Hard to Handle

had that in common. She hoped he ended up with Axle’s. He deserved something good in his life. Her smile faded. So did she, for that matter. They both did.

“Sadie, hey.”

She turned toward Rick’s voice. He approached, a bottle of beer in each hand. “Brought you a Yuengling,” he said, his smile hopeful. Too hopeful.

She heard Aiden finish up his conversation before slipping his hand into hers.

Rick blinked, out of surprise, at their linked fingers. He weighed the bottles in his hand. “I guess…I brought beers for both of you,” he said, his smile tight.

“No, thanks, brought my own,” Aiden said, pointing out the six-pack at his feet.

Sadie’s heart hammered. “I’ll have one,” she said out of guilt. Oh, the guilt.

He nodded at Aiden. “I’m Rick.”

“Aiden.” He was taller than Rick, his thick hair making a mockery of Rick’s thinning scalp. His everything made a mockery of their host. Aiden was a great-looking guy. She shut her eyes and reminded herself not to compare. Still, it was hard to accept that she was standing with the last two men she’d kissed.

There was no comparison. Aiden won that battle hands-down. At the thought of his hands, her mind wandered off. She caught it by the tail and dragged it back before it got too far.

“Aiden and I are…” She hadn’t meant to start the introduction that way, and had no words to finish the sentence. What were they? Friends? Coworkers? She smiled thinly.

Aiden picked up the slack. And choked her with it. “Getting married.”

He did not just tell Rick Hammond they were getting married. Only he did. She recovered on the outside, or at least she hoped she did. The false smile on her face felt as if it might crack and fall to her feet at any second.

“Well.” Rick looked from Aiden to Sadie. “I guess congratulations,” he said, trying to mask the hurt she could see on his face. “Sadie always told me she was never getting married.”

Aiden squeezed her hand. Curiously, the part of Sadie that wanted to slap him had surrendered to the part of her enjoying the warmth of his palm. “She told me the same thing, didn’t you, sweetheart?”

Sweetheart? That might be pushing it. Sadie gave Aiden a warning glare. He ignored it.

“How long did it take?” Aiden asked her. “Two, three weeks to wear you down?” Keeping their hands intertwined, Aiden wrapped her arm behind her back and pulled her to him. “She couldn’t resist me.”

He really did smell good, she thought as he brought her against the wall of his strong chest. Wait. She was supposed to be upset. Or something.

She inched away from him when Rick offered a generic “Guess when you know, you know.” His smile was tight. Sadie remembered their handful of dates in January and February and felt another pang of guilt. Using someone to salve her wounds, when she knew he felt something for her, was reprehensible. Sadie should have broken it off early, or never gone out with him at all. Rick was a nice guy. A really nice guy. And she hated hurting him. But, nice or not, he hadn’t made her pulse shake like a pair of maracas.

Not like Aiden.

Rick pointed out the food tables and tubs of ice where they could stow their beers and took his leave. Sadie blew out a breath, feeling like a dirty liar.

Aiden chuckled softly.

Sadie glared up at him. “‘Sweetheart’?”

“Yes, dear?” He beamed down at her.

“You shouldn’t rub it in his face. What was all that about?” She pulled her hand out of his.

“I’m buffering.” Aiden rubbed his hands together. “As requested.”

“But married, Aiden? Really?”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “He seemed pretty upset to hear about our engagement. I thought you said things weren’t serious between you two.”

She took in Aiden’s stiff posture, the intense look on his face, the frown lines bracketing his mouth. Was he…jealous? Of Rick? And why did she feel a rush of exhilaration at the idea? “I—”

“There she is!”

Oh no.

Perry. He strode through the grass in loafers, sliding a hand down his ugly maroon tie. A tie and khakis. Always on the clock. Perry may have been good at sales, but he was crap at reading body language.

He ignored Aiden, a virtual wall of tension by her side, and said, “So. Did you ‘close the deal’ with Rick yet? If you know what I mean.” He rolled his eyes, then seemed to notice Aiden. “Hey. Perry Bradford. I work at Midwest with Sadie. You in the business?”

Aiden stood, hands at his sides, and glared at Perry. “Aiden Downey, manager, Axle’s,” he announced, his voice as rigid as his body.

“Oh-ho!” Perry got in Sadie’s face. “My God, you do get around.”

She’d barely had time to get offended when Aiden reached past her and wound a fist around Perry’s tie. They were the same height, but Aiden had the benefit of brawn and somehow still managed to look down at Perry. “Say it again,” Aiden said as calmly as if discussing the weather. But he wasn’t calm. His nostrils flared. A muscle in his jaw jumped.

Aiden looked mad.

And hot.

Perry attempted to pull away, sloshing beer onto his shoes in the process. He clasped on to Aiden’s wrist, his teeth drawn back in a grimace. He forced a shaky smile. “Easy, buddy. She knows I’m joking.”

Aiden tightened his hold and hauled Perry half an inch closer. “Yeah, but I don’t.” He released Perry a moment later. Perry stumbled, straightening his shirt with one jittery movement after the other. He stalked off, muttering something incomprehensible as he did. When he got far enough away, he threw the word asshole over his shoulder.

Sadie winced, worrying Aiden might tear after him and break his nose. Worrying more how she might like to see that play out. But Aiden’s face had lost all rage, and he laughed lightly, his easy smile sliding across his lips as if it’d been just under the surface the whole time.

“There,” he said. “That ought to help.”

Sadie didn’t think she’d ever had someone stand up for her honor before. Stand up for her at all, actually. She rose to her tiptoes and grasped Aiden’s neck and kissed him. Just a brief press of lips, and not nearly long enough for her taste. She lowered to her heels.

Aiden’s lips were still pursed when she drew away. His hands landed on her hips. “What was that for?” he asked, his voice rough.

She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t take the dark intensity in his eyes. But she did anyway. “Thank you.”

His infallible smile returned, the intensity in his eyes replaced with impishness. “What do I get if I punch him?”

An hour later they found a pair of empty lawn chairs. Sadie collapsed into one while Aiden went to grab her another beer. Jade flopped down into the chair next to her and leaned over the arm, nearly tipping it over.

Sadie held out a hand to help but Jade righted the chair with an awkward splay of one leg. “Hottie with a body is your fiance?” Sadie guessed she was attempting a whisper. She didn’t quite make it. Sadie sent an apologetic smile to a few people hovering nearby.

“Wow, word travels fast,” Sadie said.

“Yeah.” She glanced at the fire. The flames were no longer two stories high, making it safer to sit close. “Perry is trying to take Rick’s account out from under you,” Jade said with a sloppy wave. “But I heard Rick say he wasn’t going to sign with that bag of dicks.”

Sadie chuckled. “Did he, now?”

Jade let out a sharp laugh. “He may not have used that exact terminology.”

Sadie felt Aiden before she heard him. A tingling on the back of her neck like static electricity. “Hi, Jade.”

“Hi, hottie,” Jade said with an exaggerated wink. “Have you two set a date yet?”