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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.
