Chapter 169 You Missing Once Is Disrespect to My Past Two Months
Caroline didn't like the strong smell of alcohol. When Leopold got home, he went straight to take a shower without being told.
His phone kept vibrating in the living room. Caroline came out in her pajamas and walked to the sofa. Just as she was about to bend down and pick it up, she saw the number on the screen, it was Allegra's. She couldn't help but frown.
Caroline had never talked to Leopold about his spending Allegra's birthday with her. With all the stuff going on at work, and then his sudden return, she'd completely forgotten about it.
Today's call reminded her.
Leopold came out of the bathroom looking much fresher, though his eyes still carried that wild look from the alcohol. Caroline was applying her skincare products. When she saw him, she said:
"Your phone rang just now."
"I don't have anything urgent right now," Leopold ignored the phone and walked straight behind Caroline. He gripped her shoulders with both hands, leaned down to look at her in the vanity mirror, and said close to her delicate ear, "What did you put on? You smell so good."
Caroline held up a jar of face cream. "This."
He took it from her and set it down, smiling mischievously. "No, that's not the scent."
Caroline glanced at him. "What scent are you talking about?"
Leopold began kissing her neck, pecking at it, a trail of soft kisses all the way to the back of her neck. Instantly, her skin there tingled. His hands started wandering too.
Caroline grabbed his wandering hand. "Wait, I'm not done yet."
"Don't bother. You'll just have to wash it off in a bit anyway." Leopold straightened up. The bathrobe was tied around his waist, and his body was unusually excited under the influence of alcohol.
He scooped her up in his arms, nuzzling her face with his nose as he walked and talked.
"Every inch of you smells like you want me. Let me take care of you."
"Just shut up." Caroline covered his mouth.
He was usually a gentleman, but once they made love, he was nothing like his usual self. After drinking, he was even more unrestrained.
She couldn't deny that being out of control together was more thrilling. Their faces were so close they could see their own reflections in each other's eyes. Her face was flushed, looking delicate and lovely, her chin tilted up, showing off her beautiful neck.
His lips brushed against her eyes and brows, tickling her. Her ears turned as red as cooked shrimp.
Every time they got wild after drinking, it was an intoxicating experience.
Caroline complained it wasn't fair, why did they go through the same thing, but her body had to be exhausted for three days?
Leopold was even more infuriating, teasing her about being weak.
Sure enough, as he said, the skincare was wasted. After showering, Caroline was so tired she didn't want to move a finger. She lay in bed like a dead fish.
Leopold brought over a glass of water and held her head up. Caroline drank most of it, and the remaining bit was placed on the nightstand.
The phone vibrated again. Caroline knew who it was but didn't remind him.
Footsteps went from near to far. Leopold went to the living room. She heard him answer the phone, not much conversation, just a simple sentence or two in response.
Then he went to the balcony. His voice was very low, and she couldn't hear clearly anymore.
It was past ten at night. When he came back after the call, Caroline asked, "Who was it, this late?"
Leopold said, "Allegra."
Though the lights weren't on in the room, everything was exceptionally clear under the cold white moonlight—the texture on the walls, the patterns on the floor, the books on the shelf. Even the air seemed colored by moonlight, quiet and comfortable.
Caroline opened her eyes, wanting to ask if anything had happened between them during those months abroad.
But some questions, once asked, meant a loss of trust. And once the wall of trust collapsed, rebuilding it was extremely difficult.
Yet doubts needed to be addressed. Unconditional trust required the other person to firmly maintain their integrity.
Caroline turned over and lay in his arms. "I'm going to ask you some questions. You can choose not to answer, but you can't lie to me."
Leopold held her tighter. "Okay."
Caroline asked, "During those months abroad with Allegra, did you see each other frequently outside of work?"
"No. I was almost always at the hotel."
"You mean you did see each other outside of work?"
Leopold didn't avoid it. "Yes."
Caroline pressed her lips together. "Did you have meals together that weren't business-related?"
Leopold was honest. "Yes. It was her birthday, and she couldn't find anyone to celebrate with. I invited her to the hotel and cooked a few dishes. She helped a lot with the overseas hotel partnership project. Cooking for her was just to thank her."
"Did you drink together outside of work?"
"Yes." He added, "Just once, and I didn't drink much."
"Did she get drunk in front of you?"
Leopold paused. "Yes."
When a woman got drunk in front of her ex-boyfriend, it's usually giving him an opportunity.
Caroline asked, "So, did anything intimate happen between you two? Like, did you kiss or..."
Leopold immediately cut her off. "Stop. Don't need to say the rest. No, nothing happened. I didn't touch a single hair on her head."
Leopold suddenly rolled over on top of her, lifting her chin. "After all these questions, you just want to know if I cheated on you when I was away? Don't you know whether I cheated or not? For over two months, I had all this energy with nowhere to use it. When I came back, I practically wore you out, and now you're still doubting me? Looks like I've been too nice to you." His hand slipped under the covers, lifting her lower back. "Starting tonight, we're making love twice a day. One time less and you're disrespecting my two months of celibacy."
"No!" Before Caroline could react, the covers were pulled off her.
He said he was thirsty from all that talking and grabbed the glass from the nightstand. There were still a few sips of water in it. He turned the glass upside down, and the cool water poured onto her lower belly. Caroline's body tensed from the shock, her belly slightly caving in. Leopold's head dipped down, using her body as a cup, sucking up the water.
Night, cool moon, gentle breeze.
Her slender body lay sprawled on the bed, her arms hanging limply over the side, her fingertips swaying rhythmically with the dancing curtains, trembling with each movement.