Page 40 of Stained Hearts
He purred! He fucking honest-to-God purred. “It’s nice.”
“Alexa, dim living room lights by 70 percent.”
In a moment the room was bathed in a soft glow. Aiden sighed, apparently content. I gave him a squeeze and kissed the top of his hair. It was smooth, silky, and smelled of vanilla. My gaze drifted to where Brian’s urn sat, and surprisingly I didn’t feel a twinge of remorse for having Aiden here in my arms. Instead, I felt a sense of completeness.
Just like most of our life, I’d gone out and done as Brian had wanted, and he was right. I was happy again.
I was falling in love.
I JOLTEDawake when a strange, squeaky voice echoed in the quiet room.
Your sister is calling. Your sister is calling. Are you going to pick up? It’s your sister!
It took me a few moments to figure out it was Aiden’s phone. He stirred, and I regretted the interruption, but when he slipped his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me, I grinned. I swiped the screen and answered Olivia’s call.
“Hello, Olivia. Cute ringtone.”
“Where’s Aiden?”
“He fell asleep. Did you want to talk to him?”
He groaned. “What time is it?”
A quick glance to the screen. “It’s almost three.”
“Okay. Hang up on her.”
Her voice was strident when she shouted that he better get on the damned phone. When she screamedAiden Charles Dawson, I knew he was in trouble. I snickered and held the phone out to him.
“Don’twanna.” There was more than a hint of whine in his voice, but he reached up and grabbed the cell. “I’m sleeping. What do you want? … Yes, I’m fully aware it’s almost three, thank you. I’ve been able to tell time since the first grade. Let me ask again. What do you want, Livvy?”
He sighed and sat up. I missed his warmth immediately.
“I’m not a kid, Livvy. Tom and I went to the museum, had a great time. Afterward, I asked him if we could come back to his place.” A few moments of silence. “That’s not any of your business.” His tone was cold. “If I decide that’s what I want, then it’s what I’m going to do. Good night, Livvy.”
He jammed a finger on the End Call button, put the phone into his pocket, leaned against the pillows, and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths before he shook his head.
“She treats me like a child. It’s irritating as hell.”
“She loves you. She wants to keep you safe.”
Aiden turned his pleading gaze to me. “I know, but at some point, she has to let go.”
“She thought we were having sex, didn’t she?”
He shrugged. “She asked.” A sigh. “I shouldn’t be upset with her. My parents probably wouldn’t even notice I was missing for a week.”
I reached out and pulled him close again. He settled against me, but gone were the easy movements.
“This might make you angry, and if it does, I’m sorry. How old was Olivia when you went to her?”
“Nineteen.” He swallowed. “Oh, crap. I didn’t even think about that.”
“It’s hard to do when you see her every day. You were, what, fourteen when you started living with her?”
He nodded.
I threaded my fingers through his hair. “She might not be your birth mother, but from the sound of it, she did raise you. I don’t think she’s wrong to be worried. I’m forty-five, and my mom still freaks if I’m not there for Sunday dinner. It’s part of the job description. Let her worry, because it’s better than the alternative. My brother, Robert? He works with too many people who can only wish they had someone who cared enough to wonder where they’re at.”
