Chapter 96
Aria’s POV
I woke up at 6:50 AM with a full bladder, stumbling to the bathroom with my eyes barely open. After yesterday’s exhaustion, I couldn’t even manage to keep my eyes open properly.
After relieving myself, I shuffled back to bed, still half-asleep. As I slid under the covers, my hand brushed against something firm and warm.
Wait p>
There shouldn’t be anything-or anyone-in my bed!
My eyes flew open instantly, and I found myself staring directly into Aiden’s dark, intense gaze.
What the hell? Why was Aiden in my bed? What happened last night?
My mind went completely blank as I took in his features just inches from mine, his familiar cedar scent enveloping me. The reality hit me like a freight train-I was in bed with Aiden Carter!
How did this happen p>
I scrambled to sit up, desperately putting distance between us while he rose with infuriating calm.
“Why are you in my bed?” I blurted out, clutching the sheets to my chest.
“Your bed?” His voice was laced with amusement.
I froze, looking around frantically.
This wasn’t my room.
This was Aiden’s bedroom.
My indignation evaporated instantly. I sat there, mortified, feeling heat rush to my
cheeks as I stammered, “Aiden, let me explain p>
“By all means,” he drawled, “explain away p>
I looked at him helplessly. How could I explain something I didn’t understand myself? How had I ended up in his bed?
“I… must have been sleepwalking,” I offered lamely.
Believe that?
“Is that so?” he hummed, his voice low and teasing, like a feather tickling my nerve endings.
Meeting his knowing gaze, I quickly looked away. “Yes, yes, that’s it p>
I stared down at my rumpled pajamas, twisting the hem between my fingers. After gathering my courage, I looked up at him again and hesitantly asked, “I didn’t… do anything inappropriate last night, did I p>
Before I could blink, his familiar cedar scent grew stronger as he leaned in close.
I froze, watching him advance with widened eyes.
Aiden lifted his gaze to meet mine. “Would you like me to refresh your memory?” he asked, his morning voice husky and devastatingly sexy.
The combination of his tousled hair, those perfect features, and his half-open shirt revealing tanned skin made my heart thunder in my chest.
Then, without warning, he bit my earlobe gently.
It didn’t hurt—just sent tingles racing down my spine.
He continued kissing down my neck while his hand found my breast, kneading it through the thin fabric of my pajama top. Suddenly, fragments of last night flashed through my mind—our bodies tangled together, his mouth on mine, the way I’d called him p>
Oh God.
My face burned crimson as I realized just how… enthusiastic I’d been.
I thought I was dreaming that time.
I really thought it was just a sex dream.I swear.
But it wasn’t.
Oh My God.
Before I could fully process the embarrassment clawing up my throat, his lips
brushed the shell of my ear, his voice low and teasing.
“Does this count as inappropriate?” he murmured against my skin.
I was speechless. Then Aiden unbuttoned his shirt further, revealing scratch marks
across his chest-evidence of my apparently aggressive passion.
Wonder if NASA needs volunteers for that one-way Mars mission?
“I—I should go freshen up,” I mumbled, practically leaping from the bed.
Back in my own room, I locked the door, flopped onto my bed, and stared at the ceiling, replaying flashes of our night together.
The way his hands had moved over me, the heat of his skin, the sound of my own voice-
God, it had all felt so real.
How the hell did I ever think that was just a dream?
The embarrassment was overwhelming.
I’d never thought I had so many issues until living with Aiden. Apparently, I was now
a sleepwalker who wandered into men’s bedrooms and… well.
Should I see a therapist?
In my twenty-five years, I’d never once heard that I sleepwalked!
This thought somewhat eased my mortification. I grabbed my phone and texted Lillian: Lil, do I sleepwalk?
Lillian, who was probably just getting up herself, replied with confusion:? Since when do you sleepwalk?
A moment later, another text pinged through: Wait, how would YOU know if you sleepwalk? What happened last night? Spill. NOW.
I hadn’t expected Lillian to catch on so quickly. Too embarrassed to respond, I set my phone aside.
Sitting on my bed, I tried desperately to remember how I’d ended up in Aiden’s room. But I had absolutely no idea.
Then again, we were in a relationship now, so sex wasn’t exactly shocking. The only problem was that Aiden now thought was some kind of sex-crazed predator.
Whatever. It’s fine. Let it go.
After my internal pep talk, my stomach growled loudly. Looking down at my empty stomach, I sighed.
Hungry meant facing Aiden. Embarrassing as it might be, I needed breakfast.
Downstairs, our conversation flowed surprisingly normally. Aiden didn’t seem bothered at all by last night’s events, which was a relief.
After breakfast, Lucy came to ask about lunch preferences. I watched
Aiden’s broad shoulders as he headed upstairs, then exhaled and
suggested two dishes I’d been
craving.
Usually, after breakfast was when
practiced piano, but today I couldn’t concentrate. e. After stumbling through Beethoven’s Fifth
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Symphony twice, I gave up.
My phone kept lighting up with messages from Lillian, which I read but was too embarrassed to answer.
When Lucy came to find me, I was googling “which doctor treats sleepwalking p>
“Mrs. Carter, there’s a visitor downstairs,” he announced.
I snapped to attention, immediately assuming it was Aiden’s aunt Eleanor. “Thank you, I’ll be right down p>
Gathering my scattered thoughts, I went to find Aiden. I guessed Eleanor had brought Claire to “interrogate” us about last night’s events.
He’d likely be in his study-I’d seen him head that way earlier.
I walked to his study and knocked lightly. “Aiden? Are you in there p>
The door wasn’t fully closed, and it swung inward slightly at my touch. As I reached
for the handle, a force pulled from inside.
The door swung open suddenly, catching me off-balance. I stumbled forward, crashing directly into Aiden’s chest.
Embarrassed, I looked up and met his dark gaze. My eyes locked with his, and I stepped back awkwardly. “Aiden p>
He took in my flushed face, his eyes lingering on my reddened ears. “Sleepwalking again?” he asked, his lips quirking slightly.
Was he never going to let this go?
I bit my lip. “Lucy says there’s a visitor downstairs p>
“A visitor p>
Aiden’s brow furrowed momentarily before he stepped out of his study. “Let’s go
see p>
“Mmm p>
On a weekend too. How inconvenient.
We descended the stairs together, and as we reached the bottom, I immediately
spotted Claire Bennett sitting alone on the sofa.
Just Claire. No Eleanor.