Chapter 32 Temptation

George had always been a total space cadet when it came to romance. After all these years of marriage and endless business trips, he never once thought to bring her a gift. But now, seeing him hand over the gift box all serious-like, Ellie felt a mix of happiness and curiosity.

Feeling a bit awkward, she bit her lip, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she took the box and looked down to open it. Inside, there were these super detailed little figurines that screamed local flavor, making her realize where he'd been this time...

George saw her go quiet and look down, and his hopeful vibe just crashed and burned. "You don't like it?"

"Um... yes. It's really nice," Ellie quickly smiled and looked up, but her eyes were a bit teary.

George, totally thrown by her reaction, asked, "What's up with you?"

Ellie wanted to brush it off, but as she tried to say "nothing," she felt her throat tighten. She quickly swallowed and said, "I... it's nothing..."

"No way, you're crying"

"I'm just... don't you have to keep your work on the down-low?"

"Yeah."
"Then if you give me this, I'd know where you went, right?"
George grinned. "It's cool. This trip's not a secret."
Hearing that, Ellie shot him an annoyed look. Whether it was public or not, right now, she was seriously touched.
"So, you're saying no gifts if it's not a public trip in the future?"

"Of course not, but I'll be more careful about it..."

"Heh... When did you get so smooth?" Ellie laughed, looking down at the figurines in the gift box, liking them more and more with each glance.

George was momentarily taken aback, realizing he had just answered so slickly... Guess working with Patrick for two months had rubbed off on him.

"Oh, by the way! I haven't gotten you any water yet," Ellie said, holding onto him with one hand and carrying the gift box with the other as she headed towards the living room.

"I can walk just fine on my own, you know."

"You can't even squat steadily, let alone walk."

"I'm just a bit dizzy. Maybe a shower will clear my head." Yeah, the main thing now was to check out the bathroom since Ellie would be showering soon.

"It's easy to catch a cold if you shower while drunk."

"I'll use hot water."

"Alright, fine."

George downed a glass of water and headed into the bathroom. The bathroom was small, with just a few items inside.

In the time it took him to undress, he had already scoped out every visible spot, but nothing seemed off.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling, so he pretended to keep searching, even opening the cabinet under the sink.
Seeing that everything was clear, he finally let out a sigh of relief. No more need to play detective... Obviously, whoever was behind this knew that putting cameras in such a small space would be a dead giveaway, so they didn't bother...

George took a chill shower and then stepped out of the bathroom.

In the living room, Ellie was already in her pajamas, lounging on the sofa and watching TV. But these weren't her usual cotton shorts and tee.

She was rocking a white V-neck camisole and silky shorts, with a thin lace trim around the neckline. This was definitely lingerie! And it looked like she wasn't wearing a bra!

George's mind went blank for a second, then it was like fireworks going off in his head. Blood rushed through his body, and his post-shower relaxation was instantly replaced by a very different kind of tension.

He stood at the bathroom door for a good three seconds, and yet Ellie didn't seem to notice him.

It was like George had just realized she was there. As soon as he glanced at her, her cheeks turned pink, and she gripped the remote control tightly.

"You're done?" Her voice was small and shaky, partly because she had dressed like this on purpose and had been waiting for him for a while.

George swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He gave a low, barely audible "Mmm" in response.
He wanted to walk towards her, but his feet felt like they were glued to the floor. For the first time, he felt a burning rage. Whoever was spying on him better hope they never crossed paths...

Seeing him just standing there made Ellie feel a bit awkward. This wasn't how she pictured it going down; she thought she had made it pretty obvious.

She hesitated for a moment, then stood up, slightly hunching her back. "Um... You should go rest first. I'll take a shower and then rest too."

"Mmm." His response was as stiff as his posture.

As Ellie lowered her head to pass by him, she accidentally caught sight of the bulge in his pajama bottoms... She swore she hadn't meant to look!

But he clearly felt it, so why wasn't he doing anything about it...

With doubt swirling in her mind, Ellie walked past him and into the bathroom. She was just about to close the door when George suddenly lifted his hand, blocking the way and stopping the door from closing.

Ellie's heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was even softer and a bit shaky, like she was asking a question she already knew the answer to.

George didn't say a word. Instead, he pushed the door open with a bit too much force, causing Ellie, who was standing in the doorway, to take two hurried steps back.