Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Alicia’s heart clenched, but she tried to mask her emotions. “Oh. I’ve never stayed in a honeymoon suite before. I should try it someday.”
Her comment seemed to strike a nerve in Caden. He grew agitated, his voice sharp. “What’s this? You’ve become bold after the fall? You were so timid when I installed a mirror in the living room, remember? How timid would you be in an actual honeymoon suite?”
Alicia chuckled softly, trying to deflect the tension. “With someone else, I might be more adventurous.”
Caden’s smile disappeared instantly. His hand on her waist tightened, and his voice grew low with frustration. “Someone else?”
“Yes,” Alicia replied coolly. “You seem quite taken with Miss Moss, don’t you? I’d hate to intrude. After all, there are plenty of other options out there.”
He scoffed, brushing her hair aside to stare at her neck with an intense gaze. Alicia felt the heat in his stare, her blood stirring under his attention.
Still, she persisted and asked, “Is the suite costly?”
Caden grumbled, his teeth clenched. “Why? Are you planning to experience it with another man in the same suite I used?”
Alicia raised an eyebrow. “There might be cameras in places like that, but I’m sure the suite you stayed in was perfectly secure, right, Mr. Ward?”
For a moment, Caden was speechless.
He tilted his head, then, without warning, bit her neck. Alicia twisted in pain, her vision blurring from the intensity of it.
He released quickly, licking the spot before she could even regain her senses.
Alicia shoved him away, disgust evident in her eyes. “So dirty.”
Her whole body flinched in response, her breath shaky from the suddenness of his actions.
Caden responded, “Sure, there are plenty of other options out there, but after being with someone as skilled as me, who else could truly satisfy you?”
Alicia retorted sharply, “That’s none of your business. Worry about yourself. Sleep with as many women as you like.”
Caden’s grip tightened around her waist. He pressed his hips forward, his voice low and commanding as he whispered in her ear, “Feel that? If I were with someone else, would you still have such a strong reaction?”
Alicia’s neck had been cut, but the injury wasn’t severe. After two days of rest, only a faint pink scar remained. Her skin was still sensitive.
Caden pressed his lips to the scar. His kiss was soft, deliberate, and almost playful. The warmth of his mouth seemed to carry some sort of magic, slowly dissolving Alicia’s defenses until her resistance slipped away.
Before long, she found herself clutching his shirt, torn between pulling away and wanting more. Caden took that moment to deepen the kiss, becoming more demanding, seeking more with each passing moment.
Alicia wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands slowly moving upward until her fingers tangled in his hair, lightly brushing the wound at the back of his head.
Caden loosened his hold just a little. “It doesn’t hurt,” he said, pulling her close again. Their heartbeats began to fall into rhythm, as if their hearts were beating as one.
Alicia felt tears welling up inside her.
“Thank you, Caden,” she murmured with sincerity. He had saved her again.
When Joshua had her, she had given up on everything-even the will to survive. She was ready to die. But the moment Caden appeared, relief flooded through her, and for the first time, she truly believed things would be okay.
Caden cupped her face, their noses nearly touching. “If I hadn’t gotten there in time, did you have any plan?”
Alicia shook her head. “I didn’t.”
Caden’s expression darkened. “When you were unconscious, I asked Cliff what happened. Monica was used as bait, wasn’t she?”
Alicia nodded. “She got caught up in this mess because of me.”
“Don’t blame yourself. Joshua is the one responsible. Even if you had given in, he wouldn’t have spared Monica,” Caden said firmly.
Alicia realized he was right. Some people simply harbored malice. But in that moment, her fear had taken over, clouding her judgment.
Caden continued, “If you ever find yourself in a situation like that again, contact the police immediately. Don’t hesitate. No matter what threats they make, don’t get involved. Sacrificing yourself to save someone else is the worst thing you could do. Understand?”
Alicia couldn’t bring herself to agree right away. “I can’t,” she admitted quietly.
The thought of standing by while Monica was in danger was unbearable.
Caden understood her hesitation and didn’t push further. He knew she’d come to understand in time. Everyone needed time to grow. He would be there to guide her through it.
Alicia eventually broke the silence. “It’s one thing to avoid danger, but what if something happens anyway? What if someone attacks and I have no way out? What am I supposed to do?”
Caden looked at her. “Did you pick up everything from the coach I hired?”
“I did, but what if I’m outnumbered?”
“When we get back, I’ll set up a personalized training course for you. Once you complete it, you’ll be ready for anything.”
