Saint Sloan (Saint Sloan #1)(53)

“I didn’t want to end it that way. The way I left. I was acting like a…”

“Jerk.” She finished for him.

“I was going to say hothead,” he corrected with a grin.

“I think jerk fits better.” She laughed. It felt good to laugh. Normal. Man, she missed normal.

“Maybe. But you wouldn’t listen to me. Sure, I might have entertained the thought that you might have had something to do with the roses and cards, but just entertained. I didn’t actually believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Why?”

Aaron slid closer to her. Not too close, though. Still not in touching distance, but close enough to make her breath catch. “Isn’t it obvious?”

She swallowed hard. “What do you want?”

He inched close enough to touch her knee. His voice was low, husky. “You.”

Sloan tried but couldn’t find the words to say to that. Truthfully, she wanted him too. She wanted him to take her and kiss her and make everything all better.

But…

“I want to make you feel better.” Aaron rubbed his thumb over her jawline. “I want to protect you. I want to do all these cliché things that I shouldn’t want to do, but I do. I can’t help it. I like you, Sloan. I have for a while.”

She finally found her voice. “Are you letting your intentions be known?” She grinned, her heart pounding like a humming bird.

“Maybe.” He leaned forward. She opened her mouth, expecting his lips to touch hers any second. Instead, he kissed the tip of her nose. “But for now, you need sleep. We can talk about it more when this all blows over.”

Aaron was right. Didn’t mean it hurt less, though. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You can hold me anyway you want.” He grinned slyly. “Man, I sound like a goober.”

“I like it.” She smiled back, despite herself. Aaron was the one good thing that had come out of this crazy ICU stuff. Now she knew Ray had understood. He’d said as much on their front porch. She could relax and just enjoy being with Aaron, as much as one could enjoy being with Aaron.

He fluffed a pillow and propped it up against the headboard. He hit it a few times to get it just right and settled against it.

She eyeballed him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Protecting you.” He shrugged.

“Uh-huh,” Sloan replied sarcastically. “My mother won’t let you stay.”

Aaron grinned. “She will if she finds out a serial stalker is still threatening you. That he got in your house without anyone knowing it. I bet she’d love to have me around then.”

Her face fell. “You wouldn’t.”

With a self-satisfied smirk, Aaron propped his hands behind his head. “Wouldn’t I?”

Yes. Yes he would. With a huff, she rolled over on her side and tried to get comfortable. She found it rather difficult with Aaron being inches from her. That and the scary stalker out there somewhere.

“How did he get in my bathroom?” she asked finally when she couldn’t fall asleep.

“No idea. Your mom and I were downstairs talking. I started upstairs and heard you yell.”

“And you didn’t see or hear anything?”

“I wish I did. But I didn’t. I was too focused on you.”

Sloan rolled on her back. Through the lamplight she could see Aaron. He looked worried. She didn’t like it when he worried. He was supposed to be the calm one.

“Checking me out?” he kidded, but she knew the truth. He was as freaked out as she was.

She couldn’t match his joking mood, even if it was an act. “I’m scared.”

In an instant she was in his arms. He held her tightly and kissed her temple. “I know. I would be too. We’ll figure this out. I know we will.”

“Where’s Ray?” She wasn’t sure why she’d asked. It had just come out.

He paused a second before he answered. Maybe he was wondering why, snuggled in her bed with him, she’d asked about his brother. It was pretty weird. “I… uh… don’t know.”

“He didn’t go home?”

“I didn’t see him if he did. Why? You two have a fight.”

“More of a mutual understanding.” It didn’t make sense, though. Where did he go if he didn’t go home? She could kick herself for not asking about what Boyd had told her. He hadn’t gone to see him? Surely Boyd wasn’t telling the truth. Why would Ray lie about it?”

“Something’s bothering you.” Aaron scooted her so he could see her face. “You worried about Ray? Why?”

Did she tell him or keep her mouth shut?

“Tell me,” he said as if reading her mind. “What’s got you down now?”

This was probably a bad idea. “When I went to see Boyd today, he told me something that has me kinda scratching my head.”

“You’re going to believe Boyd? Really? I don’t think liar is very far from attempted murderer, do you?”

“No, but it was just… strange.”

Aaron moved her so she faced him. “He’s trying to get in your head. That’s all. He’s manipulating you.”

“So now you think it’s Boyd sending the roses?”