Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 179

Aria's POV

I took a deep breath, accepting the bottled water from Aiden. Without thinking, I tried to twist off the cap only to find it already loose. I glanced up at him, catching the way the sunlight made his dark eyes dance with amusement.

"You already opened it?" I asked, feeling a little flutter in my chest.

His gaze lingered on my face. "Isn't that what a husband is supposed to do?"

The word "husband" sent a pleasant tingle down my spine, making my ears burn. I couldn't hold his intense stare, so I looked away toward Ryan and the others in the distance. "Well, aren't you thoughtful," I mumbled.

Before I knew it, his deep voice was right against my ear. "Would Mrs. Carter like to test her skills against mine?"

I hadn't noticed him moving closer. His chest pressed against my back, and suddenly I felt hot all over. His woody cologne drifted around me with the breeze, making it hard to focus on the golf club in my hand.

"I'm not very good at this," I admitted, my fingers tightening around the club.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

I shot him a skeptical look. "That doesn't seem fair."

Aiden looked down at me with that infuriating smirk. "Whatever you say, wife."

Then, without warning, he took my hand in his.

I instinctively tried to pull back, which earned me a curious sideways glance.

"What's wrong?" he asked, making me feel guilty for my reaction.

"Nothing," I replied quickly. "What are we doing?"

"Going to talk to Ryan."

"Oh, right." I lowered my eyes to our joined hands and couldn't help smiling to myself.

We approached Ryan's group, and immediately he noticed our linked hands.

"Jesus, did you two come here just to rub your perfect marriage in our faces?" Ryan teased.

I immediately tried to pull my hand away—my first instinct when called out—but Aiden wouldn't let go.

Instead, he playfully jabbed Ryan with his golf club. "What's the wager today?"

"Nothing serious. Losers drink a liter of cola."

"How about we make it team versus team?" Aiden suggested. "You guys against us."

Ryan perked up at the challenge. "What's the bet?"

Just then, a female voice cut through our conversation. "Aiden."

It was Elena Pierce again. After what happened last night, I instinctively moved closer to Aiden's side.

He noticed my reaction and released my hand. For a heartbreaking moment, I felt abandoned—until his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me firmly against him.

Elena watched this little display, her fingers tightening around her golf club before she forced a smile. "I thought I spotted you guys from across the course. Wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me."

This was the second time she'd conveniently appeared. Even Ryan, who usually missed these subtleties, picked up on her intentions.

"What a coincidence," he remarked sarcastically. "Such a huge golf course and here we all are."

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