CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 154: DRIVEN BY DESIRE

The damp night breeze carried Leon Lynn’s mist, tossing the stray hair at her ear into a messy tangle.

Zane Sterling looked down at her water-lustrous eyes, the pad of his finger gently brushing her burning cheek, pulling her into his arms with irresistible tenderness.

Amid the roar of fireworks bursting overhead, he pressed that warm, moist softness against her.

In that moment of gentle tangling, he tasted the lingering flavor of baijiu on her lips.

Sophia Lowell unconsciously wrapped herself around his neck, her fingers digging into the hair at the nape of his neck.

He, meanwhile, gripped her waist with his palm, tightening his hold, lifting her up and pressing her close to his chest.

Sparks rained down from above, yellow glows flickering across the contours intertwining their bodies.

Just as Charles Sinclair was going to come out and put out the fire, he saw the scene and quietly set aside the bucket in his hand.

Looks like tonight’s bonfire can’t be put out after all.

But for safety’s sake, he decided to wait a bit before coming back out—what if that fire really ended up igniting the house and nobody noticed?

He tiptoed back toward his room.

As soon as he opened his door, he heard the sound of Ethan Sinclair’s door opening next door.

Charles ignored it and slipped into his room, but then secretly poked his head out for a quick peek.

In the middle of the night, his own son not sleeping, sneaking around like this—there was definitely something going on!

Sure enough, Ethan shut his door, walked to the room at the end, knocked, and before his knuckles even landed twice, the door swung open, and Ethan was pulled right in.

"..." Charles pursed his lips and chuckled.

If he remembered right, that was the room of the girl Ethan brought home this morning—Hugh Irving.

Still sneaking around?

The parents have already met her, what’s there to be shy about?

Maybe that girl’s not into Ethan, and it’d be weird to go public?

Charles didn’t overthink it—kids these days, their thoughts are just impossible to figure out.

Meanwhile, wildfires kept burning fiercely outside.

Zane Sterling’s kiss grew hotter, sometimes biting her lower lip, sometimes tangling with her deeply.

The low, husky sighs spilling from his throat mixed with the scent of fireworks, drowning her in this endless tenderness.

Only when she was nearly breathless did the man reluctantly release her.

Their foreheads pressed together, their burning breaths weaving a net between them.

The fireworks dispersed, the sky grew dark as ever, only the twinkling bonfire still dancing.

By the time Charles came back out, it had been an hour. He put out the bonfire in the courtyard, checked for leftover embers, and only then went back in to rest easy.

Inside the room.

Sophia lay atop the man, not a stitch on, draped in the white AC blanket behind her, covering her tailbone.

His hand rested at her waist, gently stroking the hollow there.

He kissed the top of her head, affection as soft as water in his eyes.

"Did you enjoy today’s itinerary?" Zane asked.

"Who came up with today’s stunt again?" Sophia teased.

"Nobody." This time, it was all his own idea.

"Ha..." She laughed, "Mr. Sterling, looks like you’re doing great. Ethan’s about to be out of a job."

Zane pondered for two seconds, and then chuckled.

Isn’t it possible Ethan’s just way busier than he is, and doesn’t even have time to help?

Hugh Irving’s a tough nut to crack—her wild streak means all those little courting tricks don’t even make a dent with her.

Hard for anyone to catch her eye, honestly.

Ethan knows this all too well.

Which is why he chose to jump straight on board.

And Hugh had heard plenty about Ethan already, especially when Sophia and Zane suddenly got married out of the blue—their whole emotional development was basically carried on Ethan’s shoulders.

To put it bluntly, Hugh Irving was attracted by appearance and impulse.

Ethan’s got a killer face, a body to match, and after a few drinks, things just... happened. Once they slept together, there was no stopping it.

Hugh’s not one for relationships, but her desire for Ethan only burned hotter.

——

The next morning, everybody got up one after another.

They all converged in the courtyard for breakfast—as if by tacit agreement.

The meal was as rustic as it gets: white rice porridge, garlicky black radish, garlicky dried yellow turnip, tangy white radish, plus spicy sour sprouts.

The spread was seriously appetizing—Sophia downed two big bowls of porridge.

And then, her phone rang. It was Nathan Jennings calling.

[Is that guy gone yet?] Nathan messaged, hiding out in his room.

She was thinking, if Clay Gable was still in the courtyard, she’d climb out through the back and call a rideshare; if he was gone, she could just leave as usual and make a new plan.

Sophia couldn’t help laughing—Clay Gable had nailed it, that woman was clearly about to hide herself away.

[He left in the middle of the night, but he asked me to tell you, if you’re not into it, he won’t push it next time. He wants you to make the rules—whatever they are, he’ll agree.]

[Are you sure he said that?]

[Ask him yourself.] Sophia grinned, [Come out for breakfast.]

Nathan hung up, pulled Clay Gable out from her WhatsApp blacklist.

[Mr. Gable, you want to make three agreements?]

[Up to you.] Clay replied instantly.

He’d just finished showering, after working all night, and was lounging on the bed for some real sleep—only for that little minx to haul him out of the blacklist and drop him this kind of message.

Nathan let out a big breath, gave her own cheeks a little slap, and just from exchanging a few words over the phone, her damn face was flaming.

And her chest was just pounding out of nowhere.

What was going on?

With mixed feelings, she walked out of the room and joined Sophia for breakfast.

"Hugh, did you get bitten by mosquitoes?" Nathan cocked her head, flipping back the hair Hugh had deliberately draped over her neck.

Hugh blushed. "Yeah, that mosquito was a monster..."

She buried her head into her food, quickly letting her hair curtain her face even more—trying so hard to hide, she was only making it more obvious.

Sophia hurriedly snatched away her hand. "Eat first."

The guys nearby were chatting, totally oblivious to the girls’ little gestures.

Nathan’s headache was pretty intense; after a bowl of porridge, her stomach finally felt better.

"What’d he say to you last night?" Nathan whispered to Sophia.

"Said he scared you—really sorry about it." Sophia giggled.

Nathan snorted, "He ought to be sorry. Who just jumps on a girl and wants to go back to her room the first chance he gets?"

"Aren’t you tempted to maybe... try it out?" Sophia nudged.

"Trying is fine, but not like that! That’s just getting straight on the ride, what’s left to test? I..."

Nathan pressed her lips together, struggling to say it, "Him being an old virgin—it’s really not easy to accept."

Sophia burst out laughing, "How do you know he’s..."

"He told me himself. Said he’s never been with a woman, wants to try it with me..." Nathan got redder the more she talked. "What about you and Mr. Sterling—how’d that even happen?"

Sophia threw a glance at her man. "Just kept trying to accept him, little by little, that’s all..."

"Ha, well Mr. Sterling had his sights set on you for ages. For us, it’s just being shoved on stage—ready to get roasted any second."

Nathan sighed, and filled Sophia in on her plan to make three marriage agreements and sign a contract for the marriage—asking Sophia for advice.

Sophia was totally floored, "Oh my god, how did you even think of this! Actually, smart idea! And Clay Gable agreed to it?"

"He’s not losing anything, so why not? Only person losing out is me." Nathan suddenly wondered if her brain was really online this time.

Meanwhile, Hugh Irving was listening closely, not a flicker of curiosity on her face, but she was thinking: what if she and Ethan tried a contract marriage too, just to see—would it...

She quickly shook her head, chasing those thoughts out of her brain!