Page 8 of Get Me (The Keatyn Chronicles 6)
"I promised to give B another chance when I got my life back. I'm going to hurt Aiden no matter how it plays out. If I die, he'll be hurt. If I choose B, he'll be hurt. Why did I have to meet someone so amazing when my life is such a mess?"
Tommy leads me over to the couch, where we both sit down. He pats my hand and says, "My life was a mess when I met your mother."
"Really?"
"Yes. I didn't have a stalker, but the woman I was seeing occasionally had just told me she was pregnant, I had just found out my dad had cancer, and I had just fired my long-time agent. I didn't even want to be on the movie set with your mom. My part in it was so small, it didn't seem worth my time. But Matt and I were going to start filming the first Trinity movie next, and the actor who was cast had to back out last minute. Matt asked me to do the cameo as a favor. He fed me a bunch of bullshit about how it'd show my softer side. About how your mom was romantic comedy box office gold. Honestly, the real reason I did it was to get the hell out of L.A. for a few weeks."
"But then you met her."
"But then I met her," he says dreamily. "In the midst of all my chaos, there she was. And even though we were both pretty smitten, it wasn't easy."
"It wasn't? I thought sparks flew, you took us to the ballet, and we lived happily ever after."
Tommy chuckles. "Not quite. We both had some big personal hurdles to jump over before the happily ever after happened. No offense--I loved you right away--but, not only was she a widow, she was a mom. Being with her meant taking on a kind of responsibility I never thought I'd have."
"You didn't want kids?"
"I very much wanted children, but I wanted a relationship like my parents'. A good, solid one based on love and trust. I was thirty-five when I met your mom. I had all but given up on that dream."
"Tommy, do you have another kid you haven't told us about?"
"No. Turns out the woman I was seeing just wanted to rope me into marriage. She liked my money more than she liked me."
"You have a good agent now. Although your dad didn't make it. I miss Grandpa."
"I miss him too. He got to spend time with the triplets before he passed, though, so that's comforting. I guess what I'm trying to say is what my mom always used to tell me when things didn't go the way I planned."
"She always says that things happen for a reason."
"Exactly. And she's right. Once I got through all that, my life was better than before. Because of you and your mom. The family we've created. My career skyrocketed to a whole other level with the Trinity series. It all worked out."
"You found your calm in the chaos," I say quietly, understanding exactly what he means.
"Is that a yoga thing?"
"No, it's finding one thing to focus on that gets you through."
"What are you focusing on?"
"Getting my family back. My life back. Truth? I was sort of excited to go to Eastbrooke where no one had expectations of who I should be."
"And?"
"I found out that it doesn't matter what my last name is. I'll always be Keatyn Douglas."
"Good," Tommy says, ruffling my hair. "I smell Italian food cooking."
"Aiden is a pretty good cook."
Tommy looks at me seriously. "I don't know when it will be, but I know you'll get your happily ever after, too."
I smile at him. "I hope so. Let's go eat. Then we have lines to practice."
Slowly licks his lips.
11pm
After dinner, Cooper and Aiden play pool while Tommy and I do a read through. I'm doing a good job of focusing until Aiden and Cooper start playing for money.
They joke around loudly and pretend to be pool sharks, both of them donning sunglasses.
"I think it's poker players who wear sunglasses," Tommy says, laughing with them. "Not pool players."
I'm not laughing with them.
Because this is serious.
Aiden is playing pool with sunglasses on.
The ones he had on with his leather jacket.
The night he used his tongue on me.
My body is responding to nothing more than the memory of it.
I consider locking Cooper and Tommy in their rooms so I can dance on the table for Aiden again.
Because I love his bad boy wild side.
Aiden, maybe because he's part god, seems to have the ability to morph into any role. Deal with any social situation. Get along with anyone. He can be the sexy bad boy one minute and the sweetest boy ever the next.
Right now, he's an irresistible combination of them both.
Or not.
I overhear Cooper say, "Is there something I should know about this pool table?"
Aiden can't contain his grin.
"He's grinning because you and I both suck at pool," I say quickly. "And, in case you can't tell, he likes to win."
"I don't suck. I'm just a little rusty," Cooper insists.
As he bends down to make a shot, Aiden looks over his glasses at me and purposefully, slowly licks his lips.
