It was morning. Sunlight broke through the clouds and spilled across the earth. Clothes lay scattered from the living room couch to the bedroom floor, mostly men’s clothing, with only one woman’s silk robe among them.
Zach stirred, slowly waking up. The memories of the previous night’s passion and wildness played through his mind, and a satisfied smile crept onto his lips. He glanced at the woman sleeping beside him, and his expression subconsciously softened with a rare tenderness.
Winter was still asleep. She was breathing steadily, and her eyes were shut tight. His gaze lingered on her beautiful features, then drifted down to her neck, where her pale skin was marked with the love bites he had left the night before.
Zach was no longer the young, reckless guy who obsessed over every woman he met. But last night, he acted like a wild beast, insatiable and relentless. It was only after Winter had slapped him that he finally relented. Sure, the slap stung, but the pleasure? Totally worth it. His smile grew wider at the thought. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her forehead before quietly getting out of bed, careful not to wake her. He left the room, softly closing the door behind him to let her rest.
In the kitchen, Zach held two bowls of instant noodles, ready to set them on the table, when he saw Winter leaning against the doorframe. He had no idea when she had shown up or how long she had been watching him.
Their eyes met. A flash of embarrassment crossed Zach’s face, but he quickly replaced it with a teasing, suggestive look. “Well, you’re up early. Guess I didn’t work hard enough last night,” he said, smirking.
But Winter didn’t laugh. Her eyes instead drifted to his hands, where he held two bowls of instant noodles, each topped with a fried egg. The eggs weren’t pretty either, as they were slightly burnt around the edges.
Zach cleared his throat. “I searched your kitchen, but this was all you had. Make do with it, yeah?” He sidestepped her and placed the bowls on the table.
Winter turned, her gaze shifting between the instant noodles and him with an indescribable look.
“Come on, sit down and eat,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “What are you staring at me for? Heh… Did you just realize how incredibly handsome I am?”
Winter stared at him for a couple of seconds before speaking. “Um… Could you put some clothes on first?”
Good lord. The moment she walked to the kitchen door, she was greeted by the sight of a bare, naked butt facing her. The sheer visual impact of it left her momentarily speechless, even though she considered herself unshaken by most things. What kind of habit was this? Walking around in broad daylight… like that?
Zach was stunned. “My clothes are dirty, and you don’t have anything here that fits me. What was I supposed to do?”
Winter sighed internally. Was grabbing a towel or a sheet really that hard?
Zach misread her look. “Hey, what’s with that face? I’ve got a great body and killer abs. You get to see this for free, and you’re complaining?”
Winter muttered, “I’m not impressed, thanks.” She walked over to the table and sat down.
Zach handed her a fork. “Here you go.”
She took it silently.
Zach then pointed to the glass beside her, “Your iced water. All ready for you.”
“…Thanks.”
He hesitated for a moment before starting to speak. “So, about last night-”
“Let’s just eat,” Winter cut him off.
Zach got the message and quietly dug into his noodles. Winter only ate about half before putting her fork down.
“You’re done?” he asked, glancing up at her.
“Yeah, I’m full.”
“Well, don’t waste it. I’ll finish it for you.” Without waiting for her response, he pulled her bowl toward him and continued eating.
Winter had no time to protest. Zach polished off the rest of the noodles, the half–eaten fried egg, and even drank the broth down to the last drop.
With a contented sigh, he leaned back in his chair. He let out a small belch and rubbed his stomach.
Winter studied him with a calm, detached gaze. “Are you full?”
“Yeah, I’m good now.”
“Great. Grab your stuff, clean up, and leave. And don’t come back.”