Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Chalisa could not concentrateas Mercedes Belle introduced each of them, bragging up Aiden and all his credentials and accomplishments as he smugly grinned. How did he appear so tough, charming, and yet closed-off and untouchable? In some ways, he didn't even seem human—too perfect and cold.

She should've seen him more clearly the night she'd fallen for him. In her idealistic bubble, she'd assumed she had nestled against his real chest, the two of them underneath his armor. Now she realized that no one could touch Aiden Porter emotionally or hurt him physically. Whatever she thought they had between them was a farce. She'd punched him in the gut and he'd hardly even grunted. He didn't even act afraid of Kingston. Kingston!

Mercedes finally finished ‘glazing' Aiden, as Jenn would call all the praise. Then she went on for far too long about Chalisa's background, charity, and her family connection with the royals of Magna.

Chalisa simply clung to Hope and paid more attention to her niece's prattling than Mercedes or the camera, and Aiden didn't move to either shake her hand or, surprisingly, say anything charming after the introductions. There was an awkward, pregnant pause. The silence was filled with the rhythmic waves rolling onto the beach not far away and Hope's sweet voice. Then Shawn encouraged Mercedes to explain the challenges for the next week.

She smiled at Shawn and then went on and on about how she was honored to be here in the Hidden Kingdom, and Aiden and Chalisa would be able to participate in all the exciting things the royal family of Magna did with style—jousting, sword-fighting, archery, target shooting, hand to hand combat, hunting, horse-back riding.

Maybe there were more. Who knew?

The royal family hunted? Chalisa had spent a decent amount of time on Magna, and she'd never seen any of them hunt. Except for Samson, Princess Constance's husband who lived up in the mountains as the leader of the Dissenters, a formerly rebellious group who had calmed under Samson's influence.

Chalisa could hardly pay attention to Mercedes's voice or even worry about challenges she'd never excel at. She was fighting with everything in her not to fling herself into Aiden's arms and beg him to love her. How humiliating would that be? Yet if it would work, if she could convince him with a kiss how right they were, and they could finally be together …

Oh my! She could not be this sappy and weak with him around. What were the odds of her getting matched with the very man she needed to avoid? This could not be endorsed by heaven. It hurt too much.

She'd pray more earnestly that the good Lord would bless her with the actual right man for her. Then she could shove that perfect man in Aiden's face. Wouldn't that be a saintly thing to do? She should've smiled, but she was too depressed. Would such a miracle ever occur for her?

She should've let Kingston pummel Aiden. Yet she remembered how easily and silently Aiden had taken out Jorge and his beefy bodyguards. Maybe Kingston would have a challenge fighting Aiden. She appreciated her tough brother-in-law, but she didn't want anybody to be fighting. She didn't need to be mopping up blood and broken bodies after a fight. The thought of Aiden with a split lip and brow made her cringe, but then she imagined she could tenderly clean up his cuts, touch his smooth skin, have him look at her like she was his world again, and then they'd kiss.

Stop it, she yelled in her own head.

Clinging to Hope and ignoring the concerned glances from her mom, Reagan, and Kingston, she was stunned when she heard that she and Aiden were going to ride with Kingston and Garrett the cameraman to the stadium to begin their training while the rest of her family returned to the castle with Mercedes and Shawn. She didn't want to let Hope out of her arms or say goodbye to her mom or Reagan yet. It was probably for the best that her mom and sister didn't get her alone so she wouldn't spill the complete saga of her and Aiden's tragic love story. Everlasting love? Not likely. The necklace felt heavy in her pocket.

"You and your incredible protector, Captain Aiden Porter"—Mercedes seemed to relish saying his name—"will have the next three and a half days to train with General Kingston and other incredible princes and royal guards to become as proficient as possible in the events for our competition. Shawn's Navy SEAL friends will be here on Thursday evening. They'll go in blind without the training you'll receive, but honestly they'll still have an upper hand. They're amazing," she sang out, grinning. "You will compete all day Friday in the events at the stadium. Saturday is a special competition that we will explain later. You have to achieve the highest points total as a couple to win the million dollars. Any questions?"

