The Langfield Brothers: Box Set

21. Aiden

TWENTY-ONE

AIDEN

Parties in general are where I excel. I’m a fun guy. The life of the party. My toes are already itching to boogie, and my shoulders twitch along with a beat I know I can crush. But I happily remain plastered to Lennox’s side. Proud doesn’t begin to describe how I feel to be on her arm. Her hair is pulled back with wisps of light pink hair framing her face, the color making her blue eyes look practically electric.

She scans the entryway, likely searching for her parents, though I’m not sure whether it’s because she wants to get this meet-and-greet over with or because she’s working out a plan for avoiding them all night. I’m game either way. This is Lennox’s show, and I’m just along for the ride. Honestly, I’d follow her to the gates of hell. I can guarantee even that would be more enjoyable than any night out I’ve suffered with the devil herself on my arm over the last few years.

“My cousin Nick is at your nine o’clock. We’ll want to say hi to him at some point. His wife is well-known as a gossip, but she has absolutely nothing on him. Every person who wishes him a happy birthday will hear the story of how besotted you are with me.”

Lips twitching, she looks up at me. I have to work hard to hide my smile. She’s teasing me because I kissed the life out of her outside and she doesn’t know what to do with herself now. She thinks this is all an elaborate game. If that’s the case, then I’d happily play it for the rest of my life.

“One juicy story coming up,” I tease, pulling her back against my chest so that her ass is flush against me.

As a surprised gasp escapes her lips, I run my nose against her bare shoulder and press soft kisses all the way up her neck until I reach her ear. “Let’s start with a little show and tell,” I murmur with a nip of her lobe.

She melts into my embrace, and when I spin her to face me, she whimpers. Once again, the element of surprise works in my favor. This time, I cup her face and kiss her, allowing my desire for this woman to speak volumes in the crowded room.

Unlike yesterday’s kiss, or even the one we shared moments ago, I allow myself to get lost in this one. Why not? It’ll only make it more realistic. That’s a poor man’s excuse, for sure, but I own it. Because right now I’m selling our love story to the masses. Showing them precisely how gone I am for this girl so that not a single person can question Lennox when she finally tells them she’s agreed to become my wife.

I don’t allow myself to even focus on those words. I don’t allow myself to get attached to the possibility that she’ll ever truly be mine.

But I do let myself enjoy the hell out of her lips against mine.

Pulling back an inch, I lick my lips, giving us both a second to breathe. “Think they’re watching?”

Lennox blinks, shaking her head. “Huh?”

A low chuckle slips out of me. “Your family. The birthday boy. You think we gave him enough of a story to run with, or should I take you over there and tell them how madly I’ve fallen for you?”

“Right.” She lets out a soft, almost sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, I think they got their story.”

I tear my gaze from hers and immediately catch her father glaring in our direction. There’s no stopping the smile that spreads across my face. I always loved pissing off Jackson Kennedy. He never liked the idea of his daughter dating an athlete, but I think what he hated more was how happy I made her.

Or maybe it was the way I kissed her. He certainly doesn’t look happy right now.

This power dynamic is one I’m familiar with. I grew up surrounded by people like her father. Walking over to him, shaking his hand, and acknowledging that I need his approval is what is expected.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t play these games. Beckett and Gavin are much better at keeping up a facade in these situations. I’m the entertainment. The puppy. People approach me. If they don’t, then I don’t interact with them. I couldn’t care less what these people think they can do for me or my family.

But when it comes to Lennox, I’ll gladly play by the rules.

With my hand on her back, I guide her forward. “Let’s start with your father. He looks absolutely thrilled to see me.”

An unladylike snort leaves Lennox. God, I love the sound.

The house is larger than it looks from outside. Against one wall, a bar has been set up, and a line has formed. To the left of it is a DJ.

The Kennedys have certainly thought of everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if an up-and-coming musician is slated to perform tonight. That’s how these things normally go. Since this event is being thrown by the head of Kennedy records, I have no doubt the talent will be impressive.