Tommy says to me, "This is when you're supposed to say, I'm not your little girl anymore."
"Uh, what?"
Aiden chuckles, loving that he affects me the way he does. That he can control my body and thoughts with the single swipe of his tongue.
I shake my head and become John Trinity's daughter again. "Dad, I'm not your little girl anymore."
Tommy yawns. "I think it's time to call it a night even though you have more memorized than I do."
"You have way more lines. And most of mine make sense. Like what anyone would probably say to their dad or when they got kidnapped."
"You have a good memory. Okay, so we have a six o'clock call. Get to bed. You need your beauty sleep."
"Okay, good night," I say as Tommy gives me a kiss on the cheek and says good night to Aiden and Cooper.
"Who's winning?" I ask, knowing full well it's Aiden.
Cooper rolls his eyes as Aiden grins and holds up a stack of dollar bills.
"He's a shark," Cooper says. "Good thing it's time for bed. I'm about broke."
I almost tell him I know. That I tried to beat Aiden at pool once, too, but he'll probably ask what I lost and I don't want to have to say my clothes.
"I'm going to get ready for bed too. Uh, night, Cooper," I say, hoping he takes the hint. I'm ready to be alone with Aiden. Maybe not on the pool table, out in the open, but behind closed doors, watch out!
Aiden drops his cue stick, says, "Night, Cooper," and follows me into my bedroom.
I'm standing in my closet, trying to decide what to wear to bed as Aiden's stripping down to his underwear.
"I want to sleep with you, but I don't want to offend Tommy," he says seriously.
Did I mention that he's practically naked?
Not that it's affecting my judgment or anything.
"He won't be offended. I told him--you know, that we haven't."
"You told him we haven't had sex? When?"
"When I showed him to his room."
"And how did it come up?"
"He asked which room was yours."
Aiden's shoulders drop. "What did you say?"
"That most of your stuff was in the bedroom but that you usually sleep with me."
Aiden throws on a pair of low-slung jersey shorts and a white tank top.
"Why are you getting dressed?"
"I'm sleeping in this. And we're leaving your door open."
"What?"
"I don't want him to think anything is going on."
I pick up the sexy dice he bought me as a naughty Santa gift and pout. "But, I thought we could use these tonight. And, besides, you told your parents that we slept together and didn't even tell them that we weren't having sex."
Aiden pulls me into his arms. "My parents are liberal."
"So are mine. B used to--uh . . ." I stupidly say. "I, uh . . . Shit. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I understand what you're saying, but I'm not comfortable with it. Your choi
ce. I'll go sleep in my room, or I'll sleep in here with the door open."
"I hate when you do that." I pull out of his arms, move away from him, and start taking off my clothes.
"Do what?" he asks, studying me.
"Give me ultimatums," I reply, turning around to face him as I take off my bra.
I'm getting ready to slide a camisole over my head when he pounces. In mere seconds, I'm sprawled across my chaise, pinned underneath him.
I start laughing. "What the hell was that for?"
"I decided the door to your closet can stay closed," he says, his voice deep and sensual, as he glides his tongue down my chest. "You were teasing me and you know it."
"I was changing clothes."
He moves his mouth to my neck and kisses me in a way that makes me giggle.
"Aiden! That tickles," I screech.
"Shhh," he says, covering my mouth with his.
After a thorough kissing, he says, "How am I supposed to attack you on the down low if you're gonna scream?"
I slide my hand down the front of his shorts and whisper, "Let's see how quiet you can be."
A little while later, we slide into bed together, dressed in our pajamas.
Aiden props his head up on his fist. "Tommy was wrong," he says breathlessly, studying my face. "You don't need beauty sleep. You're already beautiful." He leans down and kisses the side of my face, my forehead, and my cheek.
"I think you're beautiful too." I reply, snuggling closer to him and laying my head on his shoulder. I reach up and touch his face. "And not just because of your perfect face." I glide my hand down his chest, run my fingers across his abs, and then trace down his V-line. "Or your perfect muscles."
"You move your hand any lower and I'm going to have to take you back in the closet."
I slide my fingers under the waistband just to tease him, but then I lay my hand across the left side of his chest. "This is what makes you the most beautiful, Aiden. You have a really good heart."
