour’s drive away and his weekends are free. Well, they were, I amend. Now I happily occupy most of them.
“You must be Tess,” Nina says warmly, turning her attention to me. Without hesitation, she steps forward to offer me a brief but welcoming embrace.
Yes, she’s a hugger. My favorite kind of person. I only have to look at her to sense a kindred spirit. She’s wearing a dusky pink, belted dress with tulip sleeves, chunky jewelry, and vibrant lipstick. Everything about her—from her dress to her smile to the mischievous light in her eyes—radiates color and joy and fun.
“You two together are going to be trouble,” Aaron declares with a small head shake.
