am.”
“There’s another chair by mom,” Susan said
sweetly. “I’m sure that would be more comfortable for you, Lina. We wouldn’t
want Aiden to be the one with the crushed ribcage, now would we?”
That’s it. I don’t care if she’s a gymnast
– I’m kicking her tight little ass.
As if sensing my thoughts, Aiden slid his
hand under my hair and gripped the back of my neck, holding me firmly in place
as Stephanie said sharply, “Susan!”
Susan glanced at her mother. “What?”
Stephanie gave her a pointed look, her pale
face was flushed with anger, and Susan sighed before looking back at us. A
small frown line appeared between her eyes. Aiden was kneading and rubbing the
back of my neck, and she smiled stiffly at us as Stephanie clapped her hands
briskly.
“Who wants more hot chocolate?”
Chapter 9
“Lina, c’mere for a minute.” Tyson tugged
on my pants and I dried my hands before following him to the doorway of the
kitchen.
“What’s up, little man?”
“Just um, stand here.” He positioned me in
the doorway as Beth laughed quietly.
He gave me a nervous look and I ruffled his
hair. “What can I do for you, buddy?”
“Look up,” he said shyly.
I glanced above me, a smile breaking out on
my face, at the plant hanging from the doorway.
“Do you know what that is?” Tyson asked
eagerly. He held my hand in a sweaty little grip and I winked at him.
“Why don’t you tell me what it is?”
“It’s mistletoe!” He crowed. “You have to
kiss me now – it’s tradition!”
“So it is.” I bent down and winked again
at him. “Pucker up, little man.”
He pursed his lips and I kissed him quickly
on the mouth before straightening. He giggled and hugged me around the waist.
“I like you, Lina.”
“I like you too, Tyson.”
Beth picked up a tray of veggies in one
hand and held out her other to Tyson. “Okay, Romeo, come back to the living
room with me.”
He took her hand and stared eagerly at me.
“Are you coming, Lina?”
“I sure am. Just give me a couple of
minutes,” I replied.
“Okay.” He followed Beth down the hallway
and I sighed and leaned against the doorframe before closing my eyes. I rubbed
my forehead wearily. I had the beginning of a tension headache and I wondered
if there was any way in hell I could fake some kind of emergency and get my ass
out of here. I wanted to go home, crawl into my bed, and forget all about
Christmas and Aiden and –
“Lina?”
I jerked and opened my eyes. Aiden was
standing in the doorway staring at me in concern. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I replied shortly. “Did you know
they invited me for Christmas?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “Yeah, they
mentioned it to me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me they invited you as
well?” I scowled at him.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t come and I
wanted to see you,” he said simply.
I sighed and rubbed at my forehead again.
“What the hell for?”
“I owe you an apology. Actually,” his brow
darkened, “I owe you three apologies.”
“Oh yeah?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry for what I said to
you in the office. You don’t belong to me, and I had no right to question you
about your relationship with Parker.”
I didn’t reply and he cleared his throat.
“I also wanted to apologize for earlier. I said I wouldn’t touch you again and
then I did. I, uh, was a bit desperate to get away from Susan.”
I snorted. “Yes, because it sucks so much
to have a hot, beautiful gymnast practically begging you to fuck her. Poor
Aiden. It must be so taxing to have gorgeous women throwing themselves at you
all the time.”
He blushed. “Putting aside the fact that
she’s my best friend’s daughter, she’s not my type.”
“Of course she isn’t. No man wants a chick
who can bounce a quarter off her ass and put her legs behind her head. That’s
just ridiculous,” I
“There’s another chair by mom,” Susan said
sweetly. “I’m sure that would be more comfortable for you, Lina. We wouldn’t
want Aiden to be the one with the crushed ribcage, now would we?”
That’s it. I don’t care if she’s a gymnast
– I’m kicking her tight little ass.
As if sensing my thoughts, Aiden slid his
hand under my hair and gripped the back of my neck, holding me firmly in place
as Stephanie said sharply, “Susan!”
Susan glanced at her mother. “What?”
Stephanie gave her a pointed look, her pale
face was flushed with anger, and Susan sighed before looking back at us. A
small frown line appeared between her eyes. Aiden was kneading and rubbing the
back of my neck, and she smiled stiffly at us as Stephanie clapped her hands
briskly.
“Who wants more hot chocolate?”
Chapter 9
“Lina, c’mere for a minute.” Tyson tugged
on my pants and I dried my hands before following him to the doorway of the
kitchen.
“What’s up, little man?”
“Just um, stand here.” He positioned me in
the doorway as Beth laughed quietly.
He gave me a nervous look and I ruffled his
hair. “What can I do for you, buddy?”
“Look up,” he said shyly.
I glanced above me, a smile breaking out on
my face, at the plant hanging from the doorway.
“Do you know what that is?” Tyson asked
eagerly. He held my hand in a sweaty little grip and I winked at him.
“Why don’t you tell me what it is?”
“It’s mistletoe!” He crowed. “You have to
kiss me now – it’s tradition!”
“So it is.” I bent down and winked again
at him. “Pucker up, little man.”
He pursed his lips and I kissed him quickly
on the mouth before straightening. He giggled and hugged me around the waist.
“I like you, Lina.”
“I like you too, Tyson.”
Beth picked up a tray of veggies in one
hand and held out her other to Tyson. “Okay, Romeo, come back to the living
room with me.”
He took her hand and stared eagerly at me.
“Are you coming, Lina?”
“I sure am. Just give me a couple of
minutes,” I replied.
“Okay.” He followed Beth down the hallway
and I sighed and leaned against the doorframe before closing my eyes. I rubbed
my forehead wearily. I had the beginning of a tension headache and I wondered
if there was any way in hell I could fake some kind of emergency and get my ass
out of here. I wanted to go home, crawl into my bed, and forget all about
Christmas and Aiden and –
“Lina?”
I jerked and opened my eyes. Aiden was
standing in the doorway staring at me in concern. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I replied shortly. “Did you know
they invited me for Christmas?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “Yeah, they
mentioned it to me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me they invited you as
well?” I scowled at him.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t come and I
wanted to see you,” he said simply.
I sighed and rubbed at my forehead again.
“What the hell for?”
“I owe you an apology. Actually,” his brow
darkened, “I owe you three apologies.”
“Oh yeah?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry for what I said to
you in the office. You don’t belong to me, and I had no right to question you
about your relationship with Parker.”
I didn’t reply and he cleared his throat.
“I also wanted to apologize for earlier. I said I wouldn’t touch you again and
then I did. I, uh, was a bit desperate to get away from Susan.”
I snorted. “Yes, because it sucks so much
to have a hot, beautiful gymnast practically begging you to fuck her. Poor
Aiden. It must be so taxing to have gorgeous women throwing themselves at you
all the time.”
He blushed. “Putting aside the fact that
she’s my best friend’s daughter, she’s not my type.”
“Of course she isn’t. No man wants a chick
who can bounce a quarter off her ass and put her legs behind her head. That’s
just ridiculous,” I
Similar Books
