Chapter 81: The Reward
“Woof woof woof!” Pudding barked, trying to follow, but Fraser mercilessly blocked him at the door. Fraser effortlessly tossed Summer onto the soft king-sized bed. As Summer’s body landed, the mattress sank deeply at first, then sprang back quickly like a spring.
Fraser skillfully removed his black T-shirt, revealing firm, well-defined abs, each muscle sculpted as if by an artist’s hand, radiating a distinctly masculine appeal. It stood bare before Summer, unhidden. Summer couldn’t help but gulp, a scream rising in her throat, overwhelmed by his masculine presence.
This time, Fraser was tender. He kissed her eyebrows, her delicate nose, her cherry-red lips, and lingered at her mouth, reluctant to pull away. Then he nibbled her lips, teasing her. Summer grew hot, her entire body restless, squirming incessantly.
“Summer, call my name,” Fraser said.
“Fra…ser,” she breathed.
Discomfort consumed Summer, and driven by desire, she pressed messy kisses to his sexy Adam’s apple.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
Yet Fraser held back. His thin lips traveled from her mouth to her neck, then downward. The air thickened with an ambiguous, lingering tension, dense and inescapable, like a humid rainy night. Summer’s eyes flew open. Her body felt like a volcano erupting, molten heat surging upward with ferocious speed. Unable to bear it, fragmented sounds escaped her lips. But Fraser didn’t relent, teasing her deliberately. He wanted to see her beneath him, hazy, fragile, tinged with sorrow and resentment. Her beauty was so captivating, he wished to gaze at her forever.
“Beg me,” he said.
“Whimper… please…” She sobbed, tears pooling in her eyes, sweat from her temples dampening her hair.
Clothes lay scattered across the bed, overlapping in disarray. After a long while, exhaustion overtook Summer; she couldn’t even lift her eyelids. Satisfied, Fraser patiently lifted her, helping her remove her makeup and bathe. Afterward, he wrapped her in a warm towel and gently laid her on the bed. His movements were soft, his eyes glimmering with tender light, as if she were a cherished lover.
But Summer, worn out from the exertion, barely noticed, half-closing her eyes to savor the care. Fraser held her close, kissed her hair, and lowered his voice. “Summer, is there anything you want?”
Summer, eyes shut until that moment, snapped them open, cold and sharp. Her expression darkened, sleepiness fading from her mind. She curled her arms, her tone icy. “Is this Mr. Graham’s reward for women?”
Fraser sensed the shift; the woman who’d been warm and yielding moments ago now felt distant, strange. He couldn’t grasp her reasoning. He’d only meant to offer her something simple. But her voice, though calm, carried a wall of distance.
Fraser’s gaze dropped, intense and piercing. “I told you before, I’ve only slept with you.” Sleeping together was just that. Everyone knew how many women in Havenbrook pursue Fraser Graham, the Bossman. That’s why he treated her like the others, casually offering rewards.
Summer replied, “I don’t really want anything. Thank you for Mr. Graham’s favor.” With that, she slipped slightly from his embrace, shifting to the bed’s edge. Fraser’s eyes turned cold. He couldn’t fathom what he’d done to upset her.
The night stretched dark and silent, the room filled only with their breathing, deepening the stillness. Fraser reached out, turning Summer to face him. His palm rested on her pale cheek, his thumb brushing her rosy lips. “Summer, what are you so sensitive about?” he asked.
When Summer first returned to the Stewart family, she’d been unfavored, tiptoeing to please everyone. Sometimes, when Julia found her obedient, she’d offer a reward. “Summer, you’ve done well lately. What do you want?” At first, Summer didn’t think much of it. She accepted happily, believing it was her parents’ love, their acceptance.
Until one day, she saw Margaret wearing an amethyst jewelry necklace, bought by Julia at a French auction, a gift for her. Margaret smirked arrogantly. “That laptop you’re holding is only worth a few thousand dollars. You think it’s proof of their love? They hand out trinkets like that to reward good servants all the time.”