Chapter 190 What If I Say
Yes
“Did you miss me?” Nate asked.
Corrine stood up, her movements graceful as she crossed to the sofa. She picked up at cherry from the table, its deep crimson hue making her fingers look like delicate.
porcelain.
With a slight tilt of her head, she popped the cherry into her mouth, her lips parting with effortless elegance.
Nate watched every movement on the screen, his eyes growing darker, more intense. He swallowed, his throat tight as if her every gesture had a physical pull on him.
Corrine slowly, deliberately spat the cherry pit into her hand, her gaze lifting to meet his. “What if I say yes?” she teased.
Her words echoed in his mind, simple yet sweeter than any confession of love he had
ever heard.
It was as though a wave of warmth spread through him, and for a moment, he just sat there, lost in the joy of her response.
Nate’s eyes remained fixed on her, an unguarded, almost possessive look on his face. He didn’t even realize how silly he must have looked, grinning like a fool.
Corrine caught the silence stretching between them and couldn’t suppress a soft sigh. So, Nate was that easy to please.
For once, she relished the feeling of having the upper hand, of being the one who had made him speechless rather than the other way around.
Then, his voice broke the silence, low and husky. “That makes me feel a lot better.”
“Hmm?” Corrine raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
‘After all, I’ve been thinking about you constantly, without a break,” he continued, his tone deeper now, almost possessive.
This time, Corrine was caught off guard, her pulse quickening at his words.
Nate watched her closely, a playful glint in his eyes as he admired the faint blush that colored her cheeks. “To be fair,” he added with a teasing smile, “I allow you to think about me all the time, no stopping.”
“In your dreams!” Corrine scoffed, lifting her chin in mock defiance. But as she reached. for the fruit platter in her lap, she misjudged the distance and accidentally knocked it
over.
Her phone slipped from her grasp, and the camera angle shifted, inadvertently focusing
on her bosom.
The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing the delicate curve of her slender neck and the soft sweep of her collarbones. Her chest rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic pattern, the subtle shape of her curves visible beneath the fabric.
Nate’s gaze darkened immediately, his eyes narrowing as his voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone. “Corrine.”
The way he said her name was almost hypnotic, rich with an underlying current of desire that reverberated deep within her, stirring a ripple in her chest.
She looked at him, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“You know I can’t stop thinking about you,” he continued, his words smooth as silk. “And yet you still tease me like this? Did you do it on purpose?”
Corrine glanced down at the screen again, realizing the camera of her phone was trained directly on her chest. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, heat spreading across her skin.
She scrambled to pick up her phone, her voice stumbling. “I didn’t mean to-
“Yes. You did it on purpose,” Nate interrupted, his tone firm, almost accusatory.
Corrine bit her lip, feeling utterly tongue–tied.
It seemed she couldn’t talk her way out of this one.
“Don’t worry,” Nate murmured, his eyes lingering on the shy blush staining her cheeks, the curve of his lips curling with satisfaction. “I’m great at waiting for the perfect
moment to settle scores.”
He paused, his gaze softening with a hint of amusement. “It’s getting late. You should
Cha
I Say Yes
head to bed. Good night.”
Reluctant to end the conversation so soon, Corrine glanced at him, her heart still racing from their exchange. But she was too embarrassed to say much more, so she simply nodded. “Good night.”
“Alright,” Nate replied with a hint of finality, his voice warmer now.
After hanging up, Nate immediately dialed Matias‘ number.
“Who did she meet today?”
A frown darkened Nate’s expression as his thoughts sharpened. The troubled look on
Corrine’s face earlier had unsettled him.
He couldn’t think of anyone in Lyhaton who could disturb her–except for the Ashton
family.
Matias could feel the palpable tension in Nate’s tone, the weight of his unspoken words pressing through the phone line.
He didn’t need to ask who Nate meant by “she“, and replied without hesitation, “Miss
Holland ran into Bruce and Leah earlier today.”
There was a long, pregnant pause on the other end of the line.
