Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Let Me Hear It
###Chapter 105: Say It For Me
With that, Ethan Hawthorne strode forward on his long legs, catching up to Maxine Rhodes. He pulled open the car door for her, his hand hovering naturally behind her waist in a gesture that was both possessive and protective.
The car door shut, and the vehicle pulled away smoothly.
Benjamin Sterling stood frozen in place. The wilted bouquet of tulips in his hand fell to the ground with a soft THUD.
Petals scattered everywhere.
The inside of the black sedan was silent for a moment, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Maxine Rhodes had just breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against her seat when she heard Ethan Hawthorne’s perfectly calm voice from beside her. "Ms. Rhodes’s charm truly grows by the day."
Maxine Rhodes raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him.
The profile of Ethan Hawthorne’s handsome face was tense, his jawline sharp. He looked for all the world like he was discussing business, but the sourness in his tone practically filled the car.
She deliberately drew out her words, mimicking his usual reserved tone. "Mr. Hawthorne must be joking. It was just some unseemly entanglement, hardly comparable to Mr. Hawthorne’s talent for utterly humiliating someone with a single sentence."
While waiting at a red light, Ethan Hawthorne turned his head, his deep gaze locking onto hers. Within his eyes swirled the familiar, suppressed dark fire she knew so well.
He leaned in closer, and his crisp, clean scent instantly enveloped her. His voice was low, laced with a dangerous magnetism. "This little talent of mine? Wouldn’t you say I was forced to develop it?"
His voice was sullen. "Maxine Rhodes, I don’t like it."
"Don’t like what?" she asked, feigning ignorance, a cunning light dancing in her eyes.
Ethan Hawthorne stared at her for two seconds before suddenly lowering his head and nipping her on the lips. It wasn’t hard, but it carried a clear message of possession.
"I don’t like other men having designs on my wife."
His lips brushed against hers as he spoke, each word a puff of hot air. "Especially... an incompetent ex who can’t even afford a fresh bouquet of flowers."
His jealousy and possessiveness were now on full display.
"And he calls you Maxine..."
Ethan Hawthorne’s voice held a trace of grievance. "But me, in public, I can only call you Ms. Rhodes."
Maxine Rhodes blinked. It suddenly dawned on her: This man wasn’t just jealous of her being coveted, but also of his own unofficial status!
Maxine Rhodes finally couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. "In that case, why don’t you come pick me up from work more often to stake your claim, Mr. Hawthorne? How does that sound?"
The darkness in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes finally dissipated slightly, replaced by a hint of satisfaction. "Then you’ll have to coax me."
Maxine Rhodes arched an eyebrow, a smile blooming in her eyes. "How do I do that?"
Ethan Hawthorne gave it some serious thought.
"From now on, when we’re in private, you have to call me ’husband’ more often."
He paused, then added, "Practice it, get used to it. So you won’t be uncomfortable and seem distant if you have to say it in public one day."
Maxine Rhodes couldn’t help but laugh at how he was angling for a proper title while also seizing the opportunity to gain some benefits.
Then, she lowered her voice and, with a smile in her breathy whisper, called out softly, "Alright, hubby~"
That sound, so light and soft, was like a feather brushing against his heart.
Ethan Hawthorne’s hands on the steering wheel suddenly tightened. His body went rigid for a second, as if he’d been injected with a powerful stimulant.
"We’re going home."
His voice abruptly deepened. "In bed, you can keep saying it for me."
The moment the words left his mouth, he slammed his foot on the accelerator. The car shot forward, merging into the stream of traffic ahead.
The force of the acceleration pushed Maxine Rhodes back, and she let out a small cry, instinctively grabbing the handle beside her.
"Ethan Hawthorne!" she chided. "Slow down! Be careful!"
The car practically shot into the apartment’s underground garage. The moment it came to a stop, Ethan Hawthorne unbuckled his seatbelt. Before Maxine Rhodes could react, he leaned over, gripped the back of her neck, and crushed his lips against hers with all the heat and urgency he had yet to quell.
Maxine Rhodes was caught completely off guard by the kiss. Pinned against the car door, all she could do was tilt her head back and endure his near-predatory assault. Her oxygen was rapidly depleted, and her head began to spin.
As the elevator ascended, the narrow space was filled with nothing but the sound of their intertwined breaths.
"DING—"
The elevator reached the top floor.
The instant the doors opened, Ethan Hawthorne half-carried, half-dragged her out.
The motion-sensor light in the foyer flickered on, illuminating the intense, raw desire and urgency in his eyes.
He didn’t turn on the main lights. By the dim yellow glow, he pressed her against a decorative cabinet in the entryway and continued his suffocating kiss while raising a hand to rip off his own tie.
The haze-blue suit jacket she wore was also easily stripped from her shoulders, sliding to the floor.
His kisses trailed down from the corner of her mouth to the pale skin of her neck, where he nibbled and suckled, leaving behind wet heat and a faint, stinging sensation.
"E... Ethan..."
Maxine Rhodes gasped, trying to regain a shred of clarity. "I... I’ll go take a shower first..."
"I can’t wait."
Ethan Hawthorne lifted his head from her neck, his eyes an undisguised inferno, his voice raspy beyond belief.
He swept her into his arms, and as he laid her down on the living room sofa, his body followed, covering hers.
Dim light filtered in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining his taut muscles and aggressive silhouette.
He kissed her again, his hands already nimbly unfastening the buttons of her blouse.
Maxine Rhodes shivered as the air hit her skin.
His palm, searing hot, met the bare skin of her waist. It traveled slowly upward, over her ribs, and finally cupped her pale fullness, kneading with a pressure that was neither too light nor too heavy, drawing a suppressed whimper from her.
Their clothes were chaotically stripped away in the passionate struggle, scattering across the sofa and carpet.
The moment their skin touched, they both let out a satisfied sigh.
Dazed with passion, Maxine Rhodes clung to his broad shoulders and back, her fingertips unconsciously sinking into the firm lines of his back muscles.
Ethan Hawthorne propped himself up, gazing down into her hazy eyes and flushed cheeks in the dim light.
"Say it for me."
Maxine Rhodes panted, looking into his eyes, which burned with a fierce flame. They reflected only her, an image of someone who, in this moment, belonged completely to him.
She gasped, her eyelashes trembling. Meeting his scorching gaze, her red lips parted, and she enunciated each syllable: "Hus-band."
The color in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes deepened in an instant. He crushed his lips to hers again, kissing her more fiercely, more deeply than before.
Ethan Hawthorne murmured against her lips, his breath scorching with every word. "You’re not getting any sleep tonight, wife."
...
*****
