Chapter 232

Chapter 232

"Think it through." Jasper rasped. His breathing was shallow and ragged, a sharp contrast to the forced rationality in his voice as he urged Clea to stay grounded.

"Jasper." Clea yanked open Jasper's buttons. "You are talking too much. Are you a man or not?"

Jasper looked at his ruined shirt. "Fuck! Can you unbutton up properly?"

He will have to sew it back himself.

"Call me "sister", and I'll take care of you." Clea teased Jasper.

"I'm older than you." Jasper warned sharply.

Clea rolled her eyes. "It's called fun."

Jasper didn't get it.

Clea kissed Jasper's lips, her slender fingers wandering carelessly.

Jasper felt like his body was about to catch fire, his reasoning swept under the rug by desire.

"Remember what I said?" He picked Clea up—turned on the shower—and pressed her back against the wall and kissed her fervently.

Clea was taken aback when Jasper took initiative. "Go to the bed? This place is uncomfortable."

Jasper's breath was hollow and ragged as he trapped Clea in-between him so she couldn't escape. She started the fire, and now she's scared and wants to run?

Clea swallowed. Sure enough, she could only talk big - deep down she was still scared.

Jasper stood under the showerhead, water flowing down his chest muscles.

Clea had to admit, his body was amazing.

Wheat-colored skin, muscle lines clear and defined. Unlike some rigid physiques, every inch of Jasper's body radiated explosive hormones.

Clea leaned against the wall, looking at Jasper's face.

She wasn't into Jasper entirely because of his face, but this face was indeed the ruggedly handsome type.

Buzz cut, sharp features - a real looker.

"Let me tell you a secret." Clea smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck. "Actually, this is my first time too. Do you believe me?"

Jasper hooked Clea's waist. He didn't believe it.

"I'm not that shallow, and I don't have any hang-ups about it." Jasper held back his desire and helped Clea wash her hair first.

"You should've said so earlier." Clea tilted her head back, unusually obedient as she let Jasper wash her hair.

After washing and drying, Jasper carried Clea back to his bedroom.

The room was very clean, with a faint fresh scent of laundry detergent.

Much better than Clea had imagined.

"As expected from an ex-soldier." Clea looked at the neatly made bed and smiled. "When are you going to organize my room?"

Jasper ignored Clea. Her closet organizer charged by the hour.

After drying her hair, Jasper sat to the side. "Sleep?"

"Sleep what?" Clea swiftly flipped over, her long legs swinging across to straddle Jasper. "Are you impotent or something?"

"Guess." Jasper laughed in exasperation, flipped her over and pinned her beneath him, kissing her.

In Jasper's plain life, no one had ever ignited him like this.

Clea was too fiery.

Her figure was perfect, the ratio of her waist to hips just right, especially those long straight legs, seductively wrapped around Jasper's waist.

With a gentle squeeze, Clea smiled like a soul-stealing temptress.

Jasper was holding back, afraid of hurting her.

But she was reckless, loving to provoke him.

"Jasper."

In the dim bedroom light, Clea's voice carried a hint of tears.

"Does it hurt?" Jasper's body tensed up a bit.

Clea didn't answer, then after a moment pulled Jasper into her arms. "Do I look like someone who's that delicate?"

Jasper's arms around Clea tightened a bit.

She was the one who started this.

"Jasper, tell me you love me."

Clea's voice was hoarse, asking Jasper to say he loved her.

But those words - Jasper couldn't say them.

Disappointed, Clea looked at the ceiling, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes.

Night deepened.

Jasper couldn't sleep. He stood on the balcony smoking.

Clea was asleep. Maybe because he was inexperienced, he'd worn her out.

Jasper's heart was a mess, with feelings he couldn't describe.

Both excited and disappointed.

Probably afraid he was falling too deep - he always kept his heart locked up too well.

Opening his phone's photo album, Jasper clicked on a folder filled with photos of another girl.

That was Jasper's first love, the only woman Jasper had ever had feelings for, but they'd broken up due to reality.

"Jasper, you can't give me the future I want."

"Jasper, love can't put food on the table. You have no house, no money, no education, nothing, and you still have to take care of your sister's son. How can I be with you?"

"We can't have a future."

Taking a deep drag, Jasper deleted all the photos from the album.

The past is past.

After deleting all the photos and clearing everything related to that woman, Jasper's heart actually felt much lighter.

Looking up at the night sky, Jasper decided to say goodbye to the past for good.

"Jasper."

"Don't go."

"I'm scared of dogs, they're chasing me."

Clea was still talking in her sleep, seemingly having a nightmare.

Jasper sat on the edge of the bed, reached out to touch Clea's cheek, and smiled.

In all his years, he'd really never met a woman like Clea.

If it were before, even if he had met her, Clea's personality would definitely be the type he liked least.

His first love was that quiet, gentle, fragile type of woman - the kind that could trigger his protective instincts.

But Clea wasn't like that.

When she got tough, she seemed ready to rush in front of him to protect him at any moment.

Even though he was the bodyguard and she was the employer.

"You started this, so don't get tired of me too quickly." Jasper lay down beside Clea, holding her in his arms.

You pulled me out of the abyss.

Don't take me to another hell.

The next morning.

When Jasper woke up, Clea was already gone from his side.

He sat up abruptly, panicking as he ran out to the living room.

"Why doesn't your fridge even have a single egg?" Clea had her hair in a ponytail, grumbling with a resentful look. "I'm hungry."

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief, walked over and trapped Clea in his arms with one hand, opening the fridge to take out a box of frozen pasta. "Want noodles?"

"No, that's junk food." Clea muttered while brushing her teeth.

Jasper rested his chin on Clea's head, frowning. "Whose toothbrush are you using?"

"Yours." Clea said it like it was nothing.

Jasper was really afraid he'd die young. "Put it back."

"You think I'm gross." Clea looked hurt. "Last night when you were holding and kissing me, you didn't say I was gross. I just use your toothbrush, and last night you..."

Her next words were covered by Jasper's hand. "Fine, fine, fine. Use it."

The toothbrush was new anyway.

Clea's lips curved up as she leaned into Jasper's embrace.

Having a man around felt pretty good.

After feeding Clea, Jasper went into the bedroom to make the bed.

As soon as he pulled back the covers, Jasper froze in place.

Even without experience with women, Jasper still had common sense.

There were bloodstains on the sheets.

Clea - last night was really her first time?

Shocked for a long while, Jasper's fingers slowly tightened on the sheets.

How was that possible? She'd been married, and married for many years.

Jasper hadn't cared about Clea's affairs before.

It seemed he still knew too little about Clea.

She seemed to have way too many secrets.