Hotter Than Ever (Out of Uniform 9)

He let out a surprised laugh. “I see.” His grin widened. “Do you always blurt out whatever’s on your mind like that?”

“Usually.” She took another sip of water. “I try not to be so forthcoming at work, but in general I’m pretty opinionated and not afraid to be honest.”

“Honesty’s a great quality to have.”

“I’m glad you think so. But not everyone appreciates it.”

As he started pulling ingredients out of the fridge and setting them on the counter, Claire got up and tried to help, but he led her back to the stool and forced her to sit.

“You’re the guest, and I’m cooking you breakfast. Deal with it.” His commanding tone brooked no argument, and for some reason, it turned her on like crazy.

“Yes, sir,” she said with a little salute.

“So, did we decide whether you’re having toast or taking a risk?” Aidan flipped open a carton of eggs.

Claire sighed. “I’m taking the risk. I’m a sucker for bacon.”

“Good call. And look, if you end up puking it all up, I’m willing to be a gentleman and hold your hair back.”

“Aw, thanks, that’s so sweet.”

Laughing, she rested her elbows on the smooth black granite and admired the ease with which he moved around in the kitchen. He got the bacon going, then leaned against the opposite counter and whisked the eggs in a glass bowl, all the while watching her with curious dark eyes.

“What’s the final answer then?” Aidan slanted his head. “Can men be simultaneously sexy and adorable?”

She replied with no hesitation. “Yes. They totally can.”

A heated look passed between them, identical to the one they’d shared yesterday within seconds of meeting. And unlike yesterday’s Dylan-provoked desire, her attraction to this man made sense.

Actually…nope, still didn’t make sense, seeing as she was attracted to Aidan in a confounding, primitive way she’d never experienced. Everything about him teased her senses—his rumpled dark hair, the perfect chest beneath his faded Chicago Bears T-shirt, those dimples. And he smelled so darn good; his lemony-scented aftershave mingled with the aroma of sizzling bacon in the air, and she honestly couldn’t decide which scent was more intoxicating.

Last night she’d been convinced this man wanted her. This afternoon was no different. Her striped off-the-shoulder tee and black yoga pants were by no means indecent, yet Aidan’s gaze was so seductive, so intense and appreciative, she felt like she was buck-naked.

A crackling sound interrupted the moment of awareness they’d been having. When Aidan turned to tend to the bacon, she quickly took a deep breath and ordered herself to stop drooling over the guy.

“So who didn’t appreciate your honesty?” he asked curiously.

“Chris, for one. He hated how blunt I was, especially if I said something he didn’t want to hear.”

“Like what?” Aidan lowered the heat on the burner and moved on to the task of scrambling the eggs, but he glanced over his shoulder every few seconds, encouraging her to go on.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly shy about voicing my opinion when it came to his country-club friends. Those people are such jerks—you should have seen the way one of the partners’ wives treated our waiter one time. And the racism in that club was unbelievable. It made me sick, and Chris didn’t seem to give a shit. He just shrugged and said that deep down everyone’s a little racist. Can you believe that?”

“Chris doesn’t sound like the nicest guy.”

Sadness washed over her. “I thought he was. I thought he was amazing, actually. When we first met, he was so passionate about the law and making a difference. He was excited to work in the prosecutor’s office and clean up the streets and all that jazz. But instead, he took the job that Lowenstein offered, and suddenly his whole personality changed.” She bit her lip in dismay. “He got all prissy and pretentious, and started acting, I don’t know, entitled, I guess.”

“From what Dylan has told me, Chris was always a bit on the conservative side, and I’m pretty sure Dylan mentioned that Chris intended to work for a big defense firm from the start.”

Claire frowned. “Yeah, I don’t know how much I really trust Dylan’s word.”

“You should,” Aidan said frankly. “He’s probably the most honest man I’ve ever met. And the most honorable.”

“Honorable?” Bitterness rose in her throat. “I haven’t seen any indication of that, and trust me, he’s had many opportunities to prove me wrong.”

“What exactly has Dylan done to give you such a skewed view of him?” Aidan’s tone was more curious than angry.

“Maybe your view is the skewed one.”

“Trust me,” he mimicked, “I know everything there is to know about Dylan Wade. The guy’s got a heart of gold. It’s f**king exasperating at times.”

Claire opened her mouth to argue that clearly Dylan’s fabled heart of gold didn’t extend to his mother, then thought better of it. She wasn’t prone to gossiping, and she knew Shanna would be humiliated if she knew Claire was blabbing about her private business with a stranger. Besides, nothing she said would change Aidan’s mind about the man he obviously cared very deeply about.

The man Claire had practically sexually assaulted last night…

Crap. Did Aidan know about the kiss? It suddenly occurred to her that he might, and her cheeks grew hot.