Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

Aiden forcedhimself to concentrate on everything Stuart and Wes were teaching him. If only his gaze didn't stray to Chalisa every few beats of his heart. The glares he got from Kingston only made him smile. He sensed the general was going to call him out soon. He looked forward to that fight. It would help release some of the tension of keeping himself away from Chalisa. Nothing could cure it completely except Chalisa pressed tight to his chest, her lips meeting his …

"What's up with you and Chalisa?" Stuart asked in an undertone, breaking Aiden's daydreams and longing looks at her.

It was probably only the twentieth time Aiden had glanced at Chalisa in the past half hour. Who could blame him? She was mesmerizing, glowed like an angel, and he hadn't seen her in three horrifically long months.

Thankfully, the cameraman had mostly focused on Kingston and Chalisa as well. Smart. If the viewers of this reality show were all male, the ratings would be through the roof.

Then his fists clenched, thinking about all the men he would have to fight off. How had some smart man not snatched up the beautiful and charitable nurse practitioner? Everything about Chalisa, from her sweet nature to her beautiful blue eyes, enchanted him. He hated himself for hurting her. If he was Kingston, he'd want to thump him too.

If only he were any other man and hadn't made an oath.

"I valiantly rescued her from a fate worse than death," he told Stuart, grinning like the overly confident jerk he tried to portray.

"And fell in love with her," Wes guessed.

Aiden's breath rushed out of his body. Wes was perceptive. He'd give the guy that. "No time for love, boys. Let's focus on beating some frogmen." If only that wasn't true for him. He had no time for love, no possibility of love in his life.

They both smirked at him, and he wondered if he'd ever been so transparent. But luckily, they agreed and focused.

Aiden had ridden horses, but he had a long way to go to be proficient enough to joust on the back of one. He could only hope neither of the SEALs were great on a horse.

For the next four hours, Stuart and Wes coached him on horseback riding and jousting. When they deemed he needed a break so he wouldn't be saddle sore tomorrow and halt their progress, they moved on to archery. He could hold his own with a bow and arrow, but he wanted to be the top contender, so he listened, sharpened his skills, and improved. They took a few breaks for snacks and water but worked through lunch and into the late afternoon.

He reassured them that he needed no help on target shooting with a pistol, hand to hand combat, or sword fighting, so they didn't waste time on those events.

Stuart and Wes were great. Stuart had a competitive streak a mile long; Aiden related to him well. Wes was deceptively easy-going. They were both incredibly strong, impressively trained in modern and ancient warfare, and fun to tease and laugh with. The only problem was they liked getting jabs in about Chalisa distracting him and how ticked Kingston was getting.

The difficulty of jousting and dialing in perfection with the archery almost diverted his attention from Chalisa. But not quite. She was adorable trying to hold a heavy sword and swing it around, fighting with her goliath of a brother-in-law, and she looked incredible on the horse. She'd obviously ridden before.

"The general has steam coming out his ears. He is going to come thrash you if you don't stop with the moony eyes at his sister-in-law," Stuart teased for probably the tenth time.

"She started it," Aiden tried to tease as well, pulling back and releasing his arrow. It only missed the bull's eye by an inch. "Have you seen how she's eyeing me up and down?"

"Ha!" Stuart laughed. "For having a reputation as a womanizer and the ‘second top security specialist in the world, next to Sutton Smith,' you sure are acting like a sap."

"He's a goner, that's for sure," Wes agreed.

Aiden smiled. He wished they'd confirm that Chalisa was in fact checking him out. He wasn't certain. In all the many times he'd searched for a glimpse of her, he'd only caught her eyes on him a few times.

He had to bring his mental focus back to his life plan. He'd worked untold hours, and all his and his dad's goals were going to come true. He revered Sutton, and he couldn't think of a better man to be number two behind, but Aiden would be number one within the next ten years. Sutton had stepped into the role of surrogate father and advisor to him. The fabulous Brit would be as happy for him as his own dad.

Reputation as a womanizer? If only they knew how in control of himself Aiden was around women. All except for one.

He allowed himself one more glance. Chalisa was sparring with Kingston. She looked tiny compared to the huge general. She deflected a very slow punch from Kingston and then slugged him in the chest.

Aiden smiled, and then it happened. She finally looked his direction. His heart sped up and he could hardly grip the bow. If he rushed across the stadium and pulled her into his arms, would she respond to his kiss like she had that momentous night?

Instead of acting on his impulse, he impressively stayed in character and gave her a knowing smirk as if she'd been checking him out instead of the other way around.

