Chapter 16 Indirect kiss
Callie was dreaming. In her dream, two giant snakes were coiling around her, squeezing the breath out of her. Just when she thought she would suffocate, a light appeared, and she grabbed onto it desperately...
She thought she was about to be saved, but then she was jolted awake.
Opening her eyes, she saw a tall man standing in front of her, his clothes disheveled, looking like he was ready to devour her.
She instantly woke up fully, scrambling to the corner of the sofa, her voice trembling and hoarse from sleep, "W-what do you want?"
Her voice was raspy from just waking up, with a hint of a tremble.
Shane let out a mocking laugh. Clearly, she had deliberately messed up his robe, and now she was pretending to be scared?
"Isn't it you who wanted a man and pretended to be asleep to make a move on me?"
Callie's breath hitched, her fingers slowly curling up as she stubbornly glared at him, "I did not!"
Shane obviously didn't believe her. "Really?"
Without warning, he leaned in closer.
His approach carried a crisp, cool scent, yet it was filled with an oppressive, aggressive aura.
Instinctively, she reached out her hands to block him.
Her soft, warm hands touched Shane's chest, and the sudden skin contact made him tense up. He slowly lowered his gaze and saw her hands.
Her hands were beautiful, especially her fingers—slender, with distinct knuckles and soft, fair skin.
The warmth from her palms seemed to penetrate the skin, seeping into one's bloodstream.
Shane felt an inexplicable agitation, attributing this discomfort to the woman's deliberate teasing.
He leaned in closer. "Can't stay away from men, huh? Trying to mess with me?"
Callie bit her lip. "You're shameless!"
"Shameless?" Shane chuckled, the sound low and rumbling as if it came from deep within his chest. "Weren't you the one who touched me first?"
It was only then that Callie realized, in her fear of him getting too close, her hands had been pressing against his chest. She hadn't noticed until he pointed it out, but now she felt the firm, burning heat of his chest, like a scorching fire, and quickly withdrew her hands in shock.
The warmth of his body lingered in her palms.
She was at a loss, not knowing where to place her hands or where to look.
With a dry throat, she stammered, "I didn't mean to."
Her breath was sweet and enticing, making anyone close to her feel a sudden urge.
Shane was no exception, but he restrained himself, remaining calm as if unaffected by any worldly desires. He straightened up and leisurely tied the belt of his robe. "I'm hungry."
Callie froze for a moment, unable to react.
Shane glanced at her and, seeing her motionless, assumed she was unwilling to get him something to eat. He sneered, "Even if you don't want to, you're my wife now. Whatever I tell you to do, you have to do it!"
Callie pressed her lips tightly together, his words stabbing painfully into her heart.
But she couldn't argue back.
She got off the couch and headed to the kitchen.
She hadn't eaten dinner and was feeling a bit hungry herself.
Mrs. Ford had left some food, so she heated it up quickly and brought it to the table.
"It's ready," she called from the living room.
Shane got up and walked over, his eyes scanning the table. His face remained expressionless, giving no hint of whether he was satisfied or not. Callie, trying to avoid any trouble, kept her head down and tried to be as invisible as possible.
Fortunately, Shane didn't pick a fight, but Callie, feeling unwell, couldn't manage more than a few bites before feeling nauseous.
She held back her discomfort at the table and got up to go to the bathroom.
This time, she couldn't hold it in and threw up.
Suddenly, she remembered that she hadn't had her period this month.
Her cycle was usually very regular.
A sense of unease crept into her heart.
Could she be pregnant? No, that couldn't be. She had taken her birth control pills.
She must be scaring herself for no reason, she reassured herself.
Returning to the dining table, Callie tried to calm her nerves. She picked up a spoon without looking and took a sip of soup. As she swallowed, she looked up to find Shane giving her a peculiar look.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Had she offended him again?
She couldn't think of anything she might have done.
"Is the food not to your liking?" she asked, forcing a smile, though she wished she could stab him with a knife.
Was he always trying to make things difficult for her?
Would he not rest until she was utterly tormented?
If she had known, she might have poisoned the food.
Shane picked up a piece of broccoli, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, his expression inscrutable.
Callie couldn't be bothered to deal with him. As she looked down to continue eating, she noticed her spoon was still beside her bowl. The one in her hand...
She looked up again.
Shane's spoon was missing.
Boom!
Something seemed to explode in her mind.
Was she using Shane's spoon?
"Callie, do you like me?"
Shane spoke leisurely, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
Why he was in a good mood, he didn't quite know himself.
"I...," Callie wanted to explain but didn't know where to start. The truth was, she had used his spoon. Just moments ago, she had sipped soup from the very spot his lips had touched...
Oh my gosh—
Did that count as an indirect kiss?
She felt like banging her head against the wall!
"I didn't mean to..."
"If you want to kiss me, just say it. Why beat around the bush?" Shane picked up a napkin, elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth, and slowly stood up. He glanced at her with a half-smile. "A woman like you, who seems ready to pounce on any man, would find it strange not to have any thoughts about me, right?"
Callie was speechless.
Her eye twitched.
Was this man a narcissist?!
Have thoughts about him?
Only if every other man on earth were dead!
"It was an accident. Rest assured, I have absolutely no interest in you. If I do, may lightning strike me dead!" she declared vehemently, denying it with all her might.
Shane squinted. She dared to swear such a vicious oath?
Did she have a death wish?
This woman was something else!
Very interesting!
Instead of getting angry, he smiled and asked, "I heard you can never be a doctor again?"
Callie’s head shot up.
Her hatred for him was unmistakable! Shane laughed.
Seeing her angry made him happy.
"What... what will it take for you to let me go?" she whispered.
Although Old Master Robinson had already paid for her mother's medical bills, she still needed to think about their future. Without a job, there would be no income. How could she provide a good life for her mother? Besides, being a doctor was her passion and dream.
Shane was in a good mood, probably because seeing her so subdued brought him joy. "If you behave well, I might just be merciful," he said with a smirk.
He took a step forward, then suddenly stopped, as if giving her a chance or perhaps just making things difficult. "I have a dinner meeting at Blue Bridge tonight. If you still want your job, you can come find me there."
Callie clenched her fists, knowing that he wasn't going to make things easy. But it seemed like she had no other choice. She bit her lip and said, "I understand."
As Shane went upstairs, she cleaned up the dining table and then tried to rest in the living room, but sleep eluded her.
It was almost dawn when she finally fell asleep.
When she woke up, it was nearly noon. She hadn't showered the entire night, so she took advantage of Shane's absence to go upstairs and take a shower. As she pushed open the door to her room, she realized
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