The hot kiss engulfed Sophia like a ball of flames, burning her up inside out.
Alexander had placed the glass of water in her hand on the table when he walked over to hug her earlier. Held in his embrace, Sophia staggered backward until her calves hit the couch. Then, she slumped onto the soft settee as he bore down on her.
His warm tongue swirled within her oral cavity relentlessly as their bodies stuck closely together. Their breaths tangled as his presence dominated her. At that instant, her mind turned blank like a piece of white paper.
The rain poured heavily outside the window while the romantic atmosphere inside the house continued to escalate.
His passionate kiss gradually diminished in intensity. Then, he shifted his thin lips and pecked her cheek as well as the tip of her nose. Finally, he stared down into her eyes. “Why haven’t you slept?”
“I napped for more than two hours when I returned just now.”
Sophia’s eyes shone charmingly, catching the light as she slightly lifted her gaze.
He gulped while using his hand to caress her cheek. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Although the flight wasn’t delayed, the plane had circled in the air for over half an hour to wait for the rain to die down before landing.
He headed straight to Sophia’s place from the airport. Right after he reached the city, gales erupted, and the rain turned into a downpour.
When Alexander entered the house, his umbrella failed to shield him from the rainstorm, causing his body to be drenched with rainwater.
However, his longing for her, which had accumulated for days, overwhelmed him when he saw Sophia. That was why he lost control of his emotions, prompting him to hug and kiss her for so long.
Sophia propped herself up on the couch and slightly pursed her lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the way he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Moments later, she averted her gaze diffidently. “I’ll cook some pasta for you, okay?”
She recalled he had a habit of not eating the in-flight meal. From how he returned at this time, he must’ve come here right after he got off the plane.
Eyes flickering, he glanced at her. “Okay.”
His slender fingers were working on removing the final button on his shirt. Sensing he was about to take off his clothes, she hastily got to her feet and walked toward the kitchen.
Alexander curled his lips while turning his head to stare at her leaving figure from behind. A tender look flashed across his dark gaze before he strode to the stairs and took his suitcase to the third floor.
There was still some bolognese sauce left over inside the fridge from when Sophia cooked for herself in the afternoon. She placed the pasta into the boiling water and reheated the bolognese sauce.
After waiting for around ten minutes, she strained the pasta, then mixed it with the bolognese sauce, putting together a plate of spaghetti bolognese.
Unfortunately, Sophia wasn’t adept at cooking. Although the spaghetti bolognese looked appetizing, the taste was so-so.
After having a taste of the spaghetti, even she despised her cooking.
However, it was getting late and raining cats and dogs outside. If she ordered food delivery, the meal would be cold by the time it arrived.
Amidst her contemplation, Alexander was done bathing and had come downstairs. His short hair was still wet and dripping water.
When Sophia looked up in his direction, a bead of water rolled down the bridge of his nose and finally landed on his thin lips.
Her little finger shuddered. She nudged the plate of pasta toward him. “It’s not that delicious. You’ll have to make do for this meal.”
He glanced at her, received the fork, and dug in. “It’s not bad.”
She chuckled. Cupping her face in her hands, she gazed at him. “Since when were you so undemanding when it came to food?”
He turned to look at her. “That’s because my precious made this for me.”
Her face flushed. “Sweet nothings.”
Despite that, she couldn’t help but curve her lips into a grin.
Apparently, Alexander was ravenously hungry. His movements were still as graceful as ever, but he was clearly consuming larger mouthfuls of food than usual.
After finishing the spaghetti bolognese, Alexander placed the plate and utensils into the dishwasher.
When he walked out and saw Sophia still sitting around the dining table, he marched over and lifted her in his arms.
Startled, she instinctively reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.
That was the first time they had hugged each other face-to-face.
Sophia’s heart palpitated as she gazed at his face up close.
With every step he took, the beads of water on his short hair shifted and ultimately fell off the tips of his hair onto her chest.
It’s cold.
She glanced downward with her cheeks burning.
He brought her back to the room and placed her on the bed. Then, he turned around, moved toward his suitcase, and took out a box. “I saw this at the airport.”
He opened the box as he spoke. “This is a gift for you from my business trip.”
The box contained a bracelet from the Camellia collection, introduced by Arterius as part of their summer series.
Sophia didn’t expect Alexander to have such good taste. She beamed at him and stretched out her hand. “In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to put it on for me, Mr. Xenos.”
He removed the bracelet from the box and laced it around her wrist to help her wear it.
After woiting for oround ten minutes, she stroined the posto, then mixed it with the bolognese souce, putting together o plote of spoghetti bolognese.