Then he faced forward and raised his bow, aiming carefully and hitting the bullseye this time.

"That's our boy," Stuart crowed. "The SEALs are going down! Hoo-ah!"

"It's all your superior training," Aiden said, pulling another arrow out and nocking it.

He sensed movement. A large body. Kingston for sure.

"The general is coming," Wes warned.

Aiden calmly shot another arrow, hitting the edge of the bullseye. Then he lowered his bow, glancing over his shoulder to see the general storming their direction. His face looked determined but not out of control. He doubted the giant of a man ever let himself lose control. How had Chalisa's sister fallen in love with a hard, unsmiling man like General Kingston? Aiden wished he could get to know Chalisa's sister, spend time teasing with the adorable niece. That was crazy as he hardly knew Chalisa.

"Why aren't you working on hand-to-hand combat, target shooting, or the sword?" Kingston demanded of Stuart when he reached them, not even giving Aiden the courtesy of one of his pointed glares.

"Well." Stuart folded his burly arms across his chest and tilted his head toward Aiden. He obviously wasn't afraid of the general, but he respected the man and his authority. "Aiden was a captain in the Marines and swore to us he needed no help on anything but horseback riding, jousting, and archery. He's excelling at archery, thanks to my superior training."

Kingston's blue eyes flitted to Aiden, then back to Stuart. Aiden knew exactly where Chalisa was, but he wanted to look at her and savor the view for a moment while Kingston and Stuart discussed his training regimen.

Chalisa stood next to the pretty dark-haired girl, Mary, who'd helped them with horses. They were both watching the interaction between Kingston and Stuart. Aiden grinned at Chalisa and tilted his chin up to her. He had no idea how to resist her. That had never happened in his lifetime. How was he going to make it through this week? He couldn't make it through half a day and they hadn't even been in speaking or touching distance for most of that time.

"I'd like to see for myself that you're excellent at the sword, shooting, and fighting," Kingston snarled at him.

His gaze snapped back to the general. "Now?"

"Yes. We'll have a little … friendly competition." Kingston had a quarter smile on his face. Aiden had heard of General Kingston's fighting prowess. Who hadn't? He wondered if the man had ever been beaten. Intriguing. Aiden would have a front-row seat.

"Sure." He smiled. "But I do hate to humiliate you before dinner. It can leave a rotten taste in your mouth. Or so I've heard from my opponents."

Wes smiled, and Stuart chuckled, but was silenced by a look from Kingston.

The general stormed into Aiden's space. Aiden would never admit it out loud, but the man's build and glower were impressive. But he'd personally taken down enemy troops, drug lords, traffickers, mafia leaders, and dictatorships. A general from a small island country didn't concern him much. A fun challenge for sure.

"I'll humiliate you with sword-fighting and target shooting after breakfast tomorrow," Kingston snarled. "Right now, let's see how you fare in hand-to-hand combat."

"Excellent. Fabulous way for me to work up an appetite before dinner."

Kingston's eyes widened. The man hadn't expected him to agree so quickly or give him lip.

"But you may want to have your wife, daughter, and mother-in-law head back to the castle. I'd hate to have them watch you be obliterated." Aiden tilted his head toward the far entrance to the stadium. He'd noticed the women and toddler entering the stands a moment ago.

Kingston's fists clenched, and he lifted his eyebrows. "I'll be right back. Prepare to writhe in the dust while I teach you how to hold your tongue."

He whirled and stormed off toward his family.

"Dude," Stuart muttered. "Have you never seen General Kingston fight?"

"I don't have much time for frivolous stuff like royal television shows," Aiden said. "No worries." He handed the bow and arrow to Wes. "Should I wrap my hands or get headgear?"

"No." Wes gave him his patient, easy smile. "We don't have much time for frivolous stuff like protective gear here on Magna."

"Touché." Aiden really liked the former Rangers.

"Honest truth though, man," Stuart said. "I'm one of the best fighters I know." He grinned cockily. "And it's a rare day that I beat the general."

"And not for lack of trying," Wes added.

"Well, you can watch and learn how it's done." Aiden grinned as if he didn't have a care in the world. He didn't, besides the draw of Chalisa threatening to upend all his focus and life's path and the stress that he'd already hurt the innocent sweetheart and would hurt her more when he walked away a second time.

"You are a piece of work," Stuart said.

"I like his bravado." Wes chuckled. "Reminds me of somebody else I know."

"Hoo-ah!" Stuart grinned. "Good luck, man."

