Corri had definitely learned that the hard way. “You know, I’ve always been a confident person, comfortable in my own skin. But Kevin made me doubt myself, and that’s what I’ve hated most.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Corri, even if my brother was too blind to see it.”
“He can be very charming.”
“He’s spoiled,” Aidan said. “When we were growing up, he got away with murder while the rest of us had to toe the line. That’s my mother’s fault. Kevin was the sickly twin, and they almost lost him when he was born, so she’s always gone out of her way to defend him, no matter what he’s done.”
“Oh, my gosh. Your mother.” Corri covered her face with her hands. “She always watches the show. She must think I’m horrible.”
Aidan draped an arm over the back of the sofa and lightly touched her shoulder to gain her attention. “You don’t have to worry about that. My parents are in Wisconsin, visiting with my dad’s sister. They won’t be back until Christmas Eve.”
Corri felt some measure of relief, although having to face the O’Briens was inevitable. At least she had a few days to prepare. After Christmas, she would drop by and have a talk with them. “I hope no one will tell her before I have the chance to explain everything.”
“I doubt any of the siblings are going to make her the wiser. And I’m fairly sure Kevin isn’t going to be the one to drop that bomb, at least for a while.”
Mental exhaustion began to set in, bringing about Corri’s yawn. “I’m just too tired to think about anything right now.”
Aidan patted her thigh and stood. “Then I’ll let you go to bed.”
When he offered his hand to help her up, Corri took it without hesitation and came to her feet. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decide not to be my friend any longer.”
“You don’t have to worry about our friendship, Corri. And even if I’m still having trouble getting a handle on what you’ve told me, on some level I understand it.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. We’re both obsessed with our careers, and we’re willing to go to great lengths to succeed.”
Considering Aidan was only thirty-five, he’d accomplished quite a bit. And that prompted several questions in Corri’s mine. “What lengths have you gone to?”
“It’s another long story. I’ll save it for some other time. Now walk me to the door before you drop where you stand.”
When they made it to the entry, Corri gave him a hug before pulling back. “Thanks so much for listening.”
Surprisingly, Aidan kept his arms around her. “Now I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told you before.”
Corri wasn’t certain she could take anymore shocking news. She wasn’t sure she could think with Aidan so close. “This sounds serious.”
“It is.” Placing his palm on her lower back, he nudged her a little closer. “You know that red apron you wear every now and then on the set?”
“Sure. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine, too. I’ve imagined you wearing it…and nothing else.”
Okay, this could be too much for her to handle. “I don’t know what to say, Aidan.”
“You don’t have to say anything. But if you want someone to take your mind off your problems, I’m here. Whatever you need, you only have to ask me, and I’m not talking about only work-related needs.”
She needed him to quit staring at her with those captivating green eyes. She needed to quit looking at that to-die-for cleft in his chin, and above that, those incredible lips. She had personal knowledge of how incredible they were, and exactly how they would feel if he kissed her. She wished he would, even if that wasn’t the greatest idea.
He moved her hair back from her shoulder, but instead of pressing his lips against her lips, he brushed a warm, lingering kiss on her neck, right below her ear. “Remember, if you need anything, Corri, all you have to do is ask.”
Before she could even recover from that simple, albeit sexy gesture, before she could answer his proposition, he was out the door. And she must be out of her mind to be so incredibly attracted to Aidan after what she’d been through. One O’Brien brother in her life had been quite enough, even though Aidan was the polar opposite of Kevin.
He was also extraordinarily sexy. And strong. And tempting. Tonight she had noticed the little things about him, like how his green eyes seemed to change color at times—darker when he was serious. Lighter when he smiled, which he didn’t do often enough. Of course, if he did, she would be melting like a good chocolate fondue on a regular basis.
Corri shook herself out of the daze and forced herself back into reality. Through her parents’ example, she’d learned to avoid overriding chemistry in a relationship at all costs. Once the passion between Bridgette and James Harris had played out, there had been nothing left—except an adolescent girl who’d become caught in the middle of her parents’ ongoing war for years.
For that reason, among others, exploring more than friendship with Aidan was very ill-advised, because if the underlying passion finally exploded, she wasn’t certain she could resist being in Aidan’s line of fire.
When the head-turning man entered the crowded exercise arena, Corri did a double take, and almost hurled herself off the treadmill before she had the presence of mind to turn the thing off. For a split second, she’d thought she was about to confront her past.
She should have known it was Kieran, not Kevin, coming toward her, even though they were mirror twins. Over the months, she’d come to recognize the physical differences. They shared the same dark hair and eyes, but Kieran was left-handed, and much more buff. That stood to reason considering he was a personal trainer and owner of three successful gyms, including the one she was standing in at the moment.
When Kieran reached her, Corri smiled, even if an exact replica of her ex-fiancé was the last thing she wanted to see right now. “Hey, Kieran.”
“Hey, Corri.” He straddled the weight bench next to the treadmill. “I’m probably the last person you want to see right now after Kevin’s stunt.”
She added mind-reader to the list of differences. “Then you’ve heard all about it.”
“I saw it,” he said. “I made sure the show was on in the gyms yesterday afternoon.”
Oh, great. The physically fit population of Houston was probably questioning her mental fitness. “Normally, I might thank you for that, but after my little tantrum, you might want to ban me in order to keep your male customers safe.”
He grinned. “I’m not worried about that. I am worried about you, and I apologize for Kevin being an ass.”
“It’s not your fault, Kieran. I know you’re not your brother’s keeper.”
“Don’t think I haven’t been in the past, Corri. He’s done some pretty unforgivable things to me. So if you want me to beat him up, let me know. I’ve been looking for another good excuse for a while now.”
At least most of the O’Brien brothers had honor, even if Kevin hadn’t retained that from the gene pool. “Aidan’s already had a talk with Kevin. Not that it did any good.”
“I’m surprised Aidan didn’t lay him out, considering how he feels about you.”
“He’s a good friend,” she said.
Kieran gave her an incredulous look. “You think that’s all he wants to be to you, Corri?”
“I have