She flushed at the possessive pronoun.
“I didn’t figure my hot Aquaman for such a showoff.”
He brushed his hand through his short hair and all those lovely muscles flexed. “Really?” He winked.
She splashed water at him. He laughed and then he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up into the air, keeping them both above the surface with only his legs moving.
She laughed. “You are some kind of mutant. I think youareAquaman.”
He only smiled at that and slid her back into the water, unfortunately releasing her. “Okay. Let’s try one more. Race back to the beach and I’ll only use my left arm.”
“Left arm? No legs at all?”
“Nope.”
She laughed. “You’ll still smoke me.”
“We’ll see.”
She swam as fast as she could toward the beach. Within seconds he’d reached her, using only his left arm. Sheesh. He was impressive and a lot of fun.
They could keep playing in the water today and maybe she’d be able to stay strong and keep some distance. But probably not.
ChapterNine
Aiden had a lot of fun playing in the water with Melene most of the day. His sensors worked well even in the water, informing him when room service arrived at lunchtime. He still checked the cameras and their surroundings vigilantly.
They did more swim races and then he worked with her on swimming technique, which turned out to be a mistake with the whole keeping his distance thing, but was a lot of fun for his heart and body wanting to be closer to Melene.
After they ate lunch up at the villa, they brought all the equipment the staff had left and spent hours kayaking, paddle boarding, trying to do headstands and yoga on the paddle boards, snorkeling, and finally he took her on some very short scuba dives. He didn’t dare be too far from the beach. Though everything seemed quiet and he had no idea how General Phillip would find them here, he had to make sure he didn’t forget what he was doing here.
Forgetting would be all too easy with the alluring and fun Melene within arm’s reach all day. They had a lot of fun together. On the ships traveling here, she’d been sick but so sweet and had impressed him with her patience and grit. Today she’d been fun, teasing, and still so sweet and had impressed him with her ability to have fun and banter. If he was a normal guy with a normal job, he’d be proposing already.
Sadly, he wasn’t.
They hardly used any of the oxygen in the scuba tanks, so when they finished on the beach, they stowed the kayaks and paddle boards by the beach chairs and then piled the snorkel and scuba equipment on the laydown chairs. They could use it all again tomorrow. Today had been great. Aiden rarely got this much playtime and having it not only in the ocean but with Melene was a dream come true.
He assumed the plan would be similar tomorrow, but already he was concerned about how long he could keep going like this. If he and Melene spent many more days in this tropical spot of paradise, there was no way he could stay strong and keep his distance. As it was, he’d laughed with her and touched her far too much. He’d told her this morning it was temporary and they couldn’t be together. How could he keep that in mind?
They headed to their separate rooms to shower and even the sweet smile and thank you for a fun day she gifted him with before she closed her bedroom door had his heart racing and him longing to never leave her side again.
Whew. He was acting like a smitten sap. Worse than how Thor acted around Shelly.
Before he showered, he checked everything and then looked at the messages on his phone. Papa had nothing new but said Sheriff Reed had heard some men were quietly asking around Summit Valley about Melene’s family. They’d disappeared before he could find them, but he had deputies watching out for Melene’s family.
Jace texted him, just checking in, telling him it was boring without him. That made him smile.
Thor texted, wondering if Aiden was still ugly and promising he could be his best man no matter how ugly he was. That made him laugh but also feel a tug toward home and his family. He hadn’t planned on making the wedding, so it shouldn’t hurt that he was less likely now to get there than he had been a week ago.
He showered and dressed in the nicest clothes he had, a button-down short-sleeved white shirt and khaki pants, strapping on his pistol and pocketing his knife and phone. He brushed his teeth, sprayed on some cologne, brushed his hair, and should’ve cursed himself for making such an effort. He’d told Melene they wouldn’t work, and he’d meant it.
He brushed at his hair with his hand. Before he could second guess his intentions or give himself a stern warning to keep his hands off, he walked out of his room. The main room was empty. The sun was still a couple hours from setting. It had been a fun day in the sun and the water.
Fun. Protection. Doing his job to keep Melene safe. That was enough. It had to be enough.
His phone beeped. He pulled it out and saw the golf cart from the resort approaching. A young man left the food on the front porch table, picked up the lunch dishes, rapped on the door, and drove off. Aiden checked each camera angle for what felt like the hundredth time today, but there was nothing else stirring anywhere close to the villa. It was more difficult being a one-man protection detail and the fact that Melene was so fun and attractive couldn’t sidetrack him.
Opening the door, he retrieved the tray. It smelled delicious, like savory meat and yeasty bread. Closing the door with his foot, he balanced the tray on the entry table and re-armed the security before lifting the tray again and walking into the open main area. Melene’s door opened and the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen in his life walked out. He almost dropped the tray of food.