Crossing the Line (20 page)

“Well, we can’t worry about all the what
ifs. Whatever happens happens.” Whoa, one eighty much? He was freaking about
people thinking he’d hired me to get laid and now if it happens it happens.
Apparently women are the most confusing sex. The guy that said that clearly
never met Aden. “What are you thinking?”

How does he know I’m thinking? Hey doesn’t
everyone think all the time? “Is it possible to not think? Like I know when
you’re sleeping and all but when you’re awake does your brain work all the
time?”

Aden looks over at me briefly with that
expression he often has for me, like wonder, amusement, confusion and worry all
at the same time. “I…” He sakes his head. “What?”

“When you’re not thinking anything or just
not thinking that you’re thinking anything, are you really thinking deep down?”

“I’m not even going to try understanding
that. You need sleep; you’re making less sense than usual. Just stop thinking
about it.”

“But what if I can’t?” I reply, smirking.

“When we get back to mine I’ll make you
stop thinking.”

Sighing heavily, I pout at him. “Promises,
promises.” He probably will make all thoughts vanish into a puff of smoke,
though. But to test my theory, I’m going to try and remember to figure out some
important real life mysteries, like why McDonalds don’t sell hotdogs and when
lightning struck in the ocean why the fish don’t all die.

Aden opens my door and as soon as I climb
out of the car he sweeps me up and carries me to bed, ready to start on his
promise.

I snuggle into Aden’s side, panting still.
Our bodies are slick with sweat. He kisses the top of my head and runs his
fingertips over my back, making me shiver. I love it when he tickles me like
that. I need to officially appoint him my tickle bitch.

“I didn’t think,” I say. He is good.

“Not logically anyway,” he jokes.

Ha ha. I roll my eyes. “Aden, when
lightning strikes in the sea why don’t all the dirty fish die?”

He laughs and rolls me onto my back,
hovering above me. “You have no idea how much I love you, crazy.”

My mouth falls open, and my heart soars. He
just said…

Chapter Nineteen

Yes, he definitely said it. The L word. Aden
loves me. Me! He’s waiting, staring at me hopefully. I know what he wants to
hear and it’s what I want to say, but I’m dumbstruck, still trying to let it
sink in that he loves me.

He sits up, back straightening, panic
flashes through his eyes, and I realise I really need to say something because
he’s now thinking I don’t feel the same. “Shut up!” I exclaim. It’s not what
I’d planned on saying, but it pretty much sums up how shocked I am.

He laughs nervously. “So I tell you I love
you, and you tell me to shut up?” I gulp. Yeah that could have gone better but
he loves me! He doesn’t have to, we’re not related – thankfully –
but he does. It’s his choice, and he’s chosen me. “Nothing to say? That’s not
like you.”

I narrow my eyes. “I have nothing to say to
you now, you cocky arse!” He laughs again, but his posture relaxes in relief.

“Millie,” he says warningly and lies down
on his side, facing me. “Stop being stubborn and tell me how we both know you
feel.”

“Fine. I feel hungry. Wanna get some
Chinese?” Aden rolls his eyes. “Chow mien?”

“Millie, come on.” No way I’m going to come
on. “You’re being a baby. I’ve said it. I’d do anything for you. I love you,”
he repeats, making my heart melt. He’d do anything for me. I feel that love
too. That I would do anything for you even suck your toe love. However, I’m not
sold on the toe thing.

I press my body against his and stare into
his sexy blue eyes. “I love you too, Aden. You know that.”

His face lights up and he looks so happy,
carefree and young that it makes my heart leap. He strokes my cheek and tucks a
lock of my hair behind my ear. “I do know it, but it’s nice to hear.”

“You suck.”

His eyes gleam mischievously. “Yeah but you
love me.”

“Not anymore,” I mumble under my breath and
his grin stretches. “Whatever. I’m tired.” I roll onto my back, scooting back
so I’m still touching him and close my eyes. He might be a cocky arse, but he’s
my cocky arse, and I like the feel of his body against mine.

“You’re really going to sleep?” he asks.
“We just said I love you for the first time, and you’re going to sleep?”

“Yes.”

“You know you’re breaking protocol, right?”

I crack my eyes open. “What?”

“I should be inside you by now.”

I bite my lip. “Really?” He nods slowly,
eyes darkening, and I feel his not so subtle erection press against my hip.
“You’re like a randy schoolboy.”

“I can’t help it, I’ve never been so attracted
to anyone before, and I’ve never been in love before. You drive me crazy, and I
don’t just mean sexually.” Is that half an insult? I’ve had people say I drive
them crazy my whole life, and it’s never been a positive.

