23

"Huh?" Miya found it senseless.

"But then everyone will know. Are you sure I should leave early ?"

Xenon said impatiently, "My time is more important than yours."

"Yes, of course. But isn't it easier if I take a taxi or..."

"Don't cross me." Xenon snapped.

Miya shook her head in confusion. "l just thought you didn't want people to know about our relationship."

"The staff and strangers don't need to know, but my family and relatives do. If they find out, let
them."

Miya decided to leave it be. Whatever he says. She thought. I shall not argue with him.Pointless.

"Right." Miya compromised.

"How are you liking your job?" Xenon changed the subject.

"It's not bad."

"Tell me the truth," Xenon demanded.

"It is not bad. I have a lot of free time for myself."

"What do you do with it?"

"Just checking some new design works about interior decoration and architecture. It's interesting."

Xenon was rather surprised to hear so. He thought he could bore her by not assigning her any work soon that she would change her mind
and quit.
He noticed the brightness and liveliness in her eyes, her long eyelashes, the radiance in her
make-up-free face and couldn't help thinking how alike she and the little girl were. She looks more like her than Sol, but she's not her. He thought.

Miya wàs surprised to see the sudden gentleness in his eyes. However, it disappeared quickly as Xenon resumed his cold and distant look. She tried to think of something to say to break the awkward silence, but nothing came to her mind, and she sat there looking out of the window quietly.
It was rush hour, and the traffic was terrible. Miya wished she could get back to the house soon
and get herself out of this tiny suffocating space. She felt the silence grow thicker and heavier.
She heaved a sigh and unfastened her seatbelt, sat up on her seat, and started to massage
Xenon's shoulders and neck. A few times, the driver had to step on the brakes rather suddenly, and Xenon would put his arm around her slim waist to help her balance.
Once the car stopped so suddenly that Miya lost her balance and fell forward, her breasts resting right on Xenon's face. Both felt the delicate
intimacy. Miya blushed and hurried to sit back down. However, Xenon tightened his hold on her
waist and pulled her down to sit on his thighs, and to Miya's surprise, he planted his lips onto
hers and kissed her. The feeling of her soft hair on his face and neck and the familiar scent reminded Xenon again of the scene thirteen
years ago.

He knew she wasn't her. She didn't have the cute little mole. But her scent and her gaze were
so similar to hers. The desire to kiss her defeated his sensibility. Miya was shocked at first, then
She felt embarrassed and even humiliated. She tried to push him off her, but Xenon snapped coldly, "Don't forget what you are."

A toy, a possession, a pet. The words echoed in Miya's head. She retreated her hand helplessly.
The driver noticed from the mirror, and cleverly, he pressed a button, and a fence fell between
the front seat and the back. She lay still in his embrace, her eyes closed. Displeased with her
stiffness, Xenon bit her lips. Out of pain, Miya opened her eyes instantly and looked right into
Xenon's eyes. She realized that her passiveness would only make things worse, so she put her arm around his neck and kissed him back.

Xenon found her scent intoxicating. He moved his hand behind her head and held it there, placed her down on the seat, and lay on top of her.

Miya moved her head to the side so as not to look at him. Annoyed, Xenon bit her lips again
and snapped, "Be present." It hurt, and Miya bit him back.
You want it to be violent, don't you? Then you will have what you want. She thought. It's just kissing! It's nothing!
She discarded all her pride and self-respect, wrapped both hands around his neck, and moved a leg up and wrapped around his, then
she kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, searching and playing with his tongue.

However, Xenon didn't enjoy her sudden passion. He pushed her away and fixed his eyes upon hers. "You are the prey, not the hunter." He put the finger on her lips and sneered.

Now Miya was confused. He doesn't like it when I'm passive and now he laughs at me when I'm
taking the initiative. He's not an easy one to please at all! She bit her lower lip and gazed at
him with an innocent look.

Xenon displayed a playful smile and said, "You are looking too tasty."

On hearing this, Miya closed her eyes and pouted her lips. Xenon couldn't help finding it cute and more tempting. He stroked her lips gently with his finger, then slowly moved up to her eyes and stroked around them. Her eyelashes danced slightly. A drop of tear appeared at the corner of her left eye. Xenon kissed it gently and affectionately.
Miya relaxed and surrendered to his gentleness. She felt his hand sliding up her thigh under her skirt.

Just then, the car stopped, and the driver said, "We are home, Mr. and Mrs. Uba."

Xenon got up, tidied his shirt a bit, and resumed his distant look. He got out of the car and went into the house.

Miya watched him leave and quickly got up. She touched her lips and wonderęd what Xenon was
thinking about it. She found him difficult to understand. He kisses me sometimes, and if I react passively, he gets annoyed, but when I actually give him some response, he pushes me away!
Miya shook her head in confusion. She wishes she could be a cat. A cat's life is much better. She thought.

For dinner, Miya prepared an Italian meal tonight, with stuffed mushrooms as appetizers, brandy
cream ravioli as main, and Caesar salad.