"Still not too late to do something?"

"What does he have in mind?"

Before Joanne could even wrap her head around his words, she noticed Brian's features enlarging as he closed the distance between them.

For a second, she panicked and clutched at Brian's shirt. Her eyes fluttered close.

However, the warmth of his lips that she had been expecting did not come. Instead, she heard a soft chuckle beside her ear.

Her eyes shot open and immediately, she was met with the teasing glint in Brian's eyes.

This was the first time she had seen Brian smiling so openly, and yet it was because he had utterly toyed with her!

"bastard!"

When she realized that she had actually been anticipating Brian's kiss, Joanne blushed. The redness on her face right then trumped that of a poppy. She struggled to free herself from Brian's embrace, though Lu Buoyan refused to let her go.

"Don't move around so much." Brian buried one side of his face against her shoulder. His voice sounded exhausted. "I've been feeling tired for the whole day."

Instantly, Gavin's words came to Joanne's mind. "It's rare to see him going through documents with such a stressful look on his face..."

He was probably putting in a lot of effort to save the contract that he had abandoned.

It was because of her that he would abandon the contract signing and come back from New York. Fine. She could give him a shoulder to lean on. But... did he really feel comfortable in this posture?

As she fretted, the car stopped in front of the hotel.

By the time the bellboy rushed over to open the car door for them, Brian had switched back to his usual elegant and dignified self. He got down from the car and led Joanne back to the hotel by hand. Nobody could have imagined the way he had shamelessly nuzzled up to her just now.

Just before going to bed, Brian told Joanne, "Tomorrow, tell Yuna that she can go straight to the restaurant's manager."

"Eh? Your friend has decided to hire Yuna?" Joanne asked. She had not heard the conversation between Brian and Wesley just now.

"Mm." Brian gazed at her, his lips curling up slightly. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

"The one who should be thanking you... is Yuna, right?"

"Why should I be thanking him anyways? It's not like he's found me a job," Joanne grumbled inwardly.

"It's because of you that I even bothered with trivial matters like this," Brian said. "You wish for Yuna to work at the hotpot restaurant and I made it happen. Shouldn't you be thanking me too?"

All of a sudden, Joanne felt that Brian's words were quite reasonable after all. She nodded. "Fine. Thank you."

Brian narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "Insincere."

"..." Joanne was rendered speechless for a moment. "Really? He'd really act all fussy over something like this?" she thought.

Back in the car, he had acted like he was trying to kiss her but it turned out that he was just toying with her. "Now, that's what I'd call insincere," she thought.

Then again, she had no idea what came over her, but all of a sudden, she decided she would give Brian a full taste of her 'sincerity'. She stood on tiptoes and kissed Brian on the lips.

"Thank you," she said.

"Thank you for saving me so many times when I was in danger. Thank you for traveling over thousands of miles from New York just to come back to me after I got into trouble."

"Thank you for the countless of times you've moved my heart. Thank you for giving me a taste of what it feels like to be in love with someone."

Brian was flabbergasted, which was a rare occurrence in itself.

Before, he had only been trying to tease Joanne a little. He did not expect her to give out such a huge display of sincerity.

His mind went back to just now, when they were both in the car. It was not the case at all that he did not want to kiss her. He had only held himself back because of the driver who was sitting in the front seat. He knew deep down that Joanne's lips were something that he could never resist. If he were to really kiss her back then, he feared he would lose control.

But now, they were all alone, just the two of them. If the Little Monster was taking the initiative...

"Umph..."

Joanne was completely caught off guard by Brian's response. All of a sudden, she found herself pulled into Brian's embrace. His kiss, one that held no room for resistance, crashed down upon her lips.

His eyes seemed to contain some kind of magical power, one that would have anyone spellbound. Feeling his breaths against her, Joanne suddenly forgot to struggle.

She was like a hunted beast, and Brian was the hunter. She had fallen prey to Brian. There was nowhere for her to run.

However, the person who had truly lost control was actually Brian.

The Little Monster's lips were like cotton candy. They were so soft, but yet they carried a lethal dose of sweetness. He knew he should stop, but right then, he was powerless to resist the temptation. All he ever wanted was to have her in his arms forever, and to keep tasting the sheer wonder that was Joanne.

However, the Little Monster was still too tense. "Be a good girl. Just relax a bit." He cooed patiently, his voice deep and enticing.

His warm breaths were bewitching and outright irresistible. Joanne felt the last line of her defense crumbling. Her body relaxed instinctively. Feeling safe, she leaned further into Brian's embrace.

Brian was satisfied with her reaction. He smiled and rewarded her with a deep, loving kiss. His arms tightened around her. At that point, Joanne had already forgotten how to spell the word 'resist'.

It was rare for her to be so obedient. Greedily, Brian longed for more.

He released her lips reluctantly and stared into her hazy eyes. "Joanne, kiss me."

If there were such thing as a pair of eyes that resembled a bottomless chasm filled with temptation, then it had to be Brian's eyes. Joanne found herself sinking into his dark eyes. She knew she should not be doing this, but she just could not help herself-

She did the same thing that had started all this. She pressed her lips against him. Then, she recalled the way he had always kissed her and tried to mimic it. Only then did she really learn how difficult it was.

