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He simply smiles at this, and it's finally dawning on me that this is Aidan's way of politely disregarding what he doesn't care to respond to.
Aidan suddenly steps towards me, and I have to fight against the urge to step back.
"You look like you've had a bad night," Aidan comments.
"You look great, too, thanks," I say sarcastically.
"Did thoughts of me keep you from sleeping?"
I sputter in shock, and his dark gaze gleams. "Happy to have kept you company."
Oh, for heaven's sake.
Since I'm totally unwilling to touch that even with a ten-foot pole, it's my turn to change the subject, and I ask Aidan about my car.
"It's already at the repair shop. You should have it back in a day or two."
I'm a little stunned. "That long?" I seem to recall him saying that snow tires were my only problem, but maybe something else was wrong with my rental. "Do I need to contact its owner?"
"The shop will handle it," Aidan assures me. "There's nothing for you to worry about."
"But—-"
"Butif you need a ride in the meantime..."
I manage to pretend I'm irritated, but inside I'm just flailing like a headless chicken at the all-too-sexy sight of his smirk. "Thanks, but no—-"
Aidan gestures to the cafe, asking, "Would you like to join me and my brothers?"
I can't help glancing back at the cafe, and I'm startled to find said brothers watching us with interest. "Um—-"
"Come on."
Aidan reaches for my hand as he speaks, and my heart skips a beat as he twines his fingers with mine.
I know, God. I know.
What I'm doing isn't right, and the day will come when I'll pay for it. But when Aidan starts leading me inside the cafe, I still find myself walking meekly by his side.
The interior of Redwood Cafe is a picturesque mix of cozy and industrial, with its rustic brick walls and polished concrete flooring. There are also wreaths on every table in honor of the holidays as well as glittery gold and red snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.
Aidan's brothers swiftly come to their feet as we approach their table, and I'm struck once again by how closely they resemble each other.
"It's Serafina, isn't it?" The guy who spotted me earlier flashes a lazy grin. He's boyishly good-looking and just so irrepressibly charming I can't help grinning back. "I'm Ethan, the youngest Blackwood brother."
"And the most troublesome," theotherAidan drawls. His hair is slightly longish, and he's also sporting a five o'clock shadow that makes him look like he's primed to beat up punks at a moment's notice. Definitely a far cry from Aidan's air of chivalry, but the difference is immaterial. It's still quite obvious that—-
"Thornton's my twin," Aidan slots in, and I just can't help it.
I let out a stunned gasp as I exclaim rather dramatically, "For real?"
I only meant it as a private joke between us, but when the entire cafe actually falls silent, I immediately freeze up.
Uh oh.
But then another second passes, and everyone actually starts snickering, his brothers outright laugh, and surprisingly enough, even Aidan is grinning, and that is so...not...good!
A guy with a terrific sense of humor is one of my major weaknesses, andoh dear God, a little help here, please?The more time I spend with Aidan, the more closely he resembles the type of guy Iusedto dream of marrying, and that was so not a good thing. At all!