The Langfield Brothers: Box Set

18. Aiden

EIGHTEEN

AIDEN

No fucking way are we doing this again. I let her walk away without an explanation once. I’m not going to make that mistake again. And I’ve had just about enough of the lack of communication.

I know what I want. Lennox Kennedy. That hasn’t changed in the last decade.

“Where are you going?” Brooks moans as I step out into the hall.

The elevator dings, signaling Lennox’s departure. Dammit. “To talk to Lennox.”

“Yes,” Sara cheers.

I spin and offer her a smile. “Did she say anything about what happened with Ryder?”

Approaching the door, Sara eyes me ruefully. “Only that he asked her out on a date.”

Anger floods me, and I clench my fists at my sides.

Sara rushes forward and grasps my forearm, trying to hide a smile. “She didn’t say yes.”

I blow out a breath. I can’t get ahead of myself. Just because she didn’t say yes to him doesn’t mean she’ll say yes to me. But I have to try. “Wish me luck,” I mutter as I stride down the hall.

“You don’t need luck when you have a fancy peen,” she shouts as I head toward the stairwell.

My shoulders shake with laughter.

My brother picked a good one.

I take the stairs up to Lennox’s apartment to give myself time to think. I contemplate popping into my place and grabbing a bottle of wine. In the end, though, I figure that’s a bit presumptuous. It’s possible she won’t even answer the door or that she’ll slam it in my face when I tell her the truth.

When I reach the top floor, I consider going to Gavin’s apartment instead, but before I can chicken out, I force myself to knock on Lennox’s door.

When she opens it, she’s in nothing but a robe. Her pink hair is up in a ponytail, and her face is wiped free of makeup.

It takes effort not to stumble back. The woman is absolutely gorgeous.

Blue eyes blink several times, and then she sighs and steps back so I can come inside. “You don’t listen well, Hockey Boy.”

As I step over the threshold, I can’t help but smirk. “I’ve been told that a time or two.”

I glance around the apartment, taking in all the changes she’s made since she moved in. Sara and Lennox both have loud personalities, but their tastes couldn’t be more different. When Sara lived here, she hung artwork with soothing sayings all over the place, and there was a candle on every surface. The place was cozy.

Now, there’s a bright pink glowing sign above the bedroom door that reads This Is Where The Fun Happens .

On the counter is a big jar filled with coins and labeled Here for a good time . Purple and pink sequined pillows line the couch, and a shaggy white rug sits beneath a glass coffee table covered in magazines. It’s like a room at a sorority house. Though I suppose my penthouse would probably look like a frat house if not for Jill’s presence.

In Cincinnati, I bought a beer bottle opener that hangs on the wall and when you pop the top off, it drops and makes its way through a maze. If the top makes it all the way to the end, it sings one of many Britney Spears songs. It was awesome.

Jill stopped me before I even got a nail in the wall to hang it. Now it’s in Daniel’s apartment. I should really get that back.

Lennox sets a small box on the counter. A box with a photo of a blond woman on it. “You really are dying your hair?”

Ignoring me, Lennox sashays to the kitchen. “Want a drink?”

As she pulls two wineglasses from the cabinet, I snatch the box off the counter and silently watch her, waiting for an answer.

She sighs. “I have to attend a family event this weekend. The pink has to go.” She sets the glasses on the counter, then turns back for the wine and bottle opener. I take both from her, pop the cork, and fill each glass halfway.

“Why are you still changing yourself for your family?”

With a tilt of her head, she hits me with a glare. “Seriously? I understand that most people don’t get it, but you? I didn’t think you’d changed that much.” She stalks over to the couch and slumps into it. Then she tugs the chenille blanket thrown over the back down and covers her legs, hiding herself beneath it.

“I’m sorry,” I say, a lump forming in my throat, and settle into the oversized chair beside the couch. “That came out wrong. It’s just—you’re perfect, and I hate seeing you change yourself for them.”

“You need to stop saying stuff like that,” she whispers, wearing a pained expression.

I stare her down, unblinking and confused. I’m just being honest. “Why?”

“Why?” she mutters with a shake of her head. “The engaged man asks me why he has to stop being so sweet.” Her quiet words get progressively louder as she picks at the blanket. “I don’t know, Aiden. Maybe because I’m your wedding planner, and you’re marrying someone else.”

