Chapter 40: preparing for the date

MARGARET POV

I opened my eyes to a ray of light, and Aaron greeted me with a gentle smile.

"Good morning," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I see you're finally awake." He was sitting on the bed, his laptop open, his glasses perched on the end of his nose, and his bare chest gleaming in the morning light.

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What are you doing here? And why did you stay overnight?" I asked, my voice still husky with sleep.

Aaron's gaze flicked to mine, his expression serious. "Goodmorning to you too?."

"We need to talk about yesterday. How did you know I was going to meet Ariana?" I asked, my mind still reeling from the encounter.

Aaron leaned back against the headboard, his eyes never leaving mine. "I had a hunch, and I had my bodyguards ready, just in case. If you had gone to meet her and things had escalated, it could have been a trap."