Page 45 of Triton

23

Erik

The next morning,I had to leave early for work. I was surprised that when I woke up, Aria was already up. Her eyes were heavy, and her skin seemed puffy as if she had been up all night.

“Morning. I made you breakfast.”

I stared at the plate she handed me. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to do this. But I appreciateit.”

I sat at the table and ate as she stared at me, nursing a mug of coffee.

“I’ll go to dinner with your client. I’m sorry I got upset last night. I was just caught off guard.”

Her words made me happy, but her tone seemed hollow.

“Are you sure, babe? You don’t haveto.”

“No, I want to. I leave next Sunday. We only have one week left together. I want to get in really good shape to train. Would you mind working out withme?”

That’s my girl. “Not at all. I’d love to. Tell you what, I’ll come by here when I get off, and we can go for a run and an oceanswim.”

She blinked at me. “Sounds like a plan. Have a great day. I was up all night, so I’m going to get some rest.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and went into the bedroom and shut thedoor.

I looked at Flounder, who seemed to be as confused as Iwas.

“Women, buddy. I don’t get them either.”

I finished my breakfast and let myself out. As I ran to work, my stomach was in knots. I couldn’t for the life of me figure Aria out. But from what I learned this weekend she had had a tough childhood. Maybe she just needed some patience and understanding. On the outside, she was this confident champion. But on the inside, she seemed conflicted. Vulnerable even. Sometimes I would see this wounded look in her pretty green eyes, and all I wanted to do was pull her close and kiss away her worries.

But she was making it so fucking hard because she kept those damn wallsup.

Once I arrived on base, the first thing I did was go to our computer to look up her dad. I didn’t think Aria was lying, but many men claim to be SEALs.

I typed in Matthew Presley.

A man with bright red hair and Aria’s eyes popped up on my screen. Class #201. Wow, dammit. There was a brief bio listed. Everything she’d told me added up. Her dad had been part of SEAL Team 3 and had been killed in a helicopter crash.

There was no mention in the obituary of a daughter. Just like she had said—he hadn’t even known she’d existed.

I missed my father so much it ached, but at least we had a great relationship while he was alive. I couldn’t even imagine growing up without a father.

Guilt rushed through me. I had to be less hard on Aria, give her even more time. My parents had demonstrated for me the best example of a loving relationship. I needed to be patient withAria.

I worked long hours for the rest of the week and spent my free time with Aria. Every day we worked out together, made dinner, made love, and went to bed. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I still felt like things were different between us than they had been before last week. But we only had this last week together, and I didn’t want to put a damper on it, so I didn’t bring itup.

Friday rolled around. I went to my place after work, took a shower, and dressed in my finest suit. I was used to my uniform, not evening wear. I shined my shoes, hopped in my sports car, and went to Aria’s place.

She greeted me at the door wearing a sexy white dress and heels. I’d never seen her in heels and took a moment to admire her long, sexylegs.

“You look beautiful.”

“Well, you look handsome, too.”

Grabbing her hand, I escorted her to my car, and we hit the road. I drove over the bridge and headed north up the freeway. Once we exited the freeway, we drove through the guard gate of the resort. The Grand Del Mar couldn’t be more different than Coronado’s Del. While the Del was situated on one of the best beaches in the world, the Grand Del Mar was hidden in suburbia. Even so, the Grand Del Mar seemed more intimate, more romantic. It was no wonder that many celebrities and sports stars wedhere.

I gave my car to the valet, took Aria’s arm, and led her into Addison. The lobby was dim and rustic. High ceilings and arched windows led into a library and an ornate marblebar.