Chapter 158: Chapter 158: You’re Sleeping in the Living Room
"I think some things just have to be faced. Time will make the memory fade. I’m honored to have a friend like you who has always supported me. So, that’s it." Summer Lancaster walked to the door, murmured, "Let’s go," and left without looking back.
As soon as Summer Lancaster got in the car, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes to sleep, as she had no desire to talk to Kenneth Yates.
From the very beginning, Kenneth Yates’s eyes were fixed on her clothes. It was clearly a man’s shirt, just long enough to cover her bottom. The tantalizing curves of her chest, partially visible, sparked an impulse to rip the garment right off her. The allure of her long legs was enough to make a man swallow hard. A Summer Lancaster dressed like this was incredibly seductive, and he couldn’t bear the thought of her walking around in front of another man dressed this way.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he kept stealing glances at Summer Lancaster, but she showed no sign of wanting to speak. Finally, Kenneth Yates couldn’t hold back any longer. "What’s the deal with that shirt? Couldn’t Caleb Bell buy you a decent set of women’s clothes?" The air was thick with his jealousy.
Summer Lancaster didn’t open her eyes. She sighed. "Caleb isn’t like you, who always has a few sets of women’s clothing lying around the house."
Kenneth Yates switched the car to autopilot, unbuckled his seatbelt, and launched himself into Summer Lancaster’s seat. He grabbed her face, turning it toward him, and kissed her urgently. With no preamble, Kenneth Yates parted her lips and plunged his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with hers.
Summer Lancaster never imagined Kenneth Yates would kiss her in the car and was completely caught off guard, allowing him to easily have his way.
Her eyes wide, Summer Lancaster simply endured his passionate kiss, right up until his hand slid down from her collarbone and slipped inside her shirt...
"Kenneth Yates, we’re in a moving car!" Summer Lancaster slapped his hand away, her voice a terrified warning. ’Even if you have a death wish, I don’t!’ But Kenneth Yates seemed not to hear her. His eyes were glazed as they fixed on her chest, his breathing growing ragged.
"Summer Lancaster, I’ve missed you! Let me have you, please?" Kenneth Yates whispered, taking her earlobe between his lips. His hand gently caressed her cheek, then trailed down to her collarbone. Though she had been resisting, Summer Lancaster could feel his burning desire. The hand she’d raised to push him away faltered, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
Hearing Summer Lancaster’s whimper only excited him further. He pulled her into a tight embrace and began kissing and biting her with a desperate roughness.
’She smelled so sweet. I want her so badly. I just want to hold her like this forever.’
Kenneth Yates’s hand slid down and tore open the shirt—the one that carried the scent of another man. He ripped it off her and tossed it into the back seat. The moment her snow-white skin was bared to his eyes, he nearly gasped.
In his eyes, her flushed cheeks were the only answer he needed.
They were both panting softly. Kenneth Yates reached out, removed the last piece of clothing from her body, and pressed himself down on top of her...
Afterward, Summer Lancaster fell into an exhausted sleep. Kenneth Yates took off his own jacket and draped it over her; it suited her far better than Caleb Bell’s shirt ever could. Looking at her adorable sleeping face, he was so satisfied he could hardly keep from grinning.
’Happiness is having the person you love most right by your side, close enough to see and to feel.’
Summer Lancaster was still asleep when they arrived home, so Kenneth Yates carried her upstairs. The air was a little chilly, and she kept snuggling deeper into his embrace, seemingly re-igniting the fire within him.
He gently laid Summer Lancaster on the bed in the bedroom, then headed for the bathroom himself. ’She’s just recovered from her illness; she shouldn’t be overexerted. I’ll just have to deal with it. A cold shower is probably what I need.’
The sound of running water woke Summer Lancaster. She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and noticed her clothes had been changed. She was now wearing her favorite cream-colored pajamas.
Summer Lancaster felt a little hungry; she still hadn’t eaten dinner. When she entered the kitchen, she found it looked almost exactly as she had left it. The bowls were even still in the same spot.
She opened the refrigerator and was shocked to find it completely empty. ’Has he not eaten at home at all these past few days?’ she wondered. With no other options, she resorted to making noodles in a simple, clear broth.
Kenneth Yates emerged with just a bath towel wrapped around his waist, revealing his toned muscles. Water dripped from his hair, and his alluring gaze was captivating.
"Summer Lancaster, you’re awake." Kenneth Yates had returned to the bedroom to find her gone; the noise from the kitchen had drawn him there.
When Summer Lancaster saw him, she instinctively looked away. Even though they were intimate, seeing him dressed like this in a casual setting was still a little awkward.
"Go ahead and sit. I made some for you, too."
Kenneth Yates obediently sat down, resting his chin on his hand as he watched Summer Lancaster bustle about.
"All right, let’s eat!" Having finished, Summer Lancaster began to eat her noodle soup with satisfaction. Kenneth Yates, however, just stared, looking slightly surprised and not picking up his chopsticks.
Seeing his hesitation, Summer Lancaster grew annoyed and slapped her chopsticks down on the table. "What is it? Not good enough for you? If you’re not happy, you can cook it yourself! Haven’t you cooked anything at all while I’ve been gone? The fridge is empty! What did you expect me to make?"
