It was almost midnight. The conversation between Andreas and Frans had just ended. Frans had neatly arranged all the cards and Andreas put them in the desk drawer.
“Thank you for tonight, Frans,” Andreas said.
Frans quickly packed his things. “You’re welcome, sir. I’ll take my leave.”
A moment later, only Andreas was left in the office. Instead of leaving immediately, he decided to stay for a while.
Outside Andreas’ office, Frans did not leave either. He stood still, his eyes scanning the area. After a short observation, he finally left after a minute.
Frans walked down each step in silence. It was quiet and he could not see anyone as far as his eyes could see. It was truly empty.
It was hard to ignore. Frans felt a strange presence following his every step, as if someone was watching him. As if someone was watching him.
Frans froze. Maybe this feeling had nothing to do with the person who was watching him. Maybe it was because of someone, even if that person was not there.
Vlora.
No matter how hard Frans tried to deny it, there was something about Vlora that made him cautious. His inner alarm was ringing and he could not ignore it.
The conviction was strong. He did not know where it came from, but Frans sensed that Vlora was hiding something.
Is it just my feeling or is it the opposite?
Frans took a deep breath. He remembered his introduction to Vlora and his conversation with Andreas and tried to calm himself. He told himself that he tended to be suspicious of new people, just as Andreas had said.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve only met them recently. After all, Mr. Andreas couldn’t have made a wrong choice in a woman.
Unfortunately, a negative possibility crossed Frans’ mind again.
Every man has weaknesses. Whether it’s wealth, power, or women.
What about Andreas? Does he have a weakness when it comes to women?
Frans did not want to take any risks. His determination was unshakable.
No matter that Mrs. Vlora is Mr. Andreas’s wife. My task is to ensure that all the plans we’ve carefully laid out from the beginning go smoothly. There must be no one who disrupts them.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Vlora had just left her office. She walked calmly, holding on to the railing. Looking down, her gaze was fixed on Frans as he walked away. Frans was not aware of her presence.
Vlora exhaled as Frans disappeared from her sight. Her expression remained unchanged, unreadable.
A noise caught Vlora’s attention. She turned to find Andreas approaching her.
Their eyes met. As they came closer, Andreas reached out and took Vlora’s fingers.
Vlora followed his cue. She approached and let Andreas pull her close. As if they had been separated for thousands of years, Andreas immediately placed his lips on her forehead.
For a moment, Vlora blinked. It wasn’t a surprise, but Andreas’ actions were enough to make her heart beat faster inside. Maybe she wasn’t quite used to Andreas’ sweet gestures yet.
Of course, Andreas was a seducer. In fact, he was a sweet seducer.
Unlike most other male seducers, who sometimes only sought their own gain, Andreas was different. He seduced as if he wanted to spoil.
Vlora understood this perfectly. Andreas was the type of man who understood that the more he gave, the more he would receive. It was a logical mutual relationship. When a man gave tender touches, it was the woman who eventually melted.
Frankly, Vlora liked this principle. It wasn’t selfish and she enjoyed it.
“Slowly you’ll get used to it,” Andreas whispered, his breath caressing Vlora’s ear. He lowered his gaze, trying to read Vlora’s thoughts, but they were unreadable. Then he asked, “Do you agree?”
Vlora raised her face and shook her head. “There are many things in my life that are more stressful. Trying to get used to your habits isn’t one of them.”
Vlora’s light answer brought a smile to Andreas’ face.
“Besides, I have a principle.”
Now it was not just one of Andreas’ hands on Vlora’s waist, it was both. He closed the gap between them even more.
“Tell me.”
“As long as it doesn’t hurt me, it’s good.”
Andreas’ admiration for Vlora grew with time. Because of that, he realized that he wouldn’t invite Vlora to spend the rest of the night just standing there.
“Have you seen your office?” Andreas asked as he motioned for Vlora to move. “What do you think?”
“It’s exactly how I imagined it. Neat and well structured. Thank you.”
Andreas opened the bedroom door and motioned for Vlora to enter first.
“When my people took your things, I instructed them to arrange everything here exactly as it was before.”
No wonder. Vlora had already noticed.
“It impressed me.”
Arriving in the bedroom, Vlora continued walking while Andreas decided to sit on the sofa. He picked up his phone, and while he was checking some incoming notifications, Vlora’s voice echoed.
“Frans, your personal assistant, has he been with you long?”
Andreas replied without taking his eyes off the phone screen. “I guess it’s been a while. At least longer than you’ve been working with Lucas. Why?”
Vlora came out of the dressing room. She had changed into a satin nightgown, the smooth material accentuating her figure. Andreas could not help but blink.