Heavy gold and black curtains are draped along the walls, creating a speakeasy-type vibe. As we make our way toward Lennox’s father, the room goes silent. Every eye is locked on us, waiting to see what the Kennedy family heiress will do.

Lennox believes that she is a stain on her family’s reputation. In reality, they fear her because she can’t be controlled, and they have no fucking idea what she’ll do right now.

Her mother, Tia, is standing next to Jackson, but she still hasn’t noticed us. That’s probably a blessing. If Jackson Kennedy considers me an annoyance, Tia Kennedy doesn’t believe I should even breathe the same air as any member of their family. It’s a wonder Lennox is so kind and caring, with a mind of her own, unwilling to be molded into what they consider the perfect daughter.

“Hi, Mom,” Lennox says, gently grasping the woman by the shoulder.

As she turns toward her daughter, a smile tugs on her lips. It quickly falls, though, when she catches sight of me.

“Mrs. Kennedy, you look lovely,” I say, biting back the foolish smile I’m itching to break into in order to cut through the discomfort of this moment. It couldn’t be more clear how unwanted I am in this space.

“Yes, well, hello, Aiden. Lennox, I didn’t know you were bringing a friend with you tonight.”

Lennox clears her throat, but before she can respond, I butt in.

“Not a friend, Mrs. Kennedy. As you know, Lennox and I could never just be friends.”

It may not be wise to irk them so early in the night, but when Lennox breaks out into a surprised smile, instantly twisting her lips to cover it, I know I’m playing this right.

“Jackson,” her mother says, her voice tight. She tugs on his arm, drawing him into the conversation. Or maybe she just needs an anchor so she doesn’t fall to her knees in despair over her precious daughter being seen with the likes of me again.

“Princess,” he says, taking Lennox in.

“Hi, Daddy,” she says.

It’s odd, the way they greet one another. For all the shit I’ve given my parents for being too busy when we were kids, my family has never been stingy when it comes to affection. My mom hugs us, my brothers and I hug each other too. Hell, hugging is my favorite thing to do, and I’m not going to change for these people. Maybe that’s all Jackson Kennedy ever really needed—a nice, big Aiden Langfield–style hug.

So when he holds out his hand to me, I can’t resist. I pull him in, and this isn’t a one clap bro hug. No, I grip him around both arms so he can’t escape my embrace and then I do a one-two step. There’s no stopping the dance moves when the mood strikes.

The snort behind me is obviously from Lennox.

“It’s good to see you, Mr. Kennedy,” I say in his ear, and then because he’s so damn tense, I plant a big kiss on his cheek. “It’s been too long.”

As I pull back, Lennox’s shoulders shake with laughter, though she’s got a hand clamped over her mouth.

Though I expect to find her parents wearing angry or otherwise passive expressions, I’m surprised to find them smiling. Though it’s not at me . It’s clearly at someone right behind me.

I glance over my shoulder, and as I’m turning back to the Kennedys, prepared to go into the story of how Lennox and I are back together, the man’s face registers. Heart lurching, I spin and come face to face with the musician who asked my fake fiancée out on a date this week.

Somehow, I know that this won’t bode well for me.

“Ryder,” Jackson says in a far friendlier tone than he’s ever used with me. His smile is wide as he shakes the musician’s hand.

“Thanks for the invite.” He glances in Lennox’s direction, and his eyebrows raise, not like he’s surprised to see her, but like he’s excited.

Tia is smiling now too. Dammit. This just went from not good to a fucking disaster.

“I’m just happy that you finally said yes. I do believe you’ve met my daughter,” Jackson says, practically grabbing Lennox by the arm and pushing her in his direction.

One side of Ryder’s mouth kicks up in a lazy smile. “Yes, I have.”

Lennox, oblivious to the way her parents have clearly used her to lure the singer here, smiles warmly.

