Chapter 33

FREYA

Gia’s gleeful laugh drew my attention to where she sat talking to Avery. Bringing her here was a good decision. I had been a little skeptical about taking her out of the house; some kind of fear had sealed itself within my heart. Aiden hadn’t told me what he had done with Noah, and I always worried he was out there somewhere, waiting for revenge.

I was a little paranoid, but Aiden insisted I take Gia to Meringue for a change of scenery. Even though the fear nagged at the back of my mind, I had to agree it was good for her.

I had just finished adding sprinkles to the cupcakes when I noticed Aiden walk in. He was in formal wear, and it’s shameful how I gawked at him. My mind was already battling whether I liked him better in this gray three-piece suit or the sweats he wore last night.

Realizing I was almost drooling, I forced myself to look away. I placed the tray of cupcakes on the display shelf, all the while convincing myself I hadn’t noticed Aiden’s little smile of amusement.

He looked in Gia’s direction; she hadn’t noticed him yet. A soft smile touched his lips. I could never tire of seeing the adoration in his gaze every time he looked at our daughter. It filled my heart with warmth.

Aiden’s eyes returned to me. He took long, sure steps toward me until the display shelf was the only thing between us. "Would you like something?" I gestured at the baked goods. His eyes followed my gesture.

"Depends," he muttered, scanning the pastries.

My brows dipped in confusion. "Oh?"

"Will I have to pay for it?" He looked up and stared at my face as if actually waiting for an answer, as if he actually cared about the price of a measly pastry.

I snorted. "I didn't know you were about to go bankrupt anytime soon."

With his eyes still on the display shelf, his lips lifted in a half smile, half smirk—a simple action that had no business being so attractive. Aiden Knight was a devastatingly attractive man. This realization wasn't new; in fact, it occurred to me every time I saw him. The first time I saw him, he was easily the best-looking man I had ever met. In the span of these six years, he had become even more handsome. His face was more defined, his jawline sharper… God! That’s where I almost melted.

I forced my eyes away and breathed in. I had to subdue this attraction. The worst thing I could do at this point in my life was give in to these feelings.

"You made any of these yourself?" Aiden's voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

"The blueberry scones," I replied. "I frosted the cupcakes and decorated them, too, but that doesn’t exactly count as making them."

"I would like one," Aiden said easily, as if it were quite normal, as if him wanting to try the only thing I made wasn’t anything special. Maybe it wasn’t, and I was the one behaving like a teenager whose crush had given her a little something. But that self-reprimand didn’t stop the warmth spreading in my stomach.

I pushed the plate toward him and watched as he bit into the scone. His tongue darted out to lick the blueberry filling from the corner of his lips. My mind was in the gutter. All obscene images flooded in. I was picturing everything else his tongue was expert at.

God! Did it suddenly get hot in here?

"So," I trailed off, attempting to make conversation to distract myself. "I would guess you’re not here just to try a pastry."

Aiden’s eyes leisurely traveled back to my face. His intense gaze settled on me, making me regret speaking. He considered me for a few seconds, faint amusement playing on his lips.

"Why is that? Maybe I just came to see you."

His seemingly innocent words made my breath hitch. He took another bite of the pastry, this time maintaining our eye contact. His daughter came up to wipe the sugar crust from the corner of his mouth. The action looked sinful, borderline erotic. It had to be; Aiden knew what he was doing.

"Teal, that makes… a perfect reason for you coming here during working hours." "I'm sure that's the reason." Fuck! I was rambling. My face flushed with embarrassment. That probably made Aiden take pity on me because he sobered, pushing the smirk away from his face.

2:31 PM

Chapter 33 (Continued)

"I want to take you both somewhere."

Before I could ask where, Gia beat me to it. "Where are we going?"

Aiden picked Gia up and kissed her forehead. "That, princess, is a surprise for you." The smile Gia offered him filled my heart with a strange contentment. The way these two looked at each other… God! It was such a relief that she loved him. I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself otherwise.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Aiden asked me, and once again I didn’t get the opportunity to speak.

"Oh no, not at all. Don't you worry! I'll handle it here." Avery made a shooing motion with her hand. She was listening to our conversation, which wasn’t surprising; she had been asking all about Aiden and was very much hoping he would be my happy ending. Yeah, she was more delusional than I was.

Aiden nodded at her, which I understood was his way of saying thank you.

"Are you sure?" I asked, feeling bad to burden her with the complete responsibility of the cafe. The staff was there, but still…

She slightly narrowed her eyes at me. "Have you ever seen me otherwise?"

Before she could physically kick us out the door, I picked up my phone and bag and let Aiden lead us to his car.

AD