I felt my face twist into a grimace. That was pretty direct. Honestly, it’d be easier to sneak up on a tiger than get close to Yvette these days.
Even if I were standing stark naked in front of her, she’d barely bat an eyelash. But I went along, giving Alex a reassuring nod. “Got it, Alex. I’ll do my best to give you a big, strong great- grandson.”
Just then, Yvette came out from the kitchen with her sleeves rolled up. She glanced at me, then said, “I’m going to take a shower,” and headed upstairs before I could respond.
Alex nudged me forward. “What are you waiting for? Follow her! Heck, you should just jump in there with her–it’ll be romantic!” He looked pleased with himself, as though he were passing on invaluable wisdom.
“Right.. Right, I’ll go,” I said, not actually moving. But that only made him push me harder. “Go! Romantic bath, my boy! That’s how you do it,” he whispered, getting red in the face.
I tried to calm myself as I went upstairs, already knowing the lay of the land in that bedroom. Alex had set it up as our special “love nest” after we’d tied the knot. Back in my previous life, this room had been my space most of the time; Yvette rarely stayed over.
The decor was exactly the same–except for one thing. The bed, which used to be a nice king–sized bed, had somehow been switched out for a narrower option. I let out a deep sigh, shaking my head at Alex’s tenacity.
Then I noticed the bathroom door. It was half–transparent, frosted glass, and Yvette’s silhouette could be seen faintly through it. I’d have to find a way to avoid her gaze when I went to shower later.
I wandered around the room and casually grabbed a spare bedsheet, sitting down on the small bed.
Although the bed was small, it was soft and comfortable to sit on. I couldn’t help but gently press the mattress, enjoying its bounce. Just as I was lost in the moment, the bathroom door opened with a click.
Yvette came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and drying her hair. The sight caught me off guard for a second, and I found myself staring as water trickled from her neck down into the folds of the towel.
“You’re staring so much that your eyes are about to pop out. What a pervert,” she said, with a look of disdain and a mocking smirk.
1 faked a cough, wiping a nonexistent drool from my chin. “You’re seeing things. Who says I was staring?”
She always called me a poor guy, and good–for–nothing, and now she’d added “pervert” to the list.
“Oh, please. You’ve got that ‘starving dog‘ look all over you. Weren’t you acting all high and mighty before? What’s changed?” She raised her eyebrow, challenging me.
“Well, I’m not interested in you. We’re here to keep our distance, right?” I replied casually, standing up to head toward the bathroom. Just then, she grabbed a pillow and threw it at me.
“You’re sleeping on the floor tonight!”
“Excuse me?” I said, dumbfounded. “Where did you ask me to sleep?”
“The floor,” she repeated, crossing her arms and looking at me like I’d suggested the absurd. “Are you planning to sleep with me instead?”
She sized me up with obvious disgust in her eyes.
I was fuming inside, but I couldn’t help but smile. She was showing her disdain without hiding.
I decided to lie back on the bed again, deliberately stretching out in a starfish position, taking up the entire bed like I owned it, giving off the “what are you going to do about it” vibe.
“I didn’t plan on sharing a bed with you, but since we’re stuck in the same room, the bed’s mine. You can make do with the floor,” I said.
It was strange. In the past, she was a woman who always had the final say–nobody could force her to do something she didn’t want to do, not even Alex.
In situations like this, she would have bolted by now, or found somewhere else to sleep. But tonight, not only did she stay, she was actually arguing with me over the bed. This was a first for
- me.
Just as I was thinking about this, her cold, piercing voice interrupted my thoughts. “Get off!” Her hair still had droplets of water, slowly slipping into her towel, the sight both seductive and unsettling.
I lay there, propping my head up with my hand, and looked back at her with a challenging smirk. “I’m not getting off. I’m not sleeping on the floor, not even if you beat me. How about we compromise and sleep together on the bed?”
“You wish!” Her face darkened as she ordered again, “Get down!”
it was known that she was tough in business but reserved with men, always a perfect lady. But now, I could see that all those rumors were false–her gentlemanly demeanor had disappeared long ago.
“Sleep together on the bed? I’m afraid you might have other intentions,” she sneered. “I’m not giving you that chance.”
“Don’t worry, you hold zero appeal for me,” I responded with a cold laugh, scanning her up and down, deliberately making a sound of disinterest. “You’re just… whatever. You don’t spark my interest in the slightest.”
My expression must have been too provocative because her face instantly turned as black as a pot bottom.
“Owen, are you shameless?”
She advanced toward me, trying to grab my arm to pull me off, but I rolled around like a slippery fish, purposely evading her grip. I knew she had a cleanliness obsession –she wouldn’t get into bed unless she’d taken a shower. My actions were clearly pushing her limits.
“The bed now smells like me. You sure you still want to come up?” I taunted, watching her.
Her face darkened even more. “Owen, you…”
“What? I’m a scoundrel. You can either leave or sleep on the floor like a good girl.” Before I could finish, she suddenly snapped. She yanked me up, but I wasn’t about to back down. Using my
strength, I pulled her onto the bed instead.
In the next moment, our bodies were pressed tightly together, with not a single gap between us…
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of our hearts beating wildly