I hate it.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming tonight.”

“Didn’t know I was.” He assesses her parents quickly. “But then I realized you’d be here.”

A red flush creeps up Lennox’s chest, and yeah, I’m over all of this.

“That she is,” I interject. “With her boyfriend.” With a hand on Lennox’s hip, I tug her back against me, pulling her hand from Ryder’s.

“Boyfriend?” the guy has the gall to question, his brows furrowing as he looks from me to Lennox. The expression morphs into a scowl as he turns to Jackson. “I wasn’t aware.”

Lennox straightens and lets out an uncomfortable laugh. “It’s new.” She tries to pull free, but I tighten my hold on her, splaying my fingers possessively across her stomach.

“But serious,” I add, holding her close. I nuzzle into her, dropping a kiss against her neck.

“What’s serious?” a male voice asks.

Lennox’s cousin, the birthday boy, Nick Kennedy, saunters up. “Holy shit, it’s Aiden Langfield.” The guy hands his drink to a woman I’m guessing is his wife and swipes his hands against his suit. “Dude, you’re like the best player Boston has ever seen.”

Grinning, I give him my full attention. Lennox uses the excuse to extricate herself from my grasp, so when he holds out his hand to shake, I have no option but to let her go completely. I absolutely hate it.

“Aiden’s a big fan of hugs,” Jackson Kennedy mutters.

The birthday boy’s smile grows larger, and he opens his arms, waiting.

“I do like hugs,” I offer, allowing him to lock me in a tight embrace. The dude then legitimately lifts me off the ground.

“Nick, be careful ,” his maybe wife yells.

He sets me down, a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry, I’m your biggest fan. Is this my surprise, hunny?” He spins in her direction and points at me.

She shakes her head. “I had no idea that your idol was coming tonight.”

“Your idol?” Lennox asks, breaking into a huge smile.

“Ya hear that, Lex? Apparently, I’m not just your idol.”

The birthday boy’s eyes sharpen. “Who’s Lex?”

I pull Lennox close again. “That’d be my girl, right here.”

“Wait, I thought you were engaged,” Nick says, a confused frown marring his face.

Six sets of eyes settle on me, five of them full of suspicion. “I was engaged.” I straighten. “Lennox was actually our wedding planner.”

“You plan weddings?” Nick’s maybe wife asks. She’s got a ring on her finger, and he called her hunny, so I’m thinking I’ve nailed this description.

“She’s a rock star,” I boast, jostling Lennox. “You should have had her help with this event.”

“I would have if I’d known,” she says, cringing a little sheepishly. “Let’s talk later. We’re working on an event at the hospital that I’d love your help on.”

Lennox is giving her a tight nod as her father steps in front of Nick’s wife. “Lennox will probably be too busy helping me now that Seven is signing with our label, right, princess? His only stipulation is that you help with the tour plans.” He’s speaking about Lennox—practically to Lennox—but smiling at Ryder. His daughter is nothing more than a prop he can use to get what he wants.

The thought has my gut roiling.

“We can chat about that later,” Ryder says, his focus aimed solely at Lennox. “I’d love to hear about how you went from his wedding planner to his girlfriend.”

Lennox ducks and pushes a pink wisp of hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t like that.”

“It actually was,” I cut in, stealing the group’s attention again. I lift Lennox’s hand to my lips, drawing her attention too. Hers is the only one I actually want. If the entire room faded away, and for the rest of my life, she was all I could see, I’d be a happy man. It’d be an incredible existence.

With my focus solely on her, I speak the truth. “When she walked into the office for our first appointment, I took one look at her, and every feeling I’d had for her a decade ago came rushing back. And when she smiled”—I shake my head, brushing my lips against her knuckles as she stares at me, dumbstruck—“when she smiled, it felt like the earth shifted beneath my feet. I knew in that moment that the only person I could ever marry was my beautiful Lex.”

“So then what?” Nick’s wife asks, her hands clutched over her heart.

