Page 37 of Impossible Crusade
“Not the worst comparison I’ve had. I’m Aiden Porter. It’s an honor to meet you, Princess Belle. I think very highly of your husband.”
Stuart slapped him on the back. “Only because I’m going to train him to beat the SEALs at the joust.”
“That’s right.”
“Come sit by us at dinner. I want to hear your story,” Belle insisted.
Did she mean Aiden’s life story or the story of how they met? Aiden stiffened against Chalisa’s side, and she could imagine he didn’t want to tell either story.
“I’ve got to get this stain out of my dress.” She pointed to her shoulder, and Aiden’s eyes widened.
“Oh. I believe I put that stain there.” Aiden lifted his free hand, feigning innocence. “Forgive me, love.”
Stuart and Belle both grinned at that.
“I hope the cameras got that move he did,” Belle said to Stuart.
Aiden’s gaze was focused on Chalisa. “Where is the closest restroom?”
“Right over there.” Belle pointed. “We’ll save you a place at dinner.”
“Thank you. Please don’t wait for us.”
Stuart and Belle exchanged a look. “Oh, we won’t.”
Aiden directed her toward the bathroom, his arm around her back, the pressure of his palm against her waist and hip searing heat into her. He pushed open the bathroom door with his free hand and they walked into the spacious white marble bathroom.
Shutting and locking the door behind them, Aiden guided her to the sink, pulled the hand towel off the rack, and turned the water on to cold. He wet the towel, turned the water off, then squeezed the excess water off.
Wrapping his hand gently around her upper arm, he focused on the stain. His brow furrowed. “Forgive me for sullying your dress.”
Heat traced through Chalisa at the memory of how they’d gotten the dress dirty. In a very bold move that she’d never imagined doing before this moment, she tilted her head, giving him access to her neck again.
“I didn’t mind,” she whispered.
His gaze crashed into hers. Neither of them moved. The only sound in the bathroom was their breathing. She was almost panting for air as his blue eyes lit a fire inside her. His thumb traced along the bare skin of her arm, making her quiver. She leaned in, more than ready to kiss him and pick back up where they left off upstairs.
Aiden swallowed hard and stared at the stain on her shoulder. “We’d better take care of this.”
He brought the hand towel up and started scrubbing at her dress. She wondered if he’d ruin the material. Her body chilled at the abrupt movement and the loss of another chance to kiss and reconnect with him. Her emotions had been all over the place today, but she was beginning to hope that them being brought together again was orchestrated by her dad and all the angels watching over her from above.
“It’s no good.” Aiden set the hand towel down and looked at the stain as if it was his enemy. “I’m sorry, love. I’ve most likely ruined your beautiful dress. Would you like to go change?”
She shrugged and looked in the mirror at the stain and the silky fabric that had balled and frayed from his scrubbing.
Meeting Aiden’s gaze, she asked, “Shall we order room service and stay in tonight?”
Aiden braced his hands against the sink on either side of her hips. She was pinned in place, and she didn’t want to ever move again. She wanted to bask in his blue eyes.
“Chalisa.” His voice was rough and husky, and for the first time he didn’t call her ‘love.’ “I can think of nothing I would love more than to go back to that suite and …” His gaze traveled over her lips. “Stay in.”
Chalisa trembled at the image of them in their suite. He’d take off his suit coat and tie, unbutton his top button. She’d stay in the dress because even with the stain, he seemed to love it on her. They’d kiss and talk and kiss some more. Who cared about food?
She bravely placed her palms on his shoulders and ran them around to his strong upper back. Even in the suit coat she could feel the definition in his rear delts, rhomboids, and trapezoids, the beautiful striations she’d seen while he fought Kingston without his shirt.
He studied her, his blue eyes yearning for her, and then ...
He stepped back and straightened away from her. “I can’t do this to you, love.”