Chapter 116
The morning sun shone through the curtains, teasing Stephanie’s eyes open. To her immediate surprise, there was Vincent, gazing deeply at her with love–drenched eyes. “Awake?” he murmured.
Instinctively, Stephanie scooted backwards, panic setting in. But Vincent smoothly pulled her into his embrace, his warmth flooding over her, setting her cheeks aflame and her heart racing
“I’ve got to get to the set soon, can’t be late,” she pleaded gently.
He responded with a soft “Hmm,” while his hand trailed over her smooth back with deliberate strokes that threatened to fray her sanity. His voice was gentle as silk. “Stephie, did you enjoy last night?”
Biting her lower lip nervously, she tried to resist the seduction of his voice. “Don’t talk,” she begged.
“Hmm,” Vincent conceded, his fingers teasing her lips apart. His fingertips grazed her gently. “I won’t speak–just act.” Rolling over, he pinned her beneath him, “Stephie, you agreed to make it up to me.” Before she could even ponder when she had agreed to any arrangement, his kiss claimed her, ending conversations and thoughts alike. By the time the waves of their passion had ebbed, Stephanie lay exhausted, not moving on the bed.
Her phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand. Glancing at it, she saw it was Julianna calling. “Stephie, I’m at the set, so where are you?”
With a slightly hoarse voice, Stephanie confessed, “I’ll be late.”
Julianna clicked her tongue in disapproval, “Another wild night?”
Heat flushed Stephanie’s cheeks, “Not at all”
Julianna chuckled knowingly, “Can you even get out of bed? Take it easy at home.”
Listening to the shower in the bathroom, Stephanie felt a tinge of annoyance. She swung her legs out of bed, only to find them wobbling beneath her
Julianna, hearing Stephanie’s hiss of discomfort, teased, “Is it like one of those steamy novels where you can’t stand without clutching the walls?”
With flushed cheeks, Stephanie replied, “Stop reading that stuff. It’s not like that. I’m just going to work on my designs for the upcoming International Golden Finger Contest.”
Julianna approved, then couldn’t resist asking, “So was it really that mind–blowing?”
Stephanie pursed her lips, “Not mind–blowing, just… painfully intense.” And with that, she hung up.
Looking up, she met Vincent’s half–lidded gaze. “Painful?” he inquired.
Wishing the ground would swallow her whole, she stammered, “No, not at all.”
Vincent stood only in a towel, his damp hair partially obscuring his sharp features, which softened without their usual cold edge. His gaze was deep; a perfect nose, sculpted lips, with a physique to rival international models–sexy and compelling. He stepped closer, bending slightly, “Stephie, I heard.”
“It was great, okay? Julianna was just teasing me,” she retorted defensively.
“Oh?” His fingertip lifted her chin, and he kissed her lips lightly. “Good, But if you ever speak like that again, you won’t leave this bed for three days.” Her eyelashes fluttered as she inhaled sharply, then hurried into the bathroom.
Vincent’s chuckle filled the room, “Need help washing up?”
Chapter 116
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“Absolutely not!” she shouted behind the closed door.
He shook his head, his eyes filled with gentle humor, and pulling on casual clothes, Vincent headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for his girl.
Stephanie was standing in front of the mirror, inspecting the love bites that covered her body. She thought, Vincent is such a dog! How much foundation will it take to cover these up? Argh, so annoying!”
After soaking in a hot bath and calming her nerves, Stephanie stepped out of the bathroom only to see Vincent holding a hairdryer, giving her a sly smile. He approached her with a warm embrace, guiding her to sit at the vanity and started to gently blow–dry her hair. His fingers brushed through her locks, sending a tickling sensation that made her shiver slightly. “Stephie, ami good at this?” Vincent asked, his voice soft and playful.
His question abruptly reminded her of a moment earlier when he had traced a path down her abdomen and looked up to ask, “Stephie, am I doing well?”
Her cheeks flushed crimson. “I’m hungry. I’m going out for a meal.” Rushing out of the room, she could hear Vincent’s teasing laughter trailing behind her. She had never imagined that after getting intimate, Vincent would turn out to be this playful.
After breakfast, Stephanie took the opportunity to prepare for a big competition. She dived into her study, while Vincent retreated to another room to deal with company paperwork.
