Chapter 4: Helping Her Bathe
Luxe Haven
After the servant left, the house fell silent—so silent that she couldn't help but curl up and hug herself.
The night outside the window grew darker and darker, and Mia couldn't stop her mind from wandering.
All her thoughts were about James.
She knew she was being pathetic, that James wasn't worth it, but she couldn't control herself. Years of feelings couldn't be cut off overnight.
The sadness in Mia's heart grew infinitely. She didn't dare stay downstairs alone anymore and quickly went upstairs.
She planned to take a bath and go to sleep.
Once asleep, she wouldn't overthink anymore.
She rushed into the bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucet.
In the sound of running water, Mia started trying to undress herself. She had just taken off her pants, but when it came to her top, it became difficult.
She had only gotten her top halfway off, her face covered by the clothing, when she heard the door open behind her!
Someone had opened the bathroom door!
Mia instinctively turned her head, but through the clothing she could only vaguely see a figure approaching.
Panicked, she lost her footing and stepped backward, tripping over her own feet. Her body fell backward unsteadily, and she cried out in fright!
"Be careful." Mia was caught firmly in James's prepared embrace.
She smelled the scent that put her at ease, and her heart, which had jumped to her throat, instantly settled.
The shock left Mia's mind a bit fuzzy. Before she could recover, she reflexively grabbed James's arm and said in a trembling voice, "Who told you to come in without making a sound and scare me?"
Perhaps truly frightened, her eyes were a bit moist.
James's heart softened at the sight. He easily lifted her in his arms, set her down to sit on the side, and agreed with her, "My fault."
As he spoke, he raised his hand to free her covered face, carefully avoiding her injured arm, and helped her remove her top, tossing it aside.
His slightly cool fingertips touched Mia's skin, and she trembled lightly, suddenly coming to her senses.
What was he doing?
What was she doing?
She was about to divorce him!
"James, get out." Mia, both embarrassed and annoyed, raised her hand to slap his away.
She crossed her arms, protecting herself.
James looked at Mia's gesture of guarding against a pervert and chuckled softly, "What are you covering? I've seen it all before."
Mia's face heated up, a blush instantly spreading from her fair cheeks to the back of her ears. Embarrassed and angry, she said through gritted teeth, "James, you... shut up. Get out, I need to take a bath!"
"Okay." James responded, but didn't leave. Instead, he raised his hand to remove his suit jacket, casually tossing it aside.
Then his tie, his shirt buttons—
One, two...
Mia watched in shock as James undressed in front of her, asking in disbelief, "What are you doing?"
James stopped at the third button and moved to his cuffs, unbuttoning them and slowly rolling up his sleeves. He looked down at her with a half-smile, "What are you thinking?"
His gaze made her face even hotter.
"Nothing!" Mia denied with a red face. Her shyness colored her entire being with a faint blush, making her look absolutely delicious.
James's Adam's apple bobbed as he watched. He reached out to lift her chin, leaned down and kissed her moist, full lips, "Good girl, you'll have to wait until the three months are up."
"James, I wasn't thinking anything!" Mia got angry, glaring at him fiercely.
This James—usually he had that refined, restrained appearance.
But when he flirted with her in private, he completely changed.
"I was!" Seeing Mia in his arms, so shy she was practically cooked through, James laughed softly and pulled her into his embrace, reaching behind her to unfasten her bra.
Mia took a deep breath, still protecting herself with her hands, and bumped her head against his chest, "James, get out, I need to take a bath."
"I'll help you."
"No need." Mia refused with a cold expression.
"It's not like I haven't helped you bathe before. What's there to be shy about?"
James thought she was just being shy. He bent down, placed his hands on her slim waist, and easily lifted her into the bathtub.
"James, I said no need." Mia slapped his hands away and moved backward. The bathtub was large, and she pressed herself against the far end, out of James's long reach.
Looking up, she realized she hadn't controlled her strength well—water splashed up, covering James's face with foam.
Mia met James's slightly changed expression and still felt a bit intimidated. She bit her lip and said stubbornly, "Get out, I can wash myself."
Whenever he got close to her, she couldn't help but be affected by him, her heart fluttering.
Just like moments ago, she couldn't help herself.
The better and more gentle he was to her, the more reluctant she became to divorce him.
James slowly stood up, grabbed a blue towel from the side to wipe the foam off his face, and looked down at her calmly, "You only have one good hand, and the bathroom is so slippery. What if you accidentally fall?"
Mia wanted to say she wouldn't, that she'd be careful.
But the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back.
What if?
Her hand underwater quietly touched her lower abdomen.
She didn't dare take the risk.
James crouched down again and said to Mia, "Come here."
Mia pressed her lips together tightly, lowered her head, and slowly moved back in front of James, letting him help her bathe.
...
James skillfully helped her finish bathing.
Slightly breathless, he lifted the shy Mia from the bathtub, walked to the shower to rinse the foam off her body.
He grabbed a bathrobe from the side, wrapped her up, carried her out, and sat her on the bed.
A few minutes later, James helped Mia put on her pajamas and blow-dried her hair.
He stood in front of her, his long fingers gently running through her thick, soft long hair, patiently drying it for her.
Mia kept her head down, emotions churning violently inside her.
She was lazy.
Her hair was too thick, and she found blow-drying troublesome. Every time after bathing, she would just towel it off casually and let it air dry.
The first night she moved from the guest room to James's master bedroom, she did the same.
After James finished his work and returned from the study to the bedroom, he saw this, went into the bathroom to get the hairdryer, handed it to her, told her to dry it, and turned to take a shower.
When he came out after his shower, he found she still had wet hair.
Back then, they hadn't been together long. She wasn't bold enough yet, didn't have enough confidence in front of him, didn't dare act spoiled.
But to continue being lazy in the future, she still tried hard to fight for herself.
Meeting his insistent gaze, she weakly raised her hand and promised him that she really didn't need to dry it—she was healthy and wouldn't get sick or catch a cold.
She remembered how James had silently watched her act shamelessly.
His gaze went from speechless to helpless, and finally he walked up to her, bent down to pick up the hairdryer she had secretly hidden behind her back, and helped her dry it.
She still remembered every detail of the first time he blow-dried her hair.
His movements weren't skilled, and he kept pulling her hair. Her scalp hurt so much from being tugged.
But she didn't make a sound, as if she couldn't feel the pain at all. She hugged his waist with both hands, pressed her face against his chest, and smiled like a little fool.
At that moment, she thought how lucky she was.
To meet a man like James—handsome, rich, doting on her, and with a clean private life...
Until yesterday, she still believed this.
But—
"Why?" The tears Mia had been holding back since waking up in the hospital finally burst out, and she murmured the question.