But Josephine couldn't hear him anymore; her mind was totally taken over by desire.
Stuart was panting, feeling even hotter than Josephine.
She'd been gone for over five years, and Stuart had missed her every single day.
When he was tortured by longing, Stuart would think about their past, his coldness, and how badly he treated Josephine.
Even though those memories hurt like hell, he couldn't stop thinking about them.
He missed everything they had.
During the years Josephine was gone, Stuart clung to those memories to survive.
Even though they were like poison, eating away at his heart each time.
But he still thought about them, both as a longing and a reminder of how badly he screwed up.
Sometimes, he'd dream about having sex with Josephine.
But the sweeter the dream, the emptier and more longing he felt when he woke up.
As time went on, Stuart just stopped thinking about it.
During those years, Jair would come out to eat with him and say Stuart seemed lifeless, like a man without desires.
Stuart knew Jair was right.
In the days when he no longer dreamed of Josephine, he didn't even take care of his own needs.
Sometimes he'd joke to himself that he might have sexual dysfunction.
But now, Stuart's body was on fire with heat and excitement, barely able to contain his desire, he knew it.
It wasn't that he was impotent; it was just that it had to be Josephine.
Now, Josephine seemed boneless, lying completely on top of him.
Her mind was fuzzy; she felt uncomfortable but didn't know how to fix it.
She was unconsciously touching him all over, her lips brushing against his skin, feeling hot and then moving to another spot to kiss.
Any cool spot was like heaven to her.
But this torment was pure hell for Stuart.
If it were five years ago, without Josephine making the first move, Stuart would have already jumped on her.
But now, what should he do?
He couldn't understand Josephine's sudden change, but it was evident that something was amiss.
If they had already made up, he wouldn't have any concerns.
But he was still trying to win her back, still begging for her forgiveness.
Despite Josephine initiating, Stuart refrained from exploiting her confusion, yet his body was uncontrollably responsive.
He didn't know how much strength it took to resist kissing her.
But Josephine, like a lost lamb, kept rubbing against him and kissing him all over.
No man could resist such temptation.
Especially since Stuart hadn't had sex in over five years.
Stuart used all his self-control to push Josephine away.
Rejected, Josephine looked like a wronged child, closing her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, making whimpering sounds from her throat.
It seemed like she was crying.
Stuart called his private doctor.
At the same time, he went to the bathroom, filled a basin with cold water, and wet a towel to wipe her face.
The doctor said if it was an aphrodisiac, going to the hospital wouldn't help; they could only find ways to ease her pain and wait for the drug to wear off.
But how?
Stuart's body was nearly overwhelmed with desire, yet he kept telling himself, "No, I can't."
He wiped her face, helped her take off her shirt, and wiped her body down.
When he saw her pale, flawless skin, his mind buzzed, almost losing control.
Josephine, however, wasn't making it easy, grabbing his hand and placing it on her most ample part.
Stuart's chest heaved violently, staring at her without blinking. Then, taking a deep breath, he lowered his head.
When Josephine woke up, she felt dizzy, her head heavy, almost unable to lift it.
Her body was sore and aching, like she had just run a four-mile cross-country.
What happened to her?
In the middle of the night, Josephine suddenly felt something was off.
Hadn't she come back with Stuart?
What happened after that?
Why couldn't she remember?
How did she get home, take a bath, and go to bed?
The following moment, Josephine froze, realizing she was naked, a departure from her usual habit of wearing pajamas to bed due to Jeffrey's presence in the house.
Now, disoriented, she questioned her surroundings.
In the dim light around her, Josephine opened her eyes, took a few seconds to adjust, and vaguely saw everything around her, only to find this wasn't her home.
She sat up abruptly, her hand accidentally touching something. She gasped and pulled the blanket up to cover her upper body.
Stuart, exhausted both physically and mentally from the night before, had eventually fallen asleep.
However, his slumber was restless, and he woke up at the slightest sound.
"Josephine?" he spoke, then turned on a soft bedside lamp.
"Stuart?" Josephine closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, looking at him in disbelief, "What are you doing here? What happened?"
Her voice was filled with panic.
Seeing her like this, Stuart felt heartbroken, "Josephine, listen to me, last night..."
"Please leave." Josephine took a deep breath, calmed down, and interrupted him, "Thank you."
Stuart was momentarily speechless.
He had no choice but to leave, closing the door behind him.
Josephine saw her clothes neatly folded by the bed.
She closed her eyes, calmed down for a few more seconds, then lifted the blanket and put on her clothes.
Feeling utterly fatigued, she had no clear idea of what had transpired. Yet, finding herself in Stuart's bed, unclad, led her to ponder.
Moreover, how could she have ended up like that for no reason?
Although her memory was unclear, Josephine wasn't completely without impressions.
But her mind was a mess right now, and she didn't want to think about it.
She changed her clothes, took a deep breath, and then opened the door.
As expected, Stuart was waiting for her at the door. Their eyes met, and Stuart spoke first, "Josephine."
"I'm very tired." Josephine didn't want to say anything, "I want to go home."
Stuart felt both heartache and anxiety.
Josephine didn't allow him to explain, leading Stuart to realize she may have misunderstood him.
He suddenly became nervous. Earlier, he had been focused on taking care of Josephine and had guessed that Alfonso had administered an aphrodisiac to her, feeling fortunate that he was with Josephine.
But what if Alfonso's goal was to make Josephine misunderstand him?
By then, he might not be able to explain it clearly!
Just when their relationship was improving, and Josephine's attitude towards him had changed a little.
Now, such a thing had happened.
Alfonso was indeed scheming!