Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

Aiden wasskittish and off Thursday, and everybody seemed to sense it. He tried to joke that he was nervous to meet the competition. Stuart and Wes thought that was very funny. He was sneaking more glances at Chalisa as she trained than he was focusing on mastering the joust.

"Dude! We're regressing here," Stuart shot at him, obviously annoyed. "I am not standing by while you lose to a couple of squids. What is wrong?"

He swallowed and admitted, "Chalisa."

Wes and Stuart shared a look.

"Go storm across the stadium and kiss her," Wes suggested. "Then we can focus."

Aiden smiled. He'd kissed her last night. Oh, how he'd kissed her. That was why he was such a mess. He'd also promised to keep her safe. What did that mean? Have one of his men watch over her again, or could he rationalize keeping her by his side? He loved that idea. Somehow he would keep his promise to his dad and not lose Chalisa on the pretense that only he could keep her safe.

He groaned.

"That's the problem. He has been kissing her," Stuart said.

Aiden pumped his eyebrows, and they both groaned. He was trying to tease, play this off, but Chalisa and how he loved her was no teasing matter.

"All right." Stuart grabbed the visor of his metal helmet and yanked him in close.

Aiden let him.

"You are a warrior. Nothing is in your head but fighting, excelling, and winning. It's who you are, and what you were made for." Stuart's dark-brown eyes were intense and his words even more so.

Aiden's dad had blue eyes just like him and Ike. His dad loved them and would hug them goodnight and affectionately ruffle their hair or pat them on the shoulder. He'd always praise their success and hard work, but he'd been just as intense as Stuart's speech. He'd heard almost those same words from his dad many times. It was exactly what Aiden needed.

"Yes, sir," he barked out.

"Hoo-ah!" Wes hollered.

"Don't let me down, Captain," Stuart barked.

"Never, sir!"

"Hoo-ah!" Stuart released him, and they got back to work.

He still knew exactly where Chalisa was and what she was doing, but Stuart's speech had helped clear his head and he could at least focus on training and excelling. A warrior. Bionic Man. What he was, and what he was made for. He couldn't let Stuart down, or his dad.

The day was long and hard. Dinner with Chalisa looking like the most tempting angel to ever walk this earth in a black, form-fitting, V-neck dress was even harder. Her wearing the Maquech Beetle was even harder. He was certain she'd never choose that dress for herself, it was far too flashy for his sweet and unassuming Chalisa, but she looked exquisite in it.

He joked and teased with Chalisa, Prince Malik, and Princess Addie, who were seated next to them. Chalisa brushed against him too many times during dinner. Finally they finished, said their goodnights, and he was escorting her up the stairs. His heart seemed to flutter in his chest, not really beat. Could he kiss her again? This time in the main room so he wasn't tempted to kiss the night away?

He glanced her way. She gave him a sweet smile. He needed to start the kissing right next to the necklace, take his time with her soft neck, and slowly, slowly make his way to her lips.

Wes had said he should kiss her and then he could focus. That was the advice he'd cling to tonight, pushing away Stuart's more accurate advice about him being made to be a warrior and his dad's voice to not let anyone into his heart or let his emotional barriers down.

At the moment, there wasn't a barrier in place. That should've concerned him deeply. Instead he felt energized, buoyant, and happy. He couldn't recall a time he'd ever felt this happy. The woman walking next to him created that happiness.

They reached the second level, and he upped their pace toward the next staircase.

"In a rush?" she asked.

He paused and traced his eyes over her beautiful face and then to her neck. Maybe the kissing could start right here and continue into their suite. He'd kiss her neck, then her lips. He'd sweep her off her feet and carry her up the next staircase and down the hallway. The kissing did not need to stop while he carried her. He could easily accomplish both with his dexterity and strength.

Sliding his arm around her back, he turned her toward him. Her blue eyes lit up.

"Aiden! Chalisa!" Mercedes's voice floated up the stairs to them.

Aiden groaned, and Chalisa smiled at him. That smile. He didn't care if Mercedes had to wait. She could watch them kiss. The benevolent lady wouldn't complain.

"Aiden! Chalisa!" Mercedes's voice was closer and out of breath from climbing the stairs.

Chalisa unfortunately turned to face their hostess. Aiden knew he should do the same. He released her, turned, and straightened, pasting on his ‘charming' smile.

Mercedes and Shawn, flanked by two dark-haired men, ascended the staircase and stopped in front of them. The men were non-descript to him—dark hair, dark eyes, above average height, well-built, passably handsome, military bearing.

Their Navy SEAL friends had arrived. The Marines would say ‘oorah,' but he thought of Stuart and Wes and their "hoo-ah' and smiled bigger. He was going to decimate these two tomorrow.

The man to the left of Mercedes couldn't seem to peel his eyes from Chalisa's face.

Aiden slid his arm around Chalisa's waist, earning a smile from her and a calculated look from the man.

"They're here," Mercedes cheered, taking a deep gulp of air. She didn't look out of shape, but the poor lady could hardly climb the stairs. Maybe she was as sick as the media claimed.

