Aiden and I had met up a few times a week for the last couple of weeks. We’d met for lunch one day. He’d invited me to his office too, but I hadn’t gone. All I could think about was his promise to take me over his desk. As much as I wanted that, I wasn’t brave enough to go knowing it might happen. And that Phillip would know what we were doing. And his dad. So maybe that’d have to stay a fantasy for a while.

My hands flew as I finished telling him my story. I’d been talking nearly nonstop since we’d left the house, but now that I knew he was not only listening, but enjoying my rambling, I was unfiltered.

“So then Mom says, ‘Hey, there’s this package for you.’ ” I paused to wait for his reaction.

He knew damn well what package I was talking about. He slanted a look at me, mischief in his eyes.

“Yeah,” I said. “I didn’t recall ordering anything but I didn’t think twice about opening it right at the table in front of her and Randall.”

Aiden broke into a grin. “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes, Aiden.” I cut off a giggle. “Oh. Yes. And I see there are books inside, but the thing is, they were packed upside down. So I pull them out.”

His deep chuckle vibrated through the cab.

“Randall almost chokes. And I turn the book around to see what’s wrong and there’s a woman with her legs around a guy. The one in my other hand is a woman in a negligee surrounded by four men.”

“I tried to pick authors you might not have read.” He tried to swallow his smile and failed. “For research purposes only.”

My insides warmed. Not only had it been a thoughtful touch, it’d been personal. It wasn’t the trendiest perfume in the one-percent crowd. Or a gaudy diamond ring. He’d taken the time to think about what I’d actually like. “To make it worse—”

“It gets worse?”

I nod. “Mom says, ‘When you’re done, can I read those?’ ”

“Sharon reads reverse harem?”

“She does now.”

“Randall’s going to thank me.”

“That’s gross, Aiden. I’ve heard them once already and almost suffocated myself with my pillow trying to muffle the noise.”

He laughed, then his smile faded. “Are you sure it’s okay you’re not spending today with your parents?”