The nighttime sea breeze was slightly chilly, but his embrace was so warm that she somewhat reluctantly didn’t want to break free. It seemed that being alone for a long time made one deeply crave warmth. She carefully wrapped around his muscular waist. It felt as though as long as he was there, he could shield her from all the harsh cold. His kisses were so gentle. It almost felt like they melted her.
After a kiss, the atmosphere between them grew intimate. “Be a good girl and stay at home. I’m leaving now,” he said. Julian didn’t want to let go of her either. Every kiss with her was actually more of a torment to himself, and he could only leave now while he still had a bit of self-control.
“Goodbye.”
“I’ll watch you enter the house.” He didn’t turn to leave, watching as Aurora entered the passcode and went inside. Only when the lights inside turned on did he finally turn and leave. The one who turned their back first in such moments was always the one with the harder heart.
If Aurora looked back, she would see Julian still tenderly watching her. For those deeply in love, this too was a form of torment, the sorrow of parting.
Aurora turned on the light, her fingers slowly tracing her lips that he had kissed, her fingertips outlining them as though mimicking the tender strokes of his tongue. Realizing this, she quickly dropped her hand. Damn it. What was she daydreaming about?
There was one thing she had to admit though. Julian seemed to have become more important than she had thought. After taking a bath, Aurora lay in bed, thoughts of him creeping back into her mind. Had he reached home by now? Since when had she started to care about him?
A strong urge surged within her to call him, but they had no such relationship. Why should she care? It would only lead him to misunderstand. He was a grown man. Nothing would happen to him. “I should just sleep,” she thought. Yet, deep down, she really wanted to hear his voice.
As she hesitated, her phone vibrated, startling her. Filled with anticipation, she looked at the screen. It was Hayden calling. Aurora hung up with a cold expression. The phone rang again shortly after. She wanted to answer and yell but realized it was Julian calling with a video call.
She pressed the accept button. “Aurora, have you gone to bed?” Julian had just gotten home and was taking off his suit.
“I’m about to sleep.”
He held the phone in one hand and loosened his tie with the other, then took off his tie. It was just a simple gesture, but the handsome Julian made it seem so enticing.
“I just got back to my place. I want to see your face. Will you turn on the light?”
Watching him unbutton his shirt one by one, Aurora didn’t know why, but she felt a bit thirsty.
She had never found him attractive during his previous forceful attempts. She had only wanted to desperately escape this man. Now, her feelings changed, and Julian was indeed a man who could make countless girls swoon. Aurora was just beginning to recognize his appeal.
“Is it okay? Just want to see you, then I’ll go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Aurora turned on the light, revealing her in a silk nightgown.
Because she had hesitated whether to call Julian and had been tossing and turning in bed, the strap on her right shoulder had already slipped down halfway. Her luminous shoulder was partially exposed, and the deep cleavage was quite evident, adding to the flush on her cheeks, making her irresistibly enticing. Julian just wanted to see her, but he hadn’t expected such a seductive view.
“Aurora, why are your cheeks so red?” He quickly changed the subject, thinking he should look away, yet he found it impossible to divert his gaze from her. He was merely concerned about this woman, but seeing her in this state rekindled desires he had managed to suppress. His body was far more honest than he had imagined.
“The air here is a bit stuffy.” Aurora would not admit that it was his act of unbuttoning and the way he pulled at his tie that had flustered her. Thoughts of their previous physical interactions made her face naturally flush.
“Isn’t the air conditioning on?” Julian spoke in a half-hearted attempt at conversation.
“If you’ve gotten home safely, then I’m going to hang up. I’m sleepy.”
“Alright, good night, Aurora. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” His gentle words came through, and amidst her racing heart, Aurora hung up the phone. She tossed her phone aside. “What should I do? I seem to be losing my resistance to him!” Aurora murmured, touching her hot cheeks.
After hanging up, Julian wondered why Aurora was acting so strangely. She always seemed unable to face him directly. What was she thinking about now? Nonetheless, both slept soundly that night. Waking up at dawn, she recalled Julian’s promise to pick her up.
Unsure of where he planned to take her, possibly a date, she involuntarily dressed up carefully, even spraying some perfume.
Seeing her reflection in the mirror, radiant and beautiful, with a blush not seen before on her usually cold face, Aurora somewhat felt a bit nervous. The doorbell rang, and she hurried downstairs. Julian, dressed more casually than usual, caught sight of the dressed-up Aurora and was visibly impressed.
“Aurora, you look really beautiful today.” He sincerely complimented her.
“Th-thank you… I’m ready to go. Where are we going today?” She changed her shoes and grabbed her handbag to leave.
“It’s a surprise for now.” Julian habitually reached for her hand, and for the first time, Aurora didn’t pull away but let him lead her to the car.
“You haven’t had breakfast, right? I had them make breakfast for you beforehand. Eat it while it’s warm.” Julian took out the breakfast from a thermal box.
Aurora felt a warmth in her heart, realizing how thoughtful and meticulous this man was. She tasted a few bites before asking, “Did you eat? Want some?”
“Feed me.” Julian, who had a very regular schedule, had already had breakfast, but he wanted her to feed him.
“Since you brought me breakfast, I’ll indulge you.” Aurora scooped a spoonful and fed it to his lips.
“It’s not that tasty,” he commented.
She took a spoonful for herself. “But I think it’s quite good, just like when I eat at your place…”
His lips suddenly pressing against hers caught her off guard until he pulled away. He said, smiling, “It tastes better this way.”