Chapter 30
Aiden’s POV
The revelation that Aria might be a virgin hit me like a freight train. I froze, my cock pulsing painfully against the fabric of my boxers, desperate to claim what no man had taken before. Every primal instinct in my body screamed to push her back against those sheets and claim her as mine.
“Aria,” I said, my voice rough with barely contained desire. “I need you to tell me the truth. Are you a virgin p>
Her eyes widened, a flush spreading across her cheeks. “I… uh… no. Of course not. Liam and I were together many times.” The stammer in her voice betrayed her nervousness as she fumbled with her words. “I mean, you’re the first who wanted to… do that p>
She trailed off, her face burning with embarrassment. “Not many times, I mean I’m not a virgin, I’ve had experience but his touch was always cold, and somehow he blamed me for his low libido p>
“That bastard,” I growled. Not only had that fucker betrayed her, but he’d placed the blame for his inadequacies squarely on her shoulders.
Looking at her expression sent a pang through my chest. I gently tilted her chin up with my finger. “Liam was a fool because he lacked the patience to learn how to please you,” I muttered, unable to stop my fingers from trailing lightly across her breast.
“Your body responds to every touch so intensely. You’re every man’s fantasy. Only a complete idiot would fail to see that p>
My cock throbbed painfully as I imagined teaching her exactly how responsive her body could be under the right touch. The thought of being the first to truly awaken her sexuality made me even harder, if that was possible.
“Then why are we stopping?” she asked, leaning closer, pressing her body against mine.
Christ. If I didn’t put distance between us right now, I knew I would end up spreading her legs and taking her hard and fast right there on the bed. The image alone nearly broke my resolve.
“This isn’t right,” I muttered, standing up to create space between us. “You’re
hurting, and I’m taking advantage of that,” I added, feeling like a fraud as my body screamed in protest.
“But we’re married, aren’t we?” She wrapped her arms around me, her soft body pressed against my back.
The feel of her breasts against my spine nearly destroyed me. I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, fighting the overwhelming urge to spin around, throw her on the bed, and fuck her until she screamed my name. I wanted to possess her, to make her truly mine.
To show her what it felt like to be genuinely desired by a man who knew what to do with a woman like her.
I couldn’t. I fucking couldn’t.
“This is just a transaction,” I bit out, each word feeling like glass in my throat. I stepped away, my cock still rock hard and aching for release. The loss of her warmth was physical torture.
“I see.” Her voice was small, hurt. “Just a transaction p>
She pulled on her clothes silently, then slipped under the covers without another word. The disappointment radiating from her was palpable, making me feel like the world’s biggest asshole.
I grabbed a pillow and made my way to the sofa, my body still thrumming with unsatisfied need. Sleep would be impossible with her scent lingering on my skin and the memory of how wet she’d been for me.
In the morning, we both tacitly agreed not to mention what had happened. I woke before Aria, watching her peaceful sleeping form from across the room. The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, highlighting the curve of her cheek and the full pout of her lips. Every fiber of my being wanted to crawl back into that bed, to wake her with kisses and finish what we’d started last night.
Instead, I forced myself into the bathroom, taking a painfully cold shower before escaping downstairs.
By the time I reached the kitchen, Gran was already there, sipping her tea while the cook prepared breakfast.
“Good morning, darling,” she greeted, her keen eyes studying my face. “You look like you barely slept p>
“I’m fine,” I muttered, pouring myself a much-needed cup of coffee.
“Where’s your beautiful wife?” she asked innocently, though the twinkle in her eye suggested she suspected something.
“Still sleeping.” I took a long sip, avoiding her gaze.
We were discussing business matters when Aria finally appeared in the doorway. She looked breathtaking even in simple jeans and a sweater, her hair cascading down her shoulders. But when she greeted us, I noticed her voice was raspier than usual. Was she coming down with something? The thought concerned me more than it should have.
“Good morning, Evelyn. Aiden.” She nodded in my direction without quite meeting my eyes.
My grandmother’s sharp eyes moved between Aria and me, missing nothing. The tension. The careful distance we maintained. The way neither of us quite met the other’s gaze.