Kenneth Yates quickly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. "No, honey, it’s not that. I’m not being picky. I just... I’ve missed this feeling so much. I’m so glad to have you back. And... these noodles are delicious."
For a moment, Summer Lancaster didn’t know what to do with the mix of affection and lingering annoyance she felt. She just grabbed her chopsticks and focused on eating her noodles.
After they finished eating, Summer Lancaster took their bowls to the kitchen to wash them. Kenneth Yates crept up silently behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Startled, the bowl slipped from her hands, but Kenneth Yates caught it just in time.
"Honey, your reflexes are getting slow. Am I making you nervous?" Kenneth Yates placed the bowl back in her hands, whispering into her ear. The warm breath on her skin made her heart skip a beat.
"Of course not... I was just lost in thought." Summer Lancaster set the bowl down. ’I have a feeling these dishes aren’t getting washed tonight,’ she thought. ’Might as well just leave them.’
"Thinking about what? Hmm?" Kenneth Yates pressed his body closer to hers, his hand reaching out to provocatively tilt her chin up. His warm breath ghosted across her cheek.
"Don’t be so conceited. I wasn’t thinking about you," Summer Lancaster said, her face flushing as she tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter.
She felt something hard pressing insistently against her. With a jolt, Summer Lancaster realized what it was...
"Kenneth Yates, are you some kind of horndog? Didn’t we just do it?" Summer Lancaster pushed him away in a panic, her face a mask of disbelief. ’Isn’t he afraid of dying from exhaustion? I have no idea what goes on in that head of his.’
But Kenneth Yates just scooped her back into his arms, pressing her forcefully against his chest as if he wanted them to fuse into one.
In his embrace, Summer Lancaster grew quiet as a kitten, her face turning apple-red. She shyly fidgeted, not knowing where to put her hands.
"Don’t worry, your husband is in great shape," Kenneth Yates whispered, fondly stroking her hair. "But you... can you really not handle this much? Looks like I’ll have to get you up for a run tomorrow!"
At the mention of waking up early, Summer Lancaster abruptly struggled out of his embrace. She still remembered the last time they’d gone for a morning run. He’d left her in the dust, and on top of that, he’d charmed a few younger girls. Judging by their expressions, they were completely smitten with him.
Kenneth Yates saw her bristling with indignation, her wide, watery eyes staring at him with a pleading look. That look in her big eyes made him want to devour her whole.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that? You’re making me hard just by looking at me!" Kenneth Yates’s words were utterly shameless. ’Thank god I’m not eating,’ Summer Lancaster thought. ’Otherwise I would have just spat everything out.’
"Can you be serious for once?" Summer Lancaster balled up her fist and lightly punched him on the chest. But Kenneth Yates just looked like he was thoroughly enjoying it, a blissful expression on his face.
"I don’t want to go running," Summer Lancaster pouted, looking unhappy. "I’m a patient, I need my rest. Besides, you never wait for me, and it’s boring to run alone." She had been wanting to settle this old score with him for ages but never got the chance.
"In that case... I’ll let you get plenty of ’rest’ tonight..." Kenneth Yates deliberately emphasized the word "rest," looking at her with a suggestive, mischievous glint in his eye. The wicked smirk playing on his lips said it all.
Summer Lancaster’s face went red. Her eyes darted around; she knew exactly what he meant but decided to play dumb. "Great! Then I’m off to get some rest. Good night! A patient needs peace and quiet, so..." She paused, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "...you’re sleeping on the couch tonight!" With that, she let go of his waist, gave him a little smile and a wave, and walked out of the kitchen.
Kenneth Yates gave a wry smile. ’Her excuse really does have an undeniable magic to it.’ It looked like the fire that had just been rekindled would need another cold shower to be put out.
’It’s true, Summer Lancaster has really suffered. And it was all because of me. She endured so much, all alone, because of me. I’ve never asked her what Asher said to her back then. The truth is, I’m not confident enough. I’m afraid the answer would completely shatter me. The fact that she’s never brought it up must mean it has something to do with me.’
’If that’s the case, it’s better if we never talk about it. Living in the good memories might not be so bad. At least, that’s what I think.’
It was past midnight. In the familiar, large bed, Summer Lancaster quickly drifted off to sleep. Kenneth Yates, however, stood by the window, furiously chain-smoking. The floor was littered with a dizzying number of cigarette butts, each one stubbed out long before it was finished.
’Sometimes, he wondered about the progression of his feelings—from accepting Summer Lancaster, to liking her, to falling in love with her. Did that make him a traitor to his relationship with Thea Shaw? If it did, how could he ever face Thea? And how could he face Summer?’
’For now, her safe return is my greatest comfort. And at least for now, I know I want her.’
It was in the early hours of the morning when Kenneth Yates finally slipped quietly into bed, trying his best not to make a sound and wake Summer Lancaster.
Summer Lancaster immediately turned and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his embrace with a sweet smile on her lips. Kenneth Yates froze for a second before wrapping his arms around her in a fond embrace and drifting off to a contented sleep.
All the exhaustion from the past few days was washed away that night. A new journey awaited them.
