Chapter 23
She saw Samuel sitting on the sofa, his long legs elegantly crossed, exuding a refined and noble aura.
He was idly toying with one of Isabella’s hair clips. Hearing the bathroom door open, his cold gaze landed on Isabella, who was dressed only in a bath towel.
The towel was not very large, neither long enough at the top nor bottom, barely covering her tall, slender frame. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, but it was difficult to fully conceal her figure.
Samuel’s eyes darkened instantly, Isabella froze, unsure of why he had returned so unexpectedly,
A light breeze swept through the room, and Isabella felt as if she were standing before him completely exposed. Her face flushed red on the spot.
Quickly, she crossed her arms over her chest, her voice laced with shyness. “Why didn’t you let me know you were back?” she
asked.
Her eyes darted to the pajamas lying on the bed. To get it, she would have to walk past Samuel. She silently cursed herself–if only she had brought the pajamas into the bathroom.
In Samuel’s deep eyes, a spark of heat flickered. Her flushed face made her look like a frightened little rabbit. His intense gaze made Isabella’s cheeks feel even hotter.
She turned her face away in embarrassment, whispering, D–don’t look!”
Before they married, they had never been close, and even after marriage, they had lived apart. This kind of intimate encounter was entirely new to her, and she was overwhelmed.
Without thinking any further, Isabella dashed toward the bed, eager to grab her pajamas and cover herself. In her haste, however, she stumbled against the leg of a cabinet, losing her balance and falling forward.
“Ah!” Isabella’s face went pale, thinking she was about to fall face–first to the floor.
But in the next instant, a strong arm caught her around the waist, pulling her into Samuel’s chest.
The pain she anticipated never came, and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. But then, to her horror, she realized that the towel, her only cover, had fallen off during the fall.
Blood rushed to her face, and her mind went blank. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip in utter embarrassment.
Still holding her, Samuel hadn’t moved when Isabella suddenly clung tightly to him, her face burning red. ‘Don’t move!” she pleaded. If he moved, her body would be completely exposed to him.
What she didn’t realize, however, was that sometimes sight isn’t necessary–other senses can be just as vivid.
They were standing so close that her upper body was pressed against Samuel’s chest, while his hand rested against the smooth curve of her lower back.
Samuel’s throat tightened, his voice hoarse. “Are you sure?”
Isabella’s face paled. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. In her fluster, she quickly covered his eyes with her hand, her voice panicked. “I don’t care! Just close your eyes! Don’t look at me!”
Though she tried to sound firm, her voice came out soft and sweet to Samuel’s ears,
He felt the warmth of her delicate hand against his skin, and her scent faintly filled the space between them. Samuel’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he fought to control himself.
He closed his eyes, but somehow, the image of her became even clearer in his mind. His throat felt dry, as if it were on fire, but he managed to respond in a low, raspy voice, “Alright.”
Isabella carefully observed Samuel, making sure his eyes were closed before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
Slowly, she released her hand and dashed to the bed, clutching her pajamas to her chest before darting back into the bathroom as quickly as a frightened rabbit.
Chapter 23
The moment she closed the bathroom door, she pressed her hand against her wildly beating heart, feeling as if it might leap out of her chest at any moment.
After a while, once she had calmed herself down, Isabella put on her clothes and slowly opened the bathroom door. The memory of what had just happened with Samuel flashed in her mind, and her cheeks flushed red again.
She kept her head down, too embarrassed to look at him, but still asked softly, “Didn’t you say you’d be back in three days? Why are you back after only two?”
If she had known he would return early, she wouldn’t have gone to shower without bringing her pajamas, and the whole embarrassing incident could’ve been avoided.
Samuel’s eyes remained fixed on her with a meaningful gaze. “I finished work early.”
Isabella couldn’t handle the way he was looking at her. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her car and quickly changed the subject. Pointing toward the bathroom, she said. “Oh, you should go take a shower now!”
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the implication. She had just finished showering, and now she was telling Samuel to shower–it felt strangely intimate.
Flustered, she quickly added, “Um, where are we sleeping tonight?”
The moment the words escaped her lips, her body tensed. She wished she could smack herself. It sounded like she was too eager for something to happen.
She kept her head down, avoiding Samuel’s gaze, standing there awkwardly,
Samuel’s usually cold eyes softened with amusement, and a playful glint appeared. He couldn’t resist teasing her a little. In a low voice, he said, “We’re married. How do you think we’ll sleep?”
Isabella froze. He wasn’t wrong, of course, but she wasn’t used to this yet. She bit her lip, her head still hanging low.
Seeing her reaction, Samuel decided not to push her further. I’ll go take a shower, he said, standing up and heading to the closet to grab his nightwear before walking into the bathroom.
Isabella lay down on the bed, listening to the sound of the water running. Her mind was in turmoil, replaying everything that had just happened. Today had been such a disaster. She couldn’t believe that she forgot to bring her pajamas.
Being nervous was one thing, but tripping like a fool and dropping the towel was another. And then she had gone and said those awkward things. She worried that Samuel might think she was being overly eager.
Feeling mortified, Isabella pulled the blanket over her head, wanting to disappear. The embarrassment was almost too much
to bear.
Time ticked by slowly. Just as Isabella’s mind wandered in all directions, the mattress beside her suddenly sank under someone’s weight. Her entire body stiffened, frozen in place.
Samuel lay down beside her, a faint smile playing on his lips. He suddenly pulled back the covers, and Isabella instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, afraid of the sudden light and too embarrassed to face him.
The earlier scene still played vividly in her mind. Samuel chuckled softly. “It’s uncomfortable staying buried under the covers. Relax and sleep properly.”
His voice was deep and magnetic, the kind of tone that sent a shiver down Isabella’s spine. It was just a simple suggestion, but it made her heart flutter. She mumbled a response, still too shy to open her eyes.
Samuel’s smile deepened, but he didn’t press further. He simply turned off the bedside lamp.
Just when Isabella thought she could finally breathe again, she felt the covers lift slightly, followed by the unmistakable sensation of Samuel sliding under them. Her heart raced even faster.
With her pulse quickening in panic at the thought of him sleeping in the same bed, Samuel only adjusted the blanket and said softly, “Sleep.”
Isabella’s breath hitched for a moment. She doubted she’d be able to sleep at all that night.
After a long silence, Samuel’s deep, calm voice broke through the darkness. “I’ll give you time to get used to this. But I hope it
1:00 PM d
Chapter 23
won’t take too long.
Isabella’s eyelashes fluttered, and she relaxed slightly. At least for tonight, she didn’t have to confront what she feared. She knew Samuel was being considerate of her, and in a soft voice, she whispered, “Thank you,”
But as soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. Samuel had told her before not to thank him for things like this.
Before she could dwell on it any longer, Isabella felt the mattress shift beneath her. Suddenly, she found herself wrapped in Samuel’s arms. She gasped in surprise, “Ah-”
Her startled exclamation was cut short as Samuel’s lips claimed hers in a deep, possessive kiss. Every word was swallowed by that unexpected intimacy.
曲
