Thrill Me
Page 50
Making love under those circumstances was about as perfect as it got. If he had his way, they would be naked together right now. Because he still wanted her. Not that he was going to get his way. The rest of what they were doing was too important. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t think about it.
“What?” Aidan demanded, his voice a growl. “You have a stupid grin on your face.”
Del chuckled. “I’m a happy guy.”
“Go to hell.”
Del ignored that. “How’s business?”
“Good. Busy.”
“You’ve done a great job growing the company, Aidan. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Like I had a choice.”
Del put down his coffee and pushed back his chair. “Okay,” he said, knowing they’d been moving toward this moment from the second he’d gotten back to town. “You win. We’ll do it, right here, right now. I’ll give you a free first punch.”
Aidan’s bleary-eyed stare sharpened. “What are you talking about?”
“Settling it. You’ve wanted to have it out with me since you saw me. So let’s do it.” Del allowed himself a slight smile. “I’ll go easy on you because of the hangover.”
Aidan shook his head. “I’m not fighting you.”
“Why not? You’re pissed. Let’s deal.”
Aidan put down his coffee. “I’m pissed? Is that what you call it? Fine. I’m pissed. I’m pissed and angry that you betrayed me, you selfish bastard. You took off. I was eighteen years old and you didn’t even bother to give me a heads-up. You disappeared, leaving me to take care of everything. I didn’t have a choice. You took that away from me.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Aidan glared at him. “That’s not good enough.”
“That’s all I’ve got. An apology. I can’t go back and change the past. To be honest, I don’t know if I would. I couldn’t stay, Aidan. Not after what happened. At first I was running from Maya, but then I figured out I wasn’t cut out for a life in Fool’s Gold. I never would have made it.”
He drew in a breath. “But how I did it was wrong. I should have talked to you. I should have explained what was going on. And I should have checked on you. I was wrong about all of that. I handled the situation very badly. I hope, with time, you’ll be able to accept my apology.”
His brother leaned back in his chair. “I will if you’ll stop talking,” he grumbled.
“Hurting your head?”
“You have no idea.” Aidan rubbed his temples, then turned to Del. “You were a total shit.”
“Agreed.”
“I’m doing better with the business than you ever could.”
“I won’t argue.”
“Did I mention you’re a shit?”
“Yup.”
“Fine.” Aidan’s mouth turned up. “Want to hear something crazy?”
“Sure.”
“I like running the business. The way it’s growing, the new tours. They’re fun. I like the tourists. I have great people working for me. I didn’t plan on this being my life’s work, but now that I’m stuck, it’s turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Del stared at him. “What? Then why have you been acting like such a dick?”
“To mess with you. You dumped everything on me without asking. That was cold, bro.”
Del swore under his breath. “You’re twisted, but I respect that.” He raised his to-go cup. “To you, little brother. You done good.”
Aidan did the same. “You haven’t done bad yourself. You sold your business for a lot of money.”
“How do you know?”
“I read a couple of business blogs. The sale was mentioned.”
“Thanks. I told Dad about it.”
Aidan snorted. “The old man wouldn’t care. You could cure cancer and he’d yawn. It’s how he is.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What are you going to do now?”
Del thought about the videos he wanted to produce. The way they would enlighten and educate kids around the world. Talk about a lofty and self-important description, he thought.
“I’m not sure. I’m still mulling things over. I have ideas, but nothing firm.”
“You’re not sticking around here.”
“You asking or telling?”
“Telling,” Aidan said with a grin. “You said it yourself. You’re not cut out for Fool’s Gold. You’ll be leaving soon enough.”
Del knew his brother was right. He would leave, because that was what he did. But this time, like the first time, he would regret leaving Maya. They were a good team.
For a second he wondered what it would be like if she came with him. If she wanted what he wanted. Only how could they live in such close quarters without starting something they shouldn’t? If he was with her that much, was he at risk of falling for her again?
While he could understand why she’d acted the way she had, all those years ago, the truth was, she hadn’t been honest. Never once had she hinted there was a problem. Could he trust her to be honest now? To say there was something wrong and then work through it with him? Or would she simply cut and run?