Win the highest points total? Against trained Navy SEALs? Aiden could easily win, but she'd be no help with points accumulation. Kingston had taught her to ride a horse, and she enjoyed the times she'd ridden, but she'd never attempted to joust. She was decent at archery but again stood no chance against trained warriors.

Jousting, sword fighting, target shooting, and hand to hand combat? Against Navy SEALs? She broke out in a cold sweat that had nothing to do with fighting her feelings for Aiden this week.

"Wait." She held up a hand. "You're saying the two of us have to get more points than two Navy SEALs? Is that possible?"

Aiden grinned and winked at her before Mercedes could respond. "You'll do fabulous love, but don't worry. I can easily outshine two SEALs."

Shawn frowned at him.

She gritted her teeth to keep from yelling at him not to call her love. Kingston's glower spoke volumes. He did not like Aiden toying with her and would put him in his place before the day was over. She'd never been more grateful for her brawny brother-in-law. No, that wasn't true. She was grateful for Kingston every day. The way he loved her sister and niece and made them both incredibly happy.

"You'll both do great," Mercedes said. "But Aiden is right. He's the most impressive warrior any of us has ever seen."

Aiden bowed gallantly. "Thank you, Miss Belle."

Shawn's brows lowered into a V, and he looked as angry as Kingston.

"All right, Shawn." Mercedes beamed up at him. "I am finally in Magna. It's time to explore the castle and storybook village."

Shawn's countenance changed. He smiled gently at her and led her to one of the two waiting Humvees. Treck must've taken the third vehicle while Chalisa had been so completely distracted by Aiden a nuclear bomb could've gone off and she wouldn't have noticed until she was dead. Shawn helped Mercedes into the passenger seat and then walked around and climbed into the driver's seat. Interesting. She'd never seen a visitor drive one of the military's vehicles.

"C'mon, baby girl," her mom said to Hope, opening her arms.

"No. Me stay with Auntie Shell," Hope insisted, clinging to Chalisa's neck.

Chalisa held her tight. She didn't want to let her go either. She glanced up and made the mistake of locking gazes with Aiden. His gaze was tender on her. Sweet. Hopeful. Her own heart filled with hope.

As soon as he saw her looking, he focused on the ocean.

The hits just kept on coming. Why had she let herself fall for him that night? Could anyone blame her? She'd been a mess after being attacked by Jorge. Aiden had been the ideal hero that night—charming, irresistible, and she had thought he was her perfect fit. How wrong she'd been.

She caught Kingston frowning between the two of them, and that gave her strength. Kingston would keep her safe and take Aiden out if she asked him to. She smiled to herself. He might take him out for no reason at all. Kingston was her hero right now.

And for the next week, she had to focus on why she was here: to win the million dollars. She'd enjoy the time with her family when she had it and keep her feelings for Aiden buried deep, interacting with him as little as possible.

She handed Hope over to her mom. "I'll see you tonight, okay, love?" She shouldn't have used Aiden's term of endearment. One glance at him made her want to run to him. His blue eyes were warm on her again. She focused on her niece. "We can play horse and dolls and you can show me your puppies. All right?"

Hopefully she could keep these promises. If they were training for the next three and a half days and right close to the castle, she should have the ability to spend some time with her niece and family.

"And Auntie Stella's flowers?" Hope asked.

"Of course. I love the flower garden." She hid a smile. Princess Stella was married to Crown Prince Quinn. The flower garden was her happy spot, but she hadn't created it like Hope believed.

"Okay." Hope's lower lip drooped. "Bye, Auntie Shell."

Chalisa's mom gave her another hug, squishing Hope between them, then stole her granddaughter from Chalisa and turned to walk to the Humvee.

Reagan gave her a hug and whispered, "I need the story about that handsome hunk tonight."

Chalisa managed a weak smile and pulled back. "See you later." She would promise nothing. She'd hate missing out on her family this week, but maybe being insanely busy would keep her from admitting the truth. She loved ‘that handsome hunk' and she meant nothing to him.

