Chapter 31 Tender lover boy
Veronica's POV:
I waited for him to move, to take me further, but Theo froze… his jaw tight, his body trembling with want, yet his gaze steady with restraint.
“Are you sure you want this right now, Veronica?” he asked quietly, looking at me with a mix of care and desire.
His question stunned me. That restraint—the fragile thread of control he held onto even in the heat of the moment—only deepened the ache inside me.
I was certain that any random man on this planet would have seized this opportunity and devoured me completely.
But Theo… Theo was different. He cared enough to pause.
How could I not want this man?
“I do want this,” I whispered, feeling something melt inside me. It wasn’t just lust... I respected him with all my heart... and that was why I was drawn to him too much... it was just my body, but my heart and soul too desired him.
He exhaled, eyes softening even as desire burned beneath them. “You think you do,” he murmured, brushing his thumb gently across my cheek. “But you’re hurting right now. You’re not in a clear state of mind, and I won’t let you sleep with me like this. You need rest, Veronica.”
My heart fluttered like a butterfly... and I didn’t know why my eyes welled up with tears as I looked at him. I pressed one last kiss to his forehead. “I wish all the men in this world were like you.”
“Don’t give me too much credit just yet,” Theo said with a honey-sweet smile. “Whatever you see in me is the result of yoga and self-discipline.”
Then he gently moved me onto the bed and slipped out of my arms. The moment our bodies separated, I felt the ache of his absence deep in my chest very strongly... I was really craving for him, like I did for a morning coffee.
“And since we’re taking our work more seriously now,” he continued, tone suddenly shifting into that of a strict teacher that he used sometimes when we were working together, “starting tomorrow, you’ll wake up early with me and do yoga. It’ll increase our productivity and our chances of success. Are you ready for this?”
I was amazed. How quickly he changed—from a tender lover boy to a disciplined mentor.
Inside, I was burning with temptation and desire, feeling like a child denied a candy that was named Theo, and for a moment I didn’t even register that he was waiting for my response.
“Yes… yes…” I nodded quickly, blinking as I swallowed down every inappropriate thought running through my mind. “I’m totally ready for it…”
That night I got a very wild dream of Theo, he was under me, fully naked, his body chilled, he looked like an angel under me, and I was top of him, riding on him, admiring his handsome face.
“Veronica… wake up. It’s 4:30 a.m. Time for practice.”
He sounded too steady and disciplined like the teacher version of him—and pulled me back to reality. And just like that, the sweet dreams I had of him vanished in thin air of the dawn.
I sighed, half-amused and half-frustrated, as I pushed myself out of bed.
I headed straight for my morning coffee, but my 'instructor' Theo stopped me.
“Caffeine is just another drug,” he said firmly. “It’s not something you should put into your system first thing in the morning. Just wait... I’ll make you something better.”
He took a while for preparation and he handed me a glass of… something.
The moment I took a sip, I nearly spat it out. It tasted peppery and oddly sweet.
“What is this?”
“Lemon, honey, and pepper,” he answered calmly. “It enhances perception and focus.”
I stared at him for a moment, frozen. Was he for real?!
He did all this every morning… just to stay the way he is?
He was seriously inspiring. He was doing things that most people wouldn't even dare to do! It was no wonder he was sucessful.
So I followed exactly what he said—secretly admiring him the whole time, even if I refused to show it openly... as right now we were professional... not lovers or friends.
He made me do yoga until 5:30 a.m., out on the beach… when the sun hadn’t even risen yet. The sky was still deep blue, the horizon barely glowing. Theo explained why it was auspicious to practice yoga before sunrise—something about planetary alignments, cosmic rays, and how the early morning energy cleanses the mind.
I barely understood half of it, but the passion in his voice made me listen anyway.
And I was obliged to follow along—I had no other choice. But honestly? This was too much. Too much effort. Too much discipline. Too much Theo-being-Theo.
After yoga, he handed me a marker, pointed at the dashboard prototype, and said, “Come up with new ideas for this.”
I almost groaned. My body ached, my mind was foggy, and I wanted nothing more than to dive back into bed. But then… something strange happened.
As I stared at the dashboard, my mind suddenly felt clear. My chest felt lighter. Ideas—actual, good ideas—started firing through my brain like sparks.
In less than ten minutes, I had sketched out concepts I didn’t even know I was capable of imagining.
I blinked down at my own work, shocked.
Did I really come up with all this?
Theo leaned over my shoulder, eyebrows rising in impressed surprise. “Now this,” he said with a playful wink, “is what I call productivity.”
My stomach fluttered, as I felt proud of myself for what I was able to do... and I couldn’t help smiling back at him
We talked and laughed together on the way to the breakfast table, the tension of the past days replaced with an effortless warmth.
But the moment we entered the dining room, I froze like an ice-sculpture in antractica.
Max was already seated—arms crossed, blue eyes fixed sharply on me... with envy.