“Something happened between you two,” she stated matter-of-factly, making Aria choke slightly on her orange juice.
“Everything’s fine, Grandma,” Aria assured her, recovering quickly.
“Aiden, darling, whatever you did, apologize for it p>
“Gran-” I started to protest.
“I raised you better than to let pride stand in the way of happiness,” she cut me off, reaching for Aria’s hand. “My grandson can be stubborn and foolish, but his heart is good. Don’t give up on him too quickly p>
“Grandma, we’re really okay.” Aria glanced at me, then deliberately reached across the table to take my hand. Her touch sent warmth spreading through me, and I instinctively intertwined our fingers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.But she pulled away a moment later, and the absence of her touch left a quiet ache I didn’t expect. After breakfast, as we got ready to leave,my grandmother held Aria in a long embrace. “Thank you for making an old woman very happy,” she whispered, loud enough that I could hear. “Take care of him. He needs it more than he knows.” The drive back to the city was quiet, with only the hum of the engine and soft music from the radio filling the space between us. When Aria finally spoke, her words caught me off guard.
“I think I should go home tonight p>
The statement shouldn’t have stung-this was a business arrangement after all—
but it did. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, nodding curtly.
“If that’s what you want p>
“I just need some space to think,” she added softly, staring out the window.
I wanted to argue, to tell her to come home with me where she belonged, but what right did I have? Last night I’d been the one to push her away, to remind us both that this marriage was just a transaction.
“Of course,” I replied stiffly.
The rest of the drive passed in silence. When we reached her father’s estate, I walked her to the door like the perfect gentleman I wasn’t feeling like.
“Aria,” I started, not knowing what I wanted to say but needing to say something. “It’s fine, Aiden,” she cut me off with a sad smile. “You were right last night. This is just business. We shouldn’t complicate it p>
Before I could respond, she disappeared inside, leaving me standing there like a fool, wondering why her words felt like a knife twisting in my gut.
Was I doing something wrong?
ARIA’S POV
The moment I closed my apartment door behind me, I collapsed against it, tears burning behind my eyes. Last night replayed in my mind on endless loop—Aiden’s hands on my body, the way he’d made me feel things I never knew were possible, and then his cruel reminder that none of it was real.
“Just a transaction p>
Three words shouldn’t be able to hurt this much.
With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and called the one person who would understand.
“Lil? Can you come over? I’ve made a huge mistake p>
An hour later, Lillian sat cross-legged on my couch as I recounted everything that
had happened at Aiden’s grandmother’s house. Her eyes widened with each new detail.
“So let me get this straight,” she said when I finally finished. “He got you off-twice then stopped because he thought you were a virgin, and when you clarified that you weren’t, he still pulled away claiming it was ‘just a transaction p>
I nodded miserably.
“Oh honey,” Lillian’s voice softened. “You’re not seeing what’s right in front of you.
The man is clearly falling for you but fighting it every step of the way p>
I scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. He made it very clear last night where we stand p>
“Did he? Because from where I’m sitting, it sounds like he’s a man with principles who didn’t want to take advantage of you when he thought you were inexperienced.And as for the ‘transaction’ comment that sounds like someone terrified of his own feelings, trying to create distance p>
“You’re giving him too much credit,” I argued, though a small part of me wanted desperately to believe her.
“Let’s put it to the test, shall we?” I could practically hear her mischievous grin through the phone. “Time to make Mr. Ice King realize exactly what he’s missing p>
“What are you suggesting?” I asked cautiously.
Lillian laughed. “Nothing scandalous. Just a little experiment to see if this is really ‘just business’ to him. Trust me on this one p>
I hesitated, fingers tightening slightly around my phone.
A part of me wanted to shut her down immediately—to insist that I had no interest in
playing childish games. That I didn’t care how Aiden Carter felt.
But that would’ve been a lie.
Because lately, I did care.
Too much.
And yet… the idea of seeing Aiden react—really react, without the mask—sent a
flutter of something dangerous through my chest.
He always looked so composed. So unreadable. Like nothing could touch him.
But what if something could?
I exhaled slowly, trying to sound indifferent What kind of experiment p>