Chapter 179
Aria’s POV
I took a deep breath, accepting the bottled water from Aiden. Without thinking, I tried
to twist off the cap only to find it already loose. I glanced up at him, catching the way the sunlight made his dark eyes dance with amusement.
“You already opened it?” I asked, feeling a little flutter in my chest.
His gaze lingered on my face. “Isn’t that what a husband is supposed to do p>
The word “husband” sent a pleasant tingle down my spine, making my ears burn. I couldn’t hold his intense stare, so I looked away toward Ryan and the others in the distance. “Well, aren’t you thoughtful,” I mumbled.
Before I knew it, his deep voice was right against my ear. “Would Mrs. Carter like to test her skills against mine p>
I hadn’t noticed him moving closer. His chest pressed against my back, and
suddenly I felt hot all over. His woody cologne drifted around me with the breeze, making it hard to focus on the golf club in my hand.
“I’m not very good at this,” I admitted, my fingers tightening around the club.
“Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you p>
I shot him a skeptical look. “That doesn’t seem fair p>
Aiden looked down at me with that infuriating smirk. “Whatever you say, wife p>
Then, without warning, he took my hand in his.
I instinctively tried to pull back, which earned me a curious sideways glance.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, making me feel guilty for my reaction.
“Nothing,” I replied quickly. “What are we doing p>
“Going to talk to Ryan p>
“Oh, right.” I lowered my eyes to our joined hands and couldn’t help smiling to myself.
We approached Ryan’s group, and immediately he noticed our linked hands.
“Jesus, did you two come here just to rub your perfect marriage in our faces?” Ryan teased.
I immediately tried to pull my hand away—my first instinct when called out—but Aiden wouldn’t let go.
Instead, he playfully jabbed Ryan with his golf club. “What’s the wager today?” “Nothing serious. Losers drink a liter of cola p>
“How about we make it team versus team?” Aiden suggested. “You guys against us p>
Ryan perked up at the challenge. “What’s the bet p>
Just then, a female voice cut through our conversation. “Aiden p>
It was Elena Pierce again. After what happened last night, I instinctively moved closer to Aiden’s side.
He noticed my reaction and released my hand. For a heartbreaking moment, I felt abandoned—until his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me firmly against him. Elena watched this little display, her fingers tightening around her golf club before she forced a smile. “I thought I spotted you guys from across the course. Wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me p>
This was the second time she’d conveniently appeared. Even Ryan, who usually missed these subtleties, picked up on her intentions.
“What a coincidence,” he remarked sarcastically. “Such a huge golf course and here we all are p>
Elena clearly caught his tone but couldn’t have cared less. “Do you play golf too, Aria?” she asked, turning her attention to me.
Being suddenly put on the spot, I answered lazily, “A little bit, I suppose p>
“I’m not great at golf either, but Lucas—I mean, Aiden—is excellent,” she said, deliberately using his childhood nickname.
I ignored her attempt to show intimacy with my husband and turned to tug at Aiden’s sleeve. “Is Ryan any good at this p>
Before Aiden could answer, Ryan jumped in: “I might not be as good as Aiden, but I’m not bad p>
“What about Ethan?” I asked, looking toward our other friend.
Aiden glanced at Ethan, throwing Ryan under the bus without hesitation. “Better than Ryan p>
I frowned slightly. “So if we compete against them, we’re definitely going to lose p>
Ryan laughed. “Not necessarily. Maybe you’ll have beginner’s luck today.” Ethan nodded. “And my game’s been off lately anyway p>
I bit my lip thoughtfully. “How about we make it more interesting? Losers have to go up to a stranger of the same sex and say love you p>
A breeze blew my hair into my face, and Aiden gently brushed it away. “What do you think of that challenge p>
Ryan loved these kinds of childish dares. “Hell yes! That’s way better than drinking a liter of cola p>
Ethan nodded in agreement. “Definitely. Who even came up with that cola idea anyway p>
Ryan, who had suggested the cola punishment originally, fell silent.
I looked up at Aiden, waiting for his approval.
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at me. “Whatever Mrs. Carter wants p>
The affection in his gaze made my heart skip. I’d deliberately steered the conversation away from Elena, who now stood awkwardly to the side.
She clearly expected Ryan and the others to acknowledge her, but they continued their conversation as if she wasn’t there. Though she’d managed to position herself within our circle she remained completely excluded.
God, she must think I’m doing this on purpose. Maybe I am, a little.
Elena gripped her club tighter and tried again. “Are you guys planning to have a match p>
Michael, who hadn’t spoken until now, finally addressed her. “Would you like to join in, Miss Pierce p>
Elena looked at him and nodded eagerly. “It sounds fun p>
“Great, you can be on my team then,” Michael offered.
This was exactly what Elena wanted. “Perfect,” she agreed quickly.
I couldn’t really object, but when I turned around, I caught Aiden watching me.
I felt oddly guilty under his gaze. “I really am terrible at golf,” I confessed.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said softly, then held back as the others walked ahead.
“How about a private bet between us p>
I blinked up at him. “What kind of bet p>
“If we take first place, you’ll say those same words to me p>
It took me a moment to realize what he meant. “What words p>