See Megan Run (17 page)

"I want you to go get her."

Aiden’s shoulders tightened. "What happened
to ‘if she wants to leave, let her go’? Because I could have sworn
it was you who said that." Silence greeted his comment. Aiden
reluctantly opened his eyes. Shep had sunk into the loveseat across
from him. "Shep, what’s really going on?"

"Nicole thought it was going to be enough to
offer Megan the house."

For the first time Aiden saw Nicole’s
motives. Foolhardy, but in the right place. "You can’t force
someone to love you, especially if you refuse to apologize for your
actions first."

Confusion clouded Shep’s face. "What are you
saying?"

Aiden sighed, hating to get in the middle.
"Has she told you why Megan left twelve years ago?"

Nothing from Shep. Apparently Nicole hadn’t.
Megan was right about Nicole wanting to keep the embarrassment
between them.

"You go ahead and talk to your fiancée
today." Aiden sighed, knowing what he himself was going to do.
Megan was a grown woman. She could clear her head if she needed to,
but now she had to think about what her actions did to the ones she
loved. He wasn’t her caretaker or her conscience, but she needed to
understand she was agreeing to more than just getting a house.
"I’ll go get Megan."

"Where do you think she went?"

"Only one place she could have gone."

*****

"Oh, my god. Hottie. One o’clock. No, don’t
stare; you might scare him away," Lynne added quickly. "He’s
mine."

Megan chuckled and stared without seeming to
stare, then her breath caught in her throat. Her hands stopped
mid-fold. "It’s Aiden."

"What?" Lynne gasped. "You’ve been alone with
him and you don’t jump his bones every single time?" Lynne grabbed
the shirt from Megan’s hands. "You’re insane. I believe you now.
Your mother did something to you that is irrevocable. You need
therapy." Lynne made a sound of disgust. "Let a man like that chase
me, and I swear, for the love of God, he’d be naked every minute of
the day."

Lynne pushed her from behind the counter. "Go
get him, and bring him over here." Lynne sighed. "Oh, and he looks
lost. I love it when men look lost." She clutched the shirt to her
chest. "You’re insane."

Megan moved into Aiden’s view. The corner of
his mouth quirked up when he gestured his head to the walls lined
with clothing. The vases filled with flowers were placed on a few
tables. She wondered if he was impressed with the décor her shop
offered, or if he was just happy to see her.

Was she doomed if she hoped for the latter?
The smile spread slowly over his face. She let out an uneven
breath. Yes, she was. "Who let you out of the boondocks?"

"I was sent to bring you back." He glanced at
his watch. "You have until midnight or the deal is off."

Megan deflated. Secretly, she’d hoped he was
there for her, just for her. "Well, I didn’t plan to stay for
long."

Lynne coughed, "Liar."

"Let me introduce you to my general manager."
She turned to Lynne, giving her the evil eye. "Lynne, this is
Aiden."

"Good morning. How are you?"

"I’m doing good. It’s a nice store. I’m sure
Megan’s insufferable, but it’s nice to know she has someone on her
side."

Did Lynne just flutter her eyelashes? "I only
think about quitting once a day. She hasn’t been so bad lately. I
think it has a lot to do—"

"Thank you, Lynne." She hoped the "thank you"
sounded like "I will fire you."

"It was nice meeting you, Aiden, but the
relentless taskmaster speaks." Lynne took the shirt she’d been
folding and disappeared in the back.

Megan turned back to Aiden. He should have
been out of place in her world, but he fit. Amid the flowers, the
pants, sweaters, and shirts, he looked at ease. He had the ability
to look comfortable even in the most dire situations. Megan was
sure it had nothing to do with him being a cop. Megan was also sure
it had everything to do with her heart thumping fast and hard in
her chest.

"I was coming back. I’m not going to lose the
house. I..." She searched for the word. "Needed space from everyone
and everything."

"Including me?"

Yes. No. The indecision made her chest ache
harder. He was the one person in Riverbed she wanted to spend all
her time with. The one person she couldn’t see herself getting
tired of.

She went for honesty. "You’re the only person
I look forward to seeing. You don’t ask anything of me. You don’t
have ulterior motives for wanting me in Riverbed." She took in a
deep breath. "I trust you, Aiden."