I turn to her, but in my periphery, I can’t help but notice that Jackson is about as red as a fucking tomato. Her mother has her hand to her mouth like she doesn’t know what to do with her face. Ryder is too damn enamored with Lennox, and Nick is just as captivated as his wife.

“I ended my engagement as soon as the appointment was over.”

Nick’s wife’s eyes light up. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Her husband nods in agreement. “That’s beautiful, man. I’ve got tears in my eyes.”

“So you guys used to date?” Ryder asks, still zeroed in completely on Lennox.

“We were high school sweethearts,” I say, my chest puffing out proudly.

“What happened?”

For the first time tonight, my throat grows tight, and I’m left speechless.

Beside me, Lennox tenses. “Oh, you know, college.” She shrugs.

I side-eye her, my heart sinking. To this day, I still don’t know what the fuck happened.

“I’m actually thirsty. Are you thirsty?” she asks me.

Clearly, she wants to get the hell out of this situation, so I give her a simple nod. It’s all I can manage, since words are still hard. With my hand against her lower back, I guide her toward the bar.

“Holy shit, it was like the Spanish inquisition just now,” she mutters.

No one is standing in line at the bar, so we order drinks quickly, then I lean against it while we wait.

“Also,” she says, her lips turning down, “what the hell was that over there?”

“What the hell was what?” I avoid looking at her. It’s taking all my self-control not to ask her what really happened all those years ago. Or to ask why the hell Ryder thinks he has a shot with her.

She straightens, pulling her shoulders back. “The story. The possessiveness.”

“What would you have had me do differently? Your father was practically offering you on a platter to skinny pants.”

The snort that escapes her is loud. “Skinny pants? Is that an insult?”

Annoyance floods me. Is she seriously defending the guy? “Men who wear cigarette pants are tools. But I’d never get my thighs into pants like that, so you don’t have to worry about me wearing them.”

Lennox assesses my fabulous thighs and shrugs. “Fine. So we don’t like his pants. You know I only stayed to talk to him the other night because I need him to agree to perform at that wedding.”

I let out a derisive huff. “That shouldn’t be a problem for you now. It seems he’ll be happy to make time for anything you ask.”

The bartender places our drinks in front of us, and Lennox immediately brings her wine to her lips and takes a sip as she studies me. Her assessment carries on for so long that it feels as though she’s dissecting my every thought.

I don’t like it one fucking bit. My thoughts are spinning out of control, and if she could see inside my brain right now, she’d know all I think of these days is her.

“You’re jealous.” She says it like it’s just occurred to her. Like she’s surprised by it. “Oh my god, you were jealous because Ryder talked to me.”

Rather than reply, I keep my mouth shut and force a blank expression.

Scowling, she motions between us. “Aiden, this is fake. You promised this wouldn’t be a problem. That you didn’t have feelings for me.”

My jaw ticks. “You think that was jealousy? If I were really your boyfriend, how would I be expected to act when your father barters you for business to a man in tight pants who is practically salivating while staring at your tits?”

Lennox’s eyes pop. “You’re worried about how my father’s acting while you’re the one practically pissing on me, declaring me yours?”

Angling in close, I grab the finger she’s pointing at me. “You are mine,” I growl, my lips practically touching hers as I say it.

“For fake,” she hisses. “I’m yours for fake .”

I release her hand and lean back against the bar again. “Right. If you were really my fiancée, I’d have done a fuck ton more than just grab your waist and tell your family that we’re dating.”

Lennox’s pupils dilate, and her cheeks go pink. “Like what?”

Fuck .

Something inside me snaps—probably the string that was tethering me to sanity. “You want me to tell you what I’d do if you were really mine?” I loom over her, bringing my mouth to her ear. “Or do you want me to show you?”

When I pull back, anxious to see her reaction, she’s got her teeth digging into her bottom lip. Eyes hardening, she lifts her chin, daring me. “ Show me .”