Until May (Until Her/Him #11)(42)

“What are you worried about?” She steps toward me and rests her palms against my chest.

My jaw clenches as I cup her face and roll my thumb just under her bottom lip. “I don’t like that tonight I’ll be walking you into a room full of vipers who share my DNA.”

“Vipers.” She laughs, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss me sweetly. “I’ll be fine.” She lifts her fingers and swipes away the lipstick she left behind while holding my gaze. “If you can handle my mom hinting at marriage and babies all day, I can deal with whatever your mom throws at me.”

“I really fucking like your mom,” I tell her, and she laughs, dropping her forehead against my chest. Placing my fingers under her chin, I wait until she’s looking at me. “I want you to make me a promise.”

“What?” she asks in almost a whisper.

“Whatever happens, you come home with me at the end of the night.”

“You’re that worried?” Her eyes scan mine, and I lift my chin, because I know exactly what she will be facing when I walk in with her on my arm this evening. “All right. Whatever happens tonight, I’ll come home with you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” She leans up and kisses my cheek, then pulls back, and her hands go to the bow tie around my neck before her eyes meet mine. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you how handsome I think you look.”

“You think I look handsome?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes, placing her hands on my chest attempting to shove me back a step, but I keep hold of her, bringing her with me.

“I’m not going to continuously stroke your ego. You already know how handsome you are.”

Walking her backward, with my hands wrapped around her hips, I lower my mouth to hers and thrust my tongue between her lips, waiting until I hear that sound she makes that drives me crazy before I pull away. As I drop one last kiss to her lips, I vow that tomorrow morning I’ll wake up with her in my arms, because there is no other option.

Over the last couple of weeks of knowing her, she’s become important to me in a way I didn’t think was possible. She’s made me reevaluate and question the things I really want. I’ve never had this kind of a connection with another person, let alone a woman. I’ve never wanted to settle down or think about the future outside of my career on the soccer field. With her, I’m looking forward to what’s to come.

But first, we need to get through tonight.

_______________

FEELING MAY SQUEEZE my bicep, I tip my head down to look at her and find a beautiful reassuring smile on her face that does nothing to ease my anxiety.

“It’s going to be okay.” She gives my arm another squeeze as we head up the steps so that we can make our way into the house where the gala is being held this evening. I lean down to place a kiss on her forehead, then cover her hand with mine as we walk through a set of open double doors behind a long row of couples who’ve all dressed up for tonight’s event.

As soon as we step into the foyer, a man comes forward wearing a suit and takes our coats, then a woman offers us champagne from the tray she’s carrying.

“Thank you,” I tell her, taking two glasses.

“Do people actually live here?” May whispers, taking one of the glasses from me, and I chuckle.

“They do.”

“Why?” she asks, looking around the entryway that has to be two thousand square feet with a curved staircase that leads to the second level and a crystal chandelier overhead that is the size of a large dining room table.

“Because they don’t like the people they live with and never want to see them,” I tell her, and she giggles. “So you don’t want to live in a house this size one day?” I’m honestly curious; most of the women here tonight either live in a home this size or wish they did.

“No.” She snorts before taking a sip from her glass as we walk into the large dimly lit room where the party is being held. I scan the space, spotting my mother and sister both talking to Hinckley, one of the men who’s on the board of my father’s company.

“Aiden?” I turn when my name is called and watch a somewhat familiar-looking woman with long auburn hair walk toward me with a smile on her face. “What the hell are you doing here?” She hugs me, catching me off guard.

“Sorry.” I step back, wrapping my arm around May’s waist so I can pull her back into my side. “Do I know you?”

“It’s me. Daisy.” She holds her hand to her chest as she laughs. “Remember, we pretended to date in high school?”

“Holy shit.” I shake my head, finally recognizing her under the makeup and the years that have passed since I last saw her.

“I know.” She rolls her eyes. “I’ve changed a little.” She focuses on May. “Sorry, I’m being rude. I’m Daisy.” She holds out her hand.

“May.” They shake, then a man wearing a tux, with dark hair, and tattoos on his face and hands, comes over and wraps his hand around Daisy’s waist, and she tips her head back to look at him, then grins.

“Honey, I’d like you to meet Aiden—the guy who pretended to be my boyfriend so you and I could be together when we were in high school—and his date, May,” she tells him, and he laughs with her before she turns her attention to us. “Guys, this is my husband, Ryan.”