CHAPTER 230
Arianna's position as Mrs King made things more complicated. She realized that being in the spotlight wasn't as straightforward as it once was. She had to think about how her choices would affect the King Group and how they might impact her reputation as Xander's wife. Her voice lowered, sounding almost unsure.
"I guess I shouldn’t, right?" Joining a public competition would bring media attention, the kind Xander usually tried to steer clear of. He hated being the subject of rumours and didn’t like seeing his name in the news or trending online for anything other than his professional achievements.
Xander looked at her for a moment, his face hard to read. Instead of giving her a clear answer, he asked,
"Are you thinking about entering this competition because it’s something you love, or is it the cash prize that’s appealing to you?"
Arianna's answer was immediate, without hesitation. "It's my dream, of course!"
He raised an eyebrow, scepticism evident in his gaze as if he was challenging her sincerity.
She faltered slightly under his scrutiny and added with a small, sheepish smile,
"Well... the prize money too."
The grand prize was half a million dollars. Winning it would cover several months of expenses, and the thought of financial stability was more than appealing.
"Why not have both?" she declared, her confidence growing as she thought it over.
"I'm not a kid who has to pick one or the other. I'm an adult. I can go after both my dream and the prize money."
There was a glimmer of amusement in Xander’s eyes at her bold proclamation, and she noticed his demeanour soften slightly. He wasn't outright dismissing the idea, which gave her a sliver of hope.
Sensing an opportunity, she decided to push a bit further. “I’ve always wanted to work at Starlight TV,” she explained. “You know how much that dream means to me, so… what do you think? Can I go for it?”
He gave her an inscrutable look before responding, "That might depend on how well you convince me."
That comment caught her attention, and a spark of excitement lit up her eyes. If there was a chance, no matter how small, she had to seize it.
Arianna quickly picked up a slice of the apple she had set aside earlier and offered it to him with an overly sweet,
"Here, have some fruit..!"
Xander looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly as if to say, 'That's all you've got?'
Realizing she needed to up her game, Arianna set the tray aside, grabbed a napkin to clean her hands, and moved closer to him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to massage them gently, leaning in with a playful grin.
"How about a nice shoulder rub, my dear husband?"
Instead of complying with her attempt to sweeten him up with a shoulder massage, Xander grasped Arianna’s wrist gently and tugged her closer, guiding her to sit right in front of him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body.
His gaze locked onto hers, intense and unwavering, as he spoke in a low, deliberate tone,
"Since you say you're an adult, shouldn’t you be doing... adult things?"
"Adult things?" she echoed, momentarily at a loss. Then, understanding dawned on her, and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. He was teasing her, pushing her buttons like he always did.
Here she was, trying to win his favour for the sake of her aspirations, and he was turning the tables on her. Despite the playful exasperation she felt, Arianna knew she was willing to play along if it meant securing his support.
Gathering her courage, she leaned in slowly, her eyes fluttering shut as she aimed a kiss at his cheek. But just as her lips were about to meet their target, Xander turned his head, and instead, she found herself kissing him squarely on the lips.
Arianna's eyes flew open in surprise, her breath catching in her throat. “You—”
Whatever she was going to say was cut short by Xander’s interruption. "Not quite enough," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Before she could react, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer, bringing her up against his chest. This time, there was no mistaking his intentions as he captured her lips in a kiss that was far more intense than the playful peck she had intended.
It was a deep, lingering kiss, full of emotions he had kept hidden for so long. Gone was the restrained, composed Xander. In his place was a man laying his emotions bare, pouring everything into that kiss. His tenderness was palpable, but so was the urgency, as if he wanted her to feel the depths of his feelings for her.
Arianna's first instinct was to push him away, her mind racing with a hundred thoughts about his condition and whether she might aggravate his injuries. But the heat of his kiss, the sincerity in the way he held her, made her hesitate. In that heartbeat of a moment, she found herself melting against him, surrendering to the emotions he was drawing out of her.
It was not just a kiss; it was a confession, a silent promise, and for once, Arianna let herself get lost in it.
Arianna could put up a fight against Xander when he was rough and demanding, but his tenderness was her undoing. The way his lips moved against hers, slow and deliberate, left her breathless. Her breaths came faster and shallower, a light-headed sensation creeping in as the oxygen drained from her mind. Her resistance faded, replaced by a warmth that spread through her entire body, leaving her powerless under his touch.
Her limbs grew heavy, her body melting into his as his hand travelled down the curve of her waist. He traced the hem of her shirt with his fingers, teasing and exploring, his lips trailing down the side of her neck, making her shiver in his arms. Each gentle touch, each soft kiss, unravelled her bit by bit.
Arianna's thoughts blurred, and she lost all sense of time and space. Her hands didn’t know where to go; her body only responded to him. But in her daze, her elbow nudged against his side where his wound still rested, barely healed.
A sharp intake of breath escaped Xander’s lips. The sound pulled her back to reality like a splash of cold water. She pushed away from him immediately, concern taking over as she stammered, "Xander, are you alright? Did I hurt you?"
He winced slightly, his breathing ragged. His eyes were darker than before, his gaze intense as he looked at her. "Something is wrong," he managed between breaths.
Her heart skipped a beat, panic setting in. "I—I’ll call a doctor!" she blurted out, starting to rise from the bed.
Before she could move an inch, his grip around her waist tightened, holding her firmly in place. Confusion clouded her eyes as she looked back at him, trying to read his expression.
Xander leaned closer, his face mere inches from hers, the heat of his breath mingling with hers. His voice dropped to a low, husky whisper,
"Not the wound, Arianna... It's a different part of me."
