NINE. Intense and Hot
Riley woke up after hearing a loud and rough knock on the door. She opened her eyes wide and tried to gather all her scattered orientation. She tried to remember everything that had happened to her. The room she was in felt strange. The knocking kept going, and she had to force her voice to scream for the knocker to leave her alone.
"Yes. I'm awake."
"Dinner in ten minutes. Mr. Hatcher is waiting for you at the dining table."
Mr. Hatcher?
Riley narrowed her eyes. Feeling familiar with the name, then she slapped her forehead hard. She had forgotten that she was now living at Logan Hatcher's house and that she was carrying his baby.
Riley lazily got out of bed. The pillows were very comfortable. She was tempted to lie down and skip dinner with Logan. But the man would be angry if she refused his orders. She wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone. She was a bit dizzy after waking up, and nauseous. It was an effect because she fell asleep after being full. She should have given her digestive organs a chance to process her food and not fall asleep like that. But she was incredibly tired. Physically and mentally. Her body was tired because her mind was experiencing emotional exhaustion.
When Riley turned to the window, the sky was already dark. She then dragged her feet to the window to close the curtains and moved toward the bathroom. Riley's mouth gaped at the very luxurious interior of the bathroom. The floor was made of marble with gold nuances. A sink with a mirror and shelves of complete toiletries was on the right side. A large ivory bathtub ws on the left side. The shower cubicle and toilet were separated by a glass which looked luxurious.
Riley felt happy. She quickly took off all her clothes and threw them into the laundry basket in the right corner, near the sink. Then she filled the tub with warm water and waited for it to fill. She smelled every bottle she found in the toiletry rack. The soaps had a pleasant fragrance.
When the bath water was ready, Riley poured the soap into the bathtub and soaked in it with a sigh of satisfaction. It was a rare luxury when she could feel a warm bath with such peace. Her stern mother did not allow her to linger in the bath tub. Her mother liked to make her do a lot of housework and yell at her.
To get rid of all the bad thoughts, Riley played with her bath foam and blew out the soap bubbles that were created from her hands. She squealed with delight as the bubbles flew past her, then fell to the floor before bursting into cute soapy splashes.
Riley was very happy to be able to do the things she used to do when she was young. She used to like to linger in the bathroom, playing with bubbles until her mother got mad because she made the bathroom floor wet and slippery because of the soap she played with.
Riley rinsed herself in the shower and dried herself with a towel. She panicked while looking at the clock on the wall, which was already seven twenty-five. She had spent so long in the bathroom that she had forgotten that she had to come down to the dining table to have dinner with Logan.
After she got dressed and smoothed her wet hair, Riley stepped out of her room. The hallway on the second floor was very quiet. She took a deep breath to relieve the nervousness she was feeling. But a sudden voice startled her. Riley jumped in surprise and almost hit the man standing right behind her.
"What are you doing in there?"
"Kyyaa... Why do you always surprise me?"
Riley hit Logan's arm reflexively. This left them both silent for a moment. Awkwardness and guilt enveloped Riley's body because she shouldn't have hit Logan like that. They weren't too familiar to touch each other.
"What are you doing in there? You're taking too long and starving me."
Logan repeated his question again. His two eyes explored Riley's body, which emitted an alluring fragrance. The memory of Riley's upper body covered only in a pink mini bra bothered him. Suddenly he felt a lust he had never felt before as he watched Riley gently caress her stomach. The look on her face as she closed her eyes in front of the mirror, made him feel a strange tingle throughout his body. He wasn't a nerdy teenager who had never tasted a woman's body. He had been with dozens of women since he was in high school. But why was he suddenly bothered by the body of a teenage girl who would be the mother of his child?
How ridiculous, Logan thought angrily.
"Sorry, I took too long in the bathroom. Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet," Logan replied harshly. He quickly turned Riley's shoulders and pushed her forward.
"We're having dinner now. You made me wait for hours and I had to come up here to pick you up. I'm afraid you're trying to escape or you're trying to kill my baby."
"Am I that bad in your eyes?"
Riley frowned in annoyance. Logan was behind her, and she could feel his very orderly and efficient movements.
"Don't blame me if I think so. You give me that kind of impression."
"How could I possibly run away from you? Don't be ridiculous."
"Anticipation is always needed. Let's go down."
\-00-
They walked slowly down the stairs one by one. Logan was still behind Riley, watching in silence like he was a father afraid his little girl would make a fuss on the stairs. Logan thought about Riley's curves and her flawless skin. Tonight, Riley looked different in a sleeveless knee-length dress which made her look even more feminine and fragile. Logan found himself mesmerized by how she looked tonight. Riley's wet, flowing hair gave off the aroma of shampoo which really pleased his nose. Logan inhaled Riley's scent greedily, as if he wanted to remember Riley's sweet scent.
Riley followed Logan into the dining room. She was amazed to see the variety of food on the dining table. Roast beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta, all the delicious food that she rarely ate at home was on the table.
"Eat whatever you like."
"Can I taste all of them?"
"I don't mind at all. You're so skinny, so you need to eat a lot."
"My belly will swell as this baby grows."
"We'll see what your body looks like when my baby grows bigger in your belly. Maybe your...."
Logan suddenly felt awkward to continue his words. He couldn't say anything and just made a gesture with his hand to point at Riley's breasts.
"-It will bulge."
Logan ignored the blush on Riley's face. He knew he had embarrassed her by talking about such intimate matters after what had happened this afternoon.
"Oh, I've studied it in biology class. My body will prepare itself for the birth of this baby."
Logan cleared his throat softly and nodded at the plates on the table. "Well, you had better start eating."
They ate in the thick silence that surrounded them. After their absurd conversation, Riley became very nervous and didn't want to do anything but focus on her food. She took pasta carbonara and prawn salad which was delicious. She ate silently and lowered her face until she had finished all her food. She glanced at Logan briefly. He was sipping wine and was looking at her through the gap between the glass and his nose.
"When you're done, you can go back to your room. Take some rest."
"I've slept very long this afternoon. I can't sleep for at least the next four hours."
"So, what do you want to do?"
"What if I read a book from your bookshelf?"
"Okay. You can read books while I work."
Logan's words made Riley blush once again. She imagined herself lazing on the plush sofa in Logan's room with a book in her hand, then Logan going to work, and occasionally his black eyes watched her intently. She imagined Logan watching her like this afternoon, intense and hot.