Kingston hurried to escort his wife to the Humvee, holding the door for his mother-in-law and kissing his daughter and wife before settling them in the rear seats and shutting the door. Chalisa had managed to focus on her family and not even glance Aiden's direction for a few minutes. Small victories.

"Let's load up," Kingston said, gesturing to the other Humvee.

Chalisa started in that direction. She noticed Aiden and the cameraman keeping pace with her. The camera would take some getting used to. Aiden would take … she didn't know what. It was impossible to imagine she could be impervious to him or adjust to having him close and not loving him.

Kingston held the passenger door for her. His serious gaze questioned what was happening with her and Aiden. She managed another weak smile, sat in the stiff seat, and pressed her head against the headrest. Kingston closed the door. Yet another fabulous attribute about her brother-in-law—he wasn't one to grill you with questions.

Aiden and Garrett climbed in the back. Aiden sat directly behind her. She could feel him, but thankfully the seats were big and she couldn't see him.

Garrett never stopped filming.

Interesting that the Magnites had upgraded to a nice jet for the tourists but still used the older Humvees to drive them around. Maybe it was a nostalgic thing. They kept the Humvees clean and in good condition.

Reagan had told her that the Magnites were flourishing financially and, thanks to Samson, tensions with the Dissenters were at an all-time low. The royal family only allowed twenty-four tourists to visit each week and only ten spots were open at the castle; the rest booked homes in the village, on the beach, or even up in the mountains near Chalisa's favorite waterfalls. The Magnites didn't want their island to be overrun but the royals and the locals were gracious and welcomed every visitor.

Kingston drove past the jet, two smaller planes, and a larger jet that was probably Mercedes's. It wasn't Aiden's jet. Had Aiden flown in with Mercedes and Shawn? Why did she care?

She studied the familiar scenery outside the window to avoid looking at or talking with anyone in the vehicle. They drove from the small airstrip with the beach and ocean on her left and farmers' fields spreading like a blanket up to the towering, verdant mountains on her right.

Within minutes, they cruised into the village. Chalisa relaxed a bit. She was thrilled to be here. The small town bristled with old-world charm—cobblestone streets, arched bridges leading over the river, the picture-perfect church and quaint shops, and the incredible castle towering above it all with its large windows and granite walls sparkling in the late-morning sunlight.

Instead of going over the bridge to the castle's courtyard, Kingston turned toward the stadium and the training facilities for the military. Her stomach twisted with nerves. She should've paid more attention when Kingston had trained her, Jenn, and Reagan on horseback riding, target shooting, and hand-to-hand combat. To be fair, Kingston had been mostly focused on his wife, and she and Jenn had mostly messed around while Jenn flirted with the royal guards. She'd learned some self-defense but hadn't used it except her failed attempts at getting away from Jorge. Which of course brought her thoughts around to Aiden.

Think of something else.

Would the Navy SEALs go easy on her for the show because she was a woman and the only one not trained in all aspects of battle? She dreaded fighting anyone. A Navy SEAL could probably incapacitate her with one hit, just like Aiden had done to Jorge and his guards.

Shoot. Every train of thought led to Aiden.

They stopped next to the stadium's entrance. Aiden stepped out of the vehicle directly behind her and opened her door as she was reaching for the handle. She stared at him, stunned by the connection between them and the sparks that seemed to light the air as their gazes locked. How was she supposed to stay impervious to him? Why would she want to?

His hand seemed to lift of its own accord as his blue eyes focused on her. She placed her hand in his and suddenly every dream of them together was going to come true. What did three months of pain matter now that they were together again? She couldn't wait to tell Princess Stella she and Aiden's romance story and let the talented author use it for inspiration. She was inspired simply by touching his hand and looking into those blue, blue eyes.

"This way," Kingston barked, glaring at Aiden through the windshield.

