floor. He looked worn out
and stressed, and for the first time in a long time, she didn't think about
herself or her issues or her family.
He was all she could see.
"Hey, you okay?"
He lifted his head, not noticing she was there until that
moment, and his expression warmed, his eyes brightening slightly and the slump
of his shoulders disappearing. She didn't want to read too much into it, but
she felt a sputter in her chest whenever he looked at her like that. Whenever
seeing her so obviously made his day a little bit better.
"Yeah, Aid. I'm good. Just tired."
Lie. He was a horrible liar. Just as bad as she was.
"You want to talk about it?"
He met her at the top of the stairs and stood in her space,
filling her senses with him. She didn't make any effort to get some distance.
She didn't want it.
"You look like you're heading out."
She shrugged and looked down at her feet, kicking at an
imaginary spot on the floor. "And you look like you could use a
listening ear." What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this.
"I don't want to interrupt your day."
Not knowing why it was so easy, but the decision to forget
about the dump she was about to go see was made in the next second and she
didn't feel even a moment of regret.
"I don't have anything going on. At least, not
anymore."
He reached out and lifted her chin with his finger when her
stare still didn't leave the floor. His tired eyes gazed down at her and she
felt the connection between them brighten. That familiar hum that covered her
body whenever he touched her. Those eyes darkened as they locked on hers.
Oh, yes. He felt it, too.
"I know you found a place, babe. Lily told me yesterday
when she came to get Aidy."
He had called her 'babe' several times before, but each and every time it made her feel like she was about to melt to the floor in a giant
puddle. He couldn't know how the endearment affected her. If he did, it could
only be assumed that he loved to torture her and she would continue to let him.
She drew in a deep, cleansing breath before she finally spoke. "I suddenly
don't even want to see the place. It's in a shitty part of town anyway so I'm
better off without it."
He studied her face for several seconds then dropped his
fingers away from her chin and clasped her hand in his. "I've been wanting
to talk to you about that for a while now. Come on."
She followed him inside his apartment and dropped her purse
on the counter when he released her hand. Every time she saw the bare walls and
sparse furnishings, she felt a brief moment of bewilderment. His personality
wasn't nearly as empty as this place.
When he shrugged off his jacket and tugged his tie loose,
she watched him closely. He always looked so comfortable in his own skin, and
every effortless movement made her mouth go dry. His shoulder holster was
strapped on and his badge was clipped to his belt. Never before had she thought
that a cop could look so sexy, but he did. He looked like a man with a purpose
in this life.
"I have a place that I use as storage," he stated
and gestured for her to sit with him at the table. "I recently cleaned it
out and there is plenty of room for you to set something up, lots of space to
store your paintings, too."
"I'm sorry?"
"I think it would be more useful as a studio for you
than storage for me. It's right across the street."
"Gus, I couldn't take-"
"It's just a suggestion, Aiden. I didn't think it would
take you so long to find a place and I would rather you not end up going
somewhere that you aren't safe."
She hated accepting help for anything . Especially
when it came to her painting. She had purchased everything on her own, found it
on her own; did everything she could on her own . But he was right and
she hated to admit it. His concern for her safety wasn't really a surprise, but
it grated on her already frazzled state for unknown reasons. He wasn't supposed
to care so much.
"I'll think about it."
He nodded and grasped her hand once more. "You're
and stressed, and for the first time in a long time, she didn't think about
herself or her issues or her family.
He was all she could see.
"Hey, you okay?"
He lifted his head, not noticing she was there until that
moment, and his expression warmed, his eyes brightening slightly and the slump
of his shoulders disappearing. She didn't want to read too much into it, but
she felt a sputter in her chest whenever he looked at her like that. Whenever
seeing her so obviously made his day a little bit better.
"Yeah, Aid. I'm good. Just tired."
Lie. He was a horrible liar. Just as bad as she was.
"You want to talk about it?"
He met her at the top of the stairs and stood in her space,
filling her senses with him. She didn't make any effort to get some distance.
She didn't want it.
"You look like you're heading out."
She shrugged and looked down at her feet, kicking at an
imaginary spot on the floor. "And you look like you could use a
listening ear." What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this.
"I don't want to interrupt your day."
Not knowing why it was so easy, but the decision to forget
about the dump she was about to go see was made in the next second and she
didn't feel even a moment of regret.
"I don't have anything going on. At least, not
anymore."
He reached out and lifted her chin with his finger when her
stare still didn't leave the floor. His tired eyes gazed down at her and she
felt the connection between them brighten. That familiar hum that covered her
body whenever he touched her. Those eyes darkened as they locked on hers.
Oh, yes. He felt it, too.
"I know you found a place, babe. Lily told me yesterday
when she came to get Aidy."
He had called her 'babe' several times before, but each and every time it made her feel like she was about to melt to the floor in a giant
puddle. He couldn't know how the endearment affected her. If he did, it could
only be assumed that he loved to torture her and she would continue to let him.
She drew in a deep, cleansing breath before she finally spoke. "I suddenly
don't even want to see the place. It's in a shitty part of town anyway so I'm
better off without it."
He studied her face for several seconds then dropped his
fingers away from her chin and clasped her hand in his. "I've been wanting
to talk to you about that for a while now. Come on."
She followed him inside his apartment and dropped her purse
on the counter when he released her hand. Every time she saw the bare walls and
sparse furnishings, she felt a brief moment of bewilderment. His personality
wasn't nearly as empty as this place.
When he shrugged off his jacket and tugged his tie loose,
she watched him closely. He always looked so comfortable in his own skin, and
every effortless movement made her mouth go dry. His shoulder holster was
strapped on and his badge was clipped to his belt. Never before had she thought
that a cop could look so sexy, but he did. He looked like a man with a purpose
in this life.
"I have a place that I use as storage," he stated
and gestured for her to sit with him at the table. "I recently cleaned it
out and there is plenty of room for you to set something up, lots of space to
store your paintings, too."
"I'm sorry?"
"I think it would be more useful as a studio for you
than storage for me. It's right across the street."
"Gus, I couldn't take-"
"It's just a suggestion, Aiden. I didn't think it would
take you so long to find a place and I would rather you not end up going
somewhere that you aren't safe."
She hated accepting help for anything . Especially
when it came to her painting. She had purchased everything on her own, found it
on her own; did everything she could on her own . But he was right and
she hated to admit it. His concern for her safety wasn't really a surprise, but
it grated on her already frazzled state for unknown reasons. He wasn't supposed
to care so much.
"I'll think about it."
He nodded and grasped her hand once more. "You're
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