"Thank you." Aiden glanced over to where Chalisa had left Mary's side and was talking with her family. Kingston was holding his daughter, had an arm around his wife, and was actually … smiling. Huh. Maybe the guy wasn't always a brute. He hoped not, for Chalisa's sister and niece's sake.

"No!" Chalisa suddenly cried out. "Kingston, no." She pushed at her brother-in-law's arm. He didn't budge. "You can't hurt him."

Kingston looked over at Aiden, and his smile slid away. He turned back to his wife.

Chalisa ran across the stadium toward Aiden. Stuart and Wes eased away to give them some privacy. Great guys.

"Hey, love. How's your training going?" Aiden asked. He had to somehow stay nonchalant with her. Being around her was one of the few times in his life that he had no idea what role he was supposed to play. In his weaker moments, he found himself wondering if during the two hours spent with Chalisa he'd truly been himself. Instinctively he wanted to hold, love, and protect her, but he couldn't let down his guard around her again or he'd be sunk. It wasn't fair to either of them, just like his father had taught him.

Chalisa got right in close to him. Only half a foot apart. It was a huge exercise in self-restraint not to reach out and pull her the rest of the distance to his arms.

"Aiden, please. This is no time to act like a cocky alpha male. Drop your pride. Don't agree to this fight. Kingston's angry with you because he thinks you hurt me. He's overly protective of me, and he'll demolish you."

"Did I hurt you?" he asked instead of responding to her pleas. Act like a cocky alpha male? He was the alpha male.

She grunted and looked away. Aiden's stomach churned. What had he expected? He'd fallen for her in less time than a typical workout and then sent her on her way as if she meant nothing to him. If he was in Kingston's spot, he'd want to demolish him too.

The camera was focused on them. He needed to slip some cash to Garrett to give them privacy. He couldn't let his guard down with Chalisa, or let her or the camera see how gone he was over her.

He put on the most overconfident smirk he owned. "Worried about your man, are you, love?"

"You are not my man, and I am not your love."

"You know," he drawled, easing closer to her and gently framing her face with his palms. That was his first mistake. He shouldn't have touched her. He was instantly weak and wanted to melt at her feet. Yet he was also stronger than he'd ever been. He'd win this fight because he could, and to prove to her he was even more impressive than her general brother-in-law. He'd line up the entire Magnite army and take them down one at time if that would impress her.

"I can't decide how I like you better—angelic or feisty." His gaze traveled over her beautiful face. It had been torture having her so close the past few hours yet so far away. Now she was exactly where he wanted her. "You wear both exceptionally well."

Chalisa's intriguing blue eyes captured him completely. "Please don't fight him, Aiden. I need you to be in good condition to help me win the money."

"It's a good excuse, I'll give you that, but you don't need to worry about me, love." He leaned in closer and whispered against her lips, "General Kingston will be no challenge for me, but I would happily accept a kiss for good luck."

He was an absolute jerk. Throwing out lines like that was second-nature to him. He teased women all over the world, but he shouldn't tease with Chalisa. With her, the lines became real, meaningful, and not a flamboyant shield he wore to hide any emotion.

He definitely shouldn't kiss Chalisa and lead her on. He'd walk away after this week, just as he had that first night he met her. You didn't break a promise you made at your father's bedside. A father who dedicated his entire life to your success.

But he couldn't seem to help himself around Chalisa. Maybe he could lie to her and claim he was the ultimate player and wanted to have fun this week with no strings attached. She'd be forewarned that he would walk away at the end of the week, but he could savor some incredible kisses and time with her, store it up in his memory for when he had to lose her again.

No. He couldn't do that to Chalisa. She deserved better than a fling; she deserved a man who could be there for her. That would never be him.

Pulling back took all his resolve, but he did it. "I'm just teasing, love."

Her eyes reflected the anguish he was causing, and he felt even worse. He had to find his patented self-control. The first step was not touching her.

Releasing her face, he instantly missed her softness and the sparks he felt every time they touched. He stepped back and nodded to her. "Thank you for worrying about me."

"Are you ready, Captain Porter?" Kingston strode toward them. He'd taken his shirt off and even Aiden could admit the guy had the most impressive build he'd seen outside of bodybuilding competitions. But muscle alone didn't win fights—speed, brains, training, and years of practice did. Aiden had all five, and he was going to enjoy this fight.

"Yes. Thank you for asking." Aiden grinned at the general's glower and then turned to Chalisa. He slipped his shirt over his head and felt the satisfaction of her eyes trailing over his chest and her mouth going slack. "Hold this for me, will you, love?"

Chalisa took the shirt but didn't move. "Aiden, please. You've obviously got something to prove, and you're confident in your skills, but you have no idea how tough Kingston is."

