「The next day, early morning.」
After a good night's sleep, Rebecca Quentin wanted to stretch as usual. Suddenly, her arm met an obstruction, and she felt a warmth pressed tightly against her.
She slowly opened her blurry eyes and looked to her side. The sight immediately jolted her awake. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to prevent a scream...
Heavens...
Him... him? Howard Geoffrey?
Yes, he was sleeping right beside her. The warmth she felt radiated from his body. The key was their current position... She'd actually woken up pillowed on his arm, nestled in his embrace! Their faces were incredibly close, so close her lips had almost brushed his cheek.
Just as Rebecca Quentin was feeling somewhat bewildered, Howard Geoffrey awoke. His lazy, magnetic voice sounded, "Awake?"
The unexpected voice made Rebecca Quentin's body jolt. She instinctively tried to sit up but was suddenly pinned beneath his strong, solid frame.
"Ah..."
Amidst her scream, her panicked eyes met his intensely warm, hazy gaze.
"Are you afraid of me?" His hands bracketed her body, his scorching breath fanning over her face.
"I..." Looking at his bare upper body, Rebecca Quentin nervously pressed against his chest, whispering faintly, "I... I'm just not used to it yet..."
He lowered his body a fraction, his voice growing even huskier. "When I got back last night, you were already asleep..."
Rebecca Quentin's eyes widened as she earnestly explained, "I waited for you for a long time, but you didn't come back..." She had indeed waited for him in bed after her shower, eventually falling asleep without knowing when.
"Sorry, I got back late." He gently pecked her lips.
Rebecca Quentin froze. In all her life, this was the first time a boy had kissed her.
She couldn't quite describe the sensation. His lips felt so warm, and his breath smelled pleasant—that uniquely masculine scent of his. It made her blush involuntarily. "Uh, it's okay..."
"I'm glad you listened to me..."
Her face flushed crimson as she stammered, her voice barely a whisper, "Last night, we..."
Howard Geoffrey seemed to instantly grasp what Rebecca Quentin was thinking. A smile touched his lips as he replied with amusement, "We didn't do anything. But I think, right now, we can continue what we left unfinished last night."