“It’s a hair emergency.”

He stopped cold and looked completely baffled. “There’s such a thing as a hair emergency?” he asked. “How about I claim to have a hair emergency too?”

“Actually it’s more of a waxing emergency,” she said.

He stared at her for a beat and then let out a rough laugh. “Okay, I can’t compete with that.” He moved to her and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair and inhaling deep like he couldn’t get enough of her.

It gave her a warm fuzzy all over.

“I’ll take you,” he said.

“You don’t have to—”

“It’s late, it’s dark, I’ll take you. You can text me when you’re done and I’ll come back for you.” He kissed her when she started to protest. Then he pulled back, cupped her face, and looked into her eyes. “Thanks for tonight.”

She laughed. “Are you thanking me for all the sex?”

“Yes,” he said. “Although, as previously discussed, we both know it was more than just that, hot as it was.”

She opened her mouth but he kissed her again, effectively shutting her up.

“I love you, Lily,” he said easily against her lips.

She went still in utter shock, not at the words—though they were pretty shocking, but at the casual ease he had in saying them.

I love you, Lily.

Like he was just stating a fact, no big deal.

With a light smile—and no apparent expectations from her—he handed her a towel and then brought her some of his sweats to wear before taking her to work.

Chapter 23

Aidan got to the station at the usual seven a.m. Unlike usual, he was already tired. Probably because he hadn’t gotten much sleep. At the thought of what—who—had kept him up, he was smiling when he clocked in.

He’d picked Lily up from the salon an hour after he’d dropped her off, and they’d spent the night at her place.

In her bed.

He’d known his words had thrown her. Hell, they’d thrown him. But he wouldn’t take them back—after all, they were the truth—and he wouldn’t hide from them either.

So he’d done his best to keep the rest of their hours together light and sexy and fun. No pressure.

Because no way was he going to rush her.

Ten seconds later, the first call of the shift came in, and he had to set aside his thoughts on what they’d done in her bed to each other.

The call was an accidental death, and they arrived first on scene to a screaming woman.