Sentenced to Marriage

Chapter 105

The new us

Chris wasn’t kidding. The information about Aren and me was all over the news. Initially, I was terrified. I could almost imagine the headlines accusing Aren and me of all sorts of evil deeds against the “poor” executives who had just got fired. When Aren turned on the TV, I was already on the verge of a panic attack, but the news was nothing like I expected…

CS

It turned out that the press fell in love with our story, naming Aren and me the golden couple. The moment when Aren scooped me up from the podium and spun me around while holding me in his arms had been registered and shown from every possible angle. The miraculous awakening of a husband who rushed straight from the hospital to save his wife from evil men trying to slander her had quickly become viral. I watched another news report from Lan Diamond Tower, blushing as I realized that something that had felt like our intimate moment now belonged to thousands of people.

Surprisingly, the fact that the company had just gotten rid of half of the board had been completely overshadowed by the story of the heroic CEO and his wife. I kept bursting into nervous laughter as I discovered another article about Aren and me. I had little knowledge about what could happen next, but Aren knew… “We’d better prepare. It’s going to be hectic from tomorrow,” he said as we headed upstairs to the bedrooms.

“What do you mean?” I asked, climbing the stairs one step behind him. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Do you think that the reporters are going to be satisfied with only the footage and a few pictures of us from the morning?” He gave me a crooked smile as he stooped on top of the stairs.

“What else would they want?” I looked at him with question marks painted all over my face.

“Interviews, the insights into our amazing love story. We need to have prepared answers to every single question they might ask,” he replied, a serious expression on his face telling me that he was already writing possible scenarios in his head.

It painfully reminded me of our contract, bringing my hand to rub the aching spot on my chest. “Do you think that we still have that much to pretend? Couldn’t we just act naturally?” I mumbled, lowering my head.

He grabbed my chin and looked me straight in the eyes. “I’m not talking about holding your hand or kissing you in public, Cora. Some of those reporters can be extremely well informed, and we need to figure out what to say in case one of them asks you about Callan and the FBI investigation. They can ask about your grandma or if you married me for money. We don’t have to agree to everything, and we can approve or reject questions beforehand, but there will always be reporters trying to dig deeper despite the initial arrangements.”

I sighed and nodded, feeling even more restless after hearing his words. He smiled at me and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Don’t worry, sunshine. I will make sure that we’ll get through this.”

“Yeah,” I muttered mindlessly before heading to my bedroom. He grabbed my hand, pulling me to an abrupt halt. “Where do you think you’re going?” I turned around to face him and met his fiery gaze. “I just thought that you were tired and…”

“I want to sleep with my wife.” Shivers ran down my spine as I heard his commanding voice.

“But we shouldn’t… You cannot overstrength yourself,” I muttered as a thick blush covered my cheeks at the thought of being with him again.

He leaned over my ear and purred, “Then you shouldn’t tempt me too much.” A hysteric chuckle escaped my mouth. “I… I’ll take a quick shower, change my clothes, and come to you,” I declared before darting to my bedroom and shutting the door behind me.

Leaning against the closed door, I heard him chuckle at my desperate escape, and then he walked into his bedroom. My behavior was foolish; I knew that it was. I had seen each other naked and had sex many times already, but all those days without his touch made me feel as if we were discovering our intimacy all over again. I rushed to take a shower, washing my body with trembling hands. I was turned on at the single thought of lying next to him. How was I supposed to be the reasonable one when my entire body screamed in anticipation?

I wrapped myself in a towel and opened the closet, searching for a nightgown that wouldn’t have the word “desperate” written all over it.

“Not tempting… not tempting… not tempting…” I muttered, going through the high-end lingerie that Aren bought for me one by one. “How can I find something not tempting when all I have is see-through silk and lace nightgowns?!” I groaned.

Finally, after ten minutes of helpless staring, I grabbed my old oversize T-shirt and, fisting my hands to give myself courage, I walked to Aren’s bedroom. I was determined to slip under his sheets and fall asleep in his arms. It sounded like a pleasant and innocent solution. I was confident about my decision. Unfortunately, my confidence lasted only until I walked into Aren’s bedroom and found him wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips. He had his hair damp and combed up, emphasizing every angle of his perfectly symmetrical face. The sight of his chiseled, rigid muscles was absolutely mouthwatering. I bit my lip just to restrain myself from making any weird noise that would betray my hunger for him. Nonetheless, I was too busy containing my own lust to realize that I wasn’t the only one struggling

“How am I supposed to control myself when you are wearing this?” I heard Aren’s voice, and then I saw his eyes devour me from head to toe.

I gasped and took a step back. “I thought that it was the least tempting thing I had in my closet …” I muttered, feeling my cheek turn blazing red.

“You wore this the first night you started living here,” he said softly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “H-how do you know that? I thought that you didn’t even come back to the penthouse that night…”

“I came back early in the morning. I came to grab a few things from my bedroom,” he explained, a smug smirk crossing his lips. “The door to your bedroom was left slightly open as if inviting me in. I didn’t want to look but eventually gave in to my curiosity.” He chuckled, stepping closer and dangerously locking his eyes on me. “You kicked off your sheet and laid in this shirt, sleeping soundly and looking insanely hot. The strands of your golden hair were spread lushly at every angle on the pillow. The way you appeared… It seemed like you were glowing, you were like the sun-my personal embodiment of sunshine.”

I swallowed hard, having no strength left to resist the temptation. A second later, our lips collided in a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close and moaning against

his lips as he deepened the kiss. His hands traveled down to my buttocks, scooping me up and throwing me onto his bed. He broke our kiss for only a heartbeat before claiming my lips again while pinning my hands down on both sides of my head. I wriggled under him, trying to set my hands free and touch him, but he was unyielding. He shifted his grip, grabbing my wrists with one hand and pinning them above my head. His other hand slid under my shirt, his fingers leaving a searing trail on my naked skin.

Once he released my lips, he started kissing down my neck, sending wave after wave of shudders down my body. As he freed my hands, I tangled my fingers in his hair, grabbing his strands hard while he bit and sucked my skin, leaving fiery red marks.

“You’re mine,” he purred, pulling up my shirt and cupping my breasts.

I arched my back, giving him easier access as he sucked my nipples. He kept enticing my hunger, teasing my sensitive skin with the tip of his tongue. I barely registered when he took off my shirt and his hands went down to my panties.

“Aren…” I muttered, my fingers reaching out to touch his face.

He stopped and looked into my eyes. He was panting heavily, his state quickly reminding me that we shouldn’t do this. I craved him madly, but there was something stronger within me than my desire, and that was fear. “We should stop…” I said, stroking his sweat-damp forehead. “I want you… but I’m afraid. Could we… wait a few more days?” I muttered, struggling to resist my throbbing desires. He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll give you three days, and not a minute more.” I chuckled. “Not a minute more, handsome.” That night, we fell asleep naked, our bodies lying in each other’s embrace, melted together, and our hearts beating as one. Something between us felt different, as if a new kind of bond had developed between us while he was asleep. Was the wall he had built around his heart finally cracking?