Aiden looked at Abby, remembering the way they’d been caught making out in the kitchen the other night, and said, “Who knew?” earning a secret smile. “Can we get back to our date now, Remi?”
“Oh, sorry. Of course. I’d love to meet you sometime, Abby.”
“I’d like that,” Abby said.
“Let’s exchange numbers and stay in touch,” Remi suggested. “You can let me know if Aiden tries to work while he’s on the island, so I can harass him.”
“Remi,” Aiden said sternly.
“I’m kidding!”
Aiden put his arm around Abby, pulling her closer, and said, “I have more pictures to send you, Rem, but can we do without the interrogations from now on? Abs and I would like to spend the little time I have here chilling, not answering texts.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say you want to chill. Yes, of course. Definitely,” Remi said. “I’m sorry if I’m overly excited, but I’ve never met anyone you’ve dated. I’m so happy! Abby, you have no idea how many of our friends have tried to set him up on dates. But he’s usually all work and no play.”
“On that note, I think we’ll say goodbye. Love you, Rem. Kiss the girls, and tell Mason I said we’ll catch up another time.”
“Okay. I have one more thing to say to Abby.” Remi schooled her expression and said, “I know Aiden doesn’t open up easily, and he seems strong as iron, but he’s the only brother I have, and he’s not invincible, so please, please don’t hurt him.”
“I would never,” Abby said.
Remi nodded. “Okay, because if you do, you’ll have Mason to deal with.”
“No you won’t!” Mason called from off camera.
“Fine. Then you’ll have me to deal with,” Remi said. “Just be good to him. He can be dorky and a bit bossy, but he means well, and I know he works way too much, but he gave me the best life. One that I sometimes probably didn’t deserve. He’s a great man.”
Abby gazed adoringly at Aiden and said, “I’m pretty sure you gave him a great life, too.”
“I gave him headaches,” Remi admitted. “But he loves me anyway.”
Aiden took the phone from Abby, loving that she understood that while raising Remi hadn’t been easy, it had made him happy. He looked at the sister who had become a wife and foster parent, and his heart felt full. But he needed to be bossy one more time. “I love you, Rem, but how about we take it down a notch.”
“I’m good with that now that I know you’re not locked in your hotel room working day and night.” Remi whispered, “I like her, Aiden. Don’t screw this up.” She wiggled her fingers in a playful wave, blew him a kiss, and ended the call.
“Wow, she’s really great,” Abby said. “I totally forgot she was the Remi Divine. She’s so normal and down to earth, and I love how she teases you. It’s obvious how much she loves and appreciates you. And look at that dazzling smile she left you with.”
He slipped his phone into his pocket and said, “I’m happy for her, and proud of her. She’s a great mother. All I have ever wanted for Remi was for her to have a good, happy life and to be loved for who she is, not what she has.”
“And for her to achieve her dreams, which you facilitated,” Abby reminded him. “I know how good you are at helping others make their dreams come true. But what I don’t know, and I’d really like to, is what your dreams are. What does AA dream about?”
He leaned in for a kiss and said, “Lately, a scantily clad brunette is front and center in all of my dreams.”
She dragged her finger down his chest between the open buttons on his shirt and said, “As much as I love that—and trust me, I definitely do—I’m serious. I want to know what your dreams are.”
“I’ve already got more than one man could ever need.” And he’d trade it all for more days like they’d just shared. Working with his hands alongside Abby, getting to know her sister, and meeting a few of her childhood friends reminded him of how much he’d loved the simple way in which he’d grown up, without the pomp and circumstance of his wealth or Remi’s celebrity. It had been a life surrounded by close-knit family and friends, not governed by deadlines, conquering the next deal, earning the next million, or worrying about every word out of his mouth so as not to reveal Remi’s whereabouts or details of her life. He missed that simplicity more than he’d realized.
“That’s the funny thing about dreams,” Abby said. “They’re not about need. They’re about what ifs and wants. What if you hadn’t raised Remi? Was there something you wanted but never pursued?”
“I’ve always gone after what I wanted.”
“Well, that’s a start,” she said skeptically. “But isn’t there something you dream about or wish you had?”
He waggled his brows.
She poked his ribs. “I’m serious. You listen to me blab about my dreams all the time. Do I need to have you lie on a couch and pay me to get you to open up?”
“You lying on a couch might just do the trick,” he said seductively.
“Aiden.” She tried valiantly to give him a serious look, but her smile was relentless, and he loved that about her. “Why are you holding back? We’ve been naked together, but this is too private for you to tell me?”
“No, Abs. It’s not that it’s private.”
“Then what is it? Because I’ve never had sex on my mother’s living room couch before, and I don’t make a habit of showering with guys. Those things meant something to me, and you’re making me feel like it meant less to you. And that’s okay, but—”
He pulled her closer; the hurt in her eyes felt like a stab to his chest. “It meant something to me, too. It meant a lot to me, Abs. I’m not used to dissecting the part of my life I missed out on. I don’t regret raising Remi. I channeled all of my dreams into her and into my business.”
“I know. If anyone understands that, it’s me. I don’t regret being there for my mom, either. But that doesn’t mean the dreams I had didn’t survive. I had to clear the crap from my life in order to see them, but they were still there.” She caressed his cheek, her eyes pleading with him as she said, “Let me in, Aiden.”
He leaned into her touch. He’d never been a needy man, but everything was different with Abby. He wanted her affection, and he craved her soothing smiles and tender touches as badly as he hungered for her writhing beneath him in the throes of pleasure.
“Please?” she said. “Now is your time to think about yourself. Your sister has a great life, and she wants that for you. I want that for you, and I barely know you.”
“God, you really have gotten under my skin.”
“You’re not the only one who can be pushy.” She wrinkled her nose and said, “I like you a lot, Aiden, and I want to get to know you better. I want to know things about you I haven’t wanted to know about anyone. I hope I’m not rubbing you the wrong way.”
“You rub me in all the best ways.” He kissed her, and the hope in her eyes brought his truth to the surface. “I did have dreams that I set aside.”