Chapter 229: The Thirteenth Time
"Juniper, tell me you love me."
Juniper was caught off guard.
"Two grand," he said.
Juniper was speechless.
He thought her silence meant she wanted more cash, so he bumped it up again, stone-faced, "Five grand."
Just a few words for five grand? Only an idiot would pass that up.
Juniper gripped the steering wheel, her heart doing a weird little dance.
Magnus was hammered, didn't even know who she was, and hadn't even opened his eyes.
It should be easy to just say it.
But for some reason, Juniper hesitated, "I..."
"Ten grand," Magnus said.
"I love you."
"Who do you love?" he pressed.
Juniper felt her face heat up, ears burning, and awkwardly played along, "Mr. Blackwood, there's an extra charge for this."
His voice was steady, like he was closing a business deal, "Twenty grand."
Juniper took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool, "Magnus, I love you."
She sneaked a glance at Magnus through the rearview mirror. He was resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, and she let out a sigh of relief.
He really thought she was just the driver.
By the time they got to Royal View, it was past one in the morning.
She struggled to help him to the bedroom.
Then she went to make a cup of honey water and brought it to him.
She handed him the honey water, "Drink this, it'll help."
Magnus leaned against the bed for a bit, slowly opening his heavy eyelids. The woman in front of him, in the dim light, started to look like someone he knew.
That 75-degree Solitude Fire was no joke, making him drunk to the point of hallucinations.
Magnus rarely got this wasted, but tonight was one of those nights.
He propped himself up on his arms, his slightly tipsy eyes just staring at her, his gaze deep and soft.
He stared at her for a long time, and before he knew it, his eyes were bloodshot.
But just looking at her made him feel content, and a small smile crept onto his lips, "Why are you still here?"
"I came back for Jenny's parent-teacher conference. I'll leave after that."
That sounded like Juniper.
But she was a fake Juniper.
The real Juniper was in Southern City and wouldn't come looking for him in the middle of the night.
Magnus knew the difference between his drunken hallucinations and reality, even though he wished he could be confused.
But he was someone who couldn't even be confused when he wanted to be.
He was soberly sinking and torturing himself.
Juniper thought he had sobered up a bit, "Is your stomach still upset? I'll make you something to eat."
She remembered there was pasta in the kitchen. Jenny loved pasta, so Naomi had bought a lot.
Magnus grabbed her wrist, "Since this is a dream, shouldn't I decide what you do?"
"What? You don't want pasta? Then what do you want to eat?" Juniper asked, thinking he was talking about a midnight snack.
Before she could react, Magnus had already drawn her into a tight embrace.
She had finally come to his dream, so just cooking would be too easy for her, wouldn't it?
But this 75-degree booze was strong, blurring the line between reality and illusion. The waist he held felt soft and Juniper’s face was both real and dreamlike.
"Magnus?" Juniper called him, but he only saw her lips move.
He caught a whiff of a faint rose scent on her, not your typical rose perfume. The one she always wore had this cool, dewy rose vibe, like morning mist, that intensified with her body heat, yet never too overwhelming—more like snow melting on a mountain.
That was Juniper's scent.
A mix of faint roses and cold snowflakes, distant yet close, elusive but never boring, cold yet tempting.
The 75-degree booze still had some heat left, and his kisses felt like they were on fire.
As he kissed her passionately, Juniper initially wanted to push him away.
But Magnus buried his head in her neck, hoarsely pleading, "Juniper, I finally dreamed of you. Since it's all fake, don't push me away, please."
Juniper was stunned, her heart trembling.
He was really drunk, thinking this was a dream.
"Magnus, I..."
She wanted to tell him this wasn't a dream.
But he kissed her lips tenderly. He gently hugged her waist, and they rolled onto the soft bed.
Juniper was pinned beneath him.
In the dim light, she looked at his eyes, deeper than usual, like whirlpools pulling her in.
Magnus's long fingers gently stroked her hair, and when he looked at her, there was a hidden, tender emotion in his eyes.
He said, "Don't be scared, this is a dream, it won't hurt."
But she wasn't in a dream, she was real.
On the plane, she had taken two paroxetine pills because she planned to meet Jenny openly in the Imperial Capital, not sneakily behind Magnus's back, so she had taken the meds in advance.
But even if she was scared, she couldn't escape now.
You couldn't expect a drunk guy to have any rationality or self-control left.
He pinned her fingers to the bed.
His intense gaze made Juniper's heart race. Slowly, he spread her knees apart with his own, inch by inch, asserting his dominance.
How could someone be both gentle and fierce at the same time?
Juniper felt it deeply now. His gaze was extremely gentle, so gentle it seemed like he wanted to give her everything, yet she felt as though she were being shattered by their lovemaking.
He was exceptionally unrestrained because he thought it was a dream, his touch harsher than before.
Juniper's eyes red and almost crying, "Magnus, be gentle!"
"But I am being gentle, Juniper."
He kissed her ear, his hot breath completely enveloping her, consuming her, with no intention of holding back.
On the contrary, her tears made him even more excited.
Juniper regretted it, clawing at the edge of the bed to escape, only to be dragged back. Once Magnus had a taste of her, he was unwilling to relinquish his hold.
In the dream, Juniper completely belonged to him.
He didn't have to worry about her trauma response or feel sorry for her pain. He knew this was a dream, controlled by his consciousness.
He said, "Juniper, never beg me for mercy in bed while crying. I'll only get excited."
Juniper bit her lip, feeling like she was about to die.
She regretted it, her clenched fists wrinkling the sheets, and Magnus left marks on her like a demon.
As she was about to collapse, he lifted her, pressing her against the headboard, forcing her to say, "Juniper, say you're mine, and I won't go for the fourteenth time."
He looked at her slightly pale lips, "This is the thirteenth time."
Seven years ago, they had only had sex once.
Later, they reconnected, entangled in an improper relationship, each time costing ten grand, for a total of eleven times.
It was the thirteenth time they had sex with each other.
Juniper's ears turned red.
How could someone remember such things so precisely?
Juniper was momentarily dazed.
Magnus said, "If you don't want to say it, are you expecting me to go for the fourteenth time?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
