Chapter 79: Chapter 79: After All, I’m Fully Charged
###Chapter 79: Fully Recharged, After All
The height of ecstasy had passed, and it was now the dead of night.
The bedroom was filled with the sound of their mingled, ragged breaths.
Ethan Hawthorne carefully propped himself up, gazing at the woman beneath him in the hazy glow of the night light.
Tears still clung to Maxine Rhodes’s eyelashes. Her cheeks were flushed, and her entire body radiated the languor and exhaustion that followed a bout of passion.
The softest part of his heart was deeply touched. He lowered his head and placed a kiss filled with endless tenderness and affection on her sweat-dampened forehead.
"I wore you out."
His gaze slowly drifted down, lingering on her smooth, delicate skin. It was covered with marks he had left in the heat of passion—especially on her perky bottom, where several deep fingerprints remained....
A soft smile bloomed in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes. He stroked her long hair, splayed across the pillow, and his voice was low and tender. "Next time... I promise I’ll be gentler."
Maxine Rhodes was too tired to even lift a finger. She just gave a soft "mmm" through her nose, like a well-fed, contented kitten, her consciousness already fading into sleep.
Ethan Hawthorne didn’t disturb her further. He got up with extreme gentleness, meticulously cleaned up the mess, then went into the bathroom, adjusted the water to the perfect temperature, and soaked a soft towel.
Returning to the bedside, he took the warm towel and gently washed her body.
After finishing all this, he quickly washed himself before getting back into bed and pulling her warm, soft body into his arms again.
He lowered his head, resting his chin lightly on the crown of her head. The scent of her, mingled with his own, filled his senses, and an unprecedented feeling of contentment and peace filled his chest.
"Maxine Rhodes..."
"Mmm?" she responded unconsciously in her sleep, snuggling deeper into his warm embrace.
Ethan Hawthorne tightened his arms around her. "You’re finally, completely mine."
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting warm patches of light in the bedroom.
Maxine Rhodes awoke to a feeling of soreness and weakness.
The slightest movement made her feel as if her entire body had been taken apart and reassembled, especially her waist and legs, which ached terribly.
’Just how wild were we last night?’ She remembered it wasn’t just once, but so many times she’d lost count...
Just as Maxine Rhodes frowned and tried to shift into a more comfortable position, a large, warm hand landed on her lower back and began to massage her with just the right amount of pressure.
"You’re awake?"
Ethan Hawthorne’s deep, morning-raspy voice sounded by her ear.
Maxine Rhodes turned her head to meet his smiling eyes.
He had clearly been awake for a while, propped up on his elbow and watching her at his leisure.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, are you well-rested?"
He deliberately drew out his words, his fingertips tracing circles on the small of her back. The teasing in his tone was thick and undeniable. "It seems... your stamina isn’t quite up to snuff."
His words were like a lit match to a powder keg.
The sleepy grogginess and the self-pity from her aching body that Maxine Rhodes had been feeling instantly vanished, provoked by his comment.
Her competitive spirit and the lingering indignation from being utterly dominated by him last night instantly took over.
She flipped over abruptly, ignoring her body’s soreness, and straddled his waist.
She planted her hands on his firm chest and leaned down slightly. Her long hair cascaded down, brushing against his cheeks, and her eyes burned with a defiant fire as she declared, word by word, "E-than Haw-thorne!"
"Who says I’m not up to it?"
She mimicked his tone from the night before, her gaze both wild and alluring. "Let’s go again. We’ll see who begs for mercy first."
Ethan Hawthorne hadn’t expected this reaction. He was stunned for a moment, but then, looking at her captivating combination of bluffing and allure, a deep, delighted laugh rumbled in his chest.
He played along, lying flat on his back with his hands spread wide. But his eyes narrowed dangerously, full of indulgence and anticipation. "Alright, I’m ready. Bring it on."
This time, it was Maxine Rhodes who initiated the kiss.
What followed was another symphony of body and soul.