Aiden had something to prove every moment of his life, but this one was going to be fun. He glanced at Kingston; the man looked like a bull raring to plow into him. "One moment, General. Neither of us wants the beautiful lady in danger if the fight gets out of control."

Kingston tilted his chin down, his deep-blue eyes wary. Aiden took that as permission. Not that he needed anybody's permission.

He bent and swept Chalisa's legs off the ground, cradling her upper body against his. Kingston grunted in disapproval, and Stuart let out a whistle. Aiden had broken his decree to not touch her within moments of making it. He couldn't regret it. Not yet. He'd partially done it to upset Kingston more. He loved getting into a guy's head before a fight.

The other reason he'd picked his perfect woman up … She was irresistible. He smiled gallantly in the face of her beautiful confusion and carried her toward where her family waited in the grandstands.

"What are you doing?" Chalisa asked, breathless, those full lips of hers begging to be kissed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, still clinging to his shirt with one hand. Her warm, soft palm on his bare flesh sparked heat inside his chest.

"Forgive me, love, but I need to remove you from the field of battle. Your safety always comes first." He grinned, though his heart was racing out of control.

"I want you to be safe," she insisted, cuddling in closer to him, her lips brushing his jaw.

"Oh, I will be," he assured her, savoring the feel of her in his arms. Thrilling, unmatched, consuming, and right. Absolutely right. That's what Chalisa in his arms was.

He needed to set her down. He didn't want to.

Sadly, they reached the entrance to the grandstands where her mom, sister, and niece were staring at the two of them.

"Auntie Shell?" the darling niece piped up.

"Hello, beautiful ladies," Aiden said, nodding to them. "I am Captain Aiden Porter. I can't wait to get to know all of you better, but first I have to defeat the general."

Kingston's wife laughed. Actually laughed. "I love your confidence."

"Thank you. Your exquisite sister seems to doubt me." He smirked at Chalisa.

"Porter," Kingston barked. "Stop wasting time."

"Dada!" Hope cried happily, waving to him.

Kingston waved and actually smiled at his daughter.

Aiden forced himself to release Chalisa's legs and let them slide to the ground. He had to grind his teeth to stop from asking for a kiss for good luck or taking one without her permission. He had never had trouble being strong around a woman before. With other women he'd tease, flirt, but rarely touch them and always walk away without a second thought.

Chalisa was different. Walking away from her three months ago had about destroyed him. He longed for her and felt guilty for leaving her. Neither emotion had happened with any lady before.

"Thank you for holding my shirt and cheering for me," he said to Chalisa, letting himself get lost in her long-lashed blue eyes for a moment. "Will you do me the honor of sitting with me at dinner after I win?"

Her mom and sister both cracked up at that. Chalisa didn't. She simply stared at him and then she said in a low, pained voice, "I'll make Stuart and Wes stop him before he hurts you badly."

Aiden laughed and thumped his clenched fist against his heart in some weird, archaic gesture like a knight of old. "I appreciate the concern. Now it's time I prove all of you wrong." He winked, turned, and strode toward the battle. His grin was as big and genuine as it had ever been. Chalisa cared for him. Deeply. If only he could be the type of man to commit to and love such a woman.

"Ready for me to wipe that smile off your face?" Kingston asked.

"I'm more than ready for you to stop flapping your jaws and try."

Kingston growled at him and lunged.

Aiden dodged the lunge that would've taken him to the dirt with some serious pain from Kingston's substantial mass. Kingston pivoted quickly and Aiden purposely didn't evade the fist that slammed into his ribs. It jarred him. He almost lost his footing, and for a normal man it would have cracked a rib.

Ah. That was how it was going to be. The general wasn't slow, and he was every bit as strong as Aiden suspected.

"Is that all you've got?" Aiden taunted, smirking at him.

Kingston's left hook came just as Aiden suspected it would. He hadn't planned on the level of pain that exploded through the side of his head. Nobody had been exaggerating their worry about Aiden fighting the beefy, accomplished, and renowned leader of Magna's military.

Aiden smiled and shook his head. "Good one. I like it. Keep them coming."

Kingston didn't disappoint. His lips pressed into a thin line. He moved in with powerful, well-placed hits that would be game-enders in a lot of heavyweight boxing matches.

Aiden deflected some, got in a few jabs of his own to Kingston's face, and knees to his ribs. Mostly he took the beating and learned and bided his time. He'd calculate how best to defeat the general with style, and then he'd show off his skills to Chalisa.

If Kingston didn't kill him first.