Chapter 229: We balance each other
Ryle was sitting on the bed, holding a book in his hand when he heard the sound of a knock on the door.
"Wrap up the remaining work and go to vacation as soon as you can. I don’t want to see your face," Ryle indifferently said, flipping the page of the book.
"You don’t want to see my face?"
The voice startled him. In a pleasantly good way. And the book almost slipped from his hand.
Ryle raised his head to look at the person who was approaching him.
When Daisy pushed open the door, she was greeted by the sight of Ryle wearing glasses supporting his head on his fist and raking his fingers inside his hair as he, frustratedly, read a book.
Frustratedly. Perhaps she was reading too much into it but he seemed somewhat frustrated even though that did not diminish his attractiveness even by a notch.
"If you don’t want to see my face, I can just leave," Daisy pointed her thumb at the door, her voice just as calm.
Ryle placed the book on the bedside table, unbothered to even close it properly as he pushed himself to his feet and walked towards her.
Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms and lowered his head, sinking his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the fragrance of her body greedily, "Are you kidding me?"
"No. You said it yourself," Even though Daisy was still talking calmly, but for once she noticed how her voice had softened and her body just leaned into his.
She wanted to straighten up and clear her throat almost instantly at the realization but she stayed still.
Diana’s words were still alive in her head. Before, she had not paid attention to these minute details but now that she did, her heart thudded against her ribcage.
"What did I say?" Ryle mumbled softly, his lips rubbing against her skin.
A shiver trailed down her body, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake as he did so, "That you don’t want to see my face."
Daisy immediately felt the loss of warmth when he abruptly pulled back from her.
"Stop pretending already," Ryle gazed at her, deep into her eyes.
Suddenly, Diana’s words reverberated in her mind.
’Can you maintain eye contact with him? Even only for 10 seconds?’
’Big deal. As if I can’t,’ Daisy pursed her lips and looked back at him.
1... 2... 3... 4...
Ryle’s eyes softened when he saw her face.
He leaned in towards her, the tips of their noses almost touching.
5... 5...
Daisy’s brain glitched.
"I thought Benjamin came back," he explained, "What in the world makes you think I won’t want to see your face?"
"Did I never tell you that I can fall asleep watching your face and I would still wish to wake up to the sight of it?"
’Thump’
Daisy broke eye contact and looked to the side, shoving the man away from her.
Ryle was stupefied, "You... Come here, sweetheart. You have to trust me those words were for Benjamin to hear.." Benjamin, that scoundrel!
Ryle cursed his subordinate. Had he not acted like he had a half rotten peanut instead of brain then he would not have been frustrated with the guy to this extent, which caused him to be misunderstood by Daisy.
"Daisy, I..."
"I know," Daisy composed herself, "I was just messing around," she said without missing a beat.
Ryle was speechless for a moment but then a look of instant relief crossed his face. He grabbed her hand and led her to the bed.
As Ryle sat on the bed, Daisy was about to sit next to him. But before she could move, his other hand wrapped around her waist as he pulled her to his lap.
"You even know how to mess around so well now. I feel like I am such a bad influence to you," Ryle said in a helpless voice while reaching out to turn off the lights in the room.
As the lights were turned off, only the bedside lamps were lit, leaving the room encased in a dim and warm light.
As Ryle leaned back on the headboard of the bed, he heard her speak.
"At least you are self-aware."
His lips tugged up in a smirk, as he lifted his fingers and loosened her bun, letting her hair free. His fingers then picked up a few strands of hair, twirling and playing with it as he spoke, "So what if I am a bad influence to you? Aren’t you the good influence to me, my sweet good girl?"
Those words seemed very ordinary and mundane but the way his tone dipped and turned hoarse at ’my sweet good girl’, something shifted inside her.
Weren’t those the same words he had spoken last night when they were tangled in the sheets with each other, not the least bit of decency left in them at that moment?
Daisy resisted the temptation to squirm on his lap.
"I teach you bad things and you..." Ryle pinched her chin and tilted her face towards him. Looking at her face closely, he spoke, "You teach me the good ones. Make me a better person," there was something so warm, yet teasing, sincere and exhilarating about his words that made her heart race.
"So, in that way, we balance each other quite well, don’t we?" Ryle questioned, pressing his forehead against hers.
He watched as she lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, "Maybe."
Now it was his turn to be stunned.
He had expected a witty comeback, maybe something snarky or or probably an indifferent glare or even a shy attempt at changing the topic.
As she watched his eyes widening in disbelief, a glint flashed in her eyes.
"Certainly we balance each other," Daisy leaned towards him, her words falling in a low whisper against his lips.
His adam’s apple bobbed up and down and his grip around her waist tightened.
