ETHAN
She wasn’t in bed when I woke up, nor anywhere else in the room. There wasn’t even a message from her letting me know where she was.
That was definitely not a good sign. She was driving me crazy. If she was already making me lose my mind now, I couldn’t even imagine what would happen when she finally became my wife.
The thought made my lips curl into a smile. I’d always known she wasn’t the easy type. But damn, lately, it seemed like she was making an effort to turn everything into a challenge for me.
Last night, I felt like we weren’t even speaking the same language. I couldn’t understand her. Was she mad because I tried to push Charlotte away?
What does she want from me? What else do I need to say? We’d had this conversation so many times that, to me, there was nothing left to discuss.
She knows exactly what I went through and that I can’t just forget what Charlotte did. I thought she understood that, but apparently, I was wrong.
I need to make her understand that all I feel for Charlotte now is contempt and disgust, and that she poses no threat to our relationship.
Just remembering how that woman dared to approach me last night was enough to bring my irritation back.
I don’t know what she was thinking. I thought I had made it clear that I never wanted to see or speak to her again after her last visit to my apartment.
But since I hadn’t even given her the chance to speak, I had no idea what she wanted.
Not that I cared. The encounter itself had already been inconvenient enough.
Before leaving the room, I considered calling Ellie or just sending her a message to find out where she was, but I didn’t.
Maybe it was better to give her some time. I could use it too—to think about how I would tame the beast during my workout.
✽
After a two-hour workout at the hotel gym, I returned to our room, still finding it empty.
I was pulling off my sweat-drenched shirt in the bathroom when I heard the sound of the door, which had to mean she was finally back.
I followed the sound, stepping back into the room. She was pouring herself a glass of water, looking distracted.
Beautiful. Beautiful and impossible.
*“I won’t marry a man who hides his feelings and keeps everything to himself.”*
I would never allow her to run from me, but her words were still tormenting me a little.
She thinks I’m hiding my feelings. Maybe she really believes I still feel something for Charlotte other than revulsion. Which is completely absurd.
It was a subject I never wanted to talk about again, but if she needed this, then I would give it to her.
“Good morning, Miss Brown,” I whispered against her ear, wrapping my arms around her from behind. “Or should I say, future Mrs. Morgan?”
She remained silent, though she couldn’t hide the way her body shivered in response to me. Her scent alone was enough to make me ache to have her.
“Still upset?” I asked, brushing my nose slowly against her neck.
With her eyes closed, she insisted on her silence, awakening a familiar irritation in me—like an itch that, at the same time, made me hard.
“Alright. I don’t need you to talk. I’ll settle for a few moans,” I teased, sliding my hands to her breasts, but she stopped me, removing my hands and stepping away before I could squeeze them.
“Good morning,” she finally said, turning her back to me. “You need a shower.” She teased, though there was no amusement in her tone.
To me, it sounded like an invitation to keep playing our game.
“I thought you liked a little sweat,” I reached for her again, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to me before she could escape to the bathroom.
She tried to pull away, pushing against my chest gently, but I didn’t let her. Even though she was trying hard to maintain an indifferent expression, I knew her well enough to tell that, deep down, something was really bothering her. That worried me.
“Where were you?”
“I need a shower. I’m going out with the girls,” she said, making my frustration rise.
“Would you like it if I did the same? If you woke up alone in bed, not knowing where I was?”
She narrowed her eyes as if studying me.
“Do you really want to know where I was? Or, better yet, who I ran into?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
I nodded, frowning in confusion.
“I was having breakfast with the girls. And by chance, I also found out that someone else we know is staying here...”
“Who?”
“Charlotte...” She tilted her head, watching my reaction. “And her fiancé.”
✽ ✽ ✽
*Author’s Note:*
*From now on, I’ll be making shorter chapters to prevent them from being split into multiple parts. I appreciate your understanding.*
*✽ ✽ ✽*
*Para os meus leitores do Brasil:*
*Se você está lendo esse livro em português no aplicativo NovelaGo, saiba que essa é apenas uma tradução do inglês, que pode não ser 100% fiel ao conteúdo original.*
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