Barefoot Kisses (The Kisses 7)

He sighed. “The last real relationship I had was in college. I thought it was love, but...” He shook his head and took a big swig of wine. “I haven't had a serious relationship since. Plenty of non-serious ones, but nothing that ever mattered. Ben says I have trust issues when it comes to women. That I don't let them stay in my life.”

“Is Ben right?” I held my breath, afraid of his response.

“That's two questions, but I'll answer it,” he replied after a moment. “Ben's always right. It's part of why I trust him so much.”

I kept the hurt growing in my chest inside. Aiden wasn't ready for a serious relationship. I silently chided myself for even thinking for a moment that this relationship would continue the moment we stepped off the island. I was just his latest fling.

I looked up at the stars and blinked away the blurriness. I could handle this. If this thing with Aiden was a fling, it would make it that much easier to go back to real life. I could stop myself from falling in love with him now, before I grew too attached. I wouldn't have to tell him I wasn't a lawyer because this would be over as soon as we left the island.

“Do you want to know what Ben thinks about you?” Aiden asked, his voice clear in the dark.

“Is that your question this turn?” I countered. I was glad my voice didn't shake. “If it's not, then I don't want to answer.”

Aiden shifted on the sand beside me, rolling onto his side so he could look at me. I stared up at the sky. If I looked at him, I knew my face would give me away. This was just a good time to him.

“Ben says you're the real deal.” I could feel him watching me. “He likes you. He says you're good for me.”

I didn't say anything. My heart was so confused I didn't know what to say. Aiden didn't do relationships, but his boss thought I was good for him. Apparently, this amazing thing I had going with Aiden was just a fling, but then Ben's words gave me the illusion of hope.

I felt Aiden return to laying on his back beside me. Just our shoulders touched and I ached for more. I wanted him, fling or not. I wasn't sure the true depth of what I felt yet, but I knew I definitely felt something.

I didn't know how this vacation was going to end. I wanted to believe it would be a fairy tale, that Aiden and I would go back to Chicago and live happily ever after. But Aiden wasn't a prince and I wasn't Cinderella. There was a very real chance that we would never see each other again once this dream of a vacation ended.

I tried to tell myself that I was okay with that, but deep down I knew I wasn't. I already felt things for Aiden that I didn't want to give up. I liked the way he made me feel. I like who I was when I was with him. I didn't want to go back to my old life and go back to what I had been.

I took his hand in mine and squeezed, pushing my uneasy thoughts to the side. Tonight, I would share whatever secrets Aiden asked of me. I would accept that this was just a short term thing and do my best to enjoy it.

“It's my turn,” Aiden said, taking the bottle from its spot in the sand. “Tell me about your first kiss.”

“You're going to laugh. It was pretty terrible,” I warned him.

“I sincerely doubt that,” Aiden replied, pulling me to rest on his shoulder. “Kissing you is never terrible.”

I nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, soaking up the feeling of his arm around me and the smell of his skin. If this did have to end at the end of my trip, at least I would have some amazing memories.

Chapter 16

“Vacation agrees with you,” Kathryn commented, startling me out of me out of my day dreams.

“What?” I could feel a blush blaze across my cheeks and I wondered if she could read my thoughts. They were certainly blush-worthy.

“You've been staring off at the water with a happy smile plastered on your face for the entire meeting,” she informed me.

“Sorry. Did I miss something important?” I couldn't even remember what the meeting was about. “I wasn't sure if I got the projector set up properly—”

“Everything was fine,” she assured me, with a smile. “I'm just stating that you look very happy. That assistant must be very good for you.”

I relaxed and grinned. “He is.” She had no idea just how good. He was beyond good.

“I'm guessing you have dinner plans tonight, then,” Kathryn said with a knowing smile.

I starting packing up the laptop and notes from the meeting. “Not if you need me. You brought me here, so you have dibs on me.”

Kathryn laughed and shook her head. “I don't need you tonight. I'm just meeting a couple of old school friends and thought I'd invite you to tag along so you wouldn't be bored.”

I stopped and bit my lip. Aiden was taking me out to dinner, but Kathryn might know someone who had some pull with the law school.

“You should go keep adding to your happy glow,” Kathryn told me, seeing my hesitation. “We're going to just be reliving old times. And none of them are on the school board, so unless you are planning on changing firms, they won't get you far. I just didn't want you to spend the whole trip by yourself.”