I scoot to the edge of my seat and slide a coaster closer. With my wineglass settled there, I run my palms down my thighs and focus fully on her. “I’m not.”

Her eyes narrow. “You’re not what?”

“I’m not marrying someone else. I ended the engagement.”

“Shit.” She covers her face with one hand and slumps into the cushion. “Please tell me you didn’t make a rash decision because of what happened tonight. This”—she motions between us with her pink-tipped finger—“can’t happen.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Shrieking, she hauls herself to her feet and paces. “You can’t end your engagement because of an almost kiss. You can’t…” She stops and tips her head back, slamming her eyes closed. Then she spins and glares at me. “I needed this job. I told you I needed this job. You promised that you understood.”

I stand so I’m facing her, though I give her the space she so obviously needs. “Why do you need this job? Why are you dying your hair? What is going on, Lex? If you tell me, maybe I can help.”

She lets out an obnoxious squeak-snort sound. She clearly thinks I’m an idiot.

She’s not wrong, but I am also dedicated to fixing this. Fixing us. Fixing the issue that has her acting like a robot for her family.

“Fine, you want to hear what a disaster my life is? Want to hear what you signed up to deal with because you are a lunatic who ended his engagement and probably cost me my job?”

“Lex,” I plead, stepping closer and reaching for her.

She holds up her hand. “Nope. You asked. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She paces back to the couch and snatches up her wine. “You know that my parents and I have never seen eye to eye. They’ve always wanted me to be the perfect wife for a banker or hedge fund brat or lawyer. Definitely not an athlete, and certainly not you, Hockey Boy.” She eyes me dismissively, mimicking the way her mother surely would. “And while I was okay with never having their approval, because, let’s face it, I’m not one to conform. I didn’t realize that I’d be cut off if I didn’t follow their rules.”

My stomach sinks. “They cut you off?”

Eyes closed, she takes a sip of wine. “Not yet, but there’s a deadline.”

“A deadline?”

“My grandmother died last year,” she says softly, blinking back tears.

Dammit. I want to pull her against my chest and keep her there forever, comfort her and keep the world from hurting her. “I’m sorry, Lex. I didn’t know.”

Lennox was always close with her grandmother. She was the only person in her family who wanted her around just for her.

“Apparently, I can only access my trust if I’m married by the time I’m thirty. If I’m not, then my father becomes the trustee, and he’s made it clear that he’ll withhold it if I don’t marry someone of ‘Kennedy caliber.’”

“That’s bullshit,” I seethe. “You can’t marry a man you don’t love.”

Lennox eyes me. “Obviously, which is why I never intended to get married.”

The flippant way she spits out that fun fact is a punch to the gut, but I keep my face impassive. “So you’ll just lose everything?”

“Which is why I need this job. Even before my grandmother got sick, my father was frustrated with me for bouncing from one job to the next. It’s just”—she looks away from me, and when her blue eyes turn to mine, they look so lost—“I don’t want to settle. I want to have a life worth living. Maybe that’s the spoiled brat in me, the privileged girl who had everything. But I want to create a life that’s right for me. A kind of life that makes me worth it.”

The way she says the words—the heartbreak in them—is so familiar. I hurt for her. Dark emotions linger inside me, loom over me, even on the best days, making me question my worth too. But while I have hockey and an awesome family to bring light into the darkness, Lennox is struggling to find her calling, and clearly, her family is nowhere near as supportive as mine.

I stalk toward her and press my palm to her cheek. Without hesitation, I speak the words she needs to hear, the words I so often wish I’d hear. “You are worth everything, Lex.”

Her eyes fall shut as she lets out a heavy breath. “I think you may be one of the very few people who have ever believed that.”

“I don’t just believe it. I know it. Sara does too,” I urge, brushing my thumb over her cheek. When she opens her eyes and fixes them on me, I add, “And the girls, they all care about you.”

A hint of a smile tugs at her lips. “I’m so thankful for the people in my life now, but they’re all settled. They have careers or family.” She lowers her focus to a spot on my chest, her expression falling. “I’ve just got me.”

“Do you like this job?”

“I do. But then you had to go and screw it up.” There’s no malice behind her words. She just sounds sad.

Stroking her cheek, I give her a partial truth. “Jill was cheating on me. I was a mark. She didn’t want me, just my money.”

Lennox pulls back, her eyes going wide and her mouth falling open. “What?”

