Chapter 173
Aria’s POV
I couldn’t sleep, my heart beating frantically.
I almost instinctively wanted to grab my phone to message Lillian and share these surging emotions, when I suddenly remembered my phone was still in Aiden’s room.
Should I go get it?
If I went in, would I be able to come back out?
Not coming out… wouldn’t be wrong either, right?
After all, we were now a proper married couple – who would sleep in separate beds?
After tossing and turning in bed for a few minutes, I gritted my teeth and made up my mind, getting up to retrieve my phone.
At the master bedroom door, it was tightly shut. At this hour, Aiden was probably showering. If I took my phone while he was showering, he wouldn’t know I’d been there… how clever!
However, my joy lasted less than two seconds before I discovered the door was locked.
” II
Who was he guarding against? It couldn’t be me, right? A small sense of hurt rose from the bottom of my heart.
Standing at the door for a moment to calm down, I knocked gently. A moment later the door opened, and Aiden stood before me with wet hair, his bathrobe loosely tied, water droplets sliding down his chest.
Damn, too tempting.
Normally I would look at him without any reservation, but tonight I didn’t dare look directly, only daring to glance with my peripheral vision.
I didn’t want him to think I was an overly lustful woman.
I quickly looked up and said: “My phone seems to be in your room p>
Those deep black eyes gazed at me as he released the door handle and stepped back, gesturing for me to enter.
“Click”—the sound of the door closing made my heart skip a beat. I turned around, facing this man radiating hormones: “Why… why did you close the door p>
“Don’t you like closing the door when you sleep p>
These words made my legs go weak, my body swaying slightly. Aiden stepped forward and steadied my arm: “That scared p>
He looked down at me, his gaze focused and deep.
Where he touched felt like it had been seared by fire, while he, fresh from his shower, carried a hint of coolness. I couldn’t help but swallow, as if caught between
ice and fire, my ears burning, a blush spreading to my cheeks.
If he pounced on me now, I would definitely be willing to make love with him.
But he didn’t do that.
But wait, we already did it tonight p>
God, I had to admit to myself that I was a lustful woman with strong desires.
“No… not scared,” I responded while searching for traces of my phone.
Soon, I spotted the soft white bunny ears on my phone case against the black sheets!
“Let me just get my phone,” I said, trying to struggle free from his grip, but unsuccessfully. Aiden pulled me half into his embrace: “Is your phone more important than me p>
“Huh?” Why would he ask such a strange question? I looked up at him in confusion, blinking: “No p>
“You’ve been looking for your phone since you walked in, haven’t even looked at me once p>
“I did look.” Secretly looked.
“Did you?” He suddenly chuckled softly, “What color is the towel in my hand p>
For real? I instinctively wanted to look at the towel in his hand, but before my gaze could land on it, he had already gently cupped my chin with his thumb and forefinger: “Don’t look now p>
I hadn’t expected getting a phone would require passing such a test. I thought carefully and realized I really hadn’t noticed the color of the towel in his hand.
But Aiden’s things were either white or black, so if I guessed randomly, I had a fifty percent chance of being right p>
Just as I was about to speak, he added: “If you guess wrong, Aria won’t be leaving this room tonight p>
My legs really went weak then, my hands instinctively grabbing his bathrobe. I hadn’t expected the fabric to be so fragile – with just a light tug, it slipped off his shoulder by half.
The suddenly exposed “scenery” before my eyes made me so embarrassed my scalp tightened: “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to, let me help you p>
“It’s fine, I’m not cold.” He pressed one hand over mine, the other behind his back, “Aria should answer me first – what color is the towel in my hand p>
I sneaked a glance but couldn’t see anything. Biting my lip, I could only guess randomly: “White p>
As soon as the words left my mouth, that reassuring woody scent suddenly moved away. Aiden readjusted his bathrobe, walked to the bed and picked up my phone, handing it to me: “I wasn’t holding a towel p>
His expression had lost all traces of smile and tenderness, becoming cold and distant.
My heart clenched: “So I’ll go back now p>
“Mm p>
He responded and walked to the sofa, suddenly opening a bottle of red wine on the
table and pouring half a glass to drink.
Standing in place, watching him
UT
drink in brooding silence, I felt a wave of guilt surge from my heart Had I gone too far? Just after confessing, I barely looked at him, as if my phone was more important than him, putting myself in his shoes, it was indeed hurtful.
The person on the sofa didn’t speak or look at me, just silently drinking his wine.
For some reason, I thought of the big yellow dog at my grandmother’s house. Every time I was about to leave it would lie by the door looking down at the ground pretending not. to care, but its drooping ears and tail betrayed its emotions.
Aiden was just like that big yellow dog now – hurt but not saying it out loud.
This realization filled me with guilt. If I just went back to my own room to sleep like this, wouldn’t that be too heartless?
I took a deep breath and walked over, trying to take the wine glass from his hand, but found he was gripping it tightly – I couldn’t move it despite using all my strength.
“Weren’t you tired? You got your phone, why aren’t you going back to rest?” He looked up at me, his eyes full of distance, completely different from the tenderness when he called me baby earlier.
I felt my chest tighten: “Drinking isn’t good for you p>
“It’s not good for me, not you. Besides, no one cares anyway, so what if it’s not
good p>
I discovered I was completely outmatched when it came to passive-aggressive remarks. I could only let go first, but then saw him drain the glass and reach to pour a third.
“Stop drinking,” I put down my phone and said sincerely, “It hurts my heart p>
His movement paused as he turned to look at me: “Does it p>
That look was full of doubt!
“I wasn’t deliberately not looking at you just now,” I explained awkwardly, “I was mainly afraid I couldn’t control myself. After all, I need to consider your body p>
“Is that so? Aria’s mouth is really good at saying nice things. Just said you liked me, then immediately wanted to sleep in separate rooms; now saying you’re afraid you can’t control yourself, when clearly your self-control is as good as an enlightened monk p>
His teasing left me not knowing how to respond.
“I… I’m not… I really p>
I understood now.
He just wanted me to make a move on him.
The next second, I threw myself at him, kissing him p>