Page 95 of Lust & Lies

I was rinsing the soap from my hands when his pinky hooked mine. I glanced up at him, catching the smirk he tried to hide.

“You just can’t keep your hands to yourself, can you?” I asked.

“Not for longer than a minute,” he joked, linking our pinkies tighter.

I shook my head, laughing softly. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously crazy about you,” he told me, releasing my pinky.

Still smiling, I dried my hands, eyes on him as he dried his too. I wasn’t the only one changing around here. My husband was, too. He’d grown more relaxed and carefree around me. He smiled more and was less serious than he’d been when I was in the hospital.

“I like you like this,” I told him.

He looked my way. “Like what?”

“Carefree. Relaxed. Happy. Less stuffy and serious,” I told him.

I noted the smile he tried to hide.

“Someone thought I was just a spoiled businessman who didn’t like getting his hands dirty,” he teased.

I chuckled. “You surprised me, husband.”

He leaned closer. “I’m full of surprises, wife.”

“I see. And each one makes me fall more in love with you,” I told him, shocking myself with that admission.

Him too, from the way he was looking at me, eyes wide, mouth ajar. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything, just held my gaze, unable to look away from me. He cupped my cheek, thumb brushing my skin as he peered into my eyes.

“You don’t know what that does to me, hearing you say that.”

My chest tightened, warmth spreading through me. “Get used to it, because I’m going to keep saying it.”

He swallowed. “You make me happy in ways I didn’t even know I could be happy, Noe,” he whispered.

If I smiled any harder, my face would get stuck like this. “I’m just getting started, husband.”

“Careful, wife,” he drawled, voice low. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll never let you out of this house again.”

I laughed, but the serious look in his eyes told me he wasn’t entirely joking.

“Would that be so bad?” I teased, sliding my hand against his chest.

“Not when forever with you is all I want,” he murmured before pulling me into his arms again. “Just you and me. Forever. I don’t need anyone else.”

I hugged him back, my mind drifting to the dream I’d had of us, the one where we’d planned to run away together. I’m sure that was what we were doing right now, running away together.

Though Aiden hadn’t told me that or even hinted at it, I was sure that was his plan for us. The rational part of my brain told me to ask him about it. The love-hazed part told me to go with the flow and enjoy this time together.

I wasn’t a fool. I understood that he was trying to shelter me from people who didn’t want us to be together. But I also knew the past had a way of coming back to haunt you, whether you wanted it to or not.

I’m sure the people we were hiding from would find us, whether they were my family or his. I’m sure I’d have to confrontwhoever that woman was in my dreams soon. Before that happened, before they tried to corrupt what we had, I wanted a few more days with Aiden.

A few more days of being relaxed, lost in our own little world. I wanted to take a few more days, maybe weeks, to rebuild the foundation of our relationship that my memory loss had stolen from us.

He’d created an oasis for me, a reprieve, a haven. A place where I could heal in peace. A place where we could be alone together and reclaim what we’d lost. Being in his world like this, in the space he’d built for us, made it impossible not to feel claimed, cherished, wanted.

I wouldn’t let his efforts go to waste. In a couple of weeks, I’d get more insistent about knowing things from our past. I’d reveal my dreams to him and ask those questions that were plaguing me. Until then, I would enjoy our little escape. Aiden leaned back and stared down at me.