Meant To Be Yours #Wattys2016 [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER SEVEN: BREAKING THE ICE

The Thornton castle was huge and could accommodate at least fifty guests at the same time. For the moment, her friends had been lodged in the west wing since more guests were expected next week. West wing was where she lived and she was not surprised to find Aidan in her study busy with his laptop. If he was not charming her parents, he was busy with his work.

“Am I disturbing you?” she mouthed at the door not wanting to get inside in case he was in the middle of something important.

Shaking his head, he signaled her to come in but was still typing furiously on the keyboard. “No of course not,” he said after a while. “Sorry I had to send an important mail. So what is it angel?”

Needless to say her poor heart nearly stopped at the use of the endearment. “I was thinking about going clubbing tonight. I know a really nice place down Manhattan; it would be just like old times. What do you say?”

“Sure,” he answered smiling at her.

And Kate did not found the courage to tell him that Jennifer was not really interested in him like she used to be. Who better than her to know how painful unrequited love was. How could she hurt him like that?

As she sat on the desk he was working on, Aidan leant back in his chair and looked at her closely and she felt her heart flipping once again. It must be her imagination because she would read something more than friendship in his every look.

But his next words blew off her mind. “You look hot,” he said looking at her with an awareness and she could not gauge whether he was serious or a mere observation from a friend. Aidan had always sent signals to her in that way and her poor heart had believed that his interest in her would grow into something else.

But there was nothing like that on his behalf and so she reacted like she always had. Lightly, trying not to make a big deal of his compliment buts he could not hide the blush which tainted her cheeks instantly. Shrugging, she smiled at him and said a neutral thank you but before she could react, she slipped off the desk and promptly fell on his lap.

Spluttering, she tried to get up but he held her tight knocking her off balance and she fell in his lap again. Surprised, she looked at him and punched him on his arms when she found him grinning at her.

“Let go of me, Aidan!” she shouted playfully and then froze as she felt it. His hard-on. It was an obvious budge under her butt and she had to swallow not to react at her latest discovery. Oh my God! He wanted her? That was news to her. How the hell was she supposed to react to that fact now?

“Never! What a timing!” he said smiling wickedly but sobered as he stared down in her eyes. His green eyes became darker emotions storming and it looked as if he wanted to say something. Blood pounded in her ears and she could hardly hear her own heart beating. Time seemed to freeze and at that moment, there was nowhere else she would rather be.

“Katherine!” she heard him say and lost in her thoughts, she felt surprised when Aidan lifted her up quickly and getting up from the chair.

Snapping out of her haze, she realized that the voice was coming from outside the study and she turned her back to the door struggling for composure wishing her face didn’t feel so hot. Hell! Whoever it was had a really bad timing.

“Katherine,” she heard again and this time she froze. Damn! Damn! It was Edward Bigfoot. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in New York finalizing a deal and was supposed to be back in one week.

Not having enough courage to look Aidan in the eyes, she turned to the door looking anywhere but up at him and found Edward opening the door of the study room.

“There you are! I have been looking for you everywhere, sweetheart. Nobody had any idea where you could be,” Edward said greeting her with a quick peck on her cheeks.

Kate felt Aidan’s gaze piercing her back and wished she could kiss Edward more enthusiastically. She did not want him to know about her still cold relationship between her and his fiancé. It was supposed to be personal but she had no desire to kiss him, forget about enthusiastically.

So, she opted for a hug trying to look excited that her fiancé was back. “Edward! I wasn’t expecting you until next week.”

“Oh darling I closed the deal as soon as possible to be with you,” he delivered dramatically and seemed to falter at the sight behind her. So, he had finally seen Aidan. She had a premonition that the introduction was going to be lethal.

“Edward,” she said firmly trying her best not to let her voice falter. “please meet Aidan Waldorf, my best friend.”

“Best friend?” asked Edward puzzled and she could hardly blamed him. She had never mentioned any of her friends to him before and had completely forgotten to warn him that her friends were at her house when he had phoned her last week. Damn!

Thankfully, Aidan came forward and extended his hand and finally Kate looked up in his eyes and was glad to find no awkward awareness there. He was a master at masking his feelings unlike her and nobody would guess that they had been having a private moment only a few seconds ago. It had been a private moment, right?

Not even in her wildest imagination could she conjure such an intense look from him. It was going to be a hellish moment and she found herself bracing herself for the bomb. Silently sending a prayer, she watched as Edward shook his hands still puzzled at Aidan’s presence.

Aidan was looking at her in a weird way also not able to understand why she had not mentioned him to her fiancé before. Hell, she was in a fix! Nothing came into her mind at that moment to excuse her gaffe and she could only offer both of them a bland look which hid her feelings only too well.

“Nice to finally meet the lucky guy,” offered Aidan finally when Kate offered no explanation and Edward hugged her close. And noticed Aidan looking a bit miffed; it was highly likely that she had offended him by not mentioning him to the supposedly love of her life.

“I wish I could say the same here,” Edward put in and Kate finally knew how to make up for her omission.

“Edward, you were so busy with that deal that I didn’t want to disturb you with the fact that my friends were coming over. Have you met Ryce and Jen yet? No? Come I’ll introduce them to you. And we’re all going clubbing tonight. You could join us…”

“Clubbing? And you?” Edward said laughing as if she had just cracked a very good joke. Well, Edward had the ridiculous ideal perception about her being a mousy little wife and Kate had never been keen enough to clear his misunderstanding.

“Well, yes. I wanted to spend some quality time with them before the wedding,” she clarified feeling obliged to justify herself. Hell, she was going to some club with her friends; it was not as if she was going for a bachelor party or something.

“Oh, but of course you should. But not by going to a club. Come on, Kate. You have more class than that!” Edward scolded her gently and Kate sighed inwardly. Her fiancé was very snobbish and sometimes got on her nerve. But the best way to handle him was to acquiesce to his every wish as he would only persist till he gave her a headache.

“Okay,” she said resignedly brooking no argument her thoughts still on what had happened with Aidan only a few seconds ago.