With her arms around Matthew, Clarissa noticed the smile playing on his lips and suddenly felt embarrassed.
To dispel her embarrassment, she added as an afterthought, “Maybe I’ve oversimplified things. I know starting a business isn’t that easy, but I stand by my opinion and hope you can follow your heart. The way Shermaine is forcing your hand just makes me sick.”
Matthew finally spoke, “So, you want me to choose you, and not Shermaine.”
Clarissa stiffened in his arms. Though embarrassed, she still nodded in response.
Right after nodding, she quickly shook her head and emphasized, “Not choose me per se, but to follow your heart. Of course, if you want to choose Shermaine and fortify your company by forming a strong alliance, I have no objections.”
Her last few words greatly contradicted her feelings.
Matthew grasped her chin and rubbed her lips with his thumb, speaking in a mirthful tone.
“Indeed, Shermaine can bring me the benefits of a strong alliance. Are you sure you don’t have any objections?”
When Clarissa heard what Matthew said, the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. Jealousy coursed through her veins, in fact, she was oozing with it.
Even so, she remained stubborn. “If you choose to compromise on something as important as your marriage with a woman who threatened you, then, I don’t have any more to say.”
She could only blame herself for having poor character judgment.
“Pfft… And you said you didn’t have any objections. You were clearly making a jab at me, no?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Matthew leaned forward until their noses touched and their breathes mingled. Clarissa subconsciously held her breath, having not used to be so close to him for a long time.
Most importantly, she knew where things were heading.
Matthew tilted his head a little so that his lips grazed hers when he spoke again.
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m—Mm…”
Unsurprisingly, her words were cut off by his kiss.
Matthew wasn’t going to rush through this long-awaited moment. He kissed her sensually, dragging it out to allow them enough time to rekindle the romance between them.
After a long while, Clarissa lay in Matthew’s arms, panting softly.
Just then, Matthew’s sexy voice came from above her head.
“Does this mean we’re back together, Clare?”
Clarissa did not answer. Isn’t he asking the obvious?
Matthew was undeterred by her lack of response.
“Clarissa Quigley?”
Oh, and now he’s even calling me by my full name.
Clarissa snapped, “No!”
As soon as she denied it, Matthew squeezed her waist.
Ouch! He’s such a brute!
Clarissa drew in a painful breath, finally raising her head to give him a long, withering look.
“You’ve already kissed me. Plus, I’ve been staying in Zen Highlands for so many days now. What do you think? Do you even need to ask?”
The corners of Matthew’s lips finally lifted up, evidently satisfied with her answer.
He loosened his grip and stroked her back dotingly. Then, he lowered his head and rubbed against her cheek.
Gone was the indifference from the night before as he asked in a gentle and deep voice, “Did you miss me, Clare?”
For such a long time, Clarissa did not once look back after walking away from what they had.
He had also heard from Ellie that she did not even give any response when she was told about his blind dates.
Matthew finally understood what his friends meant when they said that once triggered, a woman could become more heartless than a man.
And he was at his wit’s end because of that.
Thank God…
She still cares enough about me to come back, or God knows what I’d do to this little woman.
Clarissa’s heart softened upon hearing his voice.
“Of course I missed you.”
“Did you now? You seemed to have no problem walking away from me, but now you’re saying you missed me?”
His words were said with obvious discontent.
Clarissa giggled softly and looked up to pout adorably at him.
“Well, since my dear Mr. Tyson treated me so coldly, there was no reason for me to stay, right?”
“I treated you coldly? Hah!”
Matthew let out a humorless laugh as his eyes flashed with indignance.
Clarissa sighed inwardly. This man may look mature, but he’s as petty as they can be.
We’ve only just made up and he’s already digging up the past?
Clarissa cupped Matthew’s face and solemnly looked into his eyes.
“Matthew, men shouldn’t be so petty. You could easily lose me if you get so caught up in the small details.”
“Are you still thinking of breaking up with me?”
This was more threat than a question.
His tone seemed to insinuate that she would be taught a lesson if she gave him an answer he did not like.
“Well, I can’t give you a definitive answer at the moment. No one can ever know how life will turn out. If I promise to be with you forever, can you guarantee that in a year or perhaps ten, you wouldn’t be bored of me and fall for another woman?”
“I can!”
His answer came without hesitation.
Clarissa’s mouth twitched. That’s a bold statement!
Well, that makes one of us.
Seeing as Clarissa kept silent, Matthew pressed her down on the sofa, putting her at a complete disadvantage in this position.
Is he physically subduing me now?
“Your reaction greatly upset me, Clare.”
So, it’s my fault again?
Clarissa’s mouth twitched again, but Matthew abruptly bit down on her bottom lip, causing her to yelp in pain.
