Chapter 113
Aria’s POV
I opened my mouth to respond with something witty, but nothing came out. The embarrassment was too much. Before I could gather my thoughts, Aiden moved through the water toward me with powerful strokes.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
Before I could protest, he’d wrapped one strong arm around my waist and was guiding me toward the edge of the pool. I was hyperaware of his bare chest against my side, the heat of his skin contrasting with the cool water. The way his muscles flexed as he effortlessly moved us both made my breath catch.
When we reached the edge, he lifted me out of the water with what seemed like no effort at all. Water streamed from my dress as he set me on my feet, and I stood there dripping and mortified.
Aiden climbed out after me, water cascading down his perfect torso. He walked over to a nearby chair and grabbed a large white towel, then returned and held it out to
me.
“Here,” he said simply.
I took it with trembling fingers. “Thanks,” I mumbled, unable to meet his eyes.
The moment the towel was in my hands, I wrapped it tightly around myself, desperate to cover up. Without another word, I turned and practically ran toward the house, leaving wet footprints across the patio.
I heard Aiden call my name behind me, but I pretended not to hear. I couldn’t face him right now. Maybe not ever again.
I burst through the door into the living room, only to come face to face withLucy. She jumped in surprise, eyes widening at the sight of me dripping water all over the expensive hardwood floors.
“Mrs. Carter! What happened to you?” she exclaimed, looking genuinely concerned. I went swimming,” I lied, clutching the towel tighter around me.
There was no way in hell I was going to admit I’d fallen into the pool like a complete idiot.
“Oh! How wonderful! Swimming is such excellent exercise for you and Mr. Carter!” she said with enthusiasm that made me want to sink into the floor.
I nodded with what I hoped was convincing nonchalance. “Yes, swimming is great exercise. I’m going to take a shower now, Lucy. You can head home after dinner’s ready-it’s getting late p>
“Of course, of course! Please go shower and change before you catch cold!” she urged.
“Will do,” I replied, then bolted up the stairs as fast as my wet feet would carry me.
Thirty minutes later, I emerged from my room feeling somewhat human again. My hair was dry, I’d changed into comfortable clothes, and most importantly, I’d had time to reconstruct my dignity—or at least pretend to.
I descended the stairs and found Aiden already seated at the dining table. He wore
a loose white shirt and black pants, his hair still slightly damp and tousled in a way that somehow made him look even more attractive. The casual look softened his usually intimidating presence.
I slid into the seat across from him, accepting the bowl of soup he passed to me. “Thanks,” I murmured.
“Mmm,” was his only response.
We ate in silence for a few minutes before I decided to break the awkwardness.
“So… how was your day?” I asked, immediately wanting to kick myself for such a generic question.
Aiden looked up from his plate. “Productive. We finalized the Henderson deal.” “Oh, that’s good,” I nodded, vaguely recalling him mentioning something about a major acquisition last week. “Was that the tech company in Seattle p>
His eyebrow raised slightly, clearly surprised I’d remembered. “Yes. Their innovation team will be a valuable asset p>
“That’s the one with the virtual reality patents, right?” I continued, grateful for a topic that didn’t involve pools or lingerie.
“It is.” He studied me with those dark eyes. “You pay attention p>
I shrugged. “I try to. I might not understand all the business details, but I’m not completely clueless p>
“I never said you were,” he replied, the hint of a smile playing at his lips.
The conversation flowed more easily after that. We talked about his company’s upcoming projects and my latest freelance work.
It was almost… normal. Like we were an actual married couple discussing our day over dinner.
Then I remembered something important. “Oh! My dad’s birthday is coming up soon. I’m planning to buy him a watch and have dinner with him p>
“I’ll have Lucas handle the purchase,” Aiden said immediately.
“What? No, that’s not necessary. I can buy it myself and just say p>
Aiden cut me off. “Since you’re my wife, any gift we give should reflect that.
Collection watches aren’t easy to acquire, so it’s better to let Lucas handle it p>
I balked at the implication. “But won’t that be really expensive p>
My budget definitely didn’t stretch to collector’s watches!
Aiden looked at me with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Do you think I would let my wife pay for her father’s gift p>
Umm, right. I still wasn’t used to being Mrs. Carter with all the privileges that apparently came with the title.
“Whatever you think is best,” I conceded.
Aiden nodded and returned to his meal. I was actually starving after all the day’s excitement, so I focused on my food, savoring each bite. ofLucy amazing cooking. I tended to eat slowly, taking small bites, while Arden ate with elegant efficiency. By the time he’d finished, I was only halfway through my meal.
Normally this wouldn’t bother me-everyone has their own pace-but instead of leaving the table Aiden just sat there, watching me eat It made me self-conscious enough that I started taking larger bites, trying to finish faster.
When I finally swallowed my last mouthful, I looked up at him with relief. “I’m done, Aiden p>
“Good,” he said with a simple nod.
Just then, his phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up.
My eyes drifted toward it instinctively and widened the moment I saw his
wallpaper.
It was that photo.
It was that “iconic” photo some stranger had taken of us in the rain! The one that
went viral!
Holy crap. How did Aiden get that photo? And why on earth would he use it as his wallpaper?
I stared at him in shock, completely forgetting to keep my face neutral.
Aiden calmly set the phone aside. “Is there a problem p>
My face burning, I pointed at his phone. “Y-your wallpaper p>
“Is there something wrong with it?” he asked, his expression completely unreadable.
After struggling to form words, I finally managed to say, “Isn’t it too dark p>
“No, it’s not p>
Aiden picked up his phone again and deliberately opened it so the screen displayed fully. There it was-that
photo of me running
atmospher arms in the rain,
straight into his
looking like something out of a romantic movie.
“I like this photo very much,” he said simply, his eyes locked on mine.
I like it too? Wait, what?
Wait-had he seen my own wallpaper? Oh God, please no.