Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 165

Aria's POV

I'd never been horseback riding before, so calling myself a fish out of water was a massive understatement.

When Aiden returned from his call, I noticed everyone else had already mounted and ridden off. He waited for me, a pile of unfamiliar protective gear cradled in his arms.

"Sorry about that," I jogged over. "My assistant just had to confirm my schedule for the next few months."

"How many gigs do you have coming up?" he asked, his deep voice a low rumble that instantly sent a jolt through me.

"Not many, just two," I admitted, meeting his gaze. Most were already off the books, especially the international ones. Frankly, globe-trotting felt like a chore this year.

Aiden held out the knee guards. "Come here. I'll get you set up."

My face instantly flushed. "I can handle it!" The last thing I needed was him on one knee, fussing over my gear with half the riding club gawking. The weekend crowd was hefty, and I was already drawing enough attention as Aiden Carter's shiny new wife.

His eyes crinkled with amusement, but he offered the guards without argument. The sheer weight of them nearly made me fumble. I hoped he hadn't noticed my graceless grab, but when I stole a peek, his intense gaze pinned me.

I dropped onto a nearby bench, scrutinizing the knee guards with growing bewilderment. Up? Down? After a full minute of rotating them in my hands, I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"Aiden," I admitted, cheeks blazing. "I have no earthly idea how these things work."

Without a word, he plucked the guards from my hands and knelt before me. "Extend your leg," he instructed, his voice dropping an octave, a gravelly whisper.

I obeyed, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs as his proximity consumed me. "It's fine," I tried to sound casual. "First-timer here. Zero clue."

"Left leg first, Mrs. Carter," he emphasized my title, a hint of something possessive in his tone.

The way "Mrs. Carter" rolled off his tongue nearly shattered my composure. I yanked my gaze away, stretching out my left leg. "Right."

When he moved to help with the back support, I didn't even think to resist.

His arms curved around my waist, and though he never quite made contact, I swore I felt the ghost of his touch. My eyes traced his features – those impossibly long lashes, the sharp line of his nose, those perfectly sculpted lips...

Lost in the delicious distraction, I didn't realize he'd looked up until a warm press bloomed on my forehead. His lips. He’d kissed my forehead! My fingers flew to my mouth, trembling.

"Too tight?" he asked, his voice as smooth as if he hadn't just short-circuited my entire system.

"N-no, it's fine," I stammered.

"Good."

His dark eyes lingered on my lips for a heartbeat, a raw intensity sparking in their depths that had my stomach doing aerial acrobatics. Then, just as abruptly, his expression cleared, and he announced, "Hang on a sec," before shrugging into his own gear.

I couldn't help but appreciate how the back support hugged his narrow waist. A wicked thought flickered: what would it feel like to run my hands along that lean frame? I quickly averted my gaze.

Once Aiden was geared up, he took my hand. "Let's pick out a ride."

Clueless as a lamb at a wolf convention, I simply let him lead. As we approached the horses, a stable hand presented two options – a smaller, gentle-looking mare, practically labeled 'beginner-friendly,' and beside it, a magnificent black stallion, a commanding presence of muscle and grace.

"Which one catches your eye?" Aiden asked.

My gaze locked onto the black horse.

Nearly two meters tall, with powerful, sculpted legs and a coat that shimmered like polished obsidian, he was a creature of myth. "He's absolutely stunning," I breathed, then, with a sigh of resignation, pointed to the mare. "But I should probably go with her."

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