And that said a lot, because when was the
last time she’d trusted a man with her heart? Ah, yes, her father,
but that was a totally different can of worms she wasn’t ready to
touch again. Or ever.

"You shouldn’t trust me."

"What do you mean?" He didn’t fill in the
empty space between them. He didn’t touch her or hold her to let
her know she wasn’t wrong about trusting him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So,
this is your place?"

With Lynne, Megan would have pointed out the
change of subject. "The Boutique. Fashion for the upwardly mobile."
Megan smiled. "Doesn’t change the fact that some women who are dirt
poor come in to get the latest fashions. I usually mark down the
prices when their eyes grow big like saucers at the price tag. I
can’t say I grew up dirt poor, but I know the feeling of wanting
something I can’t have."

Aiden smirked. "Not as business-minded as you
try to be."

Megan shrugged. "Everyone should be able to
feel good in the clothes they wear. That’s not asking much."

"But it’s important to you," he said
softly.

Megan straightened the clothes on the shelf
to her left and tried not to let the words affect her. "It’s what I
do."

Another beat of silence from Aiden before he
said, "I told Shep to talk to your mother."

"Why?" Megan stopped doing the busy work.

"You know the subject matter, and that’s also
important to you."

Was it against feminism to feel grateful? Was
it wrong to like how the little buzz of attraction had turned into
something warm and comforting, an emotion she’d started to rely on?
Her heart and her head refused to agree on whether or not it was.
Her feet took her to him. She let him wrap his arms around her
waist, enveloping her with the scent of starch and soap. "Things
used to be so simple."

"You can stay." He murmured against her
hair.

She wasn’t sure if he meant here or Riverbed.
Megan didn’t want to ask, because she wasn’t quite sure of the
answer. At some point she had lost control of her emotions. Getting
them back would put distance between Aiden and her. There was no
choice but that someone would get hurt by the decision she would
have to make. At the moment it was too painful to think that she
wouldn’t have this much longer. She took in a deep breath and
stepped back. "I’m putting you to work while you are here. How well
do you fold?"

He shook his head. "I’ll be security."

"You’ll distract the customers with your good
looks."

"I have good looks?"

"You know the chastity belt you warned me
about? You’re going to need one from Lynne."

"I heard that." Lynne said from the back.
Megan rolled her eyes at having her suspicion confirmed—her manager
was eavesdropping.

Aiden laughed. "What do you need me to
fold?"

*****

Megan closed the door quietly behind her, but
her effort was wasted. The talking stopped in the living room.
Chandi, in her bathrobe, shuffled into view. "We were having a
little girl-talk. Come sit with us."

The thinly veiled command was heard and
obeyed. Megan went into the living room and instantly felt
overdressed. Bette, her mother, and a new addition, Aunt Sarah, all
lounged in their bathrobes. The flower arrangement was replaced by
a large bottle of Bacardi, half empty, on the coffee table.

Megan placed herself between Bette and Sarah.
Nicole, legs crossed, was settled in the loveseat, and Chandi,
showing amazing flexibility for her age, sat cross-legged on the
floor.

"We’ve been talking about men, love,
marriage, children, and alcoholism." Chandi picked up her glass
from the table. "What’s your take?"

"Uh…"

Bette patted Megan’s thigh. "She’s too young
to know the real thing even if it bit her."

"True," Sarah agreed, and Megan tried not to
take offense.

"I disagree." Nicole murmured and then met
Megan’s eye. "She’s always been smarter than me in so many ways. To
be honest, I kind of envied her old soul."

The comment sounded too sincere to be sucking
up. "Really?"

"I’m tired of you using that tone with your
mother." Chandi took a swig from her glass. "She may have done some
stupid things in her past, but I think it’s time you forgive her.
She’s had your best interest at heart since you’ve gotten here. Do
you know how much this house is worth in this market?"

"No," Megan said slowly.

Chandi barely gave her time to reply before
she started again. "A lot, and she’s practically giving it to you
scot-free because she knows how much you love it. She told us about
Taylor. Wish she would have told us sooner. We’d have strung him up
by his balls. She didn’t, so that’s neither here nor there. I think
it’s time we got through the past to get to our future."

"You sound philosophical when you’re drunk,"
Sarah noted.

