Page 98 of How to Break My Heart

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there this morning when he was rambling on about one day wanting to get married and have kids. Trust me, I know my brother. He has changed.”

The lump inside my throat thickens, forcing me to stand up and say, “I’m going inside to get you a bottle of water. You need to sober up.”

But truthfully,Ineed to sober up.

Aston wants to get married and have kids.

That is absurd.

One of the servers offers to go instead, but I kindly tell him I need the walk.

With the fresh night air caressing my heated skin, I try mybest to drown out the conversation between Maddy and me. Something is crawling beneath the surface, pestering me to pay attention, but I have no idea what the voices inside my head are even trying to say.

As I step inside the kitchen, the staff have cleaned up and only two people remain. I open the refrigerator door to pull out a bottle of water, only to close it to see Aston on the other side.

His presence makes me jump in shock, and my hand presses against my chest to still my racing heart. He’s supposed to be at the bachelor party, which is being held on some fancy houseboat on Peppermint Lake, owned by his business acquaintance.

I immediately notice the black suit jacket and pants he wears with a white shirt beneath. The shirt is partially unbuttoned, exposing his tanned chest. I’m quick to inhale his scent, only to remember he shouldn’t be here.

“Aston, why are you here?”

He takes my hand, not saying a word, a look of desperation in his eyes. In a mad rush, he pulls me up the back staircase leading to the end of the south wing. I beg him to slow down since the heels of my boots are higher than I typically wear.

Aston ushers me inside the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Then, he unexpectedly smashes his lips onto mine, causing me to gasp. I can taste the liquor on him and suspect he’s had more than a few drinks.

My hands press on his chest, pushing him away. “Aston, we can’t. Maddy and everyone are downstairs.”

“I need you.” His voice breaks in the dark.

“But…” I breathe, dropping my chin. “We agreed.”

I glance into his eyes, and despite the room being dark with only the light of the moon illuminating the space around us, his pain is evident. I reach for his cheek, caressing it gently. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, but how can I fix it if you don’t tell me?”

“You can’t fix everything, Everleigh,” he mumbles.

I place a soft kiss on his lips, hoping to calm him down. “No, I can’t, but I can at least try.”

He doesn’t say another word, taking my hand and leading me to the bed. As I lie down, he climbs on top of me. Unlike the night in his apartment, this feels different. There’s something behind the urgency of his kiss, and the touch of his lips makes me forget how to do the simplest of things, such as breathe.

“Aston…” I moan into his mouth mid-kiss. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“Everleigh, please, I need you.”

I hold on to him, wrapping my hands around his neck until he pulls away to undress me. When I’m completely naked beneath him, he takes a moment to drink me in before sliding inside of me. I gasp at the fullness swarming my belly, and this time, he takes me at a slow pace. In and out, kissing every inch of my skin and making sure nothing is missed.

Then, he stops and holds my gaze as if this moment will save him. Whoever he needs saving from, I want to be the one who wears the cape and promises him nobody can hurt him. And in this vulnerable moment, the reality of this cat-and-mouse game we’ve been playing becomes crystal clear.

It’s no longer a game.

Not when my heart is suddenly the one caught in the trap.

CHAPTER 25Aston

Chalmers slides the thick pile of papers in front of me.