More With You (7 page)

We spend the entire afternoon packing and loading boxes. “Well, I think that’s the last of it,” I say to Liam and his father.

“Thank God,” Liam moans. “How did they pack so much shit in that little room?”

“Not going there, man.” I know better than to let Allison or Hailey either one hear me talking about their “shit.” I enjoy the meals they make us. I’m keeping my trap shut.

“Your mom and the girls are going to stay and clean, run the sweeper, scrub the bathroom. Why don’t we head over to your place and unload?” his dad asks us.

“Sounds good, be right back,” Liam yells over his shoulder.

“Where the hell are you going?” I yell back, knowing full well that he never leaves Allison without kissing her goodbye. 
Damn, that boy is whipped.

Ten minutes later, Liam emerges from the building and we are on our way to the condo.  The drive is short, so we are there in no time.  Mr. MacCoy backs his truck up to the garage so we can unload.  I have never been so glad that our condo has an attached garage.  Liam and I rarely use it.  We have a weight bench out there that we moved to the corner to allow more room for the girls’ stuff.  Just as we are unloading the final box, the ladies pull up in Hailey’s car.  They climb out of the car, each one with their arms full.  Mrs. MacCoy is carrying pizzas. Allison has a twelve pack of Bud Light and a twelve pack of Diet Coke, and Hailey has what appears to be chips, dip, napkins, and plates. 
These girls are the shit!

Mr. MacCoy runs to his wife’s side and takes the pizzas from her arms.  He then leans down and kisses her softly on the lips.  She smiles up at him.  Liam relieves Allison of her beer and Diet Coke and does the same. I take the bags that Hailey is carrying, but I don’t lean down to kiss her.  My lips ache to taste hers, to have one more sample of what she has to offer, but I stay strong, so instead, bump my shoulder with hers and give her a wink.  “We better hurry inside in case it’s contagious,” I tell her.

Her eyes sparkle as she laughs and I again feel like all is right with the world. Hailey is happy, that makes me happy.

The next couple of weeks seem to fly by. Liam and I have meeting after meeting with our agent and the Panthers’ reps.  Contracts are discussed as well as the details of when to report to training camp. Liam and I also graduated from college last week, both receiving our Bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine. Our families once again got together to celebrate. This time it was at my parents’ house.  We were all worried how Allison would be, since her gran lived next door, but she handled it well.  The house remains empty; she has yet to decide what she is going to do with it.

Allison and Hailey are living at the condo now full-time. I’ve offered Hailey to take over my room so she’ll have more privacy, but she continues to decline.  She says that she’ll have the place all to herself soon enough.  I don’t know why it bothers me to have her out there when the rest of us are in private rooms.  We rarely have the guys over anymore, it’s just the four of us.  I like it that way.  I don’t want things to change.  I don’t want to think about how things will be once we all move to Charlotte and leave Hales behind.  Nope, not going there.

Living full-time with Liam, Aiden, and Allison has been a blast.  The four of us get along well and we all usually ended up staying at their condo anyway.  It’s actually easier with not running back and forth to the dorm to get more clothes.  Just a few more weeks until the three of them leave for Charlotte.  The guys’ agent is looking for a condo for them to share.  They told him to look for a three bedroom so that I can have my own room when I come to visit.  I try not to think about it.  I’m just trying to enjoy each day as it comes.  Once their lives with the NFL start, things are going to change.

Allison and I are currently packing for the beach house. We plan to spend at least two weeks there; which includes being there for my birthday.  Aiden’s parents and mine are going on a two -week cruise to Europe!  I love how our families mingle so well together.  I know my brother is thrilled, as is Allison, at this new friendship our parents seem to have. 

“Make sure you pack that blue bikini we bought last week. It looks great with your eyes,” Allison tells me.

“Oh, it’s already packed and ready to go.  I’m hoping it brings me luck with the fellas,” I say with a wink. 

Allison collapses on the bed in a fit of giggles and I follow her down. That’s how Liam and Aiden find us a few minutes later. Apparently, our laugher led them to us.

“What’s so funny, baby?” Liam asks Allison. He’s watching her like she’s a giant steak he wants to devour.

Allison looks at me and we lose ourselves in laughter once again. “I have to pee,” she says jumping up and running to the bathroom, continuing to laugh hysterically.

Liam raises his eyebrow at me in question. I shrug my shoulders and try to compose myself. Allison returns a few minutes later, still smiling. She heads back towards the bed, but Liam cuts her off and pulls her into a hug. “Spill it, missy, or you’ll be sorry,” he tells her.

Allison bites her lip, trying not to laugh. “It was nothing. More of a ‘you had to be there moment’,” she tells him.

Unfortunately, that’s not the answer he wanted to hear.  He begins to tickle her, and she once again erupts with laughter, trying to fight him off.

“H-Ha-Hales, help me,” she laughs.

I make my way to Liam, to attempt to help her in her efforts to be free.  I plan to jump on his back and attack.  Just as I’m about to pounce, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist from behind.

“Thanks, man,” Liam says through his laughter.

I wiggle, trying to free myself from Aiden’s iron grip, but it has the opposite effect.  He tightens his hold on me.  Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “Don’t fight me, angel, or you’re next.”

Hell with that! I continue to wiggle, and he pulls me so tight that I can feel him, all of him, against my back.  I stop and remain still.  Liam and Allison are in their own little world. This is risky to be this close to him like this.  Feeling all of him.  I again try not to think too much of it.  He’s a guy pressed up against a wiggling girl in short shorts and a tank top.  What man wouldn’t respond to that, right?

I feel his breath hot on my ear. Did he just growl? “Yes, angel, you did that. Now stay still so I can get myself under control before your brother kicks my ass,” he roughly whispers.   