Unfortunotely, Sophio wosn’t odept ot cooking. Although the spoghetti bolognese looked oppetizing, the toste wos so-so.
After hoving o toste of the spoghetti, even she despised her cooking.
However, it wos getting lote ond roining cots ond dogs outside. If she ordered food delivery, the meol would be cold by the time it orrived.
Amidst her contemplotion, Alexonder wos done bothing ond hod come downstoirs. His short hoir wos still wet ond dripping woter.
When Sophio looked up in his direction, o beod of woter rolled down the bridge of his nose ond finolly londed on his thin lips.
Her little finger shuddered. She nudged the plote of posto toword him. “It’s not thot delicious. You’ll hove to moke do for this meol.”
He glonced ot her, received the fork, ond dug in. “It’s not bod.”
She chuckled. Cupping her foce in her honds, she gozed ot him. “Since when were you so undemonding when it come to food?”
He turned to look ot her. “Thot’s becouse my precious mode this for me.”
Her foce flushed. “Sweet nothings.”
Despite thot, she couldn’t help but curve her lips into o grin.
Apporently, Alexonder wos rovenously hungry. His movements were still os groceful os ever, but he wos cleorly consuming lorger mouthfuls of food thon usuol.
After finishing the spoghetti bolognese, Alexonder ploced the plote ond utensils into the dishwosher.
When he wolked out ond sow Sophio still sitting oround the dining toble, he morched over ond lifted her in his orms.
Stortled, she instinctively reoched out to wrop her orms oround his neck.
Thot wos the first time they hod hugged eoch other foce-to-foce.
Sophio’s heort polpitoted os she gozed ot his foce up close.
With every step he took, the beods of woter on his short hoir shifted ond ultimotely fell off the tips of his hoir onto her chest.
It’s cold.
She glonced downword with her cheeks burning.
He brought her bock to the room ond ploced her on the bed. Then, he turned oround, moved toword his suitcose, ond took out o box. “I sow this ot the oirport.”
He opened the box os he spoke. “This is o gift for you from my business trip.”
The box contoined o brocelet from the Comellio collection, introduced by Arterius os port of their summer series.
Sophio didn’t expect Alexonder to hove such good toste. She beomed ot him ond stretched out her hond. “In thot cose, I’ll hove to trouble you to put it on for me, Mr. Xenos.”
He removed the brocelet from the box ond loced it oround her wrist to help her weor it.
Sophia had a light skin tone, so the white color of the Camellia bracelet accentuated the fairness of her wrist.
“It’s pretty.”
He kissed her. “I’ll bring you nicer ones next time.”
“Okay,” she responded.
She was about to ask him to blow dry his hair when she suddenly yawned as sleepiness washed over her.
Alexander took a brief look at the digital clock beside them. “It’s already past eleven o’clock at night.”
It’s time to sleep.
Sophia yawned again, using her hand to cover her mouth. “Go and blow dry your hair. The dryer is inside the second drawer in the bathroom cabinet.
“Okay,” he replied but didn’t get up to leave.
She blinked at him. “What’s the matter?”
His eyes glinted. Only then did he get to his feet and enter the bathroom.
Sophia was indeed feeling sleepy. On normal days, she felt the need to turn in around ten o’clock at night, but it was already past eleven at that moment. If she hadn’t rested for some time in the afternoon, she would’ve nodded off a while ago.
Sophia had drifted off by the time Alexander dried his hair and exited the bathroom.
The bedroom was bright as day as she hadn’t switched off the lights.
He walked up to her and lightly sat on the bed. Then, he turned off the lights and lay down next to her.
Fearing he might wake her up, Alexander moved delicately. He didn’t dare to exert too much force when placing his hand on her body. Only after he noticed her lack of reaction did he gradually pull her into his embrace.
He stopped pulling her closer once her back was tightly pressed to his chest.
He shifted his posture slightly and gently rested his chin on the top of her head, hugging her and closing his eyes.
Alexander had always slept alone since he was little. He didn’t like having any other things on his bed either. Although he was married to Sophia for three years back then, they had never shared a bed.
He had never expected that he would one day face trouble falling asleep because he was lying in bed by himself.
During his three days business trip, he couldn’t rest well for two nights because of the unfamiliar ambiance of the hotel room and the void in his arms. As a result, he only drifted off at midnight.
Now that he had returned, the softness and realness of the person lying in his embrace as he held her gave him a sense of serenity and peace of mind.
The rain was relentless outside the window, but pin-drop silence filled the air inside the room.
Their long and steady breaths tangled together in the darkness, making it impossible to differentiate between their breathing.
