Chapter 252: Sweet
"I love you."
Charles cupped Emily's face, gently kissing away the tears on her cheeks. "For the past two weeks, I thought about you every day. I wondered if you were tired from training, if you were hurt, if you were thinking of me."
His kisses moved from her cheek to her lips.
Emily closed her eyes, responding to his kiss. The two weeks of separation had taught her the true meaning of longing. The exhaustion from training, the pain from her injury—none of it compared to the ache of missing him in the quiet hours of the night.
The kiss gradually deepened. Charles's hands slid from her waist to her back, gently pulling down the zipper of her dress. The sound of fabric sliding was particularly clear in the quiet room.
"Charles." Emily breathed softly, trying to push him away. "The children are still waiting for us to come home."
But Charles held her tighter, kissing her earlobe. "The children are with grandfather. Today, you belong only to me."
He gently laid her on the soft bed, leaning over to look at her. Two weeks of longing erupted completely in this moment, his gaze so intense it could melt her.
"Emily, I love you." He kissed her while unbuttoning his shirt.
Emily saw the undisguised desire in his eyes, and the last trace of resistance in her heart disappeared. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, actively kissing his lips. "I love you too."
Those words were like flipping a switch. Charles's movements immediately became urgent and passionate. His kisses traveled down from her lips, leaving marks along her slender neck.
"For the past two weeks, I regretted it every day. I regretted letting you go to the training camp, regretted not protecting you properly, regretted not telling you sooner how much I love you," he whispered in her ear.
Emily cupped his face, looking at him seriously. "I don't regret it. Charles, I wanted to prove myself, and I want to become stronger—to protect the children, and to protect you."
Charles's heart was deeply moved. He lowered his head to kiss her lips, making this kiss deeper and more lingering.
Clothes fell to the floor one by one. The moment their skin touched, both sighed in satisfaction. Charles's movements were gentle yet firm, every touch filled with love and cherishment.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, his fingers gently brushing over the bandage around her waist—the wound left by the snake venom. Though it had healed, it still needed time to fully recover.
Emily shook her head, pulling him closer. "Don't waste time, Charles. What's wrong with you?"
This completely shattered Charles's restraint. He no longer held back, entering her body deeply. Both let out satisfied sighs simultaneously, as if the two weeks of separation were finally compensated in this moment.
For the time that followed, Charles expressed all his longing through his actions. He took her tirelessly, from the bed to the carpet, then to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Each entry was deep and powerful, each withdrawal filled with reluctance.
Emily completely surrendered under his assault, only able to cling tightly to his shoulders, rising and falling with his rhythm. Her moans echoed through the room, mixing with his heavy breathing, creating the most primal symphony of love.
"Say you love me!" Charles commanded in her ear, his movements becoming even more intense.
Emily was nearly in tears. "I love you... Charles, I love you!"
These words brought Charles to climax. He roared softly as he released, then held her tightly in his arms, unwilling to let go for a long time.
The sunlight gradually moved west, golden twilight spilling over their entwined bodies. Charles carried Emily into the bathroom, where they made love again under the warm water.
This time, he was much gentler, every movement filled with tenderness. He carefully kissed every inch of her skin, as if he wanted to carve her entire being into his bones.
He whispered in her ear, "Emily, promise me. Don't ever let yourself get hurt again. Seeing you lying in that hospital bed nearly broke my heart."
Emily leaned against him, feeling his strong heartbeat. "I promise. But Charles, you must also promise me—don't struggle because of my identity. If your great-grandfather truly can't accept me..."
"There are no ifs. He will accept you. Even if he doesn't, I won't let you go. Emily, you're the most important person in my life. No one can separate us."
After the bath, Charles wrapped Emily in a towel and carried her back to bed. He carefully dried her hair, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a priceless treasure.
"Are you hungry? I'll cook for you." He kissed her forehead.
Emily caught his hand. "Don't go. Stay with me a little longer."
Charles smiled and lay back down beside her, pulling her into his arms. "Alright, I won't go. I'll never leave you."
They held each other like this, neither speaking, simply feeling each other's warmth and heartbeat.
When night fell, Charles finally got up to make dinner. He prepared Emily's favorite seafood pasta and vegetable salad, and opened a bottle of wine.
They shared dinner by candlelight in the dining room, Charles watching her eat with satisfaction, his eyes full of adoration.
"The children..." Emily couldn't help but mention them.
Charles took her hand. "Rest well first, then we'll see them. Today, you belong only to me. Besides, you wouldn't want the children to see the injury on my face—it would really damage my image."
After dinner, Charles held Emily on the living room sofa, watching the stars outside together. The garden lights had come on, their gentle glow twinkling in the darkness like something from a fairy tale.
"It's beautiful here," Emily said softly, leaning against him.
"As long as you like it. From now on, this will be our home. Just us, no one else, no grudges, no hatred."
Emily turned to look at him seriously. "Charles, thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me, thank you for... loving me so much."
Charles looked deeply into her eyes, his gaze filled with undisguised love. "Emily, I should be the one saying thank you. Thank you for coming into my life, thank you for giving me three such wonderful children, thank you for being willing to love me."
They kissed again, this kiss gentle and lingering, as if they wanted to convey all their love through it.
As the night deepened, Charles carried Emily back to the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, then lay beside her, pulling her into his arms.
"Sleep now. I'm here," he whispered in her ear.
Emily closed her eyes, feeling his warm embrace, her heart filled with security. All the tension and exhaustion from the past two weeks at the training camp, the anxiety and worry at the hospital—it all dissolved in this moment.