“Do I drive you good crazy or bad crazy?”

“You drive me incredible crazy,” he
whispers in reply. Okay I can live with that. “So about that I love you sex?”

I laugh and shake my head, discouraged.
“You just had to ruin the moment. Goodnight, Aden.”

He sighs and throws his arm over my stomach.
“Night, Millie,” he says in my ear. He’s close, too close. His voice is low and
husky, giving me goose bumps. I almost jump him as I feel his fingertips glide
over my hip. I feel it right down to my toes. His touch is maddening. So I
don’t lose the face by giving in, I picture him covered in huge boils and pink
glitter. Then the image of him dancing in a red thong pops into my head, and I
laugh. I’ve not told him that I’ve seen the video because he might delete it.

“What,” Aden whispers.

“Just thinking of you covered in glitter.”

“Whatever floats your boat, baby.” He
chuckles and nuzzles my hair. “So, are you really going to sleep? We both know
you don’t want to.”

“Actually, I do,” I correct, lying so badly
I want to hit myself. “You’re not that irresistible, you know.”

“Oh, I see…” he trails off playfully. My
heart skips a beat. What the hell does he have planned? “So, if I was to…” He
strokes between my breasts and down to my stomach. Oh shit he is not playing
fair! I bite my lip, stifling a moan as warmth pools between my legs. “Hmm and
what about…” His fingers graze lightly over my skin, trailing along my hipbone
and heading down.

Push him away! Just move your bloody hand
and push him away. My hands do nothing but grip the sheets as I tilt my head
back, breathing heavily in anticipation.

Aden’s fingers reach their goal, and I gasp
audibly, bucking my hips into his hand. Well this is happening now, and I don’t
even care that he’s going to win. If he’s smug afterwards, I’m going to
make him to sleep on the sofa. Or the shed, depending on how smug he is.

Unable to control myself any longer, I
shove him back with such force he gasps in shock. I use that as my chance and
roll on top of him. He groans and grips hold of my hips, fingers digging into
my skin as he pants. “I love it when you take control,” he growls, and if I
didn’t know his eyes were blue I’d think they were black.

“Me too, so shut up.” I kiss him hard,
grinding myself against him. I’ve lost control completely, and I kind of love
how he can make everything else disappear and the only thing that matter is the
handful of orgasms I know he’s going to give me.

I wake to Aden kissing my shoulder –
not a bad way to wake up at all. “Good morning,” he whispers.

“Mmm, morning.”

“We need to get up soon.” I groan. Work.
Wow I can’t even call in fake sick – ever! “Come on, get up. I’ll make
you breakfast.” He hops out of bed as if it’s noon and goes makes his way to
the bathroom for a shower. It must have been two in the morning before we got
any sleep, how is he so awake? I feel like the living dead.

When I hear the shower turn on I know I
should get up, however, I wait until I hear it turn off before I force my arse
up. I make my way to the bathroom and almost slam into Aden, who only has a
towel around his waist and is still wet. My mouth pops open. Sweet Jesus, I
must have done something really right in a past life.

Aden chuckles and shakes his head as he
walks out of the room. If I didn’t have his t-shirt on, he would be a big perv
too.

Okay time to wake up. It’s one of those
days where I just want to go back to bed. My eyes are heavy, and I have dark
circles under them. Perfect. Cold water. That’s the answer. That’ll wake
me up. I run the tap, fill water in my hands and splash it over my face.

“Shit,” I hiss, fanning my face as the
cold water seems to almost burn. Bad idea. Fucking hell does his cold water
come from Antarctica?

The bathroom door flies open. “What?” he
asks.

“Cold,” I mutter and press a towel over my
face as fanning it just makes it colder, obviously. “Tried to wake self up.
Worked but cold.”

“So you splash cold water on your face and
then freak out because it’s cold?”

“Correct,” I reply and remove the towel. “I
need a hot water bottle for my face.”

Aden smirks. “Right because I have hundreds
of those lying around the place. Just get ready and try not to freeze your face
again.”

Smirking, smug bastard! I stick my middle
finger up as he leaves the room but smile at the same time.

After inhaling breakfast, we make our way to
work. As he pulls up in front of the building, my heart sinks. I want to go
back to chilling with Aden, naked. Going back to work after really enjoying the
previous evening, even if you like your job, is like being made to sit through
a Jedward concert. Painful.

“We’ve got a lot to get through today so
we’ll both need to work from my office,” Aden says as we make our way through
the building. As soon as he steps into his office he turns serious, and I’m so
far away from playful Aden that I want to throw a tantrum.

