“We’ll attack from multiple angles. As long as she makes the slightest move, I refuse to believe we won’t uncover the truth!”

Anna’s wedding was scheduled for right after the New Year. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to see the chaos when the Hudsons found out the baby in her belly wasn’t Ashley’s. That scene was going to be spectacular. As my mind wandered to all the possible outcomes, Carter interrupted my thoughts.

“New Year’s is just around the corner; she probably won’t make any moves in the next few days. Let’s not waste time worrying about her now and focus on enjoying the holiday. Look at you—just mentioning her gets you so worked up. How are you feeling, by the way?” he said.

“After that massage, I feel much better,” I admitted. Carter’s warm fingertips slowly slid lower from my waist. “Chloe, if you’re feeling better… then does that mean I can…”

His voice trailed off, low and magnetic, as his breath brushed teasingly against my ear. A second ago, I’d been fuming over how to bring Anna down, but now, in the blink of an eye, he had effortlessly drawn me into an entirely different kind of mood—one heavy with intimacy and tension.

“Sorry, Chloe,” he murmured. “I know you’re tired. It’s just… sometimes I can’t control myself…”

Before he could finish, I leaned forward and threw myself into his arms, biting lightly on his earlobe. “Carter, you’ve said it yourself—we’re husband and wife. For things like this, you don’t need my permission…” My fingers deftly unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time, as I pressed a soft bite to his Adam’s apple. “Carl, you can touch me with those hands of yours, the ones you just coated with oil… but you have to be gentle, okay?” I whispered.

Carter’s dark eyes burned with intensity, and the next moment, he captured my breath with his deep and consuming kiss. But I didn’t mind. In fact, I welcomed it. After all, how could I resist my husband, who was both so innocent and so passionate?

I couldn’t help but wonder—was he going to ask for permission every time we got intimate in the future? Even so, I could feel how much he respected me and how carefully he treated me. I wanted to cherish this relationship, this marriage that hadn’t come easy for either of us. Fulfilling a partner’s needs is part of a wife’s responsibility. Besides, I didn’t dislike it at all. When it came to Carter, he only ever made me feel happy.

What I didn’t expect was that we’d end up tangled together, on and off, for an entire day and night. Aside from brief breaks to rest and eat, we spent most of the time in our little home, completely lost in each other.

Now I finally understood why he hadn’t wanted to stay at the Bolton Residence. The Bolton Residence, though spacious, was still part of a big family. There were too many people, too many servants. There was none of the freedom we had here. Plus, the villa Carter chose was in an amazing location. To keep his leg condition a secret, he’d picked a spot where there were no tall buildings around. Even though the development was located in the city, the orientation of our villa offered incredible privacy.

When he pressed me against the floor-to-ceiling windows, the scene outside was a flurry of falling snow, while inside, his body radiated heat against mine. There was something indescribable about the forbidden, secretive thrill of it all.

After all that chaos, when I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find Carter still lying next to me. Even asleep, our bodies were tightly intertwined, inseparable.

“Darling, you’re awake?” his husky morning voice came from just above me, incredibly sexy. I looked into his sleepy, half-lidded eyes, remembering how I used to feel intimidated by him—like he was some unattainable god. But now, I’d finally pulled this god down into the mortal world. I’d made him experience the emotions and desires of being human, made him willingly lose himself in the bliss of it all.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I nuzzled my face affectionately against his. “I like you so much.”

The drowsiness in his eyes faded a little. “Darling, say that again.”

Leaning closer to his ear, I whispered, slow and deliberate, “I. Like. You.”

When Carter heard my words, a spark of joy lit up his dark eye.