The International Golden Finger Contest varied its requirements each year. Last year it was about designing evening gowns, but this year, participants were asked to come up with autumn wear. Stephanie was thrilled, especially since September was the prime time for launching the fall collection. Securing first place would eliminate the need for a marketing push, allowing for an increase in price and a surge in sales. She had an affinity for designing dresses, and this time, she hoped to incorporate elements of the traditional dress into her fall collection. It was an innovation and a way to showcase the beauty of the country’s culture to the world. Absorbed in her sketches, she never noticed when Vincent silently entered the room and leaned against the door frame, watching her work with a fond gaze.
Stephanie was incredibly focused until she completed fifteen drafts in one go and finally noticed Vincent watching her with affection. Strolling over, he picked up the sketches and flicked through them. “My Stephie is a real design genius. Blending elements of a traditional dress into contemporary fashion without it looking out of place, but rather fresh and unique.”
Hearing his lavish praise, Stephanie’s lips curled into a smile. “Vincent, you’ve got quite an eye.”
“Vincent? Weren’t they enough for you?” He teased, lifting her off the chair and planting a kiss on her lips. “It’s past three in the afternoon; we haven’t had lunch. Wanna go grab a bite together?”
“Sure, what should we eat?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I’m craving Crab Rangoon.
Vincent thought for a moment, “The place on West Avenue has killer Crab Rangoon, We can pick some up and maybe grab some other things while we’re
out.”
“Other things?” she asked.
He whispered in her ear, and Stephanie playfully hit him, “Ever heard of self–control?” Clearly, Vincent knew the concept of self–control all too well–he just chose not to follow it.
Armored against the world with masks and gloves, they drove to the lobster roll eatery, packed up their Crab Rangoon, and were on their way. Passing by a convenience store, Vincent hopped out to grab a box of condoms. Stephanie watched as he returned, a full box in his arms, leaving her flustered and feeling a sudden weakness in her knees.
Once he was back in the car, she asked, “How many did you buy?”
“A whole boxful,” Vincent replied nonchalantly.
Chapter 116
“What?” she was shocked.
“Don’t worry. They’ll be gone before you know it,” he said.
“Seriously?” she was speechless.
Amid Stephanie’s astonishment, Vincent steered the car back home.
They noticed they were being tailed and took a few winding detours before safely arriving back home. To their dismay, they found out that a photo of Vincent buying condoms had blown up online. Of course, the person taking the heat was Graham. Although the photo was quickly pulled down, the buzz had already started to swell.
Graham called Vincent immediately. “Playing the big shot, huh? A box?”
Vincent smirked, “You won’t be experiencing this kind of pleasure for a while.”
With his tongue clicking against his molar, Graham retorted, “Vincent, I’ve just realized you’re a real piece of work!”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Graham was speechless.
As soon as Graham hung up, he received a call from his mom, Deborah, “Graham, are you already with Julianna? Then get married fast! What’s with waiting two more months to get engaged? Tie the knot and have a baby–I and your father have been waiting for this for ages!“–
Graham massaged his temples, “Wait a bit longer.”
“Why wait, son? You’re not up to any good, don’t want to take responsibility for Julianna? That settles it then. I’ll talk to Julianna’s mom about the dowry, we’ll set a wedding date. You’ll go through all the motions–from engagement photos to picking out a wedding dress and a ring. We’re not skipping a thing!”
Graham couldn’t get a word in edgewise before the call ended.
Meanwhile, Julianna was on the other end, also receiving a call from her mother, Fiona. Julianna, busy on set, hadn’t caught the news until her mother
filled her in.
Fiona stated, “Julia, since you and Graham have reached this point, you should just get married. Your father and I will prepare for it…”
Julianna quickly saw an opportunity to escape an unwanted engagement–this was the break she was looking for! “Hold on, Mom. You’ve got it all wrong. Graham and I haven’t done anything. Who he uses those condoms with, I have no clue.“”
“What? Graham’s cheating?” Deborah’s voice rose in a mix of shock and anger.
Julianna sniffled for effect, “Exactly, Mom. He’s not the good guy you think he is. You’ve been pushing us together, but what am supposed to do with a Guy like that?”
Fiona fumed, “I’ll go talk to the Whitlock family right now for an explanation.”
Julianna grinned to herself, “Gotcha, Mr. Whitlock. Let’s see you talk your way out of this one!”
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