“That’s why she hasn’t been coming to appointments with me. I found out in the elevator after our first meeting.”

“Oh my god, Aiden.” She splays a hand over her heart, the move making it hard not to fixate on the peek of cleavage exposed where her robe crosses over her chest. “Are you okay?”

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I rock back on my heels. “It’s embarrassing that I didn’t see the truth, but yeah, I’m okay.”

“So the wedding planning?” She nibbles at a pink fingernail, searching my face.

“You said you needed the job.” I shrug. “So Gavin and Millie are your bride and groom. We’re going to make it the best wedding ever so that your boss sees how awesome you are.”

“ Aiden ,” she says softly, her eyes going misty.

A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down. “What?”

“You did all of that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you, Lex. So tell me what needs to be done so you can access your trust.”

With a shake of her head, she steps back from me again.

All I want is to reach for her, hold her, but I keep my hands where they are.

“Unless you are offering to marry me, I don’t think there’s much we can do.”

My heart trips over itself at the prospect, but then it’s up and running. “Okay.”

Mouth ajar, she scoffs. “I was being sarcastic.”

“Why not? You need a groom, and I was supposed to be one. Maybe it’s fate,” I tease, though in reality, I can’t help but believe that’s exactly it.

She rolls her eyes, but a laugh slips out. “Be serious.”

“I am. I want to help you, and honestly, you’d be helping me out too.”

Frowning, she studies me. “How?”

“My brothers have been worried about me since things ended with Jill. Honestly, even before that. This will get them off my back. It will get everyone off my back.”

And it’s the perfect opportunity to be close to her again. To win her over. This might be my best plan yet.

“It won’t be real, Aiden. You want marriage, babies, the white picket fence. I don’t want that stuff.” The words are so sincere I almost believe her.

I give her an easy shrug. “I just got out of a really bad relationship. I get that this would be fake.”

“Do you? Can you promise you won’t fall in love with me? Because I’m not built for long-term commitment.”

“I won’t fall in love with you,” I promise.

And once again, I’m not lying. I can’t fall when I’m already on my ass in love. I’ve been in love with her since I was fourteen years old, and there is no chance in hell I’ll allow someone else to take this role, fake or not.

Worrying her lip, she scrutinizes me for a long moment without a response.

“Lex, I’m offering this as a friend. That’s all. It would be beneficial to us both.”

“But you said you never got over me.” Her voice is soft this time. Almost like she’s nervous to have brought that up.

“It was the heat of the moment. You were in a pretty dress. Reminded me of prom. I got carried away.” It’s true. Dancing with Lennox at a wedding. Being able to hold her. Spending all this extra time with her. It’s dangerous and yeah, I played my cards too early. I’ll do better. I have to do better. I find her eyes. “I can do this Lex. For the both of us.”

“But what if one of us catches feelings?”

I try not to let my heart lift at that. One of us . Like she’s concerned she could be the one who falls. Those simple words give me hope.

“See?” she says, throwing a hand up. “That’s what I mean.” She circles a finger in the air, gesturing to my expression.

I scrub a hand down my face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You almost kissed me tonight,” she says, her tone far softer now. “Be honest. Have you continued planning this wedding in hopes that we’d grow closer again?”

“I did it for you,” I say, taking half a step closer. “Because you needed this. I’d be doing this for you too. I understand what this is, Lex. And I understand what’s it’s not.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifts her chin and doubles down. “We’re going to have to kiss, Aiden. We’ll have to act as though we’re in love. But it won’t be real.”

I shrug like it’s no big deal. Like memories of her lips on mine don’t run on repeat in my head like an old film, highlighting the way she used to taste, the feel of her body against mine, the sound of her whimpers when she’d ride me, clothes on, while we made out for hours.

Her eyes are narrowed, but her tongue peeks out and slicks across her lips, leaving a sheen of moisture.

I can’t help but track the movement, and I have to stuff my hands into my pockets again to keep from reaching for her. The air between us is charged as she takes another breath and slowly steps closer. She presses a hand to my chest, the heat of her palm soaking through my Oxford, and slides it up and around my neck. I’m frozen, stunned stupid, as she pops up on her toes and practically devours me in one fell swoop.

For the first time in more than a decade, Lennox Kennedy’s lips are pressed against mine, and every moment that’s taken place since the last time we were in this position evaporates.