Why did I tell him I want to get more
involved in the business again? He’s explained everything, slowly, and in so
much detail I want to shove him out of the window. Women like the short answer
when we ask how your day’s been or what you do for work.

He stretches his arms, leaning back in his
chair. “You look bored.”

Side effect of being bored, right there. I
smile because this is important to him and he’s important to me. “I’m not, I’m
okay.”

“Lets have a break and continue later.”
Thank you! “I’ll just do this last one, and then we’ll go to lunch in half an
hour,” he says nodding to the contract on his desk. I bet I could handle it
myself now. “Could you make me a coffee please?”

Do what? I narrow my eyes, hating that he’s
bossing me around, even though he’s my boss. “Sure,” I reply tightly. I’m being
pathetic. He asked for a coffee; he’s done that before and so have I. It’s
just different now somehow.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not your slave.”

“You’re my PA, Amelie. You’ve made me
coffee every day since you started as I’ve done for you. I wasn’t aware
that it’s an issue.”

“It wasn’t.” Back then but now we’re
together and I don’t like being told what to do by someone I’m seeing. Or
anyone for that matter.

“We still have to work together or are you
saying that you can’t now?”

“Would that change your mind about me?”

He cocks his head to the side. “You think I
would rather have you as a PA than girlfriend?” I shrug. “Millie, I love you,
and you suck as a PA.”

“I’ve never been a PA before,” I reply, “so
it’s your fault. You should have taught me better.”

“I’ll give you that one, and I apologise,
you don’t suck, but remember I’m new to this too. I’ve always done things for
myself.” Then get your own damn coffee! “You need to tell me if there’s things
you’re unsure of. If you don’t tell me, then how am I supposed to know?”

“You’re my boyfriend.”

“And that means I should know what you’re
thinking? Millie, half the time you don’t even know what you’re thinking.”
Bastard. It is the truth, though. “Promise you’ll talk to me if you have a
problem?” I nod and grab his mug. “Oh you’re making it then?”

“Yes.” I smile and then add under my
breath, “With salt.”

Aden goes straight back to going through
the contract; eyes down and lips slightly pursed. I love his deep in
concentration expression.

“Good morning, Amelie,” Richard says,
leaning against the kitchen counter, rummaging in the biscuit tin. “How are
you?”

“I’m great, thanks. And you?”

“I’m well. The pot’s fresh.” He nods to the
amazing smelling coffee that’s filling the whole kitchen. Fresh coffee is one
of the best smells, along with freshly cut grass, Aden’s hair and the rest of
Aden. “So I had an interesting conversation with your father last night.” Oh
fan-fucking-tastic. “May I ask when you were planning on announcing your relationship?”

I open my mouth and close it again as I
realise I am not at all prepared for this conversation. Taking a deep breath, I
put down the mugs and turn to him. “Look I’m sorry you heard it second hand.
Aden should have told you himself. We weren’t ready to announce it so soon.”

He nods his head. “I understand why you
want to wait, but you’re right, my son should have told me.” Oh God, Aden
doesn’t know his dad knows about us yet. “Is he busy at lunch?” he asks. We’re
going out for lunch. Well if his dad wants to talk to him, then there is no way
I’m telling him Aden’s busy. As of right now I’m fending for myself because
there’s no way I’m telling Richard no.

“He’s free. Would you like me to book you
two a table somewhere?”

He nods “Thank you. One o’clock
reservation.”

“Okay.” He nods again and walks out with
his black coffee. Got to have milk in it, Richard.

Aden laughs as I walk back in and close the
door awkwardly with my foot. “Thanks for the help,” I mutter dryly as he sits
watching me. Well I have something that is going to wipe that smile off his
face. “You’re having lunch with your dad today.”

He turns his nose up, frowning. “What?
Since when?” I sit down and open a new tab on the Internet, searching local
restaurants. “Amelie,” he prompts, using my full name, so I know he’s serious.

“Since my dad told him about us and he
questioned me about it in the kitchen.”

He groans. “Great, can’t wait. I was
looking forward to having you for lunch.”

“Dirty bugger.”

He laughs, almost spitting coffee out of
his mouth. “Dirty bugger?”

I narrow my eyes. “Shut up, Aden. That
Mexican place sound good to you?”

“Sure,” he replies less than
enthusiastically.

What am I going to do for lunch now?
McDonalds alone? No, that’s way too sad. Will. We’re each other’s back up for
most things. I grab my phone and send him a quick text.

“Texting during work hours, huh?” Aden
says, faking authority.