Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 324

Aria's POV

Something soft brushed my cheek—the expensive sheets. The familiar scent of his cologne filled my nostrils before I even opened my eyes. That masculine, woodsy smell that always made my body react in ways I couldn't control. I must have fallen asleep in his arms after our intense session last night.

"Is Mrs. Carter finally awake?" His deep voice came from above me, that hint of amusement unmistakable.

I instinctively looked up, meeting those dark eyes that seemed to see right through me. The vivid dream I'd been having—where he had me pressed against the wall of our shower, water cascading over our bodies as he—God, I couldn't even look at him without blushing.

"Good morning," I mumbled, averting my gaze. "I need to brush my teeth!"

I scrambled out of bed from the opposite side, putting as much distance between us as possible. The cold floor shocked my bare feet, and I realized with embarrassment that my slippers were on Aiden's side. Shit.

I had to do the walk of shame around the bed, feeling his eyes track every move as I quickly grabbed my slippers and darted into the bathroom. Behind me, I heard him make that little clicking sound with his tongue, followed by a low chuckle. The bastard was enjoying my discomfort.

Neither of us mentioned my running back to my father's house the other day. Some things were better left unsaid, especially when we both knew I'd come crawling back to him anyway. God, when had I become so predictable? Or worse—when had I started wanting to be predictable for him?

The weekend arrived before I knew it. I'd made plans with Lillian for lunch—finally, some girl time away from Aiden's overwhelming presence. Though if I was honest with myself, even "overwhelming" was starting to feel like something I craved rather than avoided.

***

After breakfast with Aiden, where he kept "accidentally" brushing his fingers against mine while passing the salt or coffee, I escaped to my car. The freedom of driving away from our house felt both liberating and oddly empty, like I'd left something essential behind.

Lillian was actually waiting outside her apartment building when I pulled up—a miracle considering she usually made me wait at least twenty minutes.

"You're up early," I commented, handing her the breakfast I'd brought along. "What's the occasion? Did someone replace my perpetually late best friend with a punctual clone?"

She took a sip of milk and choked slightly when she heard my teasing. "Been less busy these past few days," she managed after a few coughs. "Went to bed early last night, catching up on sleep."

"Oh? Is your project finished then?" I asked as I pulled back into traffic.

Lillian bit her straw, staring straight ahead with an intensity that seemed unnecessary for such a simple question. "More or less."

Something was off. Lillian wasn't usually this evasive, but I decided not to push. We all had our secrets, right? God knows I had plenty of my own these days—like how I'd started looking forward to Aiden's touch, or how I sometimes found myself staring at his hands during dinner, remembering what they could do to my body.

We chatted about nothing important as I drove. When we stopped at a red light, I noticed Lillian lost in thought, her eyes slightly unfocused as she gazed out the window.

"Lill? What are you thinking about? You've gone to another planet."

She snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly. "Nothing. Just some tricky issues from the last project."

"I thought you said it was finished?" I raised an eyebrow.

"It is! Not thinking about it anymore!" She switched to a cheerful tone so abruptly it was almost suspicious. "Aria, baby, we haven't seen each other for over a month, and you're getting more gorgeous! Love must really be treating you well."

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