Chapter 188
Aria’s POV
Aiden made a move to continue our intimate encounter, his hands roaming with
hungry intent across my skin. My body screamed yes while my mind waged war with itself.
I wanted him—god, how I wanted him—but my body needed recovery time.
“I need to rest,” I whispered against his neck, my voice betraying how torn I felt.
To his credit, Aiden didn’t push. He simply nodded, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead before stepping back. “Play something for me then,” he suggested, nodding toward the piano across the room.
I made my way to the grand piano, my cheeks burning at the memory of what we’d just done. Sitting at the bench, my fingers hovered uncertainly over the keys. For nearly five minutes, I played random notes that barely resembled music, my mind replaying every touch, every kiss.
“Get it together, Aria,” I muttered, slapping my cheeks lightly.
The midday sun streamed through the windows, casting the room in a golden glow. With no air conditioning running, a gentle breeze lifted the white curtains. I closed my eyes and finally allowed myself to sink into the music, my fingers dancing across the keys with purpose now.
I’d completely lost track of time when my phone buzzed and fell to the floor, startling me out of my trance. I leaned down to retrieve it, surprised to see that nearly three hours had passed. The screen showed an unknown number tagged as “Delivery p>
“Weird,” I mumbled, furrowing my brow. “I haven’t ordered anything p>
For a moment, I wondered if Claire had sent me something again—last time it was that gorgeous dress and handbag. I answered cautiously, “Hello p>
“Hi, is this Miss Jones? You have a package waiting. I’m about to arrive at your door. Could you come down to sign for it p>
“Oh! Sure, I’ll be right down p>
I closed the piano lid and headed downstairs, not seeing Aiden anywhere. Assuming he was in his study, I went straight to the front door.
The delivery guy arrived moments later with a decent-sized package. After signing
for it, I shook the box gently but heard no revealing sounds. My phone buzzed with a text from Lillian.
*Did you get the package yet p>
I groaned. Of course it was from her. I texted back: *What exactly did you send me?
Lillian: *Something fabulous! Open it and see if you like it!* →
That winking emoji gave me a bad feeling.
As I approached the front door, Aiden emerged from the direction of the pool. His bathrobe hung loosely on his frame, water dripping from his hair with each step.
“Package?” he asked, eyebrow raised.
I nodded, taking in his damp appearance. “From Lillian p>
“I’m going to change. We’ll head out for dinner afterward,” he said, water pooling at his feet.
“Sounds good.” I wasn’t exactly looking forward to cooking anyway.
While Aiden went upstairs, I settled on the couch and found scissors to open Lillian’s mysterious gift. The packaging was impressive—a black box with subtle pink accents, clearly high-end.
“What could possibly warrant such fancy packaging?” I wondered, carefully working to open it without damaging the box.
My short nails made it challenging to find the seam, but I eventually got it open. Inside, a layer of black tissue paper had a small label attached. I peeled it back cautiously.
Holy shit.
It wasn’t jewelry or designer
accessories-it was lingerie. No, scratch that. It was *lingerie
lingerie The kind designed for
bedroom performances rather than
practical wear.
“Oh my god,” I gasped, fumbling to close the box just as Aiden’s footsteps sounded behind me.
In my panic, I shoved the box behind me, but the delicate black lace slipped out, half
on the floor and half still trapped under the lid.
My heart raced as Aiden
approached. Before he could see, I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking up with what I hoped was an innocent smile. “What are we eating tonight p>
Aiden’s arm curled around my waist, his eyes darkening as they met mine. “Whatever you want p>
“Your gift fell,” he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. “Aren’t you going to pick
it up p>
I froze against him. “I’m, um, thirsty. Could you get me some water, please p>
“Sure,” he agreed, but before moving away, he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Would Mrs. Carter consider modeling her new clothes for me later p>
He’d definitely seen the lingerie-a sexy bunny outfit and what appeared to be some kind of role-play uniform.
Aiden bent down to pick them up, examining the delicate fabric between his fingers. “Hmm, these would look incredibly tempting on you p>
I placed a single finger against his chest, creating distance. “Not today. You promised I could rest, remember p>
He held up his hands in surrender, a playful smirk on his lips. “I’m a man of my word.” His eyes flashed with heat. “But we’ll have plenty of opportunities for these… later p>
The promise in his voice sent shivers down my spine.
He released me from his embrace. “Get ready. Dinner reservation’s at eight p>
I headed toward the stairs, then paused. “Aiden, who are we meeting for dinner p>
“No one. Just us p>
“Oh! I’ll go change then p>
Even though it was just the two of us, I still wanted to look nice. I didn’t go overboard
with makeup—just enough to enhance my features while appearing nearly natural.
I chose a cream-colored
embroidered dress with a fitted
sleeveless vest that accentuated my
waistline. Grabbing a simple white
chain purse, I checked my reflection
in the full-length mirror.
Something was missing.
I returned to my vanity, opened my jewelry box, and selected pearl earrings that completed the look perfectly.
When I came downstairs, I twirled once in front of Aiden. “What do you think p>
“Beautiful,” he said, rising from the couch. He pulled me close, biting my lower lip gently. “So beautiful I’m tempted to keep you all to myself tonight p>
“Hey!” I protested, batting his chest playfully. “You smudged my lipstick p>
I rummaged through my purse, quickly reapplying before looking up at him with satisfaction. “Now I’m ready p>