I’m eighteen and in love again. She tastes like strawberries, which is so very on brand for her. I nip at her bottom lip because she tastes so fucking good, and it’s the moan that slips from her throat that pulls me back.

Fuck, I want to run my hands all over her body. I want to pull her close and never let her go. But if I don’t stop kissing her, I’ll only prove her point. So I step back and run my thumb against my lips, swiping away her kiss rather than going in for another.

Pupils blown wide, Lennox sways. On instinct, I grasp her hips to steady her.

She looks up at me and blinks. She fucking blinks.Then she clears her throat. “You’re telling me you can handle doing that without catching feelings?”

Hands in my pockets once more, mostly to appear unaffected, but also to relieve the tightness in my crotch, I lift my chin. “Can you handle it?”

She coughs out a breathy laugh. “Obviously, I’m completely capable. I’m just worried about you.”

I shrug. “I’m fine. And now that we got that out of the way, it’ll look more natural when we kiss at the party.”

She blinks those stunning blue eyes at me again. Still affected. Still dizzy from our kiss. I fucking love her like this. “The party?”

“When we tell the world we’re back together.”

Face lowered, she presses her fingers to her temples and scoffs. “You were just engaged to someone else. No one will buy that we’re engaged now.”

My heart leaps. She’s right. Damn, this just keeps getting better. “You’re right. So we’ll have to sell it. We’ll date publicly for a few months. Then when the season starts, I’ll propose. Everyone already thinks I’m in love with you, so no one in my family will be surprised that we moved so quickly.”

Her expression goes stony, but there’s pain and a little disappointment in her eyes. “See? This is a bad idea.”

I press my hand to her shoulder and squeeze, ignoring the zap that hits me when I do. “It won’t be real, Lex. I can do this. How long do you have to be married before you inherit the trust?”

Please, god, let it be ten years. Fuck, a lifetime with her wouldn’t be long enough.

She lurches back and paces once more. She’s always thought through her problems like this. Like me, she’s not one to sit still. “There isn’t a set minimum. Probably just long enough for the trust to be turned over to me. At that point, we can get a quick divorce and move on from this insanity.”

I hide my grimace with a hand over my jaw, as if deep in thought. “But we’ll need to make it believable so they don’t contest the marriage, right?”

Lennox hums as she picks up her wine and takes a sip. “Yeah, I guess. And the wedding would have to happen before my birthday in November.”

“Of course.”

Her shoulders sag. “You say of course like this isn’t a big deal.”

It isn’t a big deal. It’s brilliant, really. We’ll have to sell this marriage, and the only way to do that is by spending time together. Holding her, kissing her, showing her what it’s like to be loved by me. Reminding her of just how good we can be together and how a healthy relationship isn’t something to fear.

“It’s just a few months,” I say, trying to ease her concerns.

I can practically see her thoughts racing as she flips through her options. When she reaches the conclusion I’ve already come to—that this makes the most sense if she wants her trust—she finally meets my gaze.

“No one can know.” She says it almost like a taunt. Like she thinks I can’t keep this secret. Silly woman. For years, I’ve been keeping my thoughts to myself on all kinds of topics, happily playing into my reputation as the happy-go-lucky idiot.

I can do this.

I nod. “Not even Sara.”

For the first time since I showed up here tonight, she genuinely smiles. It’s a little evil, but I’ll take it.

“Definitely not Sara. She didn’t tell me when she was fake dating your brother, so there’s no way I’m letting her in on this. Besides, it will drive her nuts trying to figure it out.”

A low laugh rumbles out of me. “You two have a weird friendship.”

“True.” Her smile vanishes and is replaced by a tremulous frown. “One more rule.”

A wave of dread hits me at her serious tone.

“If either of us changes our mind, or if you catch feelings, this ends, no questions asked.”

“What if you catch feelings?” I counter, rubbing my fingertips over my lips again, reminding her of who pushed whom away.

“Then I’ll say the word, and the fake engagement is over.”

Pain slices through my chest at the thought, but I keep my face neutral. “Got it.”

“If either of us says?—”

I cut her off. I don’t need to hear the damn word. “Got it.”

“You know the word?”

I know the fucking word. Jaw hardened, I give her a succinct nod and mutter the two syllables I never wanted to hear again. “Shamrock.”

She walks toward me, gaze determined, and sticks out her hand. “Okay, Hockey Boy, you’ve got yourself a fake fiancée.”