Chapter 25 Embarrassment Leads To Passion

Claire’s POV:

I was met with Colin's surprised face as I entered the bathroom. My gaze lowered to the laundry basket beside him, a heap of clothes waiting to be washed, the door of the washing machine left open, and there, in Colin’s hands, was my bra and pants.

I let out a shriek, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment, turning crimson all the way to the tips of my ears.

"What are you doing with those?" I rushed forward, swiftly snatching my undergarments from his grasp, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

Colin seemed to be slightly embarrassed as well. He cleared his throat twice, striving to keep his tone natural and calm, "I didn't have much to do at home and thought I'd do some laundry."

I kept my eyes downcast, my heart still pounding ferociously. "You can leave it—I’ll wash them later."

"Aren't you the one who said this house is for the both of us? Chores should be shared."

"No, really, it's fine! These are my personal items; I can wash them myself..." I shook my head vehemently, covering my flushed cheeks with my hands, a mix of shame and awkwardness washing over me.

Colin looked deeply into my eyes, "I am your husband, after all." His voice was husky as he leaned in to whisper, "What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine in a marriage, isn't it? Washing your underwear for you—it's nothing out of the ordinary."

I lowered my head, my bright eyes revealing a touch of unease, even my breathing was coming out in rapid succession.

Colin's warm chest pressed closer to me, my hands tightly gripping the undergarments. My nervousness tinged with a soft compliance, as if I were a defenseless kitten, stirring within him an undeniable urge to protect and conquer.

Suddenly, his forceful embrace enveloped me. A flurry of kisses rained down on me, leaving me disorientated, not knowing how to respond to the kiss or the overwhelming assertiveness of a man, only able to offer a clumsy reciprocation.

My cheeks were aflame, and I was panting by the time the kissing stopped. Colin released me and I stood frozen, unsure of what he would do next.

Would we make love? The mere thought made my heart race uncontrollably.

"Colin..." I suddenly became aware of the softness in my voice, as if hinting at something to him.

He lifted me in his arms and strode into the bedroom, where we both fell onto the bed together. He was about to lift my clothes when, the phone began to ring continually, as if convinced he would answer it.

Colin let out a deep sigh, got off the bed, and walked to the living room. From the bedroom, I heard Colin's angry shout: "What is it?!"

Colin's perspective:

Kevin is such an idiot. As soon as I answered the call, I couldn't contain my anger.

"Did I interrupt something, Alpha Colin?" Kevin's obsequious voice came through the phone, tinged with an appeasing laughter, "I wouldn't be calling at this time if it weren't urgent. I thought you wouldn't be asleep so early."

"Spit it out!" I growled in annoyance, turning to walk to the balcony. With a swoosh, I pulled the sliding door closed behind me.

"Over on the Rock pack side, I'm afraid you'll have to make a trip back," Kevin whispered, "The news of you not being dead has spread, and the pack members are all stirred up. And your parents, they're very worried about you."

"Mm, I'm aware," I furrowed my brow, in annoyance. "I will contact them in private, but returning to the Rock pack will have to wait."

Kevin, puzzled and not understanding the situation fully, could only respond with an "Oh."

"By the way, Alpha Colin," he continued, "I did some thorough checking today. The client your sister-in-law met with for business, is the one that Sarah has been chasing for three months, without success!”

“So, I devised a plan and had Claire close the deal. She's getting a commission of a hundred thousand dollars."

I looked down at my aroused body and didn't bother to hear the rest of Kevin's ramble, hanging up. The cool breeze on the balcony, mixed with the expansive night sky, soon sobered me up quite a bit.

Minutes later, I turned back into the room. Claire was no longer in the bedroom. Glancing around, I heard the soft sound of the washing machine from the bathroom.

Claire noticed me too; she curled her lips slightly, revealing shallow dimples. She seemed a bit embarrassed, bowed her head, and began to separate the machine-washable clothes from those to be hand-washed before softly speaking to me.

"You should go to sleep. I’ll do the laundry."

I sighed lightly, my heart letting out an inward wail. Desire, when abrupt, is overwhelming, and its sudden interruption is unbearably difficult. Now I had the task of trying to slowly subdue it.

The sensation was like millions of insects nibbling away at my body, both itchy and hollow. I couldn't present myself as a lecher in front of her, nor could I force her into bed with me.

Managing a forced smile, I returned to the living room and collapsed onto the sofa like a heavy hammer, covered tightly with a blanket.