For the next two days of the weekend, they didn’t leave the house.
The heavy curtains blocked out the sun and moon. The concept of time blurred, leaving only the warmth and heartbeat of the other.
It was as if they had opened the door to a new world. It began with gentle exploration, until the silk slip dress Maxine Rhodes was wearing ripped with a tear during their first encounter.
"Ethan Hawthorne!"
She looked at the ruined dress, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "This was a limited edition!"
"I’ll replace it."
He lowered his head to kiss her fragrant shoulder. "Is ten enough?"
The passion intensified the next morning.
When he pinned her against the floor-to-ceiling window in the study, her back-laced dress fell apart into two pieces.
Even her last silk nightgown tore open when he lifted her onto the kitchen island.
"That was my most comfortable nightgown!"
She gave his calf a light kick.
"From now on at home..." He caught her ankle, chuckling. "You don’t have to wear anything."
Maxine Rhodes: "..."
Over the two days, the bedsheets in the bedroom were changed three times, finally settling on a set of dark silk ones.
The wool rug in the living room was rolled up and put on the balcony to air out.
The black walnut desk in the study now bore fine scratches.
On the kitchen island, various bottles and jars were knocked askew...
By Sunday night, Maxine Rhodes was languidly soaking in the bathtub, letting Ethan Hawthorne wash her.
Amidst the swirling steam, she suddenly chuckled. "Have we been too crazy?"
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing a red mark on her shoulder. His voice was low. "In that case... how about a finishing touch?"
His warm palm caressed her waist. "There’s one condom left. Let’s not waste it."
Maxine Rhodes turned around, wet hair plastered to her cheeks, her eyes shimmering. "Hm? Here?"
...
At the crack of dawn on Monday, Ethan Hawthorne’s internal alarm clock woke him right on time.
He looked down at Maxine Rhodes, still fast asleep in his arms. Her body was dotted with the intimate marks he’d left, even more densely than the previous two days.
Maxine Rhodes blearily opened her eyes. The moment she tried to move, a soreness as if she’d been run over by a heavy truck washed over her, making her hiss in pain and furrow her delicate brows.
Ethan Hawthorne’s large hand expertly found her aching waist and began massaging it with just the right pressure.
"Ethan Hawthorne..." Her voice was raspy with sleep and thick with accusation. "I think... I’m actually falling apart."
Ethan Hawthorne chuckled, his mood impossibly good. He kept massaging her as he teased, "And who was it that started the provocation, saying we’d see who begged for mercy first?"
Maxine Rhodes remembered her bold declaration from the day before, and her face flushed. She buried her face in the pillow and mumbled, "It wasn’t me, anyway."
In the end, Maxine Rhodes had to be half-carried and half-supported in Ethan Hawthorne’s arms just to get washed up.
Her legs were so weak while brushing her teeth that she had to lean on him.
Ethan Hawthorne was more than happy to act as her human support frame. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, rested his chin in the crook of her neck, and watched her reproachful glare in the mirror, feeling a sense of satisfaction unlike any he’d ever known.
When she was finally dressed and ready to leave, Maxine Rhodes looked at her reflection in the mirror—completely covered up in a high-necked velvet dress. She couldn’t help but shoot a glare at the culprit beside her, who looked refreshed and dapper in his sharp suit.
’Is this damned man a perpetual motion machine? Why is the one who did most of the work looking so vigorous, while I, the one who was being ’serviced’, feel like my soul has been hollowed out?’
Ethan Hawthorne caught her resentful gaze, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
He stepped forward and adjusted her already neat collar. His fingertips casually brushed against a mark below her collarbone, hidden by the fabric, as he whispered, "Looks great."
"Mr. Hawthorne, you’re certainly looking refreshed," Maxine Rhodes said, each word seemingly squeezed through her teeth.
"Mm-hmm," Ethan Hawthorne accepted the comment readily. He leaned down to her ear and said in a breathy whisper, "After all... I’m fully recharged."