She whimpered. “It hurts…”
Matthew snorted coldly. “Make sure you remember then.”
Remember what?
I really can’t promise that this thing between us will last forever.
However, before she could refute, Matthew’s lips found hers again. This time, he was rough and relentless, so much so that Clarissa wouldn’t be able to forget even if she tried to.
…
Clarissa was roused from her sleep because of the weight bearing down on her.
The moment she moved her arms, they were pressed above her head. Following that, her body was swiftly flipped over and her pajamas were ripped off. Before she knew it, she was at his mercy.
After what seemed like an eternity, she lay limp in bed while the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Her whole body was sticky with sweat. A while later, she turned over and bundled herself with the blanket, then sat up while struggling to lift her eyelids.
With a towel wrapped around his waist, Matthew came out to see a groggy Clarissa.
His usually piercing gaze instantly softened.
He walked over and bent down to kiss her, but she nimbly evaded him.
All trace of sleepiness seemed to vanish from her as she exclaimed, “I haven’t brushed my teeth!”
Matthew chuckled. “You didn’t either when you kissed me just now.”
Clarissa frowned cutely and whined, “Well, you forced me.”
“Mm, but you enjoyed it.”
“Get lost!” Clarissa’s yelled, mortified.
Unfazed, Matthew leaned closer. Bare from the waist up, his chiseled muscles glistened with perfection. As he inched closer, Clarissa’s heart began to race at the sight of his well-defined chest.
She pushed against his chest while blushing furiously. When blistering heat shot up her palm, she tried to withdraw her hand, but couldn’t as it was held in place by him.
Matthew continued advancing on her. Some water droplets from damp hair fell to her cheek and slid down her neck all the way into her cleavage, making her shiver in response.
Matthew’s hot breath tickled her ear as he said huskily, “Clare, when will you let me really…”
The rest of his sentence was barely a whisper, but Clarissa heard it nonetheless.
She shrieked and shoved Matthew aside. Like an overactive little monkey, she jumped up from the bed with the blanket wrapped around her and made a mad dash to the bathroom.
After being pushed aside, Matthew lay on his back on the bed and burst out laughing.
In the bathroom, when Clarissa heard his laughter, she started giggling as well.
He and his perverted thoughts, but I’m glad he’s in a better mood now.
During this period of time, stress had been eating away at him. She couldn’t help him with career-related problems, but she hoped to bring him some joy in life.
Even if he was really left with nothing one day, she would still remain by his side.
However, the question he had whispered into her ear just now sent her into a frenzy.
Both of them often shared a bed and were familiar with each other’s bodies, but at the end of the day, they still had not done the last step. In fact, Clarissa was deliberately putting it off. As for when she would be ready to take things to the next level, she herself did not know, but she thought it would be better to let nature take its course.
…
Clarissa went downstairs to see a cheerful Julia serving breakfast.
At the dining table, Matthew looked reinvigorated in a tailored blue suit, the previous cloud hanging over his head completely swept away. At that moment, he looked energetic and unbelievably charming.
Clarissa walked to the table, but before she could sit, Matthew reached out and tugged her onto his lap.
“Hey! Don’t start. This is the dining table. “
Matthew kissed the corner of her mouth first, then waggled his brows and teased, “Don’t start what?”
“This is so cringey!”
“I don’t think so.”
Clarissa fumbled for words before blurting out, “I’m starving, so talk less, eat more.”
“I’ll feed you.”
Clarissa was utterly dumbfounded.
She sighed and grumbled, “Matthew, can you stop being so clingy? We have all the time in the world, okay? Can you please just let me finish my breakfast in peace? I’m starving! I haven’t been eating well these days and I didn’t eat since last night until now. I’ll starve to death at this rate, or is that your plan all along? To starve me?”
Matthew chuckled deeply, using a slender finger to draw a path from her cheek to her neck, and further down.
“I guess you really haven’t been eating well. They’re smaller already.”
“Matthew Tyson!” Clarissa yelled, peeved and blushing all over.
She pushed him away and walked to the other side to sit down. Bowing her head, she refused to look at him as she bit into her food with force, pretending that she was biting him instead.
From time to time, Matthew would look at her with eyes that were still burning with desire.
Needless to say, Clarissa struggled throughout the meal.
Fortunately, Matthew left for the company after breakfast.
Meanwhile, in Zen Highlands, Clarissa felt a pang in her heart when she thought about how Matthew was out there shouldering all the burden on his own, but here she was, completely powerless to help him.
Plagued with worries, every time Matthew came home, Clarissa would treat him with gentleness and patience. Besides doing her best to shower him with tender love, she even put up with his shenanigans.
