Zoe Lancaster’s mind was a complete jumble from his relentless entanglement. She hadn’t processed a single word he said and dazedly tried to push him away, but her bound hands left her no room to move.
Simon Hawthorne was tireless.
She didn’t even know when it finally ended. She couldn’t understand how his injury hadn’t hindered him in the slightest.
In the early hours of the morning, Zoe gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
The bedroom door was nudged open by a little head.
Simon had just finished cleaning Zoe up. His gaze landed on the edge of the bed. Heartbreaker tilted his head up, staring at the bed in confusion as he tried to jump up and find Zoe, but he was forced back by Simon’s sharp glare.
Simon kept his voice extremely low. "Get out."
The dog always wanted to join in on the action.
Scolded, Heartbreaker cowered slightly.
Feeling no pity, Simon got up, carried Heartbreaker out of the room, and returned to lock the door. He washed his hands before lying back down on the bed.
He looked at the woman’s face. It was still flushed with a faint pink hue, her skin as flawless as white jade, so beautiful he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Yet, he vaguely remembered a little girl, smiling sweetly amidst a cluster of blooming flowers...
His thoughts returned to the present.
Simon tapped the tip of her nose, neither too lightly nor too hard. His voice was so soft that only he could hear it. "You were cuter back then than you are now."
When Zoe woke up, it was broad daylight.
She shifted her body and realized she was being held in someone’s arms. She turned her head to look.
The man’s eyes were closed. His thick, long eyelashes cast butterfly-wing shadows under his eyes. His skin was very fair, so fine and smooth in the sunlight that not a single pore was visible. Zoe had to admit that with a face like this, no matter what happened, simply looking at it made one uncontrollably want to forgive him.
This was the first time that, after a night of intimacy, she opened her eyes to see him still there. He hadn’t left. They were embracing, just like a loving married couple.
Memories flooded into her mind, vying for attention. The crazier yesterday was, the more regretful she felt now. She hadn’t intended for things to go that way, but Simon was a master at coaxing. Before she knew it, he had led her by the nose, to the point where he used such an absurd method to...
Her cheeks immediately burned red at the thought. Zoe angrily shoved him away and quickly sat up.
Simon was awakened by her movements. He frowned slightly. By the time he looked at her, Zoe was already rapidly pulling her clothes on. His tone was lazy. "What are you throwing a temper for so early in the morning?"
Zoe just wanted to roll her eyes at him. He didn’t even realize what a beast he had been yesterday!
"Why didn’t you leave today?" Zoe massaged her lower back. Her tone was casual but carried a hint of sarcasm. "You’re usually so good at pulling up your pants and walking away."
Simon sat up, the blanket slipping down his chest. "It seems you’ve been dissatisfied for a long time. If you’re unhappy and never say anything, aren’t you just making yourself miserable?"
Although the man’s words were sharp and unpleasant to hear, Zoe’s gaze uncontrollably stuck to him. He had an incredible physique—full pectoral muscles leading down to evenly toned, beautifully defined abs. The two V-lines extended downward, disappearing under the blanket, practically tempting one to commit a crime.
Beauty didn’t always work. But absolute, top-tier beauty was another story.
Her eyes wavered. "As if you’d change if I said something."
Simon raised an eyebrow, not missing her expression or her lingering gaze. He brazenly threw off the covers and got out of bed, walking right up to her. Bending down to look at her, he asked, "Didn’t touch enough yesterday? Want to continue?"
Zoe nearly bit her tongue. "I did not!"
Simon gave an ambiguous chuckle. "Right, you didn’t. A dog did." He turned around and headed toward the bathroom.
Zoe clearly saw the scratch marks of varying depths across his back. They covered a large area; one could easily imagine how intense yesterday had been. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to look away.
Simon didn’t give her a hard time. He showered and changed into his clothes. When Zoe finished washing up and came out, he was leaning lazily against the doorframe, watching her.
Zoe took a defensive step back. "I said no. Don’t even think about trying it again."
The man chuckled, reaching out to flick her forehead. "You got what you wanted and now you’re acting innocent. Haven’t you looked in the mirror? Can’t you see how glowing and well-nourished you look?"
Zoe opened her mouth, but couldn’t refute him. It was true. She looked surprisingly radiant. Her skin seemed even more delicate and smooth today, and her complexion was incredibly healthy. She had to admit, a woman well-nourished by intimacy really did see her beauty double. It was comparable to a cosmetic procedure, far more effective than any skincare products.
"Come here. Tie my tie for me." Too lazy to bicker with her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. Before Zoe could fully register what was happening, a tie had been shoved into her hand.
She looked down, and her expression turned strange. It was actually the one she had bought—the very same one he had used in all sorts of creative ways on her yesterday. And today, he still wanted to wear it? He clearly had over a hundred ties in his closet. Besides... who knew if the tie had gotten stained with anything strange. Perhaps because the quality was so good, despite being thoroughly abused yesterday, it wasn’t even wrinkled.
Perhaps sensing what Zoe was thinking, Simon said flatly, "It’s been ironed. Don’t you know how fiercely you struggled?"
Zoe was speechless.
"Hurry up. The car is waiting downstairs," he urged.
Zoe cleared her throat softly, stepped forward, and stood on her tiptoes. "I’m not very good at this. It’s my first time tying a tie for someone, so you’ll have to make do."
"Mm." He lowered his eyes to look at her and ultimately cooperated by bending down, sparing her the effort of standing on her tiptoes.
Zoe’s expression turned serious as she neatly arranged the knot.
Simon didn’t miss her expression. He gazed at her for quite a while, seemingly a bit lost in thought. When Zoe noticed, she looked at him in confusion. "Is there something on my face?"
He straightened up and glanced at the tie, his tone unchanged. "Indeed, you look much more pleasing to the eye. We should probably do this more often. With a little revelry every night, you might end up looking prettier than a flower."
Zoe looked at him blankly. She had always known Simon had a sharp tongue, but she never expected it to be this sharp. Did he mean she had to beg him for it? He was obviously the one reaping all the benefits!
Simon didn’t banter with her any further. He put on his coat and walked to the door. He glanced back at her with a look Zoe couldn’t quite decipher, yet it carried a sense of... the lingering affection of a husband parting with his wife before heading to work.
"Wait for me tonight," he said.
Zoe felt a bit unaccustomed to this. "Can I take Heartbreaker to Somerset Gardens?"
Simon turned and walked out, leaving behind a single sentence. "What here isn’t yours? Handle it yourself."
Even after the door clicked shut, Zoe still hadn’t processed whether there was a deeper meaning behind his words. Everything here was hers—did that include him? She couldn’t tell if that was what he meant.
Once he left, however, Zoe found herself with nothing much to do. She played with Heartbreaker for most of the day and took him out for a walk.
In the afternoon, Zoe went downstairs to throw out the trash. But at the door, she ran into Peyton Joyce, who had just arrived.
When Peyton saw her, her expression shifted subtly for a split second.
Zoe was wearing Simon’s cashmere sweater, her slender neck covered in hickeys—intimate and... undeniably frantic.