Aiden helped her out of the Humvee, then released her hand. All the dreams popped like bubbles and dropped to the dirt at her feet. She knew it was for the best and Kingston was only protecting her, but it still hurt.

They fell into step behind Kingston, Garrett bringing up the rear.

"Friendly guy, your brother-in-law," Aiden murmured for only her to hear and as if the two of them were whispering funny secrets to each other.

Chalisa almost laughed. Kingston was a fabulous husband and father, a great brother-in-law and son-in-law, an off-the-charts general, and an all-around impressive man, but nobody had ever called him friendly.

"He's a great guy. You just got on his bad side," she whispered back.

"I think every side of his is bad," Aiden said too loudly, as if he wanted Kingston to be more ticked off.

Kingston glared over his shoulder at Aiden and then walked through one of the entrances and into the stadium. They followed.

"You need to be careful," she whispered. "You mess with the bull and you will get the horns."

She made the mistake of getting too close to Aiden's side. Their arms brushed.

Aiden turned to her and stopped walking right in the entrance, tall bleachers on either side of them shading them from the sun and watchful eyes. His gaze traveled over her, his eyes warm and hungry.

Chalisa's stomach did a flip-flop.

"Don't worry about me, love," he said, giving her his charming smile that got to her every time, no matter that he shared it with every woman.

"You haven't seen Kingston fight," she insisted.

"And you haven't seen me fight." He tenderly trailed his fingers across her arm, then jerked back as if she'd given him an electric shock. His eyes were wide, but he pasted on his smile, gave her a cocky wink, and then turned and continued into the stadium.

Chalisa was hot all over from a simple touch, him looking at her, and his words. She hadn't seen him fight, but he had brilliantly protected her that night. She suddenly found she wanted to watch him fight. Badly. Aiden in combat would be an art form.

But not with Kingston. Her brother-in-law would destroy him.

There were some men working on target and arrow shooting, and a pair of men on horses practicing the joust.

"Stuart, Wes," Kingston hollered.

The two on horses whirled and raced their way. They stopped their horses twenty feet shy of the group and slid off, still holding onto their huge lances. They both flipped their visors up and Wes's friendly grin and Stuart's smirk were evident.

"Chalisa!" Stuart called. Dark, swarthy, tough, and the most competitive man she'd ever met, Stuart was married to the sweetheart Princess Belle. "We heard you were coming for a new reality show. Mercedes Belle thinks she can do a better job than Axel Dexter, apparently. We'll see about that."

The billionaire Axel Dexter was Stuart and Wes's close friend and had been the captain of their Ranger unit. Stuart and Wes had been part of his reality shows, Survive the Romance. She'd heard Mercedes planned on her shows being even better. It was a lofty goal.

They both set their lances down and strode their direction, taking their gloves off as they came.

"It's good to see you, Chalisa," Wes said. Wes was a tall redhead with blue eyes and a great smile. Kingston had told her some people underestimated his strength and skill because of his leaner build and how friendly he was. Those same people always regretted challenging him to any kind of competition. Wes was married to the feisty and hilarious Princess Leia.

Both men were former Army Rangers who had committed their hearts and their lives to the Magnite people, two beautiful princesses in particular. She loved their stories, and they were both great guys.

"And I heard we get to train you two to annihilate a couple of cocky Navy SEALs," Stuart said.

"That is a brilliant plan," Aiden said. He stuck out his hand to Stuart first. "Aiden Porter."

"Stuart Falslev." Stuart shook his hand but held it. "What branch of the military, and please don't say a SEAL."

Aiden grinned. "Captain with the Marines."

"Hmm. Still the Navy." Stuart released him like he had the pox.

"True, but I am on your side to annihilate a couple of cocky SEALs." He turned and shook Wes's hand.

"Wes Hunsaker. Nice to meet you."

"You as well. What branch did you serve with?"

"We were both Army Rangers," Wes answered.

"And now military advisors to the illustrious General Kingston Magnum. You are the two perfect men to train us to win this competition," Aiden said.

"Schmoozer," Kingston grunted.

