Single But Engaged ✔️

6: The view - of him

A blissful moan escaped my lips, as I rolled over in what felt like heaven. A satisfied smile remained on my face as I clung to the pillowy softness in my arms. Though my eyes were still shut, I honestly wished I could stay like this forever.

But a few moments later, my eyelids were parting open to unfamiliar sights. It took a whole second for me to remember just where I was. Although, if I was being totally honest, there was a part of me that still thought it to be heaven – it sure looked and felt like it.

Even through the small streaks of sunlight seeping through the shut curtains, the room looked pristine, almost like it was taken out of the page of a celebrity homes magazine. But as much as I fancied the exquisite aura of it all, my favorite part was still the one which I was currently laying on.

The thought of ever leaving the soft sweetness of this king-sized bed, and returning to my own bed back home, suddenly seemed dreadful. I doubted I’d ever enjoyed sleep as much as I did last night. I almost felt bad for Aiden who had to sleep on the little couch.

Wait a minute…Aiden!

I was quick to roll over on my side, stretching over the bed to catch a glimpse of…nothing. The only trace of him on the couch was the now folded blanket perched on it.

He’d gotten up already? Hold on, that means he got up before me?

I felt my hand immediately fly to the sides of my mouth, only dropping it in satisfaction when I felt nothing. 

Phew! That was a close one.

Ok, so no drool for me – thankfully. But no Aiden either. 

I figured he was probably in the bathroom. But a minute and a few unanswered calls later, a tinge of anxiety began to creep in. 

Ok, Aria, just relax and think.

If he wasn’t here, then he had to be downstairs. That made sense; the point of this whole visit was to spend time with his family after all. Yeah, that was it – he was downstairs. 

With that settled, I decided to get my ass up and start the day. 

I moved over to the curtains and parted them wide open, leaving the bright morning sun to stream into the room with a vengeance. 

I had to shut my eyes for a second to adjust to the overwhelming brightness. But nothing could have prepared me for the sight that now welcomed me. 

With the opening of the curtains, the balcony was now in full view – and what a view it was! 

I watched, transfixed as his body moved. My eyes traced the muscled lines of his arm as he pushed himself up, his back moving powerfully in sync as he repeated the process in reverse. 

His chest, bare and chiseled, gleamed with what seemed like sweat. Although, I doubted it was, because sweat wasn’t supposed to look so good, right?

As I followed his quick and powerful movements, a small voice in my head reminded me that I’d been staring a little longer than I should. 

So, I immediately looked away.

Ha, I wish.

I found myself still transfixed as he finished his push up routine, then reached for a towel on the railing. And I remained so even as he wiped his face, and then his…oh Lord.

Ok, I was definitely being weird. So what? A shirtless Aiden was running a towel through his hair – totally normal. It’s not like it suddenly seemed to happen in slow motion in my eyes, as though he were one of those male models on those TV ads. And it’s definitely not like for a brief moment, a really brief moment, I envied the towel.