“Oh, I like that. You could teleport into my bedroom.”
“I might never leave.” He hugged her against her side. “What would your superpower be?”
“The power to heal.”
“Damn, babes, you’re more generous than I am. Your superpower kicked mine’s butt.”
“You’re just as generous,” she countered. “Your first thought was for your sister and me.” She tipped her face up. He looked so blissful, she had the strange thought that this was what dreams were made of.
“Nice save.” He kissed her and said, “Would you rather spend a day exploring a charming small town or lying on the beach?”
“Mm, that’s a hard one. Probably the beach, since I never get to do it. You?”
“Both, because every beach town has cute shops.”
“Wait. I want to change my answer to both. I didn’t know that was an option.”
“That makes you a copycat.” He moved over her with a wicked glint in his eyes and said, “There’s a penalty for that crime.”
Yesss. “There’s a penalty for that crime,” she parroted in a high-pitched, mocking tone.
He tickled her ribs. “You’re in big trouble, Runner Girl. You’re paying double for that!”
After she suffered through a panty-melting make-out session that left them both high, they headed into town to grab some lunch and knock window-shopping off Aiden’s list. They had lunch at Trista’s café, sharing their sandwiches and a macadamia nut cookie for dessert, taking finger foodie pictures for Remi, and meandered through the shops on Main Street, holding hands and basking in the effortlessness of their coupledom. Aiden surprised her by buying birdseed to put in the shells they’d collected. He showed her things in various shops that he thought she might like for the Bistro, and his suggestions were perfectly aligned with everything she’d said as they’d cleaned the restaurant and she’d rambled on about her hopes of bringing her father’s old-world charm and beachy chic together. The Bistro wasn’t ready to be decorated, but she took mental notes about the items so she could buy them in the future.
Abby glanced at Aiden across the touristy shop they were exploring. He was looking through racks of T-shirts and tank tops. His linen shirt was wrinkled and dirty from lying in the sand. His hair was windblown, curling at the ends. He looked so relaxed, like a different guy than the clean-shaven, loafer-wearing man she’d met last week. She knew his finance-oriented mind never really shut off. He’d been making suggestions here and there about budgets and expenditures. She liked his serious, business-oriented side, which was always hovering, because she had that side, too.
Aiden looked up, catching her staring, and blew her a kiss. He said he could get used to this. She had a feeling she’d never get used to it. Aiden’s affection was like a drug. Would she crave it? Yes. Appreciate it? Absolutely. But how could she get used to unconditional affection when it’d been so long since she’d experienced it?
He turned back to the shirts, and she went back to searching for something for him. She found the perfect navy-blue hat, with a picture of a lighthouse and I CHILLED ON SILVER ISLAND embroidered across the front in white. She snuck up to the register and paid.
Aiden sauntered up with one hand behind his back and said, “Are you done, ma’am? Because I have a purchase for a special lady in my life, and I’m afraid I need privacy to pay for it.”
“You have a special lady in your life? Lucky lady.”
“I’m the lucky one,” he said as she walked away.
He came up behind her a few minutes later, speaking huskily into her ear. “Hey, sexy lady. You free tonight?”
“Sorry, but I’m taken,” she said as they left the store.
“Damn. Then I guess I should return this.” He pulled a pink tank top out of the bag and held it up. I RUN FOR GOODIES was written across the chest in white, with candy wrappers scattered below it.
“I love that! Thank you.”
“I need to find a Sharpie so I can put a little caret before goodies and write Aiden’s.”
“I like that even more! I got something for you, too.” She took out the hat and handed it to him, earning one of his hearty laughs and a delicious thank-you kiss, which led to several more kisses.
“Abby!”
They startled apart, and Aiden put on his hat as Jules, Leni’s younger sister, hurried toward them. Her sun-kissed-brown hair hung to the middle of her back, the top layer pinned up in her signature water fountain on top of her head.
“Hi, Jules.” Abby hugged her and said, “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too. I’ve wanted to stop by, but I’m so busy getting the shop ready for summer, and Grant has been monopolizing my every free moment.” She lowered her voice and said, “Not that I’m complaining.” Jules was engaged to Grant Silver.
“I bet. Jules, this is Aiden. Aiden, this is my friend Jules.”
Jules checked him out with a rascally look in her eyes and said, “I heard there was a hot guy buying pretty girls breakfast on the island, but from the looks of the kisses I witnessed, maybe that gossip should be revised to buying a certain pretty girl breakfast.”
Aiden put his arm around Abby and said, “It’s nice to meet you, and it’s most definitely a certain pretty girl.”
“Well, in case Abby’s ever busy, I own the Happy End gift shop, down there.” She pointed to the end of the block and said, “The shop with the red door and the giraffes out front. I’m usually there by seven thirty, and I like my eggs over easy and my pastries as sugary as possible.”
“I’ll remember that,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure Grant would take issue with a handsome guy bringing you breakfast.” Abby looked at Aiden and said, “Jules is engaged to Wells’s brother Grant.”
“Since Wells is a self-proclaimed Best of king, does that make Grant a prince?” Aiden joked.
“God no,” Jules said. “Grant is totally my prince, but if I were you, I would not call him that to his face. He’s nothing like Wells. Wells is a shameless flirt and loves to talk about himself, but his heart is always in the right place. Grant is an ex–covert ops specialist, and much broodier than Wells.”
“Why did Grant get out of that line of work?” Aiden asked.
“He lost his leg during a mission,” Jules explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been rough,” Aiden said.
“It was,” Jules said. “He had a hard time transitioning back to civilian life.”
“Until Jules came along,” Abby said, bumping shoulders with Jules.
Jules grinned. “That is true. I love my man so much, and now he’s gone back to his artistic roots and rediscovered his love of painting and woodworking. Thanks to a little creative outreach, he’s already made a name for himself. Hey, I have a great idea! We’re going out to dinner Friday night with Jock and Daphne. You should join us so Aiden can meet them.”
“Jock is an unusual name. Are you talking about Jack Steele, the author of It Lies?”
“Yes,” Jules said. “He’s my oldest brother, and Daphne is his wife. You’ll love them.”