Stuart lifted an eyebrow and Wes smiled. Aiden didn't react.

"I will be working with Chalisa," Kingston said, his voice not allowing for any argument. "I'm assigning both of you to train Mr. Porter."

"Sounds great," Wes said, still smiling.

"Oh yeah." Stuart cracked his knuckles. "You get the top specialists to train you."

"I appreciate that," Aiden said smoothly, "but my understanding was Chalisa and I were to spend this week together, not training separately."

"This is a reality show focused on Chalisa winning the money for her charity, not matchmaking her with some silver-tongued military wannabe," Kingston said shortly.

Chalisa grimaced. That was pretty harsh. Aiden only smirked at Kingston, as if he knew he'd riled the man up and wasn't concerned about it. Aiden had no need to posture—his innate confidence glowed like a search light—but he must have no idea how tough Kingston was.

Stuart and Wes exchanged glances. Kingston obviously didn't care if he'd been rude to Aiden. He took Chalisa's elbow and directed her toward the stables.

She caught Aiden's gaze as they walked past. He looked like he'd been denied spending time with the love of his life. Chalisa knew that wasn't true and she should be thanking Kingston.

"What did that pretty boy do to you?" Kingston muttered as they reached the stables.

"He was telling the truth at the airport," she said, barely able to hold her brother-in-law's gaze. "When Jenn and I were in Cancun three months ago, I was walking alone on the beach at night. A man attacked me. Aiden took out the guy's guards and rescued me from being raped and killed by a drug lord and a murderer."

Kingston rested his arm against the stable wall and glanced back out to where Stuart, Wes, and Aiden were chatting. "I guess I shouldn't be so annoyed with him. He seems like a pompous jerk."

"He's a good guy," she admitted. Though was he really? Did good guys toy with a woman's heart like Aiden had done to her?

"Why didn't you tell me about the assault in Cancun?"

She shrugged. "It was so out of this world it was hard to believe it really happened. Aiden saved me, put Jenn and I on his jet, and got me home safely. He even had a guy watch out for me until he was able to get the drug lord arrested about six weeks later."

Kingston nodded, then focused back on her. "There's so much tension between the two of you, it makes me feel like he must have hurt you."

She fidgeted, unsure how to answer him.

"He kissed you. He admitted to that."

"He did." She bravely met Kingston's deep-blue and too-serious gaze. "I naively fell for him. It was easy to do while he rescued me. He was charming and handsome and I thought we had a connection. He hurt me because I was only a job to him. He doesn't care about me, and he showed that by never coming for me."

"I'm sorry." Kingston's jaw was rock hard. "He's obviously not worthy of you."

Chalisa appreciated the words, but she was overwhelmingly drawn to Aiden, it was hard to believe they weren't meant to be.

Kingston gave her a partial smile. "I'll make sure to thump him in the next couple days so he knows what hurt feels like."

She smiled too. She liked having a brother. "Let's get to work training me. I have no idea how I'm going to stack up against Navy SEALs."

"With me as your trainer? Easy." His smile was almost full at that point, but she wasn't certain if it was the thought of him training her to beat Navy SEALs or him getting the chance to thump Aiden. She didn't want Aiden thumped.

Chalisa glanced back out of the stables. The three men were walking toward them. Aiden's blue eyes were focused on her and a confident smile was on his lips. She couldn't catch a breath. Turning away, she focused on Kingston, who was watching her as if she were so fragile she might break.

Kingston was going to thump Aiden for her. She didn't want Aiden hurt, but maybe a little humility wouldn't be out of line, and a little taste of how much he'd hurt her.

No. Kingston would obliterate Aiden. She couldn't watch that. Besides, he needed to be in top shape to help her win the million dollars. Bringing health care to more under-insured or non-insured people had to be her focus. Not Aiden.

Captain Aiden Porter was her partner this week. He was a flashy, charming player who didn't care about her. He wasn't going to settle down. She couldn't forget what Aiden was—not for a moment—or she'd humiliate herself and Kingston as she ran to Aiden and begged him to love her.