He held out his hand. “Can you come in and tell your mother what’s been happening? She’s sort of lost. I am too, to be honest. I mean, Ray filled me in on some of the details, but I don’t think any of us know everything.”
Sloan let out a long breath. “Will you believe me if I take the time to tell you, or will you all think it’s in my head?”
“Would you rather be crazy or have a stalker?”
Good question. “Neither, if I had a choice.”
He smiled and pulled her toward the back door. His hand reached for the doorknob, but he hesitated and turned toward her. “Ray wanted to come out here and check on you, but I beat him to it.”
“Okay…” She dragged the word out, very confused.
“I’m telling you that because you should know that I know he’s like crazy… for lack of a more tasteful word… for you.” Aaron stepped a few inches closer, so close she could climb on her tiptoes and kiss him if she wanted.
Sloan swallowed very hard. Was this all part of her hallucination too?
“I’ve sat back and watched him woo you. He’s doing a good job. Taking you to prom and all. He’s nice. He’s a great guy, and any girl would be happy to have him. But…”
“But?” She gulped. The way he looked at her. The position of his body to hers. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.
“But I want you to know that it’s not the best timing and I realize that, but know one thing about my brother.”
“What?”
“He’s not me.” He bent down and took her lips with his. At first, Sloan stood in shock. There was no way Aaron Hunter’s lips were on hers. No way he was kissing her outside her house after accusing her of doing drugs.
His tongue wasn’t parting her lips…
His fingertips weren’t barely touching the small of her back, pushing her toward him…
He wasn’t kissing her…
He wasn’t…
But he so was.
When it hit her, really hit her, she gave in and closed her eyes, enjoying something she’d wanted to do since the first time she’d met Aaron on Brown Hollow Road in December. Everything else slid away, and her mind went totally blank. It was the most relaxed she’d been in months — and the most excited.
She wrapped her arms around his back and held on as he kissed her harder, more needy. Before she knew it, he walked her backward until her back slammed against the concrete holding up the porch. He pinned her between his body and the wall.
Gentleman wasn’t a word she’d use to describe Aaron, but he didn’t go too far. His hands rested on the waistband of her pants, never dropping an inch below.
Finally, her ears began working again, a roar at first then the swirling of sounds. When she could focus again, it wasn’t a swirling. It was her mother standing in the doorway. “Care to explain?” she said sternly.
At first, Sloan really wanted her mom to go away. She wiped her mouth and gently pushed Aaron back so she could have some room to breathe. It was difficult to talk to her mother with Aaron — handsome, ever so kissable Aaron — so close.
“I… uh…” Yeah, that wasn’t embarrassing at all.
“Get in here and tell me what’s going on, young lady. All of it. Ray said something about you being threatened. I want answers, not to see this going on out outside my house.”
“You and me both,” Sloan mumbled. She leaned her head back on the cool concrete to try to get her composure. She’d been kissed before. Boyd used to kiss her all the time. He wasn’t the first, but she thought he’d done a fine job at the time. That was… until Aaron. Wow. Just. Wow.
Her toes were still curling.
A much different kisser from Ray.
Holy Hannah! She’d just kissed her prom date’s brother while her prom date was inside talking to her mother. Could this day get any more complicated?
“Now, Sloan,” her mother demanded again, pointing inside the house.
Sloan looked up at Aaron, who had his thumb rubbing against his bottom lip. A one-sided grin pulled on his mouth, and he, at least, was good enough to look embarrassed. She swallowed hard, wishing she was rubbing her lips against his, following the trail of his thumb, and walked past him as fast as she could into the house.
She leaned on the island for support and took a few deep breaths. It took a few seconds to notice Ray sitting on the other side of the island. When their eyes met, he looked down and his jaw clenched. He knew.
Her mom scooted out of the way so Aaron could come in, but glared as he passed. Kissing her daughter hadn’t obviously been on her mom’s mind when he went out to talk to her. With Ray at the far end of the table, Aaron on her left, and her mom across on her right, it felt like an interrogation or a very uncomfortable dinner party.
“Tell me what’s going on. From the top.” Her mom scooted out a chair and sat down expectantly.
Sloan told them everything, from the roses in her car on Sunday to the flowers this morning from the florist. She even told about the note, which caused her mom to nearly freak out.
“And neither of you saw the flowers?” her mom asked the guys when she was able to form words again.