“But not great for Aiden. I bet Remi felt guilty that you’d given up so much for her, even if from where you were sitting it looked easy for her to make the change. I know how hard it is to be the person who needs something from others. I felt guilty as a kid when Shelley would send her kids over to help with the Bistro. Remember, Shelley is the one who finally pushed me to leave the island. Remi is your Shelley. It’s no wonder she wanted you to get away, to get a life, and to learn how to relax. She knows you’re too great a guy to let life pass you by.”
“Either that or I’m a pain in her ass,” he joked. “She was right. I hadn’t just forgotten who I was apart from work and her, but I also no longer have a home base. She’d been that for me because wherever she needed to be, I went. That’s why when you asked where I called home, I said I was trying to figure that out. The other thing you deserve to know is that while you had a friend with benefits, I was never that consistent. Relationships weren’t a priority, and with Remi’s career, I had to be extra careful about the women I let into my life. I trusted a few women who I’d hook up with from time to time. But I never told people about my relation to Remi. I had made that mistake at the beginning of her career, and women assumed Remi’s celebrity status rolled over to me, which it did not, and I wouldn’t have wanted it to. It’s a full-time job scouring newsfeeds and shutting down paparazzi.”
“I’m glad you trust me. I won’t breach that confidence.” She couldn’t resist lightening the mood and said, “But now how will I ever see you as anything but actress Remi Divine’s brother?”
He chuckled. “Since she’s no longer acting, she’s old news. You might want to end this date now and go track down another A-list actress’s brother.”
Loving that they could joke with each other, she said, “I think I’ll stick around. You never know when she’ll make a comeback.”
“Lucky me.” He leaned in and kissed her, his scruff tickling her skin. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, gazing so deeply into her eyes, it sparked a flutter in her chest. “I wasn’t looking to meet anyone here, Abs.”
“Neither was I.”
“Then maybe we’re meant to be, like you and the Bistro.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
JUST AS ABBY had remembered, the lighthouse stairs felt like they went on forever, but she didn’t mind. It wasn’t unusual that they were the only visitors this time of year, and Abby was glad no one else was there. She and Aiden held hands, talking and kissing as they made their way up the narrow, winding steps, their voices echoing in the dimly lit chamber. Aiden appeared lighter after sharing his secrets with her. After hearing how secretive he’d had to be about Remi’s identity, she couldn’t imagine being the sibling to someone famous, wondering if people liked him for who he was or because of his sister. Knowing he was Remi Divine’s brother didn’t change how she saw him, but the fact that he’d trusted her enough to tell her definitely made her trust him even more.
“Does this bring back memories?” he asked.
“Yes. My sister and I used to race everywhere we went, including the lighthouses and windmills. We’d run up the stairs, leaving our parents behind.”
He swatted her ass and said, “Then let’s go. One. Two. Three! ”
She ran up the stairs, squealing as he chased after her. When they neared the top, he took the steps two at a time, getting ahead of her, and turned, sweeping her into his arms. “Gotcha!” He backed her up against the cold concrete, showering her with kisses, her laughter echoing off the walls.
“Cheater!” She giggled.
“Aldridges don’t cheat.” He kissed her sweetly, but when he deepened the kiss, it quickly turned hungry and penetrating, and she melted against him, greedily enjoying every second of it.
When their lips parted, she put her arms around his neck and said, “Then what do you call trapping me with your big, hard body and kissing me breathless?”
He pressed his hips forward and said, “Careful, Abs. You keep looking at me like that and talking about my hard body and there’ll be a lot more than giggles echoing off these walls.” He lowered his lips to hers and scooped her off her feet.
“Aiden!” she said as he carried her up the steps. Carried her!
He pushed through the door at the landing, and a gust of salty sea air whipped around them. “What kind of a win would it be if I left you behind?”
Her heart filled up. “In a world where everyone is out for themselves, you want to win with me?”
“I’ve never craved intimacy with anyone, and with you, I can’t get enough.” He lowered his lips to hers, taking her in another sensual kiss.
“You’re too romantic for your own good. I don’t even know how to handle that,” she said as he set her down.
“I’ve been called a lot of things—bossy, stubborn, a workaholic—but never romantic.”
“Then that’s another thing reserved especially for me on your work-free vacation. Just like your dirty comments,” she said sassily, pressing her lips to his. “I like sharing secrets with you.”
“I like everything we do.” He took her hand, and they went to the railing.
The island bled into the inky water, sunlight glittering off the surface like diamonds.
“I had forgotten how pretty the view is from the lighthouses.” The wind whipped her hair across her face. She gathered it over one shoulder and said, “I should have brought a ponytail holder.”
“You did.” Aiden put his arm around her, holding her hair for her.
She studied his peaceful expression and realized how naturally the little things he did came to him. How had he stayed single all this time? She knew the answer, of course, but she didn’t know what he saw in her that made him want to share himself and the intimate details of his life with her. She thought she was pretty great, and she wasn’t one of those women who felt unworthy or hated her body. But surely he had far more beautiful, financially well off, interesting women at his disposal. She knew those types of questions could never really be answered, at least not any more clearly than she could figure out what it was about him that had made her want to throw caution to the wind and meet him for breakfast the first time he’d invited her. Because chemistry was the most elusive, and possibly the most powerful, connector of all.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” she said honestly. “You’re attentive and thoughtful, and you’re a thinker, like my dad was. Sometimes you look so focused, I wonder what you’re thinking about, and other times you’re so funny. But it’s like you see and hear everything, which I’m sure comes from raising your sister, because Lord knows girls are tough to figure out.”
“Should I thank you, or are you trying to say I see and hear too much?” He pulled her closer and kissed her temple.
“I like who you are, Aiden. I like whoever or whatever version of you this person standing beside me is. The guy who gave up everything to allow his sister’s dreams to come true and who jumped right in to help me with mine. But I hope you know that you don’t have to work during your whole vacation. I can handle the restaurant and we can connect in the evenings.”