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Now I’m seeing spies where there aren’t any, but I’m not sure I’m ready to take the chance yet.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll drive,” Aiden offers in typical male I’m-reading-your-mind. “You can hop a ride with me.”

He stretches his arms over his head. Shit, he’s got the V—cut muscles veering down past the drawstring keeping his gray sweatpants in place.

Gray. Sweatpants.

I’ve always been a sucker.

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. “You don’t have to.”

“Well, you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. I can’t have you worried about navigating these backroads. Maybe you’reworried about encountering the Jersey Devil,” he says with a hint of humor in his voice.

“The Jersey Devil is down in the Pine Barrens. I don’t need to be a native to know that. Not to mention I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”

But he’s got me smiling.

“Trust me?” Aiden innocently presses his index finger to his chest. “Honey, I’m sweet as pie. You know I’ll treat you right.”

The small measure of camaraderie evaporates when Soren enters the room with a yawn and a scowl.

The tension immediately mounts, although Aiden at least keeps his happy smile in place against his cousin’s glower. “What do you have to be so morose about this early in the morning?” he jokes.

Soren turns, and I duck away to hide my own scowl behind my hair, tucking a piece behind my ear. But I feel Soren’s gaze hovering on me.

“I didn’t sleep well,” Soren grumbles.

He ignores the extra mug on the counter and reaches overhead for one at the back of the cabinet. It’s a monstrosity, and he drains the rest of the coffee in the pot filling it.

“We need groceries. I’m about to drive Gilli into town if you want to come. Unless you have other more pressing plans.” Aiden’s smile turns mischievous like he knows something the rest of us don’t.

“There’s no reason for me to spend more time with you than necessary,” Soren replies.

He means me, not Aiden.

Because now we’re full-on glaring at each other and the heat spreads along my spine at the hard angry set of those hazel eyes.

With heat comes awareness, back again with a vengeance and gliding through me, until I’m way too conscious of the fact that he’s shirtless, his chest naked and his long hair and beard mussed from sleep.

Those two take up all the air in the room.

“I’m going to change, then I’ll be ready to leave.” The sound of my voice has Soren blinking.

Forty minutes later, I’m bouncing in the passenger seat of Aiden’s truck as he hits every single rut in the road. Finally we pull up in front of the rather small supermarket I noticed yesterday on my way in.

“Take whatever time you need. I’m going to head to the gas station and fill up the tank, then I’ll be back to pick you up. Grab everything we’ll need,” he tells me.

“If you eat as much as you claim, I’m not going to be able to afford this,” I tease. “Anything in particular you want me to get besides ketchup and more beer?”

Aiden snorts and reaches into his shirt pocket. He grabs my hand and presses a wad of cash into it. It takes him a long time to let go and the calluses of his thumb draw lines over my skin.

“Use this. Now you don’t have to worry about overextending yourself.”

I glance at the money. Looks to be at least a couple hundred bucks. “Are you sure?”

“Just get out of the truck and go nuts. Don’t worry about money. I’ve got plenty of it and if it means you’ll do the cooking, I’m happy to contribute. Go on, honey.”

He’s parked at the curb, shooing me out. If we were back in Baltimore, there would be a thousand cars behind us impatiently laying their weight on their car horns to get the hell out of the way. As it is, only a few vehicles pass and those who do offer friendly waves once I’m out on the sidewalk.