Aria's POV
The afterglow of sex with Aiden left me floating in a dreamy haze. My body hummed with satisfaction as I collapsed onto the bed, still catching my breath. The sheets beneath me felt cool against my heated skin.
Aiden rolled to his side, his muscled arm snaking around my waist to pull me against his chest. The warmth of his body enveloped me as he nestled his face in my hair.
"Goodnight, Mrs. Carter," he murmured, his deep voice vibrating against my back.
I smiled, too content to form words, and let myself drift into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in ages.
Morning arrived with sunlight streaming through the half-drawn curtains. I stretched languidly, feeling the delicious soreness in my muscles that reminded me of last night's activities. The bed beside me was empty – Aiden must have gotten up already.
The thought of facing him with last night's memories so fresh made my core tighten again. Not trusting myself to keep my hands off him if he gave me that knowing smirk of his, I practically leapt out of bed and dashed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.
When I emerged from the bathroom, my skin still damp, Aiden was coming up from his morning swim. His hair was wet, droplets of water trailing down his neck and disappearing into his loosely tied bathrobe. Our eyes met, and without breaking contact, he tugged at the belt of his robe.
The fabric parted, revealing the perfect V-cut of his hips and the defined muscles of his abs. My mouth went dry as I traced the trail of dark hair leading downward with my eyes.
God, he was too sexy for this early in the morning.
My mind instantly replayed fragments from last night – his mouth between my thighs, my nails digging into his back, the way he'd growled when I took him in my hand. The memory of him moving inside me sent a shock of heat straight through my body.
Jesus, I needed to stop. If I kept thinking about it, we'd end up spending the entire day in bed again.
"Morning, beautiful," he said, voice still rough with sleep.
"Morning!" I chirped too quickly and scurried past him to the vanity, catching a whiff of his chlorine-tinged scent mixed with something exclusively Aiden.
I felt his eyes on me as I sat down, but when I glanced at him in the mirror, he just smirked and walked into the bathroom.
I'd arranged to meet Lillian at eleven, so I didn't need to rush. I lounged around until ten before finally getting ready, taking my time with makeup and picking out a casual but cute outfit – skinny jeans and an off-shoulder sweater that Aiden particularly liked.
Aiden insisted on driving me to the restaurant, his hand resting possessively on my thigh during the short drive.
"Call me when you're done," he said as he pulled up to the entrance.
"Will do!" I unbuckled my seatbelt, then leaned over to kiss his cheek, catching the corner of his mouth. His eyes darkened momentarily, making me wonder if he'd pull me back for a proper kiss, but he just squeezed my hand.
I hopped out and waved as I walked toward the entrance, feeling his eyes following me until I disappeared inside.
The restaurant was surprisingly empty for a place that had been blowing up on I*******m. Lillian was already seated by the window, scrolling through her phone.
"Are we super early?" I asked, sliding into the seat across from her. "This place is dead for a supposed hotspot."
Lillian glanced around at the nearly empty restaurant. "If we didn't get here early, we'd never get a table. Trust me, this place will be packed in twenty minutes."
"If you say so." I set my purse down and glanced out the window, just catching sight of Aiden's black Mercedes pulling away from the curb.
"Aria?" Lillian waved her hand in front of my face. "Hello? Earth to Aria?"
I snapped my attention back to her. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
"I asked what you wanted to drink."
She snorted, eyebrows raised knowingly. "Carter's gone and you're still staring after his car? Girl, you've got it bad."
"How did you know I was looking at him?" Heat crept up my neck.
"I was sitting here watching you get dropped off like the lovesick puppy you are," she teased. "What else would you be looking at?"
I felt my cheeks flush. "Shut up."
The restaurant's décor was impressive – Edison bulbs hanging from exposed beams, reclaimed wood tables, and elegant place settings. Whoever designed the place clearly had an eye for style. Within ten minutes of our arrival, the restaurant started filling up, just as Lillian had predicted.

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