Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
She stepped over and eyed the two plates of scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast. “You cook?” she asked, surprised, though she didn’t know why. There wasn’t much she knew about him now.
He shook his head. “Hell, no. Your mom did. It’s the same thing she made for my father, but his were egg whites.”
Brooke managed a laugh. Alex wouldn’t be happy with that. “Did you tell them about…” She trailed off, which was ridiculous. She was an adult.
He shook his head. “I thought it was best to keep that quiet for now. Until we both decided what happens next.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him what he wanted to happen, but since she didn’t know how she felt, she wasn’t ready to hear the answer. Last night hadn’t fixed the problems between them, but it had knocked down her walls even more.
He handed her a cup of coffee, and she took a sip, surprised and pleased to find he’d made it just the way she liked it, with lots of sugar. He pulled out the chair at his desk and gestured for her to sit.
Once she’d settled there, he sat on the edge of the bed while they ate. She nibbled on a piece of toast, taking in all that was Aiden. In a pair of gray sweatpants, his bare chest on display, she couldn’t help but admire his lean muscles. Though not a six-pack, his abs were tight, and his chest was broad with a light sprinkling of hair.
She remembered the way his sculpted muscles felt under her fingers, and her nipples turned hard as she imagined setting her plate aside and spending the morning exploring his body in the light of day.
Her gaze settled on his right shoulder, and she noticed the dark ink for the first time. “When did you get a tattoo?” she asked, taking in the compass pointing north. Though she thought hard, she couldn’t figure out its meaning.
Aiden grinned and took a bite of his toast before answering. “I got that last year in Amsterdam. I found a little tattoo shop near the hostel where I was staying and I liked the look of the sketches in the window.”
“Why a compass?” she asked. “Does it represent your travels?”
He held her gaze. “No. The compass facing north is about you, Brooke. You’re my North Star,” he said in a gruff voice.
She swallowed hard. “Even after everything, you permanently marked yourself for me?”
He took her hand. “I always knew I’d come back to you eventually. Not that I was sure you’d still be here for me, but it signified my hope.”
Her heart swelled at all of it. The tattoo for her, the emotions behind it. “Aiden—”
He shook his head. “You asked, I answered. No need to get too deep right now.”
She nodded and took a beat to regain her composure, then asked, “Were you in Amsterdam for work?” She changed the subject but she’d never forget the compass or its meaning.
Aiden shook his head. “No. That was a vacation.”
Brooke finished off her eggs, thinking about all the experiences Aiden had over the years, how many things he’d done and seen that she didn’t know about. The truth hurt but the past had happened, and she was coming to terms with things. It helped to learn how he’d never forgotten her while he was gone.
As for his travels, though not having a home base didn’t appeal to her, she was glad he’d had the chance to see the world. “You know, I wouldn’t have tried to stop you from going,” she said in a soft voice. She’d never have asked him to stay home. She’d just wanted him in her life.
Adien set aside his empty plate and leaned over with his elbows on his knees. Looking at her with sadness in his eyes, he nodded. “Yeah, Brooke. I know that.”
She sighed and pushed away her own food. There wasn’t much left and her appetite was suddenly gone.
“I have so many regrets. I don’t know that if we’d tried the long-distance thing it would have worked. But I didn’t even try, and that’s on me.”
She nodded. Staring at his serious expression, she decided it was time to be a little brave herself. “Did you know I had feelings for you long before that night we spent together?”
He opened then closed his mouth. “I didn’t know. I just thought we were good friends.”
She let out a laugh. “Yeah, of course you did.” Leaning back in the chair, she let her mind drift to the past. “I was about seventeen when I first realized how I felt about you. You were dating Mazie Callahan at the time, do you remember?”
“Sure. We dated for, like, two months before she moved on to a guy with a motorcycle. Apparently, he was more of a badass.”