She rolled her eyes and gave him a nudge so that he lay back again.

He let her push him around, but his eyes never left hers as she went to work, running warm water on his hair. It felt amazing, he was forced to admit. But he was distracted by what he could see behind the teasing light in her eyes. “What’s really going on here?”

“Nothing,” she said, her voice a little too tight.

“Try again,” he said. “The truth this time.”

She blew out a sigh. “Your mom thought maybe you could use some pampering.”

Aw, shit. “Lily, tell me you have not been listening to my crazy mother.”

“She’s not crazy! And she has your best interests at heart.”

“Oh, Christ. You’ve been drinking her Kool-Aid.” He laughed dryly. “Trust me, the only interest she has right now is in pranking me. So what exactly did she put you up to? Nair in my shampoo?”

She stared at him like he was speaking in tongues. “Your mom is the sweetest thing! She would never—”

“Babe, my mother would sell my soul to the devil himself if it meant she won this round. Now tell me what she wanted you to do to me.”

Lily sighed. “She wanted me to tell you she’s decided to go into an old folks home. In Greece.”

“Uh-huh.” He’d sell his own left nut if that were true. No, make that Gray’s. He’d sell Gray’s left nut. “And?”

“And …” She sighed. “She thinks you’re too stressed and need some relief.”

“Having my hair cut isn’t how I relieve stress,” he said.

This rendered her speechless, and she dropped the handheld faucet into the sink. She recovered quickly, though, he’d give her that. And at the touch of her fingers gliding through his hair, he groaned. Damn. She had amazing hands … “Wait.” He sat straight up and glared at her. “This isn’t some salon voodoo thing where I unknowingly spill my guts, is it?”

She paused a beat too long. “Of course not,” she said.

“Shit,” he said, staring into her eyes. “It is.”

She pushed him down. “You can’t seriously be afraid that I’m going to somehow make you talk.”

Ha. If she only knew her own power. One touch—hell, one look—and he’d give her whatever she wanted.

Chapter 15

Lily took in Aidan’s look of discomfort. Normally he exuded easy, effortless confidence, so this made her laugh. “You really think I’m going to wave my magic shampoo and somehow force you to spill your guts to me,” she said with a laugh.

“You telling me people don’t spill their guts in here?” He looked around at the walls as if maybe they were magic too.

“I’m pretty new here,” she reminded him.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes.”