the manner in which he expressed his love remained to be seen.
He fulfilled his promise of giving Angela a day to remember. “Been horseback riding before?” he inquired.
“Never!” her jaw fell open with childlike delight. “I’ve always wanted to though.”
“Well, after today, you’ll be a virgin no more.” Angela flung him a side look, unsure of how to respond. She hated smutty jokes and double-entendres and counted his comment as borderline.
The ride through a backwoods trail among huge cypress and pine trees, with deer and peacocks roaming freely, soon cleared her mind of all that had been said and done earlier. Aiden, so nobly mounted on his horse, resembled a knight without the armor. He didn’t talk much, except to check to ensure that she was okay and felt safe.
On one hand, Angela was saddened when the guided tour came to an end . She had breathed in the beautiful fresh air and wonderment of her surroundings. On the other hand, her dismount released her from the grueling, incidental lower body workout.
Aiden had a solution for that. Completely absorbed by the tranquility of the spa, Angela relaxed beneath the soothing force of the masseuse’s hands, wondering if this was all too good to be true. Could she really have landed a relationship with an intelligent, industrious, Christian gentleman who really knew how to treat a lady?
The hour floated by, and despite acknowledging that she could have tolerated more of the luxury that the spa treatment afforded, she was eager to see Aiden again and to find out what else he had in store for her.
“Care for some afternoon tea?” His attempt at an English accent was decent.
“Indeed, I do.” The influence of the Edwardian period dramas that she enjoyed watching, speckled with what she was able to pick up of Sharon’s accent, gave Angela the edge.
“Impressive!” A glint in his eyes, as he smiled down at her, complemented his smile, reinforcing Angela’s initial opinion of him. Simply incredible! She could feel a rush of blood to her cheeks and knew that her thoughts were clearly spelled out on her face.
Over a light lunch in the tea room, surrounded by Victorian charm, Angela overtly gazed at Aiden. “I can hardly take this all in.”
“What?” His request for clarification was unnecessary; he knew exactly what she meant.
“You just seem too good to be true. Tell me, if I went digging, what skeletons would I find in your closet?” Her tone and wide grin conveyed jest, but subliminally, there was a genuine desire to know.
“I don’t have any skeletons in my closet.” His answer was impassive.
“Everyone has skeletons.”
“Oh , care to share yours?” Angela had backed herself into a corner with no obvious way out. Nothing came to mind, but to say that she didn’t have any either would sound insincere. “Hmm… suddenly I hear crickets,” Aiden teased.
“I have nothing to hide. I was thinking back and truthfully, my life has been sheltered and uneventful.”
Amidst the genteel collision of fine china crockery and cutlery that pervaded the tea room, an elderly lady sitting at a neighboring table leaned towards them to pleasantly interrupt their tête-à-tête. “You make a lovely couple,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” Angela said as Aiden smiled politely at the lady and then at Angela.
“You’ve always followed the rules?” He eagerly resumed the conversation.
“Pretty much; except for one time in ninth grade when I skipped school and went to the mall with my friend. Back then, they didn’t have those automated messages that call home and snitch on you whenever you’re absent. The next day, I brought in a sick note that I had written and signed myself. My mom never found out about it.”
“Tut, tut, tut ,” Aiden slowed his speech to draw out the recrimination. “Truancy, deceit and forgery.” Angela would have resented his derision, but for his warm hand that unexpectedly overlaid
He fulfilled his promise of giving Angela a day to remember. “Been horseback riding before?” he inquired.
“Never!” her jaw fell open with childlike delight. “I’ve always wanted to though.”
“Well, after today, you’ll be a virgin no more.” Angela flung him a side look, unsure of how to respond. She hated smutty jokes and double-entendres and counted his comment as borderline.
The ride through a backwoods trail among huge cypress and pine trees, with deer and peacocks roaming freely, soon cleared her mind of all that had been said and done earlier. Aiden, so nobly mounted on his horse, resembled a knight without the armor. He didn’t talk much, except to check to ensure that she was okay and felt safe.
On one hand, Angela was saddened when the guided tour came to an end . She had breathed in the beautiful fresh air and wonderment of her surroundings. On the other hand, her dismount released her from the grueling, incidental lower body workout.
Aiden had a solution for that. Completely absorbed by the tranquility of the spa, Angela relaxed beneath the soothing force of the masseuse’s hands, wondering if this was all too good to be true. Could she really have landed a relationship with an intelligent, industrious, Christian gentleman who really knew how to treat a lady?
The hour floated by, and despite acknowledging that she could have tolerated more of the luxury that the spa treatment afforded, she was eager to see Aiden again and to find out what else he had in store for her.
“Care for some afternoon tea?” His attempt at an English accent was decent.
“Indeed, I do.” The influence of the Edwardian period dramas that she enjoyed watching, speckled with what she was able to pick up of Sharon’s accent, gave Angela the edge.
“Impressive!” A glint in his eyes, as he smiled down at her, complemented his smile, reinforcing Angela’s initial opinion of him. Simply incredible! She could feel a rush of blood to her cheeks and knew that her thoughts were clearly spelled out on her face.
Over a light lunch in the tea room, surrounded by Victorian charm, Angela overtly gazed at Aiden. “I can hardly take this all in.”
“What?” His request for clarification was unnecessary; he knew exactly what she meant.
“You just seem too good to be true. Tell me, if I went digging, what skeletons would I find in your closet?” Her tone and wide grin conveyed jest, but subliminally, there was a genuine desire to know.
“I don’t have any skeletons in my closet.” His answer was impassive.
“Everyone has skeletons.”
“Oh , care to share yours?” Angela had backed herself into a corner with no obvious way out. Nothing came to mind, but to say that she didn’t have any either would sound insincere. “Hmm… suddenly I hear crickets,” Aiden teased.
“I have nothing to hide. I was thinking back and truthfully, my life has been sheltered and uneventful.”
Amidst the genteel collision of fine china crockery and cutlery that pervaded the tea room, an elderly lady sitting at a neighboring table leaned towards them to pleasantly interrupt their tête-à-tête. “You make a lovely couple,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” Angela said as Aiden smiled politely at the lady and then at Angela.
“You’ve always followed the rules?” He eagerly resumed the conversation.
“Pretty much; except for one time in ninth grade when I skipped school and went to the mall with my friend. Back then, they didn’t have those automated messages that call home and snitch on you whenever you’re absent. The next day, I brought in a sick note that I had written and signed myself. My mom never found out about it.”
“Tut, tut, tut ,” Aiden slowed his speech to draw out the recrimination. “Truancy, deceit and forgery.” Angela would have resented his derision, but for his warm hand that unexpectedly overlaid
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