Page 70 of Fractured Fate

Was it really? It didn’t feel like it.

If she were back home with her mothers, maybe she would fall apart, but this was a new chapter in her life. The Independent and Strong Charlotte chapter. The shadows would not give her a reprieve to fall apart.

Aiden continued, like he knew what she was thinking. “I’m not leaving until this is sorted.”

She appreciated the reiteration; she kept expecting him to change his mind at any moment and say her drama was too much.

“I’ll protect you,” he whispered against the top of her head as he lowered his to press his nose into her curls. She heard his slow inhale, like he was breathing her in—smelling her. Maybe he liked her shampoo.

“You don’t have to,” she said, lifting her head to look up at him again. “Stay, I mean.” His grip on her tightened. “This isn’t your problem, and I could already tell the cops made you uncomfortable.” At least one of them, that is. It seemed so weird how they both sized one another up. Did the officer think Aiden was a bad guy? Surely not.

“I know I don’t have to stay. I want to stay.” He smiled down at her. “And the cops were fine,” he added, but his smile fell as he said the words. Big fat lie.

“Officer Brooks acted like he had a stick up the rock he calls a butt,” she said to lighten the mood.

Aiden snorted a laugh and raised a brow. “Rock?”

“He had muscles on muscles.”

“You like that sort of thing?”

Her cringe made him laugh. “I like muscles, but that is overkill.”

“Fair.”

She started to pull away from his hug that had gone on far too long. “You, on the other hand…” She paused when his grip on her tightened. Her eyes moved up to his.

“What about me?”

His eyes were doing the same lowered lid, stern expression he did when she put on her new outfit.

“Um. What?” She forgot what they were talking about.

“Me, on the other hand?”

“Oh, uh. You have the right amount of muscle,” she said, her face burning.

It wasn’t like someone couldn’t tell he looked muscular, but she saw an up close and personal view when he lay on her bed, eyes closed in rest. Never again would she get such an unobstructed, lingering view like that. Not that she needed to see it again, but she wouldn’t deny the man looked gorgeous.

She also wouldn’t deny that the image might star in some of her fantasies to use when she spent time with her B.O.B. in the future. If she did. With Aiden staying here for the foreseeable future, she doubted she would get much alone time.

“Charlotte?”

“Hm?”

“I asked you a question. You’re just sort of… staring at me.”

Oh, crap. “Um. Can you repeat that?” The man and his muscles were a distraction. She wiggled out of his grip. Space. Yes, space would help.

“I asked if you were looking at me. My muscles,” he added with a chuckle.

“Don’t be cocky.” Her fists went to her hips. “You know you look nice.”

“Nice?”

“Yes, nice.”

Before he could say anything else, a knock behind them at the door startled them both.