Shelby shoved him away. People who were used to being in charge did not like being held back, and it just so happened that Harper was a leader-type too. They were like magnets with the same pole, pushing each other away.She slipped on her oven mitts, grabbed the pasta from the microwave, and took it to the living room to eat.Harper was a master at playing his cards right.He did not think Shelby was avoiding his food or trying to draw a line between them. No, he figured she was just super hungry and could not wait.After scratching his chin, he opened the fridge, looked around, and grabbed a couple of eggs.Shelby did not bother watching what he was up to in the kitchen. She kept eating and scrolling through case files on her phone. However, soon, Harper added two perfectly fried eggs to her plate of pasta."Sprinkled with a bit of rose salt. Not bad, right?"She had not tasted it yet, but the eggs looked great with the whites cooked just right and the yolks still runny. They
His kisses were gentle yet full of longing, moving from her lips to her chin and then down to her neck.Shelby was dressed in a spaghetti strap nightgown with a light, sheer robe on top. Harper playfully bit the buckle that adjusted the straps and tugged it down.For some reason, Shelby pictured a little dog bouncing around, eager to please its owner, on top of him.It had been half a year since they had been intimate.They had their arguments, and her early pregnancy made things difficult. At this moment, however, they were both feeling affectionate. Clothes that should drop did, and feelings that should stir did.Just then, the doorbell rang out of the blue.Harper's face showed his frustration and desire. He did not want to be disturbed and kept nibbling at her, wanting more.Shelby, not as bold as him, thought it must be the food delivery and pushed him away. "It's your meal."Harper looked up from her chest, his eyes tinged with passion and desire. "Can we continue after w
Did Harper not want to get married? How could he just call Shelby 'honey' like it was nothing? Was he being serious or just teasing her?She also realized that in the short time they had been together, she always seemed to be caught off guard, which was embarrassing—especially since she was quite a few years older than him.She had not felt that way when they got their marriage certificate at the county clerk's office earlier, but in the cramped bathroom, Harper's presence felt overwhelming. Maybe it was because he was so tall?She exhaled silently, trying to regain her usual poise. "I'm just wiping off. I've got a bit of a fever.""Fever?" Harper stepped into the bathroom. It was not a small room, but with him there, it felt like there was hardly any air. Shelby held her breath."You need to wipe your back to help with a fever, and you can't reach. I'll do it for you."He did not wait for her to agree. He took her towel, ran it under water, wrung it out, and slipped it under her
Shelby, wrapped up in his embrace, slowly realized what he meant earlier.People said that a guy's first time could be so exciting that it would end too quickly, so some guys might... Well, let off steam beforehand to make the real moment last longer.He was hinting that this was his first time.Harper swallowed nervously and whispered, "I'm not sure what to do. Can you show me? Is it here?"Shelby hardly believed him, thinking his insistence only made it more obvious he was pretending.Then, things just happened as they would.At first, he was a little awkward, but by the second time, he was getting the hang of it. By the third, Shelby had seen all there was to see.Guys should not compare their current girlfriends to their exes, and Shelby would not compare boyfriends either. However, she had to admit that being with a younger guy had its perks.Shelby thought back to their wedding night, how they stayed up until the first light of dawn and how they could not seem to stop for
Harper left Pearl Bay and headed straight to the hospital to check on Yosef.Yosef's lung tumor had spread a bit, but it was not serious enough for surgery. For then, he had to take medicine and wait to see if things got better or worse before they could decide on the next step.Yosef looked a lot better. Harper did not have much else to do, so after a short chat, he got ready to leave."Where did Wilder go after she left Starville?" Yosef asked."How should I know?" Harper responded."Come on, quit the act," Yosef shot back.Harper cracked a smile and said, "We messaged a few days ago. He went to the capital city to see his siblings, and from there, he flew out of the country. He said he's going to travel for a bit before figuring out his next move."Yosef just gave a noncommittal hum.Harper teased, "Getting soft, huh? I'll tell Wilder he can head back to Starville when he's done having fun."Yosef just laughed dryly. "Since when do I forgive someone who's betrayed me?""Ok
"What's with the weird rule?"Shawn stayed quiet, looking a bit upset. He took a sip of his coffee, but it was cold. He glanced at a maid, who quickly went to make a new cup.Zara peeked at the newspaper again and offhandedly remarked, "Yosef is probably reading about Francoria's news too."Shawn turned to her sharply, his eyes like pale amber in the bright morning light. They were deep and unreadable. He kept his lips tightly shut.It had been ages since she mentioned that name.As casual as ever, Zara said, "You weren't going to tell me the truth, were you? You're competing with SAM's local company, Azure Cloud Group, right?"Shawn stayed quiet, and Zara gave a small, knowing smile. "Don't look so shocked. I've known for a long time... At the second meeting, I just knew it was him."He was unmistakable.Yosef had a way of standing out, and his style in business was unique. Anyone who really knew him could figure it out right away.Exactly.Zara, once she realized it was him
"An old friend?" Zara questioned. "If an old friend wanted to see me, they should be visiting the cemetery, not here."Only a very few people knew she was still alive.Shawn asked, "Is it a man or a woman?""A young man. He also said something else...""What did he say?"The butler hesitated, then relayed, "He said... The miss tricked him, and now she owes him for it."Zara was speechless.The garden fell silent for a moment, with only the whisper of the summer wind rustling through the flowers.Seconds later, Shawn set aside his tablet and smiled slightly. "Really? That sounds fun. Get him to come in. I'd like to meet him too."Zara had thought it was just a joke, but when the butler led the visitor in, she stood up in astonishment.It was him!...In Parnova, the sun shone brightly.However, in Starville, the weather was turning.The sky had been clear when Harper left home in the morning. However, when he reached the Youngs' place at noon, he saw the sun hidden behind
Harper waited until Wrenley had said enough, andthen he spoke up."I just don't get you. Your family's loaded, my grandparents are laidback, and Dad doesn't even like you. Why stick to him? Just divorce him, take half his stuff, go home, and hang out with some young models. "That'd be way better than sticking to a lost cause. You've got no ambition."If it were Shelby, she would have left by then if he had not trapped her by getting her pregnant and holding something over her head. Why couldn't his mom be more like his wife?"In your dreams!"Wrenley, with tears in her eyes, scoffed. "The Young family wasn't always so fancy. I married him, and he promised me the moon. 'A good wife helps me reach my dreams, and I'll pay her back in gold.' And then what? "Once the Young family made it big, he just kept bringing in more women and their kids. How can I accept that? I'll fight him to the end, even if it kills me!"Harper sighed. "You want to fight him, I don't. Shelby and her baby