Chapter 254 Didn't Get Up on the First Day
Sterling closed his eyes, half-asleep, and murmured to her, "I think it's great. This way, you won't think about leaving home and traveling far, 'cause you won't sleep well in a strange bed. You'll just stay by my side, not going anywhere."
His voice carried a mix of affection and teasing.
Bella felt a warm sensation in her heart as she listened to him. She smiled softly and snuggled into his embrace, feeling a rare sense of peace and warmth.
After a while, Bella still couldn't fall asleep. She thought for a moment and then asked, "That Lisa we met on the plane, she had a thing with Colin, right? Just a minor actress. Did you ever like that type?"
Sterling nuzzled her hair, a smile playing on his lips, his tone teasing, "What are you thinking? Colin and I are different. Before I turned eighteen, I wasn't interested in women. After eighteen, I was too focused on 'raising pigs' to bother with those flirty types."
"Raising pigs?" Bella was confused for a moment, then suddenly understood his meaning, her cheeks flushing. She gave him a playful glare, "You're the pig!"
Sterling laughed and pulled Bella closer, feeling her warmth and presence.
In this unfamiliar city, having her by his side was his greatest comfort and happiness.
Sterling's drowsiness was mostly driven away by Bella's questions. "Colin, well, he used to be against marriage, just dating without commitment. But Micah and I never agreed with him."
"Don't worry. Lately, he's been more restrained, not fooling around. Normally, if he met someone like Lisa on the plane, he wouldn't mind spending the night with her. But today was different, probably because Anna was there."
Bella sensed there was more to the story and asked curiously, "Tell me the truth, does he really like Anna?"
Sterling suddenly threw off the covers and pinned her beneath him, a mischievous smile on his face, "Can't sleep? Let's make love. You'll fall asleep when you're tired."
Bella was annoyed that he stopped mid-sentence, leaving her hanging. But before she could protest, Sterling silenced her with a kiss.
The bed was too soft, making strange noises with every movement. Bella was nervous, "The bed's too loud. What if someone hears us? Micah's right next door."
Sterling was unconcerned, "What are you thinking? If a five-star hotel's soundproofing was this bad, they'd be out of business. Relax."
With that, he gave Bella no time to think. His kiss was aggressive and domineering, not needing her response, just taking and possessing.
It wasn't like his usual confident or passionate kisses, but more of a conquest.
Bella's tongue hurt from his sucking, and she didn't know when they finally fell asleep.
The next day, they woke up late, almost noon.
Anna and the others had already left the hotel, off to who knows where. Anna had kindly sent Bella a text, making her blush.
She tossed her phone onto the bed.
"It's all your fault we got up so late. Anna and the others are gone," Bella was almost in tears.
Sterling quickly hugged her, trying to soothe her, "Okay, my fault. I'll take you to lunch, and then we'll find them in the afternoon, okay?"
Bella was frustrated that they spent the first day of their trip sleeping in. She was sure Anna and the others were laughing at her.
Bella put on a dress, and Sterling couldn't take his eyes off her. He'd seen many sides of Bella, but this was the first time seeing her in a dress.
Her slender waist made him want to ruin her. He forced himself to look away, knowing if he kept her from going out now, she'd never let him near her again.
Bella looked at herself in the full-length mirror, pleased with the dress she had specially prepared for Oakridge.
"Do I look good?" Bella asked with a smile.
Sterling nodded. She looked more than good; he didn't want other men to see her. The rose he had nurtured was not for others to admire.
He quickly grabbed a shawl, "This looks even better."
Bella was puzzled, "Really?"
Sterling nodded, and Bella, trusting him, put on the shawl before heading out.
Her hair was pinned up with a hairpin, giving her a gentle and charming look.
Sterling took her to a private restaurant, choosing a lakeside room.
Opening the window, they could see the beautiful Luminous Lake, its surface sparkling in the midday sun. Bella was delighted.
Seeing her so happy, Sterling said, "If you like it, we can take a boat ride on Luminous Lake after lunch, okay?"
Bella nodded enthusiastically. Her travel plan's first item was a lake tour.
Sterling watched the overjoyed Bella across from him and suddenly said, "Bella, come here."
Bella, still smiling, stood up and walked over without any suspicion, "What's up?"
Sterling pulled her onto his lap, startling her. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"What are you doing?" Bella barely finished her sentence before Sterling cupped her chin and kissed her.
"I'm teaching you how to kiss," Sterling mumbled.
Bella was caught off guard by Sterling's sudden move, not understanding why he was so excited.
Her body pressed tightly against his, feeling his heat and strong heartbeat.
Sterling didn't rush to end the kiss, patiently guiding Bella.
When pushed to the limit, people often find a strong will to survive, and Bella was no exception.
On the brink of suffocation, she finally learned how to breathe, making their kiss more harmonious.
Finally, Sterling's kiss softened, no longer as intense and domineering. He gently licked her swollen lips, like soothing a frightened animal.
It was hard to believe his earlier frenzy was just to teach her to kiss, not to satisfy some destructive urge.
However, men might have an inherent flaw. Even someone as gentle and composed as Sterling enjoyed seeing Bella's different reactions to him, her confusion and trembling because of him.
This sense of control gave him a strange satisfaction.
But Bella didn't know this. She gradually accepted the slower kiss, her hands moving from resistance to holding his neck, fingers running through his hair. His hair was thick and dry.
Sterling no longer controlled her head, his hand moving to her back, tracing down her spine.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
