My Aussie Guy - Liz Lovelock Page 0,50

into mine, and I know I need to get Aiden out of this situation and away from Clifton.

“You’ll pay for this.” Clifton stands, throwing his threat directly at Aiden.

I step in front of Aiden. “Clifton, leave me alone. I’m not interested in dating you. Find a new tutor, because I’m done with you.”

Suddenly, I feel a warm hand pressing into mine.

My racing heart calms almost instantly at Aiden’s touch.

Clifton scampers away down the hall and out the back. We’ve drawn the attention of most of the people.

Turning to them, I say, “Carry on, nothing to see here.” Then, I spin around to face the guy who still has my hand, and he’s taken a firm grip back on my heart.

“Elsie…” Addison runs up to us. Her eyes are focused on me.

“It’s okay. I don’t think he’ll be coming near me again anytime soon,” I say.

“Still, I’m sorry.”

I release Aiden’s hand, and before I know it, I’m pulled into Addison’s hug. “It’s all good.”

Addison releases me and turns to Aiden. “Thanks for helping her when I didn’t.”

“All good.” Aiden stares hungrily at me, and my lower abdomen tingles. “Would you excuse us for a moment? Also, Addison, you need to forgive Parker. He only did what I asked, and he’s given me plenty of chances to fix my mistake. Don’t blame him for something I’ve done.”

She nods and walks away with the other girls in tow. Aiden takes my hand and hauls me along. I know exactly where we’re going when he pulls me into his room and shuts the door behind him. I stand there like the fool that I am while he paces before me.

“I am so sorry, Elsie. Please forgive m-me?” His voice cracks, and my heart tears apart.

“Aiden, I—” My words are swallowed by his mouth as his lips press against mine. Our tongues dance and fight with one another. I know I should be mad at him, but it’s as if he’s washed away all my anger with a single touch of his lips.

My arms wrap around his neck while his hand moves under my ass and he picks me up. I secure my legs around his waist as he walks me to his queen-sized bed. He places me down and presses his body to mine, grinding against me. His touch is like fire, and I crave it.

“Aiden, stop,” I breathe.

He does as I ask and sits up, moving his body to the edge of the bed.

I turn on my side and rest my head in my hand.

“Sorry. I got carried away.”

I smile. “That’s okay. Look… I want you to know that I forgive you. Doesn’t mean you’re fully off the hook, because what you did hurt me in so many ways. But I forgive you, and I want this—us—to move forward and put it behind us with a clean slate and no more secrets.”

Aiden leans over. “No more secrets,” he whispers before placing a featherlight kiss on my lips. “I love you,” he breathes against my lips, and the wind rushes from my chest.

My eyes widen as I stare at him.

“I love you, too.”

I lean up and kiss him—his lips are my kryptonite.

When we finally come up for air a moment later, he says, “Well, I guess there’s just one thing left to do to seal the deal.”

My stomach lurches because I know what’s coming next.

A week later

“Are we really going to do this?” My legs shake as I stare at the ocean before me. Appearing daunting yet calm, it looks like it’s going to swallow me up. I guess the daunting part will eventuate when I actually jump off this rock, fall, and crash into the water below. Addison and Parker have already jumped, and the fear that’s taken hold has me cemented in place. Addison screamed as if she was about to be murdered the whole way down, which didn’t help me at all.

“Come on, firecracker. You can do this.”

Aiden and I teeter on the edge when a gush of wind makes me unsteady. A scream rips out of my throat. Aiden laughs, and I have an overwhelming urge to push him, but I don’t want him to not be prepared and hurt himself.

Aiden reaches out and takes my trembling hand.

“I’m not sure I can do this.” I start to take a step back when Aiden tightens his grip, stopping me.

“Do you want to be a failure?” He winks, and my heart stutters in a good way, not the constant heavy beating that’s