Maybe he was a fool, but he was looking for a partner. Someone who would have his back. With Maya, he couldn’t be sure.
“What?” Aidan demanded, his voice a growl. “You have a stupid grin on your face.”
Del chuckled. “I’m a happy guy.”
“Go to hell.”
Del ignored that. “How’s business?”
“Good. Busy.”
“You’ve done a great job growing the company, Aidan. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Like I had a choice.”
Del put down his coffee and pushed back his chair. “Okay,” he said, knowing they’d been moving toward this moment from the second he’d gotten back to town. “You win. We’ll do it, right here, right now. I’ll give you a free first punch.”
Aidan’s bleary-eyed stare sharpened. “What are you talking about?”
“Settling it. You’ve wanted to have it out with me since you saw me. So let’s do it.” Del allowed himself a slight smile. “I’ll go easy on you because of the hangover.”
Aidan shook his head. “I’m not fighting you.”
“Why not? You’re pissed. Let’s deal.”
Aidan put down his coffee. “I’m pissed? Is that what you call it? Fine. I’m pissed. I’m pissed and angry that you betrayed me, you selfish bastard. You took off. I was eighteen years old and you didn’t even bother to give me a heads-up. You disappeared, leaving me to take care of everything. I didn’t have a choice. You took that away from me.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Aidan glared at him. “That’s not good enough.”
“That’s all I’ve got. An apology. I can’t go back and change the past. To be honest, I don’t know if I would. I couldn’t stay, Aidan. Not after what happened. At first I was running from Maya, but then I figured out I wasn’t cut out for a life in Fool’s Gold. I never would have made it.”
He drew in a breath. “But how I did it was wrong. I should have talked to you. I should have explained what was going on. And I should have checked on you. I was wrong about all of that. I handled the situation very badly. I hope, with time, you’ll be able to accept my apology.”
His brother leaned back in his chair. “I will if you’ll stop talking,” he grumbled.
“Hurting your head?”
“You have no idea.” Aidan rubbed his temples, then turned to Del. “You were a total shit.”
“Agreed.”
“I’m doing better with the business than you ever could.”
“I won’t argue.”
“Did I mention you’re a shit?”
“Yup.”
“Fine.” Aidan’s mouth turned up. “Want to hear something crazy?”
“Sure.”
“I like running the business. The way it’s growing, the new tours. They’re fun. I like the tourists. I have great people working for me. I didn’t plan on this being my life’s work, but now that I’m stuck, it’s turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Del stared at him. “What? Then why have you been acting like such a dick?”
“To mess with you. You dumped everything on me without asking. That was cold, bro.”
Del swore under his breath. “You’re twisted, but I respect that.” He raised his to-go cup. “To you, little brother. You done good.”
Aidan did the same. “You haven’t done bad yourself. You sold your business for a lot of money.”
“How do you know?”
“I read a couple of business blogs. The sale was mentioned.”
“Thanks. I told Dad about it.”
Aidan snorted. “The old man wouldn’t care. You could cure cancer and he’d yawn. It’s how he is.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What are you going to do now?”
Del thought about the videos he wanted to produce. The way they would enlighten and educate kids around the world. Talk about a lofty and self-important description, he thought.
“I’m not sure. I’m still mulling things over. I have ideas, but nothing firm.”
“You’re not sticking around here.”
“You asking or telling?”
“Telling,” Aidan said with a grin. “You said it yourself. You’re not cut out for Fool’s Gold. You’ll be leaving soon enough.”
Del knew his brother was right. He would leave, because that was what he did. But this time, like the first time, he would regret leaving Maya. They were a good team.
For a second he wondered what it would be like if she came with him. If she wanted what he wanted. Only how could they live in such close quarters without starting something they shouldn’t? If he was with her that much, was he at risk of falling for her again?
While he could understand why she’d acted the way she had, all those years ago, the truth was, she hadn’t been honest. Never once had she hinted there was a problem. Could he trust her to be honest now? To say there was something wrong and then work through it with him? Or would she simply cut and run?
Maybe he was a fool, but he was looking for a partner. Someone who would have his back. With Maya, he couldn’t be sure.