"Thank you. Now that’s out of the way. What
do you think of men?"

"You’ve already asked her," Bette pointed
out, picking up her glass from the table.

"Don’t recall getting an answer." Chandi’s
answer was muffled as she chugged more liquor.

"She has Aiden," Nicole said.

"Mother, you’re not getting on my good
side."

"She’s not supposed to. She’s your
mother."

Megan raised her eyebrows at Sarah’s comment.
"You’re right. Never mind me." Megan reached for the Bacardi. Bette
slapped her hand.

"You’re not old enough to drink."

"I’ve seen the way she looks at Aiden."
Chandi poured her a drink. "She’s old enough."

Dead silence met the words.

Nicole was the first to laugh, and then it
become contagious.

Sarah sobered first. "Aiden. Isn’t he Shep’s
nephew?"

"Yes." Megan took the glass offered to
her.

"So, that’ll make him your cousin."

Megan made a noncommittal noise, because
she’d done more than kiss her future cousin. She drained her
glass.

"Well, this is definitely the country."

"Remove the stick, Sarah." Bette clapped a
hand over her mouth.

"Finally you guys seem likable again." Chandi
raised her glass to them. Megan met her mother’s gaze. Nicole
shrugged as if to say, "They’re your family," and Megan relaxed
into the couch cushions. For the first time in years, they didn’t
seem so bad.

Chapter 16

"We need to get party favors." Megan said to
him.

"I have to go with you—why, again?"

"You signed us up for this. You will suffer
along with me."

Aiden searched his memory. Yeah, he had
signed them up for the party. At the time, he’d agreed, and not for
the first time since Megan had made it back into town was he
second-guessing his decisions. He kept his feet propped on his
desk. "This can’t wait, why?"

Megan placed a hand on her well-rounded hip.
He lost track of thought for a moment, visualizing his hands on her
bare skin, gripping her to him. He shook his head when she spoke.
"Their combined party is in twenty-four hours. If we wait any
longer, we won’t be able to book the band."

"Riverbed has a band?"

Megan placed her hand on her other hip. His
eyes followed the motion. Her fingers sank into the soft flesh, and
he held his breath. He knew how soft her skin was, how it tasted as
good as it looked. Was he turning into a cannibal? Her fingers
tightened, and he could almost feel how hot her skin would get when
he’d sink his teeth into her side. He needed to get her alone, and
quick. Overnight he’d turned into the boy scout she’d expected him
to be and kept condoms in his glove compartment, wallet, sock,
pants pocket... "Sure let’s go."

"We’ll need to go into Livingston."

"Sure." He’d stop off of Dead Man’s Curve and
get her naked, and quick. He took his feet off the desk.

"No."

He paused. "What?"

"I know that look. We don’t have time. Did I
mention we have less than twenty-four hours to get this stuff?" She
glanced at her watch. "The store closes in two hours. It takes at
least one hour to get to Livingston. We need to get this stuff, and
offering me a quickie will not get this party decorated or endear
me to you."

He grabbed a handful of her shirt and grazed
his teeth against her collarbone. "Twenty minutes, and I can turn
on the sirens to get us there in thirty minutes."

She moaned. "Twenty minutes is all I
get?"

He licked and sucked his way up to her ear.
"Best twenty minutes of your life."

Megan laughed. "Stay focused."

"Talking to me?" he asked, but didn’t really
care, as he was making his way under her shirt.

"No, to myself." She moaned again. "We’re in
a police precinct."

Her observation should have stopped him in
his tracks. Instead he lifted her bra and captured her nipple
between his fingers and squeezed lightly. He opened his eyes to see
her head thrown back in ecstasy, mouth parted and asking to be
kissed. A good thing he did look up. Shep had just parked the
cruiser. Aiden’s stomach fell in disappointment. He replaced her
bra where it was supposed to be, fixed her shirt, and took a
much-needed step back.

"Shep’s coming."

He plopped on the desk, figuring they’d have
to go to Mars to get sex; otherwise, they’d get caught. Her eyes
widened as she turned to look out the window. Her unsatisfied
nipples strained against her T-shirt, puckered and erect, and he
could almost see the chocolate-hued buds asking, begging to be
tasted. Aiden groaned and willed his own erection to subside.