Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Stella was intrigued by his question. She blinked at him. "How would it be if I slept with you? And how would it be if you slept with me?" She didn’t know there was a difference between the two.
Rowan laughed. "Make a choice first."
She thought momentarily before smiling gently and wrapping her arms around him. She tilted her head and rested it on his shoulder. "Then, you can sleep with me." There was no trace of hesitation or shyness in her answer.
Rowan’s gaze flickered. He turned slightly to look at her head lying on his shoulder, lowered his voice, and asked, "Are you sure you won’t regret it?"
Stella lifted her head to look at him. "Why would I regret it?" Her eyes were clear, revealing every emotion with a single glance. Rowan’s mind wandered, and he was nearly swept away by her again. He took a big breath and patted her head. "Good."
"Sleep with you." With that, he scooped her up, carried her back to the bedroom, and let her change into something more comfortable while he went to the guest room to freshen up.
When Rowan returned to the bedroom, Stella stepped out of the bathroom. And the moment she appeared, a striking splash of red crashed into Rowan’s vision. His breath caught, and his pupils darkened.
Stella wasn’t wearing the nightgown he’d brought from her house; instead, she had chosen one of the new dresses that had arrived earlier. It was a delicate silk slip dress with silky fabric that clung to her beautiful skin, and the hem hardly reached mid-thigh. The brilliant red dress made her already glowing complexion even softer and silkier.
Stella had slender shoulders, graceful arms, a slim waist, softly curved hips, and long, elegant legs. Every detail of her physique was captivating. She was breathtaking. Her black hair was loosely tied up, with a few gentle strands flowing across her face. Her features were incredibly delicate and beautiful without makeup. As she stepped out of the restroom, she turned to face him. Her eyes gleamed, and the light within them was so captivating it was almost unreal.
Rowan instantly averted his gaze and forced himself to remain calm. "Why are you wearing that?"
"Doesn’t it look good?" Stella walked up to him. "I saw this nightgown when I was picking a dress earlier and thought it looked really nice." As she spoke, she twirled in front of him and tilted her head, her eyes full with playful expectation. "Does it look good?"
He couldn’t help but look at her again. And once he did, he couldn’t look away. His voice became hoarse as he replied, "Yes. It looks good." Stella’s lips curled into a smile as she lightly bit her lower lip. "How did you know I’d like this style of nightgown?"
He had simply instructed someone to buy clothes. When they asked what kind of style, he had said to get bold and elegant pieces, after all, these were the two styles he had seen her wear the most. She was sensual at times and sweet at times. The person on the phone merely responded with absolute confidence, "I understand, Mr. Mansfield. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied." Now, Rowan had to admit that he was pretty satisfied. He silently noted that this person was quite competent.
Stella walked up to him, her gaze darling and warm. Her voice was sweet and somewhat coquettish as she thanked him, "Thank you, Rowan, I really like the clothes you bought for me."
Rowan felt his pulse slow down. He was utterly taken away and mesmerized by her gorgeous eyes. Fortunately, he had no idea how to answer. Before he could answer, she had thrown her tiny arms around his neck. She stood on tiptoe, raised her head, and said gently, "It’s time to sleep." Her gaze fell on his slightly parted lips. As she spoke, the tip of her tongue occasionally peeked out, sending a wave of heat through his veins.
Stella clung to him and pouted. "Carry me."
This time, things were different. This time, his palm brushed against her exposed skin, and the warmth spread without hesitation. He bent down and wrapped her inside his arms.
"Where are you supposed to sleep? How can you sleep without being properly tucked in?" he asked, carrying her toward the bed. "Aren’t you supposed to sleep with me?"
"I am." Rowan lay beside her and pulled her into his arms through the blanket. "Go to sleep."
Stella still didn’t understand the situation. "Wait, when you said you’d sleep with me. You meant just like this?" Their heads were so close now that she could see his calm, unwavering gaze. "How else do you want to sleep?"
She blinked and stated, "We’re married."
"I know." He nodded.
As he said this, a smile touched his lips. Unable to resist, he leaned in, kissed her forehead softly, and announced gently, "You’re my wife." Whether she loved him or not didn’t matter because she belonged to him now.
Chapter 24
Stella asked, "Are you sure you want to spend our wedding night sleeping like this?"
"I think you still need time to fully accept and prepare for this," Rowan gazed at her with deep eyes. He didn’t want her to act on impulse. Since they were already married, there was no need to rush. He had all the time in the world to wait until she truly fell in love with him. If something like this were to happen, he wanted it to be because she truly wanted it, and not because she was in his arms while thinking about another man.
Stella had no idea what was going on in his mind. She merely pouted, "I don’t need to prepare because I’m already prepared."
He smiled and stroked her hair. "I need time to prepare. Can you give me some time for that?"
"Are you even a man?" she muttered with annoyance.
Her reaction made his smile intensify as he squeezed her cheeks. "Words like that will not work with me. After all, I have plenty of time to show you that I am." She stared at him and realized that he truly had no intention of doing anything.
"If I’d known, I wouldn’t have picked you to sleep with me," she grumbled. Then, she asked curiously, "If I had chosen to sleep with you instead, what would you have done?" She was bold and straightforward.
"You can pick that option tomorrow and find out," Rowan replied. He was using that same trick again.
She pouted even more and demanded, "I want a kiss now." Stella refused to believe that once they kissed, he’d be able to hold back.
But he only grinned and nodded. "Alright. I’ll kiss you tomorrow." He wasn’t sure if he was able to hold back if he kissed her now.
Upon hearing this, she was left speechless. She bit her lip before boldly leaning in to kiss him. Before her lips could meet his, he covered her mouth with his hand. His eyes held a hint of amusement, and his voice was gentle. "Be good, okay?"
With his palm pressed against her lips, she clenched her teeth in rage, grabbed his hand, and bit the side of it. Rowan let her do it, his gaze growing even softer. When Stella finally let go, there was a faint bite mark on his palm.
"You’re the worst," she grunted in defeat. Then, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, she turned her back to him and mumbled, "I’m going to sleep."
He adjusted his position to wrap his arms around her from behind. His thin lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "Goodnight, darling." Stella’s frustration melted away at his gentle words. After a moment of silence, she turned back to face his cheek. "Good night, Rowan."
She snuggled closer and found the blanket bothersome. So, she pulled it away and nestled into his embrace. He stiffened and was about to protest, but she beat him to it. "If you don’t let me do this, I won’t sleep with you anymore." In that moment, Rowan couldn’t refuse her.
He turned off the light, and the room plunged into complete darkness. Only the sound of their soft, steady breathing could be heard. Stella did have trouble falling asleep on the first night of her rebirth. But she drifted off quickly as she slept in his arms while inhaling his scent. She had never really been in his embrace in her past life.
She nestled against him, the thin nightgown her only barrier. Her delicate figure was warm and soft against his body, fitting so perfectly against him that it felt like they were one. Rowan lowered his head and observed her through the darkness, a faint smile gracing his lips. He instinctively placed a soft kiss at the corner of her lips, his lips brushing lightly against her beautiful skin, unable to pull away.