chapter 22
Matleon
I stir awake from the movement in my arms. I open my eyes without moving a muscle.
Her face is buried in my neck, her body pressed against me, one arm wrapped around my chest, one leg draped over my thigh, just an inch away from my dick.
I lift my head slightly and see her creamy thigh completely bare, my dick twitches at the sight.
I lay my head back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. Is this my life now? Getting hard in seconds, coming in my pants, feeling a lifetime of twitches. I'm worse than a teenager.
Hell, I'm worse than my own teenage self, so much worse.
If I could travel back and tell my sixteen-year-old self that one day I'd come in my pants just from the feel of a woman's clothed pussy over my clothed dick and from her moans, he'd give me a disgusted look.
I had very high opinions of my dick back then. I still do.
And yet, I came in my pants because of this woman. And it's not even unbelievable. She could make me do anything. How could I ever forget how she fucked with my head right after letting me have the best orgasm of my life?
I look down at the curly mass of red hair, glowing in the morning light.
I take a strand of curls, stretch it to make it straight, and then let it go, it bounces back, returning to its natural spring.
The hair shifts in shades: darker where the light doesn’t reach, blazing red where it catches the sun.
I pull the curl again and release it, watching it return to its loose, lively shape.
She stirs in my arms, and soon a pair of glowing blue eyes meet mine. Her pale skin catches the morning light, shining like porcelain. I watch my angel for a few seconds—because that’s all I get—before she shifts away. She looks around, cautious.
“What are you doing here?”
I rest my hands behind my head, smirking. “Can’t you tell?”
She moves further away, crossing her arms. “You slept here?”
I nod, drinking in her confusion.
She clears her throat. “You promised not to touch me. Then why were you sleeping beside me?”
I raise a brow. “And who said I was touching you? From what I recall, it was you who was lying all over me.”
She goes silent, her cheeks flushing red. She lifts her chin. “It’s still your fault.”
I chuckle. She always raises her chin like that when she’s got a point.
“I was sleeping here to avoid sleeping near you,” she continues, stubborn as ever.
I roll onto my side, propping my head on my elbow, eyes never leaving hers. “Too bad. That’s not going to happen. As my wife, you’ll be sleeping in my bed. And if that won’t happen…” I smirk, leaning closer, “I’ll sleep in whatever bed you’re in. After all, I’m a good husband.”
She stands abruptly and walks out. I raise a brow, watching her retreating figure. No comeback, no argument?
Iselyn
I close my eyes, feeling the cool ocean breeze brush against my cheeks, humming softly.
Avi chuckles beside me. “Isn’t San Diego amazing?”
I nod, still with my eyes closed. “I love the air.”
Wen snickers. “Why don’t you tell Leo’s jealous ass that you love air more than him?”
Avi nudges me playfully. “This reminds me, my previous question. What happened last night?”
I open my eyes and clear my throat. “What could have happened?”
Wen slides closer. We’re sitting on the open grassland near the edge of the cliff. Only the three of us remain here; Matleon and Zo are back at the mansion, and everyone else left this morning. Wen will be leaving for her grandpa’s house after her concert, which is a week away.
Wen smirks, her expression uncannily like Matleon’s, same curve of the lips, same sharp tilt of the brow. “There’s something you’re not telling us,” she teases, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“He kissed me,” I admit. They both nod knowingly.
I raise a brow. “You’re not shocked?”
Avi shrugs. “That much is unavoidable.”
Wen adds, “The way he was staring at you at the dining table, I thought he might do more than just kiss.”
I pick at the grass, avoiding their eyes. Well… he did do more than kiss. My heart picks up at the memory.
Avi squints at me. “Wait a second.”
She narrows her eyes. “He did more than kissing?”
I blink, flustered. “Umm… no.”
Avi laughs, rolling back on the grass. “Babe, look at your face!” Wen joins in the chuckle.
Damn this face. If God asked me for a single wish, I’d wish I could get rid of this excessive, easy blushing. It’s embarrassing as hell.
“Okay, stop laughing. He did kind of… rub over the clothes,” I mutter, my cheeks burning.
Avi stops laughing instantly. “Did you come?”
I nod, covering my face with my cool palms.
Wen groans. “This is not good. You can’t come that easily. Leo must be dancing in victory right now.”
I flare my nostrils. “Blame my traitorous body, and your brother.”
Avi hushes me quickly. “Don’t talk like that. There’s a chance Leo could hear you.”
I frown. “But he’s not even here.”
She purses her lips. “Zoan and Leo have ears everywhere.”
“So you’re saying there’s no privacy here?”
She lets out a mock laugh. “You lost your privacy the moment you said I do.”
Wen adds casually, “Zo watches her all day because apparently he can’t function without doing so. And I’m sure Leo has his own ways of watching you whenever he wants, if not all day.”
A shiver runs through me. I visibly shudder. “That’s creepy as fuck.”
Avi grins. “I don’t mind, as long as it’s my Zoan watching me.”
She’s told me this before. She’s obsessively in love with him, and he’s far beyond obsession.
Matleon
I watch her sleeping, her back turned to me. She’s perfected this new form of torture. I knew the list of tortures she had planned for me—I even laughed when I read them before. Child’s play. But now I understand.
She’s been avoiding me since this morning. She hasn’t looked in my direction even once, not even when I blocked her path. She’s pretending I’m a ghost.
Having her stay with me willingly, happily, is my fantasy. Her anger and arguments are perfect. More than perfect. But this cold treatment—this—is just cold, and it needs to end.
I slide closer, wrap my arm around her waist, and pull her back against my chest. A low gasp is all I get. I inhale the sweet scent of vanilla from her neck. The urge to lick her smooth skin rises, and I give in—one long lick, followed by soft kisses.
She shudders and pushes away. I let her go and close my eyes.
She turns to face me. “What are you doing?”
“Sleeping,” I reply, eyes still closed.
“You promised you wouldn’t touch me,” she grits. “What kind of man are you?”
I open my eyes. “I was dreaming, Angel. Vanilla ice cream. Flying in the sky. I grabbed it and licked it. Then you broke my dream, and my sleep. I’m sorry if I touched you accidentally while unconscious.”
She purses her lips and glares at me. In the dim light, her eyes shine like sapphires.
“You are such a liar, Matleon,” she spits, then turns onto her side. She looks back over her shoulder. “If you touch me one more time, I will divorce you.”
I raise a brow. Who told her that something like divorce even exists.
I’ve already ruined her plan of ignoring me, and soon enough I’ll ruin her plan of keeping her heart locked away from me too. She has no choice but to love me. She hasn’t realized it yet, but it won’t take long.
I wait until her breathing evens out before shifting closer. Then I wrap her in my arms.
When I hold her, something strange settles inside me. My head feels light, my chest heavy, like it’s filled with something, but not something bad. Something dangerously good. So good I don’t ever want it to leave.
I know this feeling.
It’s the feeling of having everything. Because right now, I want nothing more. All I need is her, curled up against my chest.
Is this love?