Molly took the ring back from Noah and studied it. “It’s pretty. I think I’m just finding it a little funny that we kept holding our breath to see if she’d come, but her answer was sitting right here in a pile of presents for probably the last two weeks.”
Lia sighed. “Spain, huh? With a husband?”
“I guess.” Molly studied the note again, then handed it across the table to her.
Claire held her hand out, and Gabriel grabbed it. “I think it’s a good sign that she’s aware enough to know that her presence, even if it was invited, might not be the healthiest thing for all of us. Maybe she’s growing up,” she said with a rueful smile.
I handed Gabriel back to Claire when he reached for her, and then blinked up when I realized everyone in the room was staring at me.
“What?”
“Feel like punching something?” Paige asked.
I took a deep breath, brows lowered. “No, not really.”
Molly smiled.
My fingers picked at the hem of my shirt. “Just seeing the big picture, I guess. We’re all on the paths we were supposed to be on.” I shrugged. “It’s hard to stay angry with her if that’s the case.”
Molly traded a look with Lia, and Lia traded a look with Claire. Paige’s smile curled up slowly.
“Oh my gosh, what?” I asked.
“There’s only one reason you’d be so chill right now,” Lia said. “You totally got laid last night.”
Noah threw up his hands and walked outside.
I met her gaze with a lifted eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
My sisters dissolved into laughter.
Paige held my eyes. “How many pieces of cake did you have last night, Iz?”
Slowly, I held up three fingers.
Paige grinned, and I hid my smile behind my coffee again. Maybe someday I’d share details, but for now, they were all mine.
Chapter Thirty Isabel
“Mine is still crooked.”
Aiden tilted his head to the side. “It’s not …”
I gave him a look.
“Okay, yes, your cake is crooked.” He knocked a kiss on my cheek as he moved his perfectly level cake next to it. “It’s a little impressive how bad at this you are.”
“Thanks,” I answered dryly.
He swatted my butt. “You still successfully baked a cake.”
I eyed the baked good in question. “I don’t have to decorate it, do I?”
Aiden came up behind me, big hands curling around my hips. “Yes.”
He couldn’t see my face, but I was glaring.
“We could make it double duty,” he suggested.
“In what way?”
His head dropped, and he spoke against the back of my neck. “First time licking frosting off someone’s body.”
“Sold.” I whirled, gripping his T-shirt in my hands so I could tug his head down for a kiss.
And that was the way of it, the way of us, for a couple of weeks after Molly’s wedding. Because of Anya, we had short windows of time planned in advance so that we could achieve a few firsts together. Only one of those, she’d joined us, not realizing that he and I were considering it a date because he only touched me when she was in another room.
Logan invited us to a Wolves game, and we watched from the front row, just behind the Wolve’s bench. Anya spent most of it, staring wide-eyed at the players and staff. Twice, he’d snuck a kiss, but that was it.
Roller skating had ended in him falling three times because he couldn’t keep up with me.
Also, I’d worn short shorts that he said were “categorically unfair” when he was supposed to be keeping his balance.
His family knew we were dating, but I hadn’t talked to any of them since we started, mainly because we wanted Anya to be involved whenever I went to his parent’s house the first time.
That changed just beyond the two-week mark.
I sat behind the front desk the day after we baked our cakes at my apartment, updating some new member files. Someone opened the door, which was unlocked because I was teaching a class in about an hour's time.
Glancing up with a polite smile, I froze when I recognized her from Aiden’s picture.
Her hair was pulled up high on her head, and she had a gym bag slung over her shoulder. “You must be Isabel.”
She set her hands on the front desk and studied me unabashedly.
I held out my hand. “You must be Eloise. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m taking your class today,” she informed me. “Decided it was worth skipping a day of school and driving back into town.”
With a grin, I handed her a form. “You here to form your own opinion?”
“Aiden assures me you are a glorious human being, so I’m inclined to believe him.” But she smiled. “But yes, I’m here to make up my own mind about you.”
I stood, started wrapping my hands. “Well, Eloise, by the time you finish here, you will either hate me or love me. There’s not usually much middle ground with me.” I tilted my head toward his office. “He know you’re here?”
“Nope. My brothers bet me ten bucks I couldn’t get him to take class at the same time as me, especially if you’re teaching.”
“I’ll throw in twenty that I can get him to join.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I’d take a bet against you, Isabel Ward.”
“I’ll go talk to him while you fill that out.” I walked into Aiden’s office and knocked softly before I walked in. He was reading some articles about weight training, and on his face were those sexy as hell glasses. “I think you should take my class today.”
He spun in his chair with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yeah? Why’s that.”
I approached slowly, finishing up the second wrap with a tight yank to the velcro strap at the end. “Maybe I want to torture you a little.”
Aiden widened his legs so I could step between them, sliding his hands up my thighs until he bracketed my hips with his fingers. “You torture me just by walking around here.”
Bracing a hand on the top of his
