Chapter Twelve
As they traveled back to his hotel in the early morning, he courted her with soft kisses and gentle touches on the long ride home from D.C.
“Aidan, I can’t do this with Declan driving up there.” Bethany moaned as Aidan’s warm hand played between her thighs.
Aidan smiled. “He can’t see or hear us, luv.”
“Still, oh God, please stop.”
Sighing, Aiden removed his hand, and when he saw her apologetic face, he kissed her nose and put on a brave face. He could wait until they were in his hotel room. He had never had to wait before, but he could do so now. Inwardly groaning, he placed his weary head on her lap and closed his eyes.
“Hungry?” he murmured.
“I could eat. The food wasn’t all that great at the party, to be honest,” she said.
Aidan laughed and sat back up. “Agreed. Where shall we stop?”
They stopped for an early-morning breakfast at Bob and Edith’s in Arlington, a diner well regarded locally as a staple for early-morning or late-night meals in the D.C. metro area.
Music blared from the jukebox as they nibbled on fried egg sandwiches. Aidan kept his sunglasses on and ran his foot up her thigh enjoying the anonymity afforded them at the small diner.
“I haven’t heard the Captain and Tennille in a long time,” Beth said as she hummed along with Tennille.
“I could spend the rest of my life not hearing this song.” But Aidan knew now that any time he heard this song he would remember this time with Beth. He wondered if she knew how deeply she affected him.
Beth stuck her tongue out at him and continued to sway to the music.
Aidan smiled at her and finished his breakfast. She hadn’t a clue how she moved him, which was probably a large part of her considerable charm.
When the bill came, she pulled out her purse and waited patiently for him to pass her the bill.
“What are you doing?” he asked, lifting his eyebrows questioningly.
“Waiting to see the bill?” she replied cautiously.
“You aren’t paying.”
“Halfsies?” she asked reaching for the check.
“No, damn it.” Aidan snatched the bill out of her sight.
“Fine,” she said, “I’ll get the next meal.” Bethany returned her wallet to her purse.
Aidan stood and walked over to her side of the table, tenderness threatened to overwhelm him. Most people assumed he would pay because he was wealthy; now the one person he wanted to take care of wanted to go halfsies.
“You will not get the next meal, darling, and don’t argue with me.”
“The tip?”
Aidan shook his head, kissed her mouth sweetly, and tossed two twenties on the table.
“Let’s go.”
When they got back to the car, Bethany turned to him. “Aidan, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that we aren’t dating exactly, so I feel that I need to pay my way when we—”
Aidan kissed her to shut her up, she moaned and went warm and willing in an instant. Pausing, Aidan tipped her head up and said, “Thanks for the offer, but don’t offer again.”
“But Aidan—” Once again he kissed her until she moaned. “Okay, but you will have to come over for dinner often.” Her voice was firm.
“Not a problem, luv.” Aidan smiled. God, she made him hot when she went all uptight librarian on him.
As they continued down Interstate 95, Aidan watched in shock at the huge amount of traffic on the opposite side of the road.
“That’s the way traffic is here,” Bethany said, shaking her head. “If we were going north instead of south we would be stuck in that. The cost of living is high, so people keep moving south to affordable living accommodations, and that has made the traffic unreal.”
Aidan shook his head in amazement. “You aren’t kidding.”
Aidan cuddled her close to his side and sighed. Beth was simply fun to hang out with. He breathed in her sweetly sensual scent and grew instantly hard. He wanted her with a ferocity that would cause a lesser man to howl.
“Why don’t we just stay at my place in Fredericksburg. It’s closer,” she asked quietly as she made light traces around his shirt with her finger.
“Are you ready then to sleep with me?” he murmured as he nipped at her shoulder.
“I thought the whole bathroom thing made that clear.”
Aidan grinned and kissed her passionately. “Good,” he said as he broke the kiss. “I don’t have to be on the set until this evening. We have all day.” When his cell phone beeped the first time, he ignored it, and, muttering an oath, answered on the second ring. “Yeah?”
“What time is it, Aidan?”
“I don’t…Serena? Oh, Christ! Did I get nominated for the Movie Actor Award?” He had worked hard on his role as Jack Spencer in Come Sunday. Playing an alcoholic had been difficult for him; his mother had been a drunk. Walking into that dark abyss was not pleasant, but the role was worth the pain. Apparently, other people thought so too, thank God.
“Of course, you did!”
“I don’t hear congratulations from you…” he asked as he winked at Bethany. She was bouncing up and down on the seat, clapping with excitement.
“Congratulations, Aidan, you have been granted three days leave from the set to go back to Hollywood and do the rounds.”
Aidan looked over at Beth, all rosy and turned on, and frowned. “When does my plane leave?”
“In three hours.”
Aidan cursed and turned to Beth. “What are you doing this weekend?”
Bethany tilted her head and listed her plans with her fingers. “Laundry, bills, a trip to Salvation Army to donate clothes, grocery shopping…”
Aidan’s eyes lit up in amusement. “Would you consider a trip to California instead?”
Bethany gaped at him. “You want me to go with you?”
“No, I like taunting people,” he said, kissing her quickly on her startled mouth. “Can laundry wait until you get back?”
“If you think I would turn down a trip to California because I have laundry, you are out of you ever-lovin’ mind.”
He thought he saw something in her eyes, fear or sadness. That would have to be figured out later. Right now, he was soaring from good sex, with more to come, and another Actors Guild nod.
Aidan grinned at her and said to Serena, “Get another plane ticket, will you? And would you make a reservation tomorrow night for me at the Four Seasons? Thanks, Serena.” Then he laughed as Bethany threw herself into his arms.
“Congratulations!” Bethany said and placed a noisy kiss on his cheek.
Aidan grinned. “Thank you very much.” A warm glow flooded him. He had worked hard for this nomination, and now he wanted to celebrate with this beautiful woman. “I expect a lot more than a kiss on the cheek from you, sweetheart.”
Bethany blushed, and Aidan had to kiss her. So charmed by her sweetness and thrilled by his nomination, he was giddy.