“Maybe. Do you like that?”
Zachary hugged Charlotte from behind deftly removed her coat, pressing ardent kisses to her neck.
Charlotte felt her body go numb with pleasure as she melted into Zachary’s touch.
“I want you.”
Zachary carried her to the bed and kissed her hungrily.
Charlotte returned the kiss with equal passion. When they were together, they were inseparable.
Soon enough, the room was filled with the heady scent of desire.
Once they started, there was no stopping them.
A storm broke out in the middle of the night. Thunder and lightning filled the sky, accompanied by howling winds and the tree branches hitting the windows.
Zachary let out a low growl and held onto Charlotte tightly. She clung helplessly into his embrace, curled up in his arms, panting.
The thunder outside was relentless, and Charlotte shuddered from the noise. Zachary held her face with his warm hands and covered her ears. He planted a kiss onto each eye and murmured, “Don’t be afraid.”
Charlotte then held onto his waist tightly and buried her face in his chest.
His powerful heartbeat soothed her frayed nerves, and she soon felt safe again.
After a while, she fell asleep in his arms.
Zachary fondly kissed her on the cheek. After he tucked her in, he fell asleep with his arms around her.
Despite the loud storm outside, the pair slept soundly. They seemed to echo the sentiment that they could weather any storm together as long as they were not apart.
However, Charlotte awoke in the start in a cold sweat. Her body shuddered violently, and at the climax of her nightmare, she opened her eyes in a panic.
It took her a while, but she eventually calmed down. Turning to peek at Zachary, she was relieved to see that he remained sound asleep. Maybe he’s too tired.
She tilted her head and silently stared at him. Vivid memories of their meeting and their eventual relationship filled her mind.
She reached out and gently trailed a finger across his forehead. Satisfied, she leaned in and kissed his lips.
He stirred and suddenly held her tighter as if he was afraid that she would leave.
This made Charlotte’s eyes water. She did not know why the gesture had saddened her, but she could not shake off the feeling that this was a dream she would soon wake up from.
She didn’t want to wake up.
“What’s wrong?” asked Zachary out of the blue.
“You’re up?” Charlotte was mildly concerned. “Was I disturbing you?”
“You were fidgeting, and you kissed me, so how could I not wake up?” Zachary nibbled on her earlobe and rubbed her neck soothingly. “Did you have a nightmare?”
“Yeah.” Charlotte was still visibly shaken from the nightmare she had.
“What did you dream about?” asked Zachary as he kissed her neck.
“My father,” said Charlotte, her voice barely a whisper.
Zachary’s movements paused. He turned her around and kissed her passionately, trailing his fingers into her hair. “You’re overthinking.”
“Do you know how my father’s company went bankrupt?”
As she asked this, her dream sequence flashed repeatedly in her mind. Amanda’s words left a lingering impression on her psyche.
“It’s the middle of the night, why are you asking about this now?” Zachary paused his ministrations and looked at her.
“I…found out that my father’s company was acquired in a hostile takeover by the Nacht Group. That’s how he ended up that way.”
“And?” Zachary frowned. “Are you suspecting me?”
“No.” Charlotte shook his head. “Given your personality, you’re not the type to hide it if you’re the culprit.”
Zachary’s brows eventually relaxed. He held Charlotte’s face in one hand and rubbed her lips with his thumb. “The past is in the past. We shouldn’t dwell on it.”
“Could it be Mr. Henry?” asked Charlotte tentatively.
“What nonsense is that?” asked Zachary, displeased. “He stopped caring about the company ten years ago, so how would it be possible?”
“Your Aunt, then?” Charlotte tried again. “That’s the woman who caught me last time, right?”
This time, it was Zachary’s turn to remain silent.
