Page 16 of Aiden & Lily

Was it just a little bit reckless?

Probably.

Well, perhaps definitely.

Aiden knew there was a chance he could run into Reese if he spent time with Lily. He’d have to be extra vigilant, which was why he’d lowered the risk. He’d picked somewhere out of the way. Somewhere quiet.

Somewhere no one had any reason to look for him.

There were several reasons he didn’t want Reese to know he was interested in Lily. The first was that Aiden couldn’t be sure what this was yet.

That sounded bad. He knew it did. But Aiden had never been so caught up in a woman before. Everything about this felt new, and he didn’t trust himself with new. He didn’t trust that the pull in his chest would still be there after a date or two. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t ruin it by being exactly the kind of man everyone already expected him to be.

And Lily was clearly so far above and out of his league it wasn’t even funny.

He sighed, wondering if he should just cancel the plans he’d made with Lily last night. If he didn’t give her a chance to get attached, then he wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout.

No. That wasn’t fair.

He dragged a hand down his face.

If he was worried about fallout, the decent thing would be to tell her the truth before there was anything to lose.

But then a little voice in his head reminded him that she knew him as his alternate persona. Christopher Stone, rodeo competitor. She didn’t know him as Aiden, the nurse at the local hospital. No one in their social circle had to know if he was careful.

With a sharp nod, Aiden grabbed his keys from the side table and headed for the door. He was just about to reach for the knob when someone knocked.

He startled, his body going stiff. Then the person knocked again. With brows furrowed, he pulled the door open and came face-to-face with his half-brother.

“Parker?”

“Hey, big brother.” Parker clapped him on the shoulders with both hands. “Long time no see.” Then he stooped down and picked up an oversized duffel that Aiden had only just noticed.

Aiden spun around as Parker shouldered past him. “I’m sorry, what do you think you’re doing?”

Parker took after his mother more than their father. With his dark hair and darker eyes, he was what everyone considered tall, dark, and handsome. He was voted prom king and most likely to succeed in high school.

Parker Stone was Mr. Perfect and the bane of Aiden’s existence. Where Aiden could make his parents proud, Parker exceeded all expectations. He was literally beloved.

Parker stopped in the middle of the living room and glanced around. “I don’t think I’ve been here since you moved.”

No compliments. Nonice place. Just a critical eye.

Aiden could tell where this was going. Parker would point out all the issues with the infrastructure. He’d make recommendations, then offer to help fix the place up. He was a whiz when it came to construction, and he didn’t even care that he came off as a know-it-all because no one bothered to tell him.

No one but Aiden.

Grinding his teeth together, Aiden stared at his brother expectantly, waiting for the inevitable.

Parker placed his duffel on the floor, drawing Aiden’s attention to it once more. “I’ve got a project in town. Thought I’d stay with you until my rental becomes available.” He shrugged and flashed his perfect white teeth. “Or maybe I’ll get some land and build something. Make moving here a little more… permanent.”

Aiden sighed. “You know you probably should have called. I don’t have time to do this with you today.”

“Do what?” Parker asked, his voice taunting. “Hand over your spare key and let me take up that spare bedroom that isn’t getting any use? This house is what, a three-bedroom? Or is it four, but you use one for an office?” Parker was right. He’d hit the nail on the head. He tilted his head, amusement in his voice. “Don’t tell me you’re going to send me packing.”

“To do that, you would have had to unpack first,” Aiden shot back, folding his arms across his chest.

“Come on, big brother. You can’t send me away. It’s only going to be temporary. You can let me stay that long, right? Mom and Dad?—”