Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 189

Aria's POV

I smirked to myself as Aiden took my hand, leading me to the garage where he opened the passenger door for me like a gentleman.

"Tha—" I started to say thank you, but caught his amused gaze and stopped mid-word, swallowing the rest. His eyes crinkled at the corners, enjoying my discomfort.

After buckling my seatbelt, a sudden thought struck me. "Wait, what are we eating?" I asked, turning to look at him.

Aiden's expression softened at my expectant look. "Trust me on this one?"

"Absolutely!" I replied without hesitation. When it came to food, Aiden was much pickier than me. If he thought something was good, I knew I'd love it.

He drove us to Riverside, an upscale restaurant specializing in contemporary American cuisine. I'd been there once with Lillian, and aside from being expensive, I couldn't fault the place.

Their berry soufflé was my favorite—sweet but not cloying, with a texture that melted in your mouth. I'm not usually big on desserts, but that one had me hooked.

The restaurant was packed for the weekend. I'd worried about getting a table, but when we arrived, Aiden simply took my hand and walked straight in.

"Mr. Carter," the host greeted him with immediate recognition, and we were promptly escorted to a private room.

The window-facing rooms were notoriously difficult to book. Lillian had mentioned trying several times without success. Our table overlooked the restaurant's signature feature—a small artificial stream with water lilies floating on the surface and two white swans gliding across the water. The landscaped banks featured cherry trees that, even out of season, created a picturesque setting.

I snapped a quick photo to send to Lillian, then set my phone aside and picked up the tablet to order.

Last time with Lillian, we'd tried the braised short ribs and drunken shrimp. This time, I selected the herb-crusted sea bass with lemon butter, garlic prawns, and the slow-cooked chicken wings with chestnuts.

Just as I was about to hand the tablet to Aiden, I remembered he disliked things that were too sweet or too sour. I glanced at him across the table and changed my sea bass order to the pan-seared halibut instead.

"I'm done ordering," I announced.

Aiden added a braised meatball dish before finalizing our order.

"These private rooms are so hard to book," I mused. "Lillian tried for days and couldn't get one."

Aiden sipped his tea calmly. "Ryan's aunt owns this place. I can have him reserve a room for you anytime."

My eyes widened. "Really? That's too much!"

"It's nothing," he shrugged. "Next time you or Lillian come, just use my name."

I looked at him earnestly, my excitement probably showing in my eyes. "Are you sure?"

His finger tapped lightly against the table as he held my gaze. "Why not? Or you could simply say you're Mrs. Carter. That works too."

I made a small sound of protest and lifted my teacup to hide my embarrassment, but my burning ears betrayed me, turning as red as cooked lobster.

The food justified its price tag. Though the portions weren't huge, each dish was exquisitely prepared, and the quality was undeniable. Between the two of us, we had just enough.

After dinner, I sipped my jasmine tea and slowly savored my long-awaited berry soufflé, taking small bites.

Aiden watched me, his eyes tracking the movement of my cheeks as I chewed. "Is it really that good?" he asked.

I looked down at my soufflé, then back at him. "It's not overly sweet. Want to try?"

"I might, if Mrs. Carter feeds me," he replied with a smirk.

My face heated up, but I defiantly held out my half-eaten soufflé toward his lips.

To my surprise, Aiden leaned forward and took a bite, his lips briefly brushing against my fingertip.

I quickly pulled my hand back, blinking at him. "So? Is it good?"

"Too sweet," he said decisively.

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