She walked casually. Both hands went up as Vlora brushed her hair. She walked to the vanity, sat down, and reached for a comb.
“It seems Frans doesn’t like me.”
Andreas’ eyebrows raised slowly. “Are you trying to tell me that you hope there’s another man who likes you?”
Vlora looked at the reflection in the mirror as the comb continued to glide through her hair. She let out a small sigh.
“You know that’s not what I meant, Reas.”
Andreas smiled weakly. Of course, he understood.
“I don’t know how to put it, but he looks at me like he sees a criminal.”
Andreas’ small smile turned to laughter. He got up and approached Vlora. Both of his hands landed on Vlora’s shoulders.
“He’s always like that when he meets someone new. He’s naturally suspicious and always cautious.”
Vlora blinked. “But I’m not someone else, am I?”
“Of course not. You’re my wife. So, you don’t need to worry. His attitude towards you will change in time.”
Andreas hoped it would happen soon, because he did not want to see his wife and personal assistant acting like enemies, constantly on guard against each other. It was absurd.
“Sometimes Frans can’t control his suspicions, and that’s actually why I chose him.”
Vlora did not comment, but put the comb back on the dressing table.
“Frans has good intuition and rarely makes mistakes. Besides, he has kept me objective the whole time.”
Vlora stood up. “Sounds like he’s valuable to you.”
Andreas burst out laughing with a playfully accusing look in his eyes.
“Did I miss something here? You and Frans aren’t setting up a rivalry to compete for my attention, are you?”
“Should I expect that?”
Vlora’s rhetorical question did not get an answer from Andreas. His focus had shifted, causing a slight interruption in his thought process. Something more interesting had caught his attention.
“Reas?”
Vlora’s voice pulled Andreas out of his reverie. He cleared his throat, remembering the unanswered question.
“No. Of course not,” Andreas replied and took a deep breath. Then his gaze returned to its original focus. “Well, I guess I should get used to your habit, too.”
Following his words, Andreas gently touched Vlora’s bare arm. His movements were rhythmic and gentle.
Vlora’s gaze dropped to make sure her hunch was not wrong. Obviously, she knew where Andreas’ gaze was going.
“I should accept your habit of hugging when you sleep. You also like to be affectionate and give attention in public.”
Subtly, Andreas furrowed his brow. Was that really his habit? Well, maybe it was, considering that he could not remember much about himself now.
Vlora made a calm but teasing gesture. From the way she moved her shoulders, spoke and breathed, she radiated true seduction.
“That doesn’t bother me at all. So…”
With her face raised, Vlora locked eyes with Andreas. She smiled faintly, and Andreas’ heart skipped a beat.
“… do you mind this particular habit of mine?”
Andreas grinned. “Mind?”
As if! Andreas was not crazy enough to mind this particular habit of Vlora’s. To be honest, it was a habit of Vlora’s that he had eagerly anticipated.
Andreas was not surprised. After all, he already knew that Vlora was the type of woman who did not wear a bra to bed. He had proved it in the past.
Ah! What a delightful habit.
Andreas’ hand went up and briefly touched one of Vlora’s nipples, just visible under the thin satin fabric. Vlora’s body reacted and her grin appeared.
“Are you kidding?”
“I’m serious,” Vlora replied as she returned the touch to Andreas’ arm. “If you object to my habits, maybe I can change them.”
“Shhh!”
Andreas quickly glanced at the wall clock. It was already half past one in the evening. It was quite late and should be used for rest. But it seemed as if he did not need any rest right now.
“There are many other things in the marriage that need to be changed. Your nightly habits are certainly not one of them. After all, I am a man who is mature enough to be able to compromise with my wife’s habits.”
Vlora’s eyes narrowed. “Ah! Mature enough.”
“Mature enough,” Andreas repeated with a mischievous look. “If you can accept my habits, so can I. So, I’ll tell you one thing.”
“What is that?”
“Marriage is the art of compromise, and I’m very happy to compromise with you, Vlo.”
“You really are a mature man, Reas.”
The implied meaning in Vlora’s words made Andreas bolder. He returned the touch and Vlora held her breath.
“I’m sure I can prove that I’m really mature.”
With that, Andreas let Vlora’s body fall into his arms. Both of Vlora’s hands were wrapped around his neck and they walked towards the bed.
There was a welcoming scent of roses. The same was true for the petals.
Slowly Andreas laid Vlora down. They stared at each other and Vlora deliberately bent one leg. She created a sensual position to wait for Andreas’ next touch.
It was Andreas’ mouth that opened the night’s adventure of passion. He sucked on Vlora’s nipple and left it wet on her nightgown. Then Vlora sighed.
*