I remain still like a statue. Aiden eases his hold on me, but doesn’t let go.

I feel the thunderous beat of my heart, and Aiden.   The heat of his body pressed against mine.  It takes everything in me not to turn in his arms and press my lips to his.  I want to wrap my arms around his neck and run my hands through his hair.  I want every part of me forged with every part of him.

I Want Him.

I hear Allison squeal, and I’m brought out of my Aiden induced fog.  I place my hands over his and pull them away from my hips.  I step away from him before it’s too late.  Before Liam catches on and kills us both.  I try to quell the excitement that I did that to him.  For a brief moment in time, Aiden Emerson wanted me.

My chest is rising rapidly.  I’m trying to pull oxygen back into my lungs.  He makes me breathless. 
He always has. 
Although I know I shouldn’t, I lift my head and chance a look at Aiden.  He’s staring right at me with a look that can only be described as lust. He continues to watch me, study me with those gorgeous brown eyes of his.  I want to look away, but I can’t force myself to do it.  He looks as though he could devour me, and I don’t want to miss a single fucking minute of it. 

All too soon, our trance is broken when Allison frees herself from Liam, jumps off the bed, and runs to hide behind Aiden.  He throws his head back and laughs at her.  “Don’t get me caught in the cross fire. You brought this all on yourself,” he tells her, trying to step away to make room for Liam who is striding toward her with a wicked gleam in his eye.

He reaches around Aiden, grabs her arm, pulls her next to him, and kisses her senseless.  My face heats with embarrassment.  I turn my head and try to hide it.  I’ve never been embarrassed by their many displays of affection.  This time, it’s different.  This time, my awareness of Aiden and what just passed between us is still running through my mind.  The thunderous beat of my heart and the ache deep in my gut is still pulsing with need.  Need for Aiden, and to be in his arms.  So yeah, I’m thinking of wrapping myself around him like a damn monkey, hence the embarrassment.  Thank God, they can’t read my mind!

Aiden places his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Dude, let her go.  If they don’t finish packing, we’re never getting out of here.  The beach is waiting for us.” He laughs, and I’m sure it’s because Liam just growled at him while still kissing Allison. 

Needing the distraction, I grab ahold of Allison’s hand and start pulling her away from my brother.  “Chop, chop, missy!  We have packing to do,” I tell her. 

Liam releases her, and we both quickly move to the other side of the room, laughing as we go.  I am sure Allison thinks I am being a good friend and protecting her from Liam’s lips.  Nope, I need distance from Aiden.  These next two weeks with just the four of us at the beach house is going to be a huge test of my will power. 
Just friends, Hailey.
  You and Aiden are just friends. 
I wonder how many times I will have to repeat it so that my heart gets the memo.

“You need any help, baby?” Liam asks Allison.

“No, now go away so we can finish.” She pretends to be stern and upset; however, I can still see the hint of a smile. 

“Awesome,” Aiden says. “Let’s finish packing up the truck; then all we will have left is to add their bags.” He is already headed out of the bedroom door as he says it. 

Looks as though I might not be the only one needing some distance.  Doesn’t really matter though, this day will be forever engrained in my memory.  All of my moments with Aiden are.

I make the excuse of packing the truck and flee.  Fleeing is really my best option.  Option two was to haul Hailey over my shoulder like a fucking caveman and carry her to my room. 

Fuck!

Now I have that image in my head. 

Liam follows me outside. I wish he wouldn’t. I just need a minute to calm the fuck down. I need time to compose myself; otherwise, I might end up blurting out how much I want her. Hailey, his little sister.  I can still feel her tight little ass pressed against me. Yeah, this is so not helping me calm down.

“This is the last of it, other than the girls’ bags.  They each have two more, so they say.” Liam rolls his eyes.

“Don’t let Allie see you do that,” I say, trying to get him worked up.

Liam wags his eyebrows at me. “I can make it better, trust me,” he says with a smirk.

“Dude, my sister, remember?” I groan.

Liam just laughs and places the cooler in the back of his Pathfinder. I try to make it look like I’m searching for something in my bag to avoid making any more conversation. Right now, my mind is showing a Hailey reel, and Liam is not invited.  I just want to savor the memory for a little bit longer.  My wish is not granted as I hear the girls walking down the driveway.

“All set, beautiful girl?” Liam asks Allison.

“Yep, this is the last of it.  Ace, you wanna sit up front with Liam?” she asks me.

Liam jumps in before I can even open my mouth. “Baby, I want you up front with me,” he tells her, nuzzling her neck. 

“Go ahead, Ash. I don’t want to deal with his grumpy ass the entire way,” I say, laughing.

She smiles at me, climbing into the front seat.  I climb in the back and slide in next to Hailey.  Liam being obsessed with having Allison as close as possible at all times is really starting to work out for me.  Even though its torture, I want nothing more than to be next to Hailey the entire drive. 

Allison starts us off on the alphabet game; well, at least that’s what we call it.  You start at the beginning of the alphabet and say a word that begins with that letter.  The next person says your letter and word plus theirs, which is the next letter in the alphabet.  At first it’s easy, but as the game goes on, it gets harder to remember everyone’s words.  Allison always kicks ass at this game, which is why she is always the one to start it.  We are able to make it to the letter M before Liam messes up, which kicks him out of the game.  I’m out next at the letter Q. The girls decide it’s not fun just the two of them, and we move on to name that tune, again our version. We are all music lovers, but Hales really likes this game. She always wins.  We turn down the radio and each take turns playing a small clip of a song, while the rest of us guess the artist of the song.  Liam is at a disadvantage. Driving, he only gets to guess. Allison refuses to let him participate and get distracted behind the wheel. Smart girl that one. She also lost both of her parents in a car accident. She takes that shit seriously, as she should. We all should. We all do.