Chương 32: Willingly*

Butler Gary and Assistant Ron brought Xander, who was passed out drunk, inside the newlywed's room. Yera did not say anything when the two of them laid him gently down on the bed. She thanked them before she closed the door.

She looked at Xander helplessly as she removed his shoes and socks. She paused when her gaze landed on Xander's socks as she remembered him say that he would only keep a pair of socks from now on for her. 'Would he really do it?' She wondered.

She felt a bit sticky from all the activities they did during the dinner party, so she decided to take a shower and changed into her sleepwear. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the few hickeys that Xander had planted on her neck and neckline in the car earlier.

"That clown! What a hooligan!" She whispered as she touched them. She entered their room and walked toward the bed. Xander was still breathing heavily, seemingly deep asleep. Yera sighed as she looked at the big couch where Xander usually slept. Perhaps she should sleep there tonight.

She shifted her gaze back to Xander and noticed that he still had his necktie on. It must be uncomfortable to sleep like that.

She walked closer toward him and bent down to remove his necktie. She also loosened the two top buttons on his dress shirt to make him more comfortable. She was about to leave when she felt her wrist being grabbed by Xander's hand. He pulled her down onto the bed, causing her to fall on top of him.

"Hey!" Yera protested as she tried to get up. But Xander held her firmly and moved her to his side. He hugged her tightly like a bolster pillow, with his one leg crossed over her thighs, and his face buried in her neck.

"Xander…" Yera called out, but there was no response. She could only feel his heavy breathing.

Yera drew out a long sigh. 'It must be his sleeping disorder acting up again...' She concluded.

She heard Xander mumble something incoherently, so she turned her head to face him and asked, "Huh?" But she got startled and held her breath when she realized that her lips were just inches away from his.

Her eyes landed on Xander's lips, and she gulped at the sight of them. She knew he had beautiful lips that fit his charming smile perfectly. But as she looked at them now, from this distance, she could see how flawlessly formed they were.

'And kissable too…' Yera's eyes widened in surprise at her own perverted thoughts.

Suddenly, Xander opened his eyes, and her body froze. His eyes were hazy as they were staring at Yera's slightly agape lips. And just like that, her lips were swiftly sealed with his.

It happened so fast, and the next thing she knew was of Xander being on top of her, kissing her passionately. She felt some kind of a fluttery feeling in her stomach, as though hundreds of butterflies were rampaging through it.

'What is wrong with me!?' She mused to herself.

Undeniably, Xander was giving her a strange sensation that she had just experienced for the very first time. Yet, it was not unpleasant. Still, it left her totally confused.

She could taste the alcohol in Xander's mouth as his tongue slid deeper inside her mouth, probing further. It was an ardent and conquering kiss. She could feel his desire from it, and she could only submissively succumb to it.

His hand slipped beneath her thin sleepwear and started to roam over her bare skin. She had nothing underneath it except her panties. His touch sent an electric jolt running down her spine.

Her mind was shouting at her, instructing her to push Xander away, but her body was refusing to obey. Surprisingly, she was enjoying the burning sensation she was feeling from whatever it was that Xander was doing to her.

It felt as though she was captivated by Xander's spell…

"You're so soft..." Xander murmured in a husky voice. His lips trailed along her jawline down to her neckline, while his one hand moved farther up to cup her breast. He gently caressed and squeezed it.

She gasped and got scared. She was about to say something, but Xander sealed her lips once more, leaving no room for her words to escape. Then, without her knowing, she even let out a soft moan when she felt his fingers fiddling with her hard buds skillfully. Yera felt alarmed to see how readily her body responded to Xander's touch.

'Yera, wake up!' Her inner self shouted at her. It snapped her back to reality, and she tried to push Xander away.

Xander stopped. He released her from his kiss, leaving her gasping for air. But Xander did not let her out of his embrace. He buried his face in her neck, panting, as though he was trying to calm himself. Then he gently planted a kiss on her neck.

He murmured in a croaked voice, "Please stay like this. I'm sorry. I promise I won't take you unless you offer yourself willingly to me... I like you, Yera, and I respect you… I will patiently wait until you're ready."

Yera was caught off guard by his words. 'Was he dreaming again? Was he saying those things for real, or was it his sleeping disorder talking?' She wondered while she tried to calm down the irregular beating of her heart. Those words sounded like a confession. But she did not know if she should take them seriously.

Xander was still hugging her tightly, and Yera could now hear his heavy breathing again, which meant he had already gone back to sleep.

Yera released a sigh as her mind and body were battling each other about whether or not she should release herself from Xander's embrace.

Her body seemed to have won. She was too tired to move, and her eyes felt heavier...