Chapter 113
After eating and drinking their fill, they quietly enjoyed the peaceful moment.
Matthew sat beside her, neither of them speaking.
As darkness fell, someone lit a bonfire, and everyone gathered around, singing songs.
The man who had hit it off with Matthew earlier came over to invite them to join. Matthew glanced at Sophie, who was a bit interested but also a bit hesitant.
Matthew stood up, took Sophie's hand, and accepted the invitation.
Once they joined, everyone greeted them with bright, friendly smiles.
Some people started dancing. In the singing and firelight, everyone was relaxed, carefree, and at ease.
Sophie was drawn in.
Someone pulled her away from Matthew's side to dance around the bonfire with them.
Matthew sat nearby, his eyes never leaving Sophie. The smile on her face gave him a sense of relaxation and satisfaction he'd never felt before.
Night fell, and the fire died down.
Some people had already returned to their tents, while others walked hand in hand.
Sophie was excited but also a bit tired.
"Want to walk around more, or wash up and rest?" Matthew asked her.
Sophie did want to walk.
But right now, she was really tired.
Matthew read her mind and bent down in front of her. "Get on."
"What for?"
"I'll take you for a walk," Matthew said. "There's a lighthouse up ahead. Let's go see it."
Sophie didn't need him to carry her.
She walked past him. "I'll walk myself."
Matthew didn't insist, just grabbed her hand.
Sophie only glanced at him and didn't pull away.
Today, she was very happy.
Matthew deserved credit for all of this.
Sophie could tell that Matthew had put his heart into it.
Several times she had the sudden feeling they were a loving married couple, and this trip was their honeymoon.
Happiness always makes people forget the problems that originally existed.
They walked hand in hand on the beach, along the shore, until they finally saw a light standing on the water.
In the darkness, it shone so clearly, so brightly.
There wasn't really much to see, but many people came here to look.
Who knows what each person was thinking, or perhaps they were each searching for their own different answer.
On the way back, Matthew bent down in front of Sophie again.
"What?"
"Get on."
Matthew had been especially gentle and considerate to her these past few days, which made her a bit uncomfortable.
It's not like she couldn't walk.
"No." Sophie walked past him.
This time, Matthew didn't let her have her way.
He walked over and scooped her up in his arms.
Sophie let out a surprised cry, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. "Put me down!"
"Don't move around," Matthew said, carrying her step by step, steady and sure. "It won't look good if we fall."
"I can walk!"
It was too quiet around them, so Sophie didn't dare make a loud fuss.
Matthew held her tight and looked down. "I want to hold you."
Sophie went quiet.
His eyes were even more intense in the darkness, showing a dominance mixed with an irresistible tenderness.
Sophie saw tenderness in his eyes.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
When did his gaze toward her start carrying emotion?
Sophie didn't dare think too deeply, afraid she was seeing things wrong, or that it might just be lingering desire from that night.
On the path to the tent, Sophie's face kept flushing red. She didn't need to touch it to know how hot it was.
There were no lights around, but the moonlight cast an unusually romantic glow over the place.
Some tents were shaking, and in others you could faintly see tangled figures, with sounds of pleasure drifting out from time to time.
Sophie swallowed several times. Her heart was racing, and in this environment, she couldn't keep her mind calm.
Especially with Matthew holding her.
"Put me down." Sophie's voice was very small, almost whispered right into Matthew's ear.
Matthew swallowed. She was tempting without knowing it.
After putting Sophie down, she quietly crawled inside.
As soon as she got in, she crawled back out. "I'm going to the car."
Matthew sat on the side taking off his shoes. "Just stay here."
"No." Sophie frowned.
How could she sleep here?
Although all the tents were at a certain distance from each other, they were just a layer of fabric. Apart from providing cover, it was no different from sleeping in the open.
Sounds that made one blush kept drifting over. She couldn't stand it.
"We'll sleep our sleep."
"I'm going to the car." Sophie refused no matter what.
Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly. "You sure?"
What was there to be unsure about?
Sophie insisted on going to the car.
Matthew gave in after all.
He folded down the back seat so they could lie down, but the space was very small.
Sophie looked at the cramped space and hesitated again.
"Sleep in the tent, at least it's more spacious."
"I'll just stay in the car." Sophie didn't want to go back to that environment.
Matthew knew she could be stubborn. He accepted it.
Sophie sat in the passenger seat, adjusted it, and closed her eyes.
Matthew sat with her in the driver's cabin.
The space was too small, hard to turn over, and maintaining one position was too uncomfortable.
Matthew couldn't sleep well.
Sophie also lay there uncomfortably, restless.
"Go to the tent." When she turned over again, Matthew suggested once more. "It's late now, they're all asleep."
Sophie opened her eyes.
The car really wasn't good for sleeping.
Matthew got out and opened the door for her. "Get out."
With the car door open, Sophie listened carefully. There really wasn't any noise anymore.
Only then did she get out and return to the tent with Matthew.
Sophie lay down, and Matthew lay beside her, naturally sliding his arm under her head and pulling her into his embrace.
Smelling his scent, Sophie couldn't figure out how they had suddenly become so intimate.
Neither spoke, and the surroundings became especially quiet.
In this simple, crude shelter, the heartbeat and breathing of the person beside her were especially clear. Sophie counted Matthew's heartbeats, thinking back on this sudden trip and that wild night...
Her heartbeat quickened too, and her body's strange reactions made her want to move away from Matthew.
Just as she was about to pull away, Matthew turned on his side, reached out his long arm, and completely encircled her. "Don't move."
His voice was low and especially sexy.
His breath swept past her ear, stirring Sophie's already restless heart even more.
Someone in one of the tents suddenly became excited, and even the sounds of impact could be heard so clearly.
Sophie listened to those sounds, completely frozen.
Had they forgotten the time and place? How could they make such a commotion?
Sophie didn't dare move. She closed her eyes, but the sounds from outside grew louder and louder.
She bit her lip and held her breath, as if she were secretly watching others.
Matthew held her too tightly, and with her deliberately holding her breath, her breathing became difficult. She couldn't help but move, wanting to get out of Matthew's arms to catch her breath.