With a stiffened back, Nell dared not make any sudden movements.
Amid the darkness, she slowly widened her eyes.
Was this guy... really asleep?
He usually kept to his side of the bed, what was all the sprawling around the place today? Was he pretending to be asleep?
Nell waited for a while but all was quiet behind her. The pin-drop silence with the man’s faint breathing in the background drew out a frame of tranquility and serenity.
She sat tight for a while more until she was certain that the man behind her remained motionless before lifting her hand to carefully prop his arm to move it away.
However, the action immediately resulted in murmurs coming from behind her.
That arm quickly drew back, tightening its grasp over her waist.
On top of that, the man’s body was pressed against hers, and his handsome face buried in her long mane, as though she was a large-sized pillow. She was withheld in his territory.
Nestled in his embrace, Nell was almost left breathless from suffocation while her body lay frozen.
The faint breathing spewing between her hair and warm circulation curling her neck aroused a tingle of trembling numbness, electrifying her entire body like a surge of current.
With her head buzzing, Nell’s mind went blank.
Yet, the man behind her remained unaware as he glided his arm over her waist, tightening his grasp over her.
Nell gritted her teeth.
This posture was way past the line of flirtation.
It could be said as risky.
Unable to bear it further, she clutched onto his hand to pry it away, unconcerned whether the action would wake him.
Nevertheless, try as she might, her efforts were in vain since that arm applied force over her waist.
She was going to give it another go with all her might when she heard muffles of laughter behind her.
Dumbstruck like a blow to the head, Nell finally caught on.
She turned her head over.
The light brightened the room in a click.
Nell stared at the man on the bed, stunned and speechless. He stopped playing dumb now that he had been discovered. Only, he never loosened his grip over her. With the other arm propping his head on the pillow, he grinned at her.
“Finally quit pretending?”
There was unmistakable banter in the man’s voice.
Seeing red, Nell chided, “You weren’t asleep?”
“Weren’t you too?”
“I...”
Unable to refute as she was in the wrong, Nell dejectedly answered, “So what? I did not get on your nerves pretending to be asleep, but why did you have to try my patience when you were faking it?”
Gideon quietly stared at her.
The woman’s downcast eyes revealed faint guilt and fluster. Her embodiment of a lost deer tugged on his heartstrings.
She really was not the type to lie.
A little lie was already biting so much on her conscience.
Gideon quietly chuckled to himself before asking her, “What did you hear outside the study tonight?”
Nell paused.
She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.
The man’s eyes were profound and murky, like the finest black jade. Under the dimmed lighting, these seemingly penetrating eyes spoke of placidity and serenity.
Nell felt uneasy at his gaze.
He was the one at fault but his calm gaze suggested as though she was to blame!
She was on a warpath.
Nell choked. Her eyes went wide.
An unfamiliar emotion agitated within her, throwing her into panic and confusion. She had the urge to make a run for it.
She shook off his arm. “Who said I’m jealous? Only an idiot would be jealous! I’ll have you know that you’re free to hook up with anyone. I’m not your real wife anyway. We can just divorce once you’ve worked it out.”
She grabbed a pillow and headed for the door.
Seeing that she meant business, Gideon immediately pulled her back.
“Alright, alright it’s my fault! You weren't jealous. It’s all my fault, okay?”
Nell ignored him.
Gideon explained, “This really is a misunderstanding. I never had another woman apart from you, let alone any Tom, Dick, or Harry out there. If you don’t believe me, you can check on it, or ask Matthew.”
Smirking, Nell threw a glance at him.
“Matthew works for you, do you think I’ll be so stupid to ask him?”
Gideon choked on his words.
Come to think of it, it seemed to be the case.
Indeed, soothing the nerves of one’s wife was a life skill. Even one with a high IQ as he could make a blunder in a pinch. How did he come up with such an idea?
Switching another method, he comforted her in good nature, “Alright, whatever you say goes but I can swear that I never had another woman other than you. If any of my words don’t ring true, I deserve a painful death.”
Nell’s eyelids were twitching before the word “death” came out of his mouth.
For some reason, she had a sinking feeling in her tummy and before she knew it, her hands were already over his mouth.
Gideon smiled.
Nell glared at him.
“Let me put it clearly, don’t bother fooling me with your tactics. The world wouldn’t have that many douchebags if promises did any good.”
Seizing the opportunity, Gideon grabbed hold of her hands and smiled. “Yes, promises aren’t worth anything but those words came from my heart. Honey, now that I’m married to you, I won’t lay a finger on another woman. My moral grounds and upbringing won’t allow me to do such a thing. Do you believe me?”
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