No Kissing Allowed (No Kissing Allowed #1)(36)

Aidan opened the door to the room, and then his administrative assistant’s voice filled the silence. They spoke for a second, and I tried not to make a sound, not to breathe, not to exist.

I waited until there were no more voices and then slipped out of the closet to find an empty room. Aidan must have left with Dorothy, giving me the clear to leave without anyone seeing.

Reaching my cube, I pulled out my phone and texted Aidan.

What was that? We agreed to nothing on our floor, you break it, and then I’m stuck in my worst nightmare?

Immediately, a text popped up with, I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have taken the chance.

This is my job. I can’t take risks like this. I’m not you. I don’t have the stability you have.

My phone went dark as seconds turned into a minute, and I had to suppress the urge to text again ordering him to hurry up with his reply, so I could text-yell at him some more. Then it vibrated with, I said I was sorry , and you’re not the only one taking a risk. And I’m sorry about the closet.

My anger dissipated as I realized he was right. I wasn’t the only one taking a risk. He was in this, too, and it wasn’t like he forced me to follow. I’d made the decision.

I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair to yell at you.

Aidan: No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have taken the risk. Can I make it up to you?

I thought of our time together that weekend, how great it felt to be with him without worrying that someone might see. And then I remembered the conversation we had about his lack of family, him working over the holidays because he had nothing else to do. A thought occurred to me.

Come home with me for Thanksgiving.

I couldn’t imagine him here, all alone, while I was back home, laughing with my family, stuffing myself with Mom’s amazing turkey and dressing.

Aidan: We said no family or friends.

We also said nothing on our floor.

Aidan: You don’t play fair.

Is that a yes?

Rising up to peer over my cube, I saw Aidan pick up his phone, then his head turned and his gaze locked on mine. I thought maybe he’d say no, that he’d say it was too much, we weren’t serious. But then a grin broke across his face and my phone pinged with a new text, his eyes never leaving mine.

All right, but I think we need a new set of rules.





Chapter Eighteen


Our flight landed in Birmingham at just after two the day before Thanksgiving. Two antianxiety pills, a new book on my Kindle, and Aidan’s hand in mine kept my nerves in check so I could fly without my claustrophobia sending me into fits. Thankfully, I had a few days on the ground before I had to repeat it all over again to return back home.

I half expected Mom to have sent one of my cousins, her baking away at home, but then I saw her there, her eyes filling with tears. She rushed up to me and I let her hug me too tight and kiss each of my cheeks with her bloodred lipstick. Only my mother would put on lipstick just to go to the airport. Like always, her blond hair was cut into a shaggy bob, à la Meg Ryan. She refused to try a different style, and I had long since learned to stop asking her. Eric smiled over at me. My stepdad was nearly six five and built like a lineman. For an old man, he was as intimidating as they came.

“How was the flight?” He didn’t try to hug me. Eric had been my father figure for more years than my actual father, but he refused to push. He waited for me to come to him, something I had always respected about him. But before I could hug him, his eyes traveled past me, and he straightened, protective father taking over. They knew Aidan was coming, but knowing wasn’t the same as seeing him here.

Mom pulled away from me, noticing Aidan standing behind me. He’d remained a few steps back, allowing us to have our reunion in private. But now, my parents’ eyes were both on him, Mom’s full of intrigue, Eric’s uneasy.

“Mom, Eric, this is Aidan. He’s a friend of mine from work.” We’d decided to keep the boss thing to ourselves for now, sure it would only complicate things, and besides, they wouldn’t see him again, so what did it matter?

Mom blinked away her questioning expression, then broke into her telltale charismatic self. Aidan reached out a hand to her, but Mom was a hugger all the way and instead wrapped her arms around him and squeezed lightly before stepping away. “We’re so glad to have you here.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lawson. Cameron talks about you all the time.”

Mom eyed me, clearly curious what the story was between Aidan and me. “Paterson, actually.”

“Oh, I…” Aidan turned to me. “I’m sorry. Of course Lawson would be…”

Mom waved a hand through the air. “Don’t fret. And please, call me Lorelei.”

I smiled reassuringly to him, wishing I had remembered to mention that my mother’s last name wasn’t the same as mine, but relieved all the same to see the tension relaxing from around his eyes. As crazy as my family could get, we were still a family, and Aidan shouldn’t have to miss out on a traditional Thanksgiving celebration just because his father was a jerk.

“Well, let’s get on,” Eric said. “Your aunts will be over any minute now to ‘help.’”

“When are you going to leave them alone?” Mom said, and they settled into one of their arguments about my mom’s sisters, her claiming they had good intentions, and Eric claiming they came over just to gossip. (He was right.)