Rose burst into laughter, loud and carefree. She couldn’t help it; the situation was absurd.
"Did I?" she said between giggles, her voice bubbling with mischief. "I can’t really rember. I an... who wouldn’t pick luxury over—over—" She giggled again, pretending to fumble her words, "—who wouldn’t pick riches over the poor?"
She yawned dramatically, stretching as if the conversation no longer interested her. It was clear she wasn’t afraid to turn away from any tension in the room. "Goodnight, Mr. Rylan. Sleep tight," she mumbled, pulling the duvet over herself, her actions a silent dismissal, as if to say, I’ve had enough.
But before she could settle in, a slight movent caught her off guard.
Her eyes snapped open just as Rylan shifted closer, his voice firm, cutting through the silence like a blade.
"Not so fast. We’re going back to your room."
Rose’s eyes widened, disbelief flooding her expression. "What?"
"Yes. You’re going back," he repeated, each word sounding more final than the last. "You didn’t ask , you’re snarky, and on top of everything—you lied."
Her face fell. She had been caught. There was no way out of it now.
"Fine," she muttered, exhaling sharply as if the air had beco too thick to breathe. "You got . I’m sorry. I’m very sorry. But I can’t go back there."
Rylan studied her for a mont, his gaze sharp and penetrating, before he nodded, seemingly coming to so conclusion in his mind. "Fine. Do what you want." His tone shifted, dropping a notch, becoming colder. "But next ti, be honest. I wouldn’t want a dishonest housekeeper."
Rose rolled her eyes. She hadn’t even officially started the job yet, and he was already calling her a housekeeper. ’Whatever,’ she thought. At least she had found a cozy place to sleep. She wasn’t about to push her luck and risk being sent back to that cramped room.
Just as she was about to relax into the softness of the duvet, Rylan’snext words sent a jolt through her system, snapping her back into full alert.
"And here I thought you only listened to n with big d*cks," he mused, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.
Rose froze, her breath catching in her throat. ’What did he just say? The audacity.’ She turned her head slowly to look at him, a mix of disbelief and shock crossing her face.
He smirked, leaning slightly closer, his eyes glinting with amusent. "So why listen to ? Didn’t you say I have a small one?"
Rose’s eyes widened as she recalled her previous words. Oh, crap.what a ss.
She had completely forgotten that she had said that, yet here she was, already judging him for saying sothing similar.
Clearing her throat, she quickly tried to cover up the awkward situation. "I’m a changed person now, Mr. Rylan. Big or small, I don’t care anymore. I’ll listen to anyone because... well, that’s just how people are. You are who you are."
Her voice trailed off into a quiet mumble as she turned away, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing for this conversation to end. Just let it be over already. She could feel her patience thinning, and if she wasn’t careful, she might say sothing that would get her sent back to that cramped excuse for a bed.
But then she heard it.
A chuckle.
Her eye twitched. What was wrong with this man? Was he not tired at all? Judging by the way he kept laughing, it was clear he had been awake this whole ti. Of course, he had. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have caught her sneaking in.
And then, he spoke again, as if her embarrassnt only fueled his amusent.
"Wow, who knew you could be this obedient when asking for sothing?"
Rose clenched her jaw, the words biting through her skin like a thousand needles. Was he serious right now? Was he just playing mind gas with her? This had to be karma, right? Her own words thrown back at her, twisting around into mockery.
"Who knew you could beco a motivational speaker overnight?" he grinned, amusent dancing in his eyes.
Before she could even retort, Rylan’svoice dropped into a more serious tone, one that seed to carry a weight of finality.
"Go on, sleep. You have a contract to sign tomorrow."
Rose inhaled deeply, forcing herself to swallow back the sharp remark that was still bubbling at the back of her throat. Instead, she responded as calmly as she could, trying to appear unaffected, even though every inch of her scread to argue.
"Goodnight."
She shifted into a more comfortable position, adjusting the duvet around her as she tried to will herself to sleep. Soon, her breathing beca slow and steady, the exhaustion finally taking its toll on her. The familiar heaviness of slumber settled over her like a blanket.
Rylan remained still, his eyes open, listening to the soft rhythm of her breath. He wasn’t asleep yet.
A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips as he watched her.
"You put so much trust in this stranger, Rosey," he murmured, his voice barely audible in the dim room.
Then, he moved, pulling the thicker duvet over her, realizing the one she had was far too thin to keep her warm. His fingers brushed against her skin in the motion, an accidental contact that left a trace of warmth behind.
He lay back down, closing his eyes, but just as sleep was about to take its course—
SLAP!
Ryland’s eyes snapped open in surprise. His head turned toward Rose. What in the world? Had she...?
He wondered why she would suddenly deliver such a harsh slap at this ti.
"R..." His lips parted, then closed again as he struggled to make sense of the situation.
She had actually slapped him—in her sleep.
He blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. He had heard of sleepwalking, but sleep-slapping? That was a new one. He glanced at her again, her face still relaxed, unaware of what she had done.
Before he could even adjust to the confusion of it all—
SLAP!
This ti, the force of it was clearer. She had hit him with more precision.
Rylan lay there in stunned silence, trying to piece it all together. She hadn’t just slapped him once—she’d done it twice, in a matter of monts.
It was a strange thing, watching her now. The once-confident woman he had spoken to just monts ago was now reduced to soone entirely different—vulnerable in her sleep, unaware of her actions.
As he lay there, contemplating the strange behavior, sothing else gnawed at him.
Was she dreaming?
Her expression was serene, almost peaceful as if she had no idea what she had done. Rylan couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to her than he had first assud. If this woman, who had displayed such sharp wit and sarcasm, could be so... unpredictable.
He shook his head, unable to resist the pull of sleep himself. His mind was still buzzing, but his body was growing heavy. The weight of exhaustion settled in, and he closed his eyes, the gentle rhythm of her breathing filling his ears.
But there was one thought that lingered, one that wouldn’t let go.
You trust , don’t you, Rosey?
******
Naomi slowly opened her eyes, shifting slightly, only to realize she was held firmly in place by his strong embrace. Turning her head, her breath caught as she took in Zylan’s face. Even in the soft morning light, his beauty remained striking. If anything, the dawn seed to enhance his allure.
It was then that the mory of last night ca rushing back. She rembered the three words she had said to him,
A soft smile graced her lips as she recalled. and then a pang of fear hit her. What if—just what if—he didn’t feel the sa way? Of course, she had ant every word, but then sothing finally clicked. What if he didn’t? But one thing was clear: she wasn’t going to leave him, no matter what. And at that mont, she was certain she never would.
She couldn’t help but wonder—could a man truly be this handso, Or was it because he was a vampire? No, she was sure there were other vampires at the masquerade ball, but no one compared to Zylan in handsoness and beauty.
Was he awake? Was he pretending to sleep? From the way he breathed, it was clear he wasn’t.
It made her curious. Ti and ti again, just when she thought he was asleep, he would prove her wrong. But right now, there was no denying it—he was truly asleep.
His hair looked so neat; everything about him was perfect.
anwhile, she was certain her hair resembled a nest freshly built by young birds. With a small sigh, she lifted her hand, attempting to smooth it down.
Zylan finally moved, and Naomi turned to him as they both stared at each other for a while. His eyes were back to normal, both of their eyes eting, though his looked lazy.
But before she could move any further, Zylan’s deep voice murmured against her ear.
"I’m becoming more dangerous."
Reviews
All reviews (0)