Alicia couldn’t help but laugh softly. She hadn’t expected to face such challenges, but being prepared never hurt.
Their conversation slowly faded as their kisses deepened. Feeling drained, Alicia whispered, “We can’t keep this up here. We should stop.”
Caden’s lips brushed over hers again, his gaze unrelenting.
Being with him made Alicia think of things she’d only seen in explicit films.
Her body reacted, but she gently pushed him away, turning to the side. “Let’s sleep. It’ll pass.”
Caden never believed in forcing her. While he could be relentless at times, pestering her for intimacy again and again, Alicia often teased him, calling him a greedy animal. Yet, she couldn’t deny she enjoyed it. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have allowed him to have his way each time.
He held her close for a moment longer, but then, mindful of her injuries, he decided to stop. He got up and headed to the bathroom to take care of things on his own.
The bathroom was freezing without heating, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Alicia knew exactly what he was doing and waited in silence. Eventually, unable to resist, she slipped out of bed, clutching her waist, and opened the bathroom door. The lights were off, and the only sound in the room was his labored breathing.
Through the darkness, he looked at her.
“Why are you here? Feeling sorry for me?” His voice was rough. “If that’s the case, you’d better think carefully before taking another step. If you’re not ready, go back to bed. Even the smell of you might make me lose control.”
Alicia hesitated, feeling the tension between them. She battled with her thoughts for a moment before taking a deliberate step forward.
With that step, Caden stood and scooped her into his arms.
Alicia trembled, kissing him.
Caden returned the kiss for a long moment before murmuring, “Let’s go to bed so you can take care of me properly.”
He wasn’t the type to hold back. In truth, he had been wanting this for a while.
When the moment arrived, he realized that he hadn’t prepared as well as he thought and nearly embarrassed himself. But he managed to keep his composure until Alicia was utterly spent. By then, he was satisfied.
Alicia squinted at him, refusing to say a word.
The look in Caden’s eyes showed that he still wanted her.
“Did it taste good?”
Alicia glared at him. “I should just cut it off.”
“Then you’d never feel this good again,” Caden teased.
“You’re useful in other ways,” Alicia replied dismissively.
Caden caught the underlying meaning in her words. He laughed quietly to himself.
Serving a woman had never crossed his mind before. But now, instead of being put off by the idea, he found himself strangely curious about it.
Well… Maybe he really was losing it.
Alicia enjoyed a restful night.
When she awoke the next day around noon, Caden was nowhere to be found. She dressed quickly and went outside.
The innkeeper was at the door, accepting a delivery. Caden stood nearby, dressed in a long black down jacket, casually with one hand in his pocket. Although the snow had stopped, the wind still howled fiercely. Alicia wrapped her clothes tightly around herself and took a seat.
Caden, too, had received a delivery-several sets of clothes and various daily essentials. The innkeeper, noticing the boxes of medicine among the items, raised an eyebrow and said, “These are high-quality medications. Who sent them?”
“A friend,” Caden answered plainly.
“Impressive,” the innkeeper said with a smile. “These aren’t easy to find, even with money. Are they for your girlfriend?”
“Yes,” Caden replied, without hesitation.
Alicia was surprised. He didn’t correct the innkeeper’s assumption.
As Caden turned to take the packages inside, he noticed Alicia. She had stayed in her room for two days and appeared paler, visibly thinner. Her small face looked even more delicate in the cold light.
Caden walked toward her. “Does your back still hurt?”
Alicia hesitated, unsure of how much to say. “It still hurts,” she responded, trying to mask the pain. She quickly changed the subject. “Did you have someone send the medicine?”
Caden raised an eyebrow and pocketed the medication nonchalantly.
Alicia watched him with a knowing smile, recognizing the frustration on his face-the fact that he couldn’t keep this from her any longer.
“Was it Hank who sent them?” she asked, gradually getting to the point. “The delivery was quite fast.”
The wind whipped around them, so Caden wrapped his coat around her as they made their way back inside. “Let’s talk inside,” he suggested.
Alicia replied, “It doesn’t matter where we talk, Caden. You said the weather was too rough and the path was blocked, so we couldn’t leave. How did you manage to get the medicine delivered?”
It was clear to her that Caden’s excuse was just that-an excuse. He clearly wanted to spend more time here. Now that they had the best medication for her fractures and back pain, by tomorrow, she might be completely at his mercy. Did he keep her here thinking that a change of place would make things more exciting between them?