Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)(47)

Amber grinned. “Of course you can tell Aidan.” She covered her mouth. “Oh, no. I can’t believe it. I’m sorry. Here I was going on and on about the baby, when you have other things on your mind. Congratulations on the marriage. That’s so great.”

Shelby thought about pounding her head against the desk. “We’re not married.”

“What? You’re divorced already?”

“No. We were never married. The ad was a joke because we...” She waved her hand. “It’s not important. Pretend you never saw that announcement.”

“Okay. Well, for what it’s worth, I think you two make a cute couple.”

“Thanks.”

*

THE RETRACTION IN the paper got about as much reaction as the ad. Aidan watched Shelby pace the length of his office before she turned around and went the other way.

“It’s just so strange,” she said as she walked back and forth. “Everything is changing. With Amber pregnant, I’ll have more responsibility at the bakery, which I like. But she won’t be around as much, which will make it harder to change things.” She looked at him. “I’m not comfortable just doing what I want without talking to her first and if she’s not there, she won’t be available to discuss anything.”

“Right. She also might feel so stressed about the baby that she doesn’t want to take on one more thing.”

“I know.” Shelby turned and walked back the other way. “I’m happy for her. Really happy, but the timing. I wish we’d been able to do more. Plus, after the baby’s born she’s going to be busy, so talking to her then will be hard.”

“Are you that unhappy with how things are?”

“No. It’s good. I love my work. But we could be bigger. The building next to us won’t be available forever.” She grimaced. “Not that it matters. Amber would never agree to the expansion now. She’s got the baby to deal with. There would be expenses and construction and stress. It’s just that I had all these plans.”

He stood and moved toward her. “It’s okay.”

She came to a stop in front of him. “It’s kind of not.”

“Okay—then how about me saying you’ll get through this. We’ll talk about it and you’ll come up with some solutions.”

She looked at him. Her bangs were too long. They were practically in her eyes. The look was adorable.

One corner of her mouth turned up. “What you really want is to tell me exactly what to do. I appreciate that you’re not.”

“I’m here to listen.”

She leaned against him. Her forehead rested on his chest and her hands settled at his waist. “Why does life always have to have a sense of humor?” she asked, her voice muffled against her chest. “I’m such a bad person.”

“You’re not. You’re happy for your friend, but frustrated because of what her news means for the business. Neither emotion is wrong.”

She raised her head. “You swear?”

She was close. So close he could feel the heat from her body. It would only take the lightest of touches to pull her up against him. Then they would be touching everywhere. While it wasn’t all that he wanted, it got him a good part of the way there.

“Aidan?”

He was sure it was his imagination, but it seemed to him that the word came out as a plea. A request. One he couldn’t resist. He lowered his head those last few inches and pressed his mouth against hers.

He was pretty sure he’d caught her off guard, so he half expected her to pull back. Only she didn’t. She stayed exactly where she was, her lips against his.

Her skin was warm and soft. Her hands moved from his waist to his shoulders. His slid around her body. He took a step forward—or she did?—then they were pressed against each other and it didn’t matter who had moved first.

Wanting struck him like lightning, burning hot and bright. His breath caught in his throat as the need grew. She fit him perfectly. Her breasts nestled against his chest. Her belly rubbed against his growing erection. And then there was the kiss.

Her mouth was everything he’d hoped for. Hot and sweet and willing. She parted her lips before he asked and he eagerly swept inside. Heat grew until it consumed him and all he could think was how much he wanted her.

His hands were in her hair, stroking her neck, her back. Everywhere he touched was perfection. This was Shelby, he thought hazily, deepening the kiss until they were both straining toward each other. The woman he liked as much as he desired. The woman whose laugh made him happy. His friend and his—

Friend. The word was like a bucket of ice water. He drew back slightly, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead on hers. Their breath came in gasps. The rhythm matched the aching pulse in his groin. He was harder than he’d ever been, so ready to make love with her. He wanted her naked and writhing. He wanted to please her, then fill her until his release threw him to the other side of the universe.

The primal side of him told him she wanted it, too. That she was still touching him, still leaning into him. She had to feel his dick against her belly and she was okay with it. He nearly drowned in the images of them together. It was going to be so good.

But the rest of him—that damned sensible, civilized part of his brain, nearly starved for blood—reminded him that there was so much more on the line than what he wanted. Even if he was willing to ignore his own goals, what about hers? She needed to be healed so she could move on with her life. Sleeping with her now could totally screw up everything.