On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

and slipped the big sweatshirt over her head. It was warm and smelled like musk and Aiden. She chased that thought out of her head, firmly reminding herself they were just two old friends, and that nothing else would ever happen between them.
    She couldn't let Aiden back into her heart. It had taken far too long to get him out. They were passing ships in the night, in the same place at the same time for now, but not forever. Their other lives would soon call them back home.
    They walked down the path together, not talking, just enjoying the beauty of the night, the water, and the bridge, which served as a majestic gateway to the west. Out here, her real life seemed even farther away. And being alone with Aiden on a moonlit night with such a beautiful vista in front of them was making her regret her recent resolve not to turn this into something romantic. Because really, this moment, this night, reminded her of all the dreams she'd ever had about Aiden.
    Aiden paused by a low sea wall, the waters of the bay just a few feet away. "You're quiet," he commented.
    "Just enjoying the walk," she said.
    "And thinking," he said. "I have the feeling that at any given time, there are a million thoughts running through your head."
    "I do tend to have a busy brain," she admitted.
    "So what are you thinking about now?"
    She hesitated. "I shouldn't tell you."
    "Now you have to tell me. You can't leave it like that," he said with a teasing smile.
    She couldn't help smiling back. "Fine, but it will make you uncomfortable."
    "I'll take my chances."
    "I feel like I'm living out my teenage fantasy. We ran into each other at a party. You asked to give me a ride home, then you wanted to take me for a drive. Now I'm wearing your sweatshirt and walking on the beach with you."
    "You fantasized about doing all that?"
    "Yes, and don't try to act surprised. You knew I had a crush on you."
    "It was hard to miss. You kept dropping things and running into furniture when we crossed paths."
    "Don't remind me," she said, embarrassed by the truth.
    "You were cute," he said.
    "Great, just what I wanted you to think—that I was clumsy and cute."
    "And smart. Do you know when I first saw you as someone besides one of my sister's annoying friends?" he asked, repeating her earlier question.
    "I didn't think you ever stopped seeing me that way."
    "It was on the night of your junior prom. You and Emma got dressed at the house and were taking pictures in the yard. I was in college by then, and I was shocked at the way you looked in that purple dress."
    She was stunned that he remembered what she was wearing. "Seriously?"
    He nodded. "Oh, yeah. It was the first time I realized you had really nice breasts."
    His words brought a wave of heat to her cheeks, and she instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You didn't even talk to me that night."
    "You left me speechless."
    "Why are you telling me this now?"
    "Because you thought the attraction you felt was all one-sided."
    "It was," she said. "I got proof of that a year later when you rejected me."
    "Protected you," he corrected.
    "You're just trying to be nice, Aiden."
    "I'm not." He moved a little closer, and she found herself backing up against the wall.
    "What are you doing?" she asked, a breathless note in her voice.
    "I'm wondering if your fantasy ended with a simple walk on the beach. Or, if maybe something else happened?"
    A tingle ran down her spine at the predatory look in his eyes. "That's exactly where it ended," she lied.
    "I don't believe you, Sara."
    "Well, back then, I might have wanted you to kiss me, but that was then and this is now."
    "And now you don't want me?" he queried.
    She wanted to say no, she didn't want him, but all she could think about was how sexy he looked in the moonlight, how much she wanted that full mouth on hers, how good it might feel to be in his arms again. She drew in a shaky breath. Things were getting way out of hand. She was getting lost in the past, in the dark, isolation of this romantic night. This wasn't real. In an hour or even five minutes from now, they'd go back to being who they were, and those people were never going to end up together.
    Not that Aiden was thinking about the future. He'd always been a man to live in the moment, to take an impulsive leap, and she'd always been someone to weigh the pros and cons before she acted.
    There was desire in his eyes, and she was old enough to know when a man wanted to kiss her. She wasn't imagining it