Chapter 253
Aria’s POV
I woke up feeling deliciously relaxed, still basking in the afterglow of last night’s passionate lovemaking.
Aiden had pulled me into his arms after we’d finished, his strong body curving protectively around mine.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Carter,” he’d murmured, his warm breath tickling my ear.
“Goodnight,” I’d whispered back, drifting off into one of the most peaceful sleeps I’d had in ages.
When morning came, I realized Aiden was already up. My body tensed at the thought of facing him—not because I was embarrassed about last night, but because I knew one look from those intense eyes of his might lead to another round that would keep us in bed all day. I quickly hopped out of bed and scurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.
Coming out of the bathroom, I nearly collided with Aiden, who’d just finished his morning swim. Droplets of water still clung to his bronzed shoulders as he loosened the tie on his bathrobe. The fabric parted, revealing that perfect V-cut of muscle disappearing beneath the towel wrapped around his waist.
My mouth went dry. God, he was sexy-especially in the morning light streaming through our bedroom windows.
Flashes of last night played through my mind: his hands gripping my thighs, his mouth hot against my neck, the way he’d growled my name when he came. Heat pooled between my legs instantly.
“Good morning,” I managed to say, my voice huskier than intended. I practically sprinted past him to my vanity, needing some distance before I jumped him right there.
In the mirror’s reflection, I caught Aiden’s amused glance before he disappeared into the bathroom. That knowing smirk told me he was fully aware of the effect he had on me.
I didn’t need to rush—Lillian and I had agreed to meet at eleven, giving me plenty of time to get ready. Still, I procrastinated until ten before finally doing my makeup and changing clothes.
Aiden drove me to the restaurant, his hand occasionally drifting to my thigh during the ride.
“Call me when you’re done,” he said as he pulled up to the curb.
“Mmm-hmm!” I nodded, unclicking my seatbelt. I stepped out and gave him a little wave before heading inside, already feeling the lingering warmth from where his hand had been.
Lillian was already there, seated by the window. I spotted her immediately and walked over.
“Are we early?” I asked, noting how empty the trendy restaurant was. “This place is supposed to be impossible to get into p>
“If we didn’t come early, we wouldn’t have scored a window seat,” Lillian replied with a shrug.
“Fair enough.” I set my purse down and glanced out the window, just in time to see Aiden’s black Mercedes pull away from the curb.
Lillian waved her hand in front of my face. “Aria? Earth to Aria p>
I snapped my attention back to her. “Sorry, what were you saying p>
“I asked what you wanted to drink p>
She snorted. “Mr. CEO is gone, and you’re still staring after his car p>
“How did you know I was watching him?” My cheeks warmed.
“I was sitting here watching you get dropped off. What do you think?” She raised an eyebrow.
I felt my face flush. “Busted p>
The restaurant had a gorgeous interior-clearly someone had spent a small fortune
on the design. Within ten minutes of us sitting down, the place started filling up fast. Lillian and I quickly decided what to order before the rush hit.
Our food arrived promptly, probably because we’d ordered so early. While the ambiance was fantastic the food was decidedly mediocre. even suspected the seafood was f as fresh as it should be, though it wasn’t bad enough to complain about. The prices, however, were definitely not mediocre.
“This I m-famous place is totally overrated,” I commented as we exited.
Lillian nodded in agreement. “Let’s not follow the hype next time. Expensive as hell and the food was just… meh p>
We stood at the curb, griping about overpriced trendy restaurants while waiting for a rideshare. It was late September, and fall fashion was in full swing. We were planning to hit the malt to browse the new coffections. I’d won some prize money in a recent competition-not a fortune, but enough for a new handbag and a few outfits.
Being Saturday, downtown was packed. We waited a good fifteen minutes before
our ride finally appeared.
“That’s it, I’m getting my driver’s license next year for sure!” Lillian snapped, her patience clearly running thin.
I glanced at her. “Didn’t you need to re-register for the test p>
Lillian’s face reddened. “That’s not the point, Aria p>
I bit back a smile, knowing exactly
what had happened. She’d first signed up for driving lessons right after her eighteenth birthday but failed the test. Too embarrassed to try again, she waited until junior year of college to re-register, only to get caught in some DMV policy change. After graduation, she claimed to be too busy, and now-years later-still had no license.
I’d heard her “I’m definitely getting my license next year” speech at least twenty
times. By next year, she’d inevitably claim she was too busy again.
Unlike Lillian, who once stuffed lingerie into my suitcase as a prank before a business trip with Aiden, I was too good a friend to call her out on it.
Lillian looked out the window, changing subjects. “By the way, have you seen Elena Pierce since the competition p>
I couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Before the competition, Elena had sent me some pretty nasty messages. If I were her, I’d have been too mortified to show my face in this city again.
“Just once,” I replied, nodding. “Right after the competition ended. Aiden and I were having dinner at the hotel, and we ran into her by the elevators p>
Lillian perked up immediately. “And? Did she look like she wanted to die p>
I thought back to the encounter. “No, she was still able to smile, though it looked pretty forced p>
“God, the nerve of that woman,” Lillian scoffed.
The car came to a stop, and the driver announced we’d arrived at the mall. We unbuckled and headed inside.
“Should we look at clothes first or handbags?” Lillian asked as we walked in.
“I’m game for whatever p>
“Let’s start at the top floor and work our way down. By the time we hit the ground floor, we can go our separate ways p>
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed.
As luck would have it, we’d barely reached the sixth floor when we spotted Elena Pierce shopping with a friend.
Lillian nudged me. “Aria, what are the odds p>
I hadn’t expected to see her again so soon. With a slight smile, I decided to be polite. “Elena, what a coincidence p>
Elena’s expression soured immediately. “Great. I must have stepped in dog shit this morning to deserve this kind of luck p>
I wasn’t bothered by her hostility. Instead, I raised an eyebrow. “I just wanted to thank you, actually. If you hadn’t told me that Aiden had feelings for me all along, I might never have known how long he’s been in love with me p>
That comment made Elena’s face darken even further, and I couldn’t help feeling a little satisfied by her reaction.