"Let the games begin," Aiden teased, but he meant it in more ways than one. This SEAL wasn't going to hit on his Chalisa. He groaned inside. Sadly she wasn't his, and he was being a jerk again trying to lay claim to her, relish the happiness she brought to him, kiss her nonstop, and confuse and hurt her even more when he had to walk away from her.

He'd promised to keep her safe, but he could do that by assigning two of his men to watch over her. His free hand clenched into a fist. He wanted that assignment. But she wasn't even in danger. Jorge was locked away and Aiden's skills had to be used to take down drug dealers, mafia lords, and human traffickers. A simple protection detail wasn't his purpose. Chalisa wasn't his purpose.

The SEAL stared at Chalisa and gave her a smile that Aiden didn't like, not at all. She was in danger from this guy. He was assigning himself as her protector, right now.

"Captain Jagger Lemuel." Mercedes gestured to the guy at her side, the guy smiling at Aiden's girl. "Lieutenant Hays West." She turned to the other guy next to Shawn. "This is Chalisa Anderson and Captain Aiden Porter. Your competitors for tomorrow and Saturday."

Competition indeed.

Lieutenant West stepped forward and offered his hand. Aiden was always friendly. He could destroy someone in a fight, but he'd be cordial before and offer them a hand up after. Unless they were a criminal. Then he'd let the local law enforcement take care of them after he took them down.

It about killed him to shake the guy's hand and let Captain Lemuel take Chalisa's hand in his and hold on to it.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," West said. "I'm impressed by your organization. They say you'll be the next Sutton Smith, right?"

"Thank you. That is the plan." Aiden smiled, and should've been pleased that his fame was growing.

Unfortunately, he could hear Lemuel saying, "Chalisa … I've never met your equal. Mercedes has told me all about Nursing Kindness. Charitable and beautiful."

Chalisa blushed prettily. "Thank you, Jagger."

Aiden couldn't even pretend to focus on whatever question West was asking as he gave ‘Jagger' a warning glance. Why was she calling Captain Lemuel by his first name?

The man simply smirked at him. A smirk Aiden had patented—you don't know who you're messing with, and I am going to destroy you.

Raw fury heated Aiden's neck and tightened his muscles. He was going to dismantle this guy before the competition tomorrow.

"Mercedes," somebody called from down below.

"Oh!" Mercedes grabbed Captain Lemuel's arm. "That's Princess Julia. You have to come meet King Kendrick and Queen Raya. They're fabulous."

"All right." Lemuel nodded to her and had the gall to offer his arm to Chalisa. "Would you like to meet the king and queen with us?"

"We've met them," Aiden said hotly.

Mercedes looked surprised by Aiden not being his charming self. Lemuel looked smug, like he knew he was getting under his skin.

"We'll see you all in the morning," Aiden continued before anyone could stop him. He wrapped his arm around Chalisa, turning her away from the group and starting up the next set of stairs.

"Goodnight," Mercedes called.

"Goodnight," Chalisa returned.

The men said nothing. Aiden almost wanted Lemuel to make a comment. Pretty much anything the guy said, Aiden could find a way to misconstrue. He'd spring at the man and annihilate him before Lemuel could check out Chalisa one more time.

They walked stiffly up the stairs, down the hall, and into their suite.

"So that's the competition," Chalisa said as the door closed behind them.

"Not much competition." He gave her his patented, too-confident smile.

"They seemed very tough and impressive to me."

He swallowed hard and stared down at her. "They did?"

"Especially Jagger. He looked as strong as Kingston."

Red hot jealousy poked him in the chest. The man was nowhere near as thick as Kingston, and he stood no chance against Aiden.

"Well, now." He smirked all the more. "We've seen that I can defeat Kingston, so obviously Captain Lemuel's ‘strength' is no concern of ours."

"Thank you for reassuring me of your obviously superior abilities." She smirked at him. His Chalisa didn't smirk. It looked really cute on her.

"You doubt me?" he asked, only partially teasing.

She looked him over, slowly. His blood ran hotter.

"Never," she pledged in the most beautifully appealing voice.

Aiden grinned. All his kissing visions were going to happen. Now. But first he had to make certain. "I don't want you around Captain Lemuel. Don't let him get you alone or try to get in your head. You understand?"

Chalisa blinked up at him. Her mouth pursed. "Aiden. Are you jealous of Jagger?"

Jealous? Him? Never. If someone had something he wanted, he worked until he got it, but he didn't get jealous.

He'd promised to keep her safe, and part of that was keeping her far away from Jagger. Kingston had called Aiden a ‘schmoozer' before he beat him the first time and earned his respect. Captain Lemuel was the real schmoozer, a poser, a glazer. Kingston would back Aiden up.

All his dreams of kissing Chalisa fell away as she studied him, seeing through his veneer to exactly how jealous he was.

Okay, he was jealous. He didn't want some guy hitting on Chalisa, holding her hand, complimenting her.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said. "Rest well."

He turned and strode to his bedroom. Chalisa was probably laughing at him. He was annoyed at Captain Jagger Lemuel and at himself. He should've teased that he was jealous and she needed to kiss him better.

The fact that he couldn't admit it was telling. The fact that he'd missed out on kissing Chalisa when he only had two more nights with her was devastating.