His eyes darkened slightly. She was right. They were married.
There was no reason to push her away.
In fact, they could be even closer, just like this.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned in, his gaze locked onto her lips, hovering just above them.
As Collin’s lips hovered just inches from Linsey’s, his fingers clenched the bedsheets with an intensity that betrayed his inner turmoil. He inhaled sharply, a desperate attempt to gather his waning self-control, and abruptly sat up.
Linsey, still lost in the depths of her dreams, shifted slightly in response. Her hands, which had been resting on Collin’s arm, fell away as she turned to her other side in a soft rustle of sheets.
Collin seized this moment to gently disengage his hand and perched silently on the bed’s edge, his breaths quick and uneven.
The air was thick with her unique perfume, a seductive blend that tugged at his resolve like a siren’s song.
Collin wrestled with his self-discipline, which seemed to crumble in her mere presence. Was her allure so profound?
He had no idea what was happening, but staying wasn’t an option. He had to go before he lost himself. He had to go, and he had to go now.
With a resolve as brittle as ice, he stood, his movements brisk and silent. He left the room swiftly, leaving Linsey in her serene slumber, oblivious to the emotional tempest he had barely contained.
Back in the sanctuary of his own room, he strode into the bathroom. The shower’s cold blast was immediate, the water cascading over him, a chilling torrent meant to quench the fire that her proximity had ignited, its streams pooling and swirling down the drain.
He slid a hand through his drenched hair, his eyelids falling shut instinctively.
In the fleeting seconds that followed, Linsey’s radiant smile surfaced in his mind, her rosy lips vividly painted in his memory. The lingering, sweet scent of her seemed to envelop him still.
His eyes flew open, shock and disbelief painting his features. Bowing his head, he noticed that he was erect, which deepened the chaos swirling within him.
Could he be losing his mind? Was he devolving into some kind of lust-driven fool?
The cold water ran on, timeless, until it ceased, leaving behind the eerie solitude of his ragged breaths piercing the still night air.
The shrill ring of her phone jerked Linsey awake the next morning. As she blinked open her eyes, a fierce headache threatened to lure her back to the comfort of sleep.
With a groan, Linsey reached for her phone, her fingers brushing against the screen to silence the alarm that blared, “First day at work.” She shot upright, her mind snapping into alertness.
She had set this alarm just yesterday after leaving CR Corporation, a stark reminder of the orientation she was due for today. There was no room for tardiness.
She rapped her fingers against her throbbing temple, struggling to piece together her hazy return to her room last night.
There was no time to lose, however. With a sense of urgency, she darted into the bathroom, relishing a quick, warm shower before dashing downstairs to grab some breakfast.
Upon reaching the dining room, she caught sight of Collin seated at the table.
“Collin, when did you come home last night?” she inquired, settling into a chair and tearing off a chunk of bread. She bit into it, unaware of the shadow that crossed Collin’s face at her question. His features twisted into a grimace.
“Don’t you remember anything from last night?” he asked, his voice laced with a tinge of irritation, as realization dawned on him.
This caught her off guard. She paused, bread halfway to her mouth, and met his gaze, her eyes swimming with bewilderment. It was clear she recalled nothing.
“What exactly happened last night?” she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
Her headache pounded mercilessly, obliterating any fragments of memory from the night before.
It seemed as though, from the moment she stepped back into the villa, her recollections had fogged over.
Collin hadn’t anticipated such a complete lapse in her memory, and his frustration mounted.
It was the first time in years that he had been played by a woman.
Seeing the deepening crease in Collin’s brow, Linsey slowed her chewing, hesitating mid-bite.
“What on earth happened last night? Did I sleep too long? I feel like I missed something,” she said, a hint of unease creeping into her voice.
Collin inhaled sharply, forcing himself to rein in his frustration. The memory of last night-the way he had almost lost control because of her-only made his irritation spike.
Without another glance in her direction, he turned his wheelchair away, rolling toward the study in silence.
“Forget it. I have work to do,” he muttered, his tone clipped.
Linsey blinked, watching his abrupt departure with confusion. What exactly had happened last night? Had she done something to upset him? He certainly didn’t look pleased.
Still, there wasn’t much time to dwell on it. She checked the time on her phone, quickly finished her breakfast, grabbed her bag, and left for CR Corporation.
If Collin was upset, maybe she could pick up a small gift after work to lift his mood.
Before long, she arrived at CR Corporation’s headquarters.
Once her onboarding was complete, she made her way to the Fashion Design Department.
The moment her supervisor, Coen Fuller, spotted her, he stepped forward and gestured for her to follow.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your workstation,” he said, leading the way.
“You’re Linsey, right? I heard about you after the interview yesterday. Your design got unanimous praise from the panel-pretty impressive,” Coen said with an easy smile.
“That’s your desk.”
“Mr. Fuller,” a familiar voice cut through the office.
Linsey froze, her eyes widening slightly.
Why was she here?
Cynthia, the woman she had just met yesterday, strode forward, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.
Coen’s grin widened the moment he spotted her. “Cynthia! Finally, you’re here. Come on over. I was just about to introduce you to the team.” He turned to the rest of the office, clapping his hands lightly. “Everyone, let’s pause for a moment. We have a new colleague joining us today-Cynthia Keller. I’m sure many of you have heard of her before. Starting today, she’ll be working alongside us.”
Cynthia gave a poised, elegant smile. “Hello, everyone. I’m Cynthia. It’s a pleasure to be part of the team. I know you all work incredibly hard, so I brought a little something for each of you. Nothing much-just a small token of appreciation.”
At her cue, several assistants entered, carrying neatly stacked boxes. They moved through the office, distributing the gifts.
But as soon as people opened them, they realized Cynthia’s definition of “a small token” was anything but. The women received trendy diamond necklaces, while the men found sleek, high-end mechanical watches inside their boxes.
“Wow, this is unbelievably generous. Thank you, Cynthia!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.