Chapter 38
Zachary removed his earpiece and set his laptop aside.
“You were in the middle of a meeting?” Jessica exclaimed. She found it shocking, considering that he had been silent the whole time during a supposed meeting.
“Yeah.”
He rose, strode over to her side, and eventually sat beside her. A heavy, invisible pressure seemed to settle in the air. His warm scent wrapped around her like a cloak.
Jessica had nowhere else to retreat. The armrest of the couch was already pressing into her side. She couldn’t figure out why he was getting so close to her.
Just then, there was another incoming video call from Hazel. She was persistent.
Jessica swallowed hard, her lashes fluttering as she hesitated to pick up. She could feel
Zachary’s gaze fixed on her like a spotlight.
Why did her usual confidence seem to short–circuit whenever he was around? She was usually
the bold one!
With slightly trembling hands, she finally tapped the answer button and connected the call. Just like that, the three of them appeared on screen.
“Zach! It’s really you!”
Hazel appeared to be sitting outside, sipping tea. After taking a closer look at the attractive couple, she smiled knowingly.
It wasn’t until Jessica saw the video screen that she realized that Zachary had leaned in even closer. She could practically feel the heat of his cheek brushing against her ear.
“Hey, Hazel,” he greeted.
“I heard from your mother yesterday that you’re the one who married Jess. That was when it clicked for me!” Hazel chirped.
“It’s no wonder you looked so familiar in those photos! When did you two start dating? How did I not know anything? You two sure have been keeping things under wraps.”
She fired off her questions one after another without pause, leaving Jessica completely unsure
which one to answer first.
“Okay, Ms. Lockman. How about we go over all of that another day?” Jessica replied.
Zachary smirked beside her, clearly amused.
Chapter 38
“When are you two coming over tomorrow? Judging by your location, it should take no more than 30 minutes,” Hazel continued her cheerful interrogation, completely unfazed by Jessica’s visible discomfort.
Zachary chimed in, his eyes flicking toward Jessica. “We’ll head over once we’ve had some rest. We’ll give you a call before we drop by.”
Hazel caught on quickly, picking up on the implication. “Oh!”
Jessica piped up. “Mom, we just got off the plane.”
Fortunately, Hazel got the hint and backed off just as quickly. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Go rest up, you two!”
With that, the video call ended.
Jessica wasted no time tucking away her phone before letting out a long sigh of relief.
Somehow, at one point, Zachary’s arm had slipped around her waist. And he did it so naturally, too, like it had always belonged there.
“Carry on with your meeting. I’ll get some rest in the room,” she said, pointing at the master bedroom.
“Sure.”
She slid the throw pillow between his legs, trying to cover the bulge that had already appeared, then hurried into the bedroom. He glanced down at the space, then at the pillow, and slowly smirked.
The door shut with a soft click of the lock.
Jessica paced in her room, her hands pressed to her cheeks. “We’re just tired. That’s all…”
Suddenly, her phone vibrated with a video call from her best friend, Elsa York.
“Elsie…” Jessica muttered, pouting. She peeked toward the door, worried that Zachary might overhear, and stepped out onto the balcony.
Elsa’s voice crackled with gossip. “Jess, I heard you’re back with that CEO you suddenly married!”
“Yeah, I’m in town. I was planning to hang with your
Jessica leaned on the balcony railing, watching the gentle snowflakes fall from the sky. She reached out, letting the delicate snow land softly on her open palm.
“What’s wrong?” Elsa asked. “Are the newlyweds hitting a rough patch already?”
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Jessica bit her lip, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and stayed quiet.
Elsa’s sharp instincts didn’t miss a beat. “Is it about being intimate?”
“Do you live in my walls or what?”
“Please. That’s like the only thing newlyweds have to worry about. And let me tell you, that’s not a problem at all!” Elsa exclaimed, sounding confident.
“From the photo you sent me, he looks like he knows what he’s doing. You guys haven’t even started round two yet, right?”
Jessica flushed red as Elsa spoke. She suddenly felt overly scandalous. She muttered with a sigh, “It took me three days to be free from the soreness the first time…”
She paced back and forth on the balcony, listening to the call, only to abruptly stop in her
tracks. The conversation went silent.
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
