Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

"I guess." He growled.

"Look, you’re more than welcome to a guest room for the night but you need to tell Elora you’re here. If you don’t, I will." Standing up, I reached my hand out to him. Once he took it, I pulled him up from the couch. We headed upstairs together after turning off the light. When I saw the pale glow of his cell phone on his face I knew he was texting Elora his whereabouts.

Back in my bed, I closed my eyes. Images of Lilli in that white tank top plagued me. I rubbed my eyes with the base of my palms, buried my head in pillows and even went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face but none of it helped. Before I knew it, I was standing at her door.

I placed my hand flat on her door and it moved slightly. With no regard to consequence, I pushed harder and, sure enough, it opened completely. Leaning against the doorframe, I stuck my head inside her dark room.

Light from outside of the window illuminated her figure on the bed. She was lying on her stomach and I had to bite back a groan as I took in her silhouette. The soft curve of her shoulder, the dip of her waist and the flare of her rounded hip. Her thigh was like a beacon to my body as it sloped down toward the curve of her knee.

Before realizing it, I was standing at the end of the bed. My fists clenched at my sides, I fought the urge to climb over her and place my lips against her smooth, creamy skin. She shifted and I flinched to run.

"Aidan," she mumbled my name and a string of things I couldn’t understand.

She said my name while she slept. My ego fluffed up tremendously standing there looking down on her half clothed figure.

"James…Elora…"

Damn! There went my ego.

Padding quietly out of her room, I took my bruised ego back to my room. Hearing James snoring loud enough to shake the walls, I had to wonder how the hell Elora ever got any sleep.

~

Lilli

When I saw Aidan in only his pajama pants I couldn’t help but rake my eyes over him, a couple of times. He didn’t have a six pack or anything, but his stomach was flat and toned. The broadness of his bare chest and shoulders were enough to make a weaker woman faint. My body flushed just by simply looking at him.

I felt like a complete idiot standing there half naked and wrapped around him. It was like I was groping him. When the situation we were in dawned on me, I blushed and felt my blush deepen as he took in my pajamas. Aidan moved in front of me, cutting me off from James, which was appreciated. I hurried to my room and threw myself onto the bed.

The next morning both James and Aidan were gone. Once dressed, I headed over to finish up the God forsaken wedding things with Viola. I couldn’t wait till this was all over with.

"Alright, so next we need to go over the seating chart…" I groaned internally when Viola pulled out the big white poster sized paper - again.

"Viola, we’ve done the seating chart twice this week. What has changed that people need to be moved?"

"We’re almost done. Let’s review it one more time before handing it over to the organizer." I took a deep breath and went over everything - again.

"It’s getting late." Peaking toward Viola, hopefully she would agree and we could put all this away.

"You’re right," she said, shocked by the hour.

Victory!

"How about you and Aidan eat dinner here tonight?" She smiled widely.

Damn it!

"I would have to talk to Aidan—"

"I’ll handle it." Viola grabbed her cell phone, pressed a button and held it to her ear. "Liam, can you please have Aidan come home with you tonight. Lilli and he are having dinner with us this evening." "Uh huh." "Of course." "Good, don’t be too late." She hung up. "It’s all arranged."

"Aidan agreed to–?"

"Oh, dear, Liam will just bring Aidan here. He won’t tell his Aunt Viola no." She smiled and winked. Forcing a smile, we went back to the chart.

Another hour of menus, lighting, music, among other things that have sentenced me to wedding hell, we were finally putting it all away. Viola poured us some wine as we talked about the foundation in one of the smaller sitting rooms of the house.

"Viola, dear?"

"In here," she called back. Liam and Aidan entered the room together. Liam walked over to Viola and kissed her.

"Welcome home." She smiled broadly. "Dinner should be ready, shall we?" She motioned to leave the room. "Or do you need a few moments?"

Liam looked to Aidan who shook his head.

"No, I think we’re ready, sweetheart." Liam took Viola’s hand and led her to the dining room. Aidan and I followed.

"How was your day?" Aidan's eyes held a bit of amusement.

"Grueling," I cringed. "If I have to look at one more seating chart I may walk back to Maine."

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