Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 84

Aria's POV

I grabbed my phone and rushed to the door, my heart hammering in my chest. Sure enough, a police car was parked outside with several officers standing at attention.

"Ms.Carter?" one officer asked, eyeing me carefully. "Your friend reported a possible break-in at your residence. Is there an intruder in your home?"

My face burned with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, officer. There's no break-in—it's just a misunderstanding. My husband returned from his business trip, and I briefly thought it might be an intruder. My friend hung up before I could explain..."

The officer seemed to understand this was probably a false alarm, but still followed protocol. "No intruder, no other concerns? Would it be possible for your husband to come down so we can verify everything's okay?"

I hesitated, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "He's actually in the shower right now. It's not really convenient."

"That's fine, we can wait," the officer replied firmly.

I reluctantly invited them to wait in the entryway, but they insisted on staying at the door. As I turned to go back inside, the officer called out, "Ms. Jones, if you don't return within five minutes, we'll have to come inside."

The warning was delivered loud enough that anyone inside could hear it. My scalp prickled with anxiety—I'd never been in such an embarrassing situation before.

"Understood, Officer Brooks," I replied, then hurried back into the house and up to the master bedroom.

Just as I'd guessed, Aiden was indeed showering. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and after a moment's hesitation, I pushed it open and slipped inside. The bathroom door, however, was completely closed.

With Officer Brooks' five-minute deadline looming, I reluctantly knocked on the bathroom door, my face already flushing. Through the door, I could hear the shower running.

My mind suddenly conjured images of the two of us making love, and I quickly slapped my cheeks to banish the thought. I knocked harder and called out, "Aiden, it's me."

The water stopped almost immediately. Before I could prepare myself, the door swung open and there stood Aiden, water still dripping from his body, a towel slung dangerously low on his hips.

His muscular chest was right in front of my face, and I froze completely.

"What's happened?" his deep voice rumbled from above me.

I struggled to maintain my composure, but my voice betrayed me: "The... the police want to see you."

"Police?"

Aiden's brow furrowed, then understanding dawned on his face. "I see. I'll be down right away."

He didn't immediately close the door, though. His dark eyes studied my flushed face, his gaze dropping to my nose as his Adam's apple bobbed. "Aria," he said, his voice controlled.

"Yes?" I looked up nervously, unable to resist stealing another glance at his chest.

God, were his muscles even bigger than before? I had the strangest urge to touch them.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

Realizing I'd been caught staring, I froze in place. His intense dark eyes seemed to see straight through me, like he could read my every thought.

I bit my lip, feeling heat spread from my ears to my cheeks. "Nothing at all. Would you believe me?"

"I need to get dressed. The police are waiting." I backed away quickly. "You should come down soon."

I practically ran from the room. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, my heart was still pounding erratically.

How mortifying!

I paused at the front door, pressing one hand to my chest while the other touched my burning cheeks. After taking thirty seconds to compose myself, I stepped outside.

"Sorry about the wait, Officer Brooks. My husband will be down momentarily."

The officer nodded. I could tell by his expression that he'd already figured out this was just a misunderstanding, but since I'd already notified Aiden, they couldn't just leave.

Aiden appeared quickly, dressed in a black bathrobe, his short hair still dripping. I glanced at him nervously, then made introductions: "Officer Brooks, this is Aiden Carter, my husband."

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