“It’s still crossing a line.”
“Who drew the line?” he countered. “Because it looks to me that the line is exactly where it should be, and you’re on the right side of it. Chris, on the other hand? He crossed a line by running out on your wedding without having the decency to talk to you, and now that bastard is lying on a beach and enjoying what was supposed to be your honeymoon. If you want to play who’s-the-asshole, then he’s the clear winner.”
Claire’s soft laughter echoed in the kitchen. He loved the way she laughed, and he loved that he had the power to bring a twinkle to her eyes when seconds ago she’d looked beaten.
“Fine, he’s the asshole,” she relented. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not comfortable with…you know, with what you guys want from me.”
He traced the seam of her lips with his finger, felt her mouth tremble beneath his touch. “Does it make you uncomfortable, or does it scare you because you’re actually tempted to do it?”
She looked flustered. “I…I just can’t. Please don’t push me on this, Aidan.”
“I would never, ever push you into something you didn’t want.” He searched her gaze. “Do you believe me?”
She nodded. Without hesitation, which spoke volumes about the trust she had in him. The notion warmed his heart.
“Dylan won’t push, either. We’re the kind of guys who are fully aware that no means no.”
To his surprise, Claire suddenly reached out and touched him. Her fingers stroked his cheek, and he sagged into her touch, oddly comforted by it.
“You are pretty damn amazing, you know that?” she murmured.
He swallowed. “So are you.”
Their gazes collided and held. Tension gathered in the air, slowly transforming into awareness the longer they stared at each other. Aidan’s chest felt hot, tight with excruciating need. His cock hardened, except this time it was all for Claire.
“I want to kiss you,” he said gruffly.
Her eyes widened, hand dropping from his face. “Aidan…”
“One kiss.” He let out a ragged breath. “Give me one taste, sweetheart.”
“It’s not a good idea,” she whispered.
“No, but I’m still asking for it.”
She got very quiet, but her gaze was still locked with his, and just when the silence dragged on a little too long, just when he thought she would shoot him down, she opened her mouth and said, “Okay.”
Aidan didn’t waste a single second. He lowered his head and took possession of her mouth, kissing her hungrily, desperately, days and days of pent-up need spilling over and turning him into a greedy bastard who wanted to do nothing but take, take, take.
Claire’s little moan of pleasure got his blood going, fueled the urgency flowing through his veins. He angled his head and deepened the kiss. Thrust his tongue between her parted lips and explored her mouth, purposefully, thoroughly, needing to remember what she tasted like in case he never got this opportunity again.
He memorized every detail. She tasted like orange juice and toothpaste. Smelled like lavender. Felt like heaven with her full breasts pressed against his bare chest.
The last thing he wanted to do was wrench his mouth from her soft, full lips, but he’d asked for only one kiss, and he was a man of his word.
Breathing hard, he broke the kiss and edged backward.
Claire’s breathing was just as labored as his, her big brown eyes glazed and shining with passion. “Aidan…” Her voice quivered. “I wish I could be who you and Dylan want me to be.”
He smiled. “You are. You’re exactly who you should be, sweetheart.”
She blinked in surprise.
“And don’t worry,” he went on. “Dylan and I will be perfect gentlemen from this point on. Like I said, we won’t push.”
“No?” she said doubtfully. “Then why am I anticipating a seduction attempt or two?”
“I promise you, we won’t try to seduce you.” With that said, he headed for the doorway, then paused, unable to resist a few flirtatious parting words. “Unless you ask us to.”
Chapter Ten
“That is the saddest excuse for a tree I’ve ever seen,” Dylan declared in disgust.
Next to him, Aidan voiced his agreement, then turned to Claire and said, “Come on, McKinley, you can’t expect us to buy this tree.”
“I can, and you will,” she said sternly.
She didn’t care that both men were looking at her like she’d grown a mustache. Out of all the trees in the lot, this seven-foot evergreen was the one she’d set her sights on, and she wasn’t going anywhere until that tree was strapped to the top of Aidan’s SUV.
Dylan let out an exaggerated sigh. “This is really the one you want? Really?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s all patchy—that entire branch over there has no needles!”
“Don’t care.”
“And it leans to the right. Who wants a Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa tree?”