Page 26 of A Tale of Treachery

I snorted, knowing full well George wasn’t simply trying to add me to his list of women.

“That’s horseshit, and you know it. What are you up to? You have an agenda—you always do.”

“I do,” he stated simply, scooting closer with a smile on his face. “I had to light a fire under Aiden. You should be thanking me instead of looking like you want to hit me.”

I loved George like a brother, but sometimes, questioned whether his friendship was even worth it. “Oh, really?”

“You’ll both thank me for this one day,” he reassured me with a wave of his hand.

I glared. George was trying to set Aiden and me up, but his plan had one little problem.

“George, he doesn’t feel that way about me.”

He stared off into space, something clearly bothering him. “He does. He needed to be poked and prodded into action.”

“He’s never been interested in me, and you know it.”

He scoffed. “The two of you are so daft. It’s obvious to everyone except the both of you. Watching you tiptoe around each other like a couple of lovesick teenagers is nauseating. I couldn’t stand the sight anymore, so I kissed you. He wasn’t stepping up, so I forced him to.” George huffed and looked up to the sky. “Well, I tried to force him to. The idiot still doesn’t get it.”

My brow wrinkled in confusion. It wasn’t like George to be altruistic. “I…don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything to me. You need to say it to him,” he lectured. “He’s so mad at me. So mad at you. And I am sick and tired of dealing with his attitude.” He squeezed my hand and begged, “For the love of God, please. Just end this and say something to him.”

I gawked at George as he released my hands and stood. He bade me goodnight and sauntered toward his tent, leaving me to stew.

I picked at my food, no longer hungry.

This was madness. Aiden had never been interested in me. I’d tried to tell him how I felt many times, and anytime I hinted at something more than friendship, he’d shrug me off. However, his lack of response might have had something to do with the differences in our social stations. Even if Aiden returned my feelings, his father would never approve.

Filled with resolve, I dusted the crumbs off my cloak, making a beeline toward his tent. I would clear the air, once and for all. Earlier tonight, he said I could tell him anything, and I would. I would tell himeverything. Not just how I felt about him, but who I really was. What I really was. He would hear every truth, including what I’d really been doing in the forest.

He was about to get exactly what he’d asked for.

I tore open the entrance to the tent like a woman on the warpath. Warmth flooded the canvas interior and seeped into my chilled skin, and I halted immediately, aware of how unhinged I must’ve looked. My eyes landed on Aiden, sitting before a small traveling hearth, turning over glowing coals. His armor and shirt were gone, leaving corded muscle and smooth skin on display. My eyes started to trace him from head to toe, only to halt at his waist. The stays of his leather pants were half undone, and the deep V-line that trailed between his abdominal muscles and hips caught my eyes.

The sight made me salivate.

The full confession could wait.

We both stared at each other, unmoving, for what seemed like an eternity.

Aiden cleared his throat and placed the metal poker on the floor, gifting me with his undivided attention.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I blurted, not giving him any indication of what I was referring to. I could barely think, let alone string a complete sentence together.

He raised his brows. “Tell you what?”

“You know what,” I said. “Please don’t make me spell it out for you.”

Aiden’s face dropped, and he nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Who told you?”

“George.”

“Of course he did,” Aiden replied, wrinkling his nose. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“And what if I felt the same?”

“Then that would open up a whole new world of problems for the both of us,” he warned in a low voice.

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