Chapter 116: Dutiful Wife
She turned to look at the side door. Keenan still hadn’t emerged. The candle on the table was already halfway out, and she had a feeling it was close to midnight.
She pushed herself to a sitting position. She didn’t want to sleep without him next to her. She didn’t want to lose the momentum she had right now. It would be terrible if things went back to when he would rather sleep at his desk than share the same bed with her.
She bit her upper lip as she thought about calling him to bed. Could she do that? What would be his reaction? Was that too much?
She bent her knees and buried her face between them. She might have gotten a little confidence from Winnie but it didn’t change the reality and her biggest fear was making things worse.
She lifted her head and looked at the side door again. She moved out of the bed before she could talk herself out of it. If she thought too deeply about it, she would discourage herself.
Her heart sounded like drums as she walked toward the side door. She pressed her hands to her chest and took three deep breaths for courage before she knocked twice.
Silence.
Maya bit the inside of her cheeks as her chest tightened. Was he going to ignore her? Would it have been better if she hadn’t knocked? Should she return to bed?
"What is it?" His voice came through the door.
She was smiling as relief flooded her. His tone sounded neutral and she couldn’t help but wonder what his expression was like.
She turned the handle and opened the door. She knew he hadn’t said she could but she had to see him. The door made a soft creak as she opened it and the first thing she saw was the lamp on his desk.
Keenan was hunched forward, a slight frown on his face as he scribbled on documents. As soon as the door opened, his frown deepened and he slowly lifted his head from the desk.
His green eyes locked on her by the door and Maya noticed his frown ease. His eyes squinted as they looked from her face down to her nightdress.
She really tried to act no different but it was impossible when he noticed. She knew her head was nothing but a very ripe tomato at his hard stare.
"I-I wanted to ask when you’ll come to bed. It’s your room. It’s not fair to you if I’m in your bed and you have to sleep at the desk."
She was rambling—she knew—but her courage was running very thin, and she needed to grab onto something.
"Huh? Playing the dutiful wife?" He asked, but his eyes didn’t stray from her breasts.
She fought the urge to lift her hand to her chest. She felt self-conscious but his scent was different, stronger. Similar to when they made love.
At this point, she was certain her reddened face would burst if she had any more inappropriate thoughts.
"No," she shook her head, trying to recall the conversation and not how hard he was staring at her. "I wasn’t sure you knew it’s late."
"I know the time," he muttered and leaned back. His green eyes reluctantly lifted from her chest to her face.
"Are y-you still busy?" She asked as she locked her gaze on his desk.
His eyes fluttered down again. Maya bit the corner of her lower lip as her breath hitched. How was it possible to feel his eyes on her body? She could tell exactly where he was staring.
"Go to sleep. You have an injured arm," he muttered and bent his head, returning to work.
Her face fell, and she grabbed her injured arm to soothe herself. She had been dismissed—there was no question. She nodded her head and slowly shut the side door.
She leaned against it, tightly hugging herself. She was injured—that’s what he said. He wasn’t rejecting her; he was being careful.
What had she been thinking? Her mind screamed as she slid down the door, landing on her buttocks. She never should have accepted this dress. He already distrusted her. Of course, such an obvious attempt at seduction would be taken wrongly.
Maya forced herself off the ground as conflicting thoughts wrestled in her head. She couldn’t stay by the door; he might be able to pick up her scent. It would be embarrassing if he knew she was still there.
Her shoulders felt heavy as she threw herself into bed and Maya tried her hardest not to cry despite the overwhelming urge to.
She pulled the covers over her shoulders and shut her eyes. She should at least try to get some sleep; tomorrow might be a busy day.
Her eyes snapped open as the side door cracked open. Keenan walked into the room with a soft yawn. His hair was in disarray, and she could hear his bones crack as he stretched.
He didn’t look in her direction as he took off his white shirt and belt. He tossed them aside, yawning again. He ran a finger through his hair as he yawned with his eyes shut.
Maya was underneath the covers up to her nose, staring unabashedly at him. He was handsome, wasn’t he? She could stare at him all day.
His blonde hair still shone in the low candlelight. Not to mention his sharp jawline and his broad shoulders. Her face grew hot under the covers as she watched his every move.
Perhaps because she had her mind on other things but the scar on his chest didn’t evoke feelings of guilt as it usually did. Rather, she thought it was racy and added to his allure. Maya wanted to bury herself at her line of thought.
What is wrong with me?
He walked closer to the bed, took off his boots and got in. She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down.
She was glad he was in bed but she tried to remind herself it didn’t mean anything in a bid to get a hold on herself. He just wanted to get some sleep.
She turned her head to face him just as he adjusted the pillow and lay on his back. With his gaze to the ceiling, he shut his eyes without glancing in her direction.
She also closed her eyes. She should get some sleep too. However, Maya made sure to reduce the distance between them as best as she could before she dozed off.
She fell asleep with his warmth within reach while smiling to herself.
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