Brian felt only awkwardness and inexperience in Joanne's movements, just like the woman herself. She was like an unripe apple dangling from a shoot; green and immature, yet already exuding an enticing fragrance.

He closed his eyes and seized her lips with his own, claiming her forcefully.

Both his heart and his body were making the same sounds and telling him the same thing. "None of this is enough! This is far from enough! He wants so much more!"

At this point, Joanne had been kissed senseless. It was as if her entire body was trapped in a billow of cloud. Beneath her, everything felt as soft as cotton whereas above her, everything was incomparably heavy. There was also Brian's hot breaths, which could be felt right beside her cheek.

It took her a long while to realize that she had not been trapped in a cloud at all. Instead, it was a repeat of that night-she was pressed down on the bed by Brian again.

Brian's movements were not as violent this time, almost as if he was trying to coax a child that he held dear. At this point, Joanne was close to drowning in his movements

She pushed at him using the last vestige of her strength. "Brian, we can't..."

Their marriage was merely a mutually beneficial trade. For this type of thing to happen... how could it be right? Not to mention that she was rather... indisposed.

Of course, Brian knew about Joanne's predicaments. But right then, she was like the most beautiful opium poppy he had ever set eyes on. One touch would have him addicted. It would take a lot of effort and strength to perform a task as simple as letting her go.

In the end, he was kissing her as if he had gone berserk. His tongue tangled and entwined with hers forcefully, as if he was trying to salvage every single drop of her sweet taste. Joanne frowned slightly. "Hurts..."

Brian snapped out of it instantly. He controlled his labored breaths and released her lips. "I'm going to take a shower," he said, planting a kiss on her smooth forehead.

The bathroom door closed with a click. Clutching the covers, Joanne stared at the ceiling. She could not tell if this was reality or a mere fantasy.

She reached up with her hand and touched her lips, which were probably swollen since they felt slightly painful when touched. Everything flashed before her eyes; the imposing way in which Brian had claimed her lips; the warmth of his breaths. Finally, she began to accept that this was not a dream.

Brian had kissed her, and she had not refused him...

As for what it all meant, Joanne did not dare read too much into it. She pulled the covers over her head. In the darkness, she forced her eyes shut, hoping to fall asleep in the next second.

When the bathroom door re-opened, she was still wide awake. When she felt a weight on the other side of the bed, her entire body grew taut. She did not even have the courage to put much strength in her breathing.

Brian sighed and peeled the covers away from Joanne's head. "You look like a shrimp right now."

As if Joanne would ever yield to an insult like that. She turned around and glared at Brian. "You're the one who looks like a shrimp!"

The moment those words left her mouth, the tantalizing images from just now floated back to her mind once more. Her face slowly reddened and she once again felt the urge to crawl back under the covers.

Brian pulled her into his arms. "Don't move." Lu Buoyan threatened before she could even try to free herself. "Or else I'll really end up doing those things that you're so afraid of..."

His tone sounded strange and was impossible to decipher, which startled her to the point of immobility. She lay limply in her arm, not moving at all.

Satisfied, Brian patted her head. "Sleep."

Joanne had planned to show off her backbone through her protests. But perhaps Brian's embrace had made her feel so reassured and comforted that she fell asleep not long after.

Whenever she was asleep, her body would always curl up and her long eyelashes would droop. With that kind of posture and her shallow breaths, she gave the impression of a lost child.

Brian caressed her cheeks with his fingers. If Joanne were awake now, she would be able to see the ache in his heart which was reflected in his eyes.

That night, Joanne slept dreamlessly.

It was the first time she had slept so soundly ever since her abduction. She woke up feeling immeasurably sated.

She was no longer surprised even when she found herself in Brian's arms when she roused. Slowly, she removed Brian's arms from her waist and slipped out of bed quietly. She left the suite after washing up.

When Brian woke up, he immediately realized that Joanne was missing. He had searched the living room and the study, but there were no signs of her at all. Just when he was about to call the hotel staff to launch a search party, the front door of the suite opened. Joanne was back.

He set down the phone with a frown and walked to the doorway. "Where were you off to so early in the morning?"

His tone was accusatory, though more than anything else, there was relief in his voice. Joanne took stock of the man standing before her, who looked a bit disheveled with his messy hair and rumpled bathrobe. He looked like someone who barely had time to make himself presentable. She smiled. "You were looking for me?"

She still had the nerve to smile?

Brian grabbed Joanne and pulled her through the doorway. The front door slammed shut with a bang. Brian narrowed his eyes and stared her down, as if he was trying to terrify her with just a look.

Joanne felt no fear at all. Instead, her smile turned into a full-blown grin. Reaching out, she touched his face. "I borrowed the hotel's kitchen to make some congee. Now you be a good boy and go get changed. Someone would bring our breakfast up soon."

After that, she walked back into the bedroom, smiling the entire time. It was then that Brian realized what had just happened. Joanne was not afraid of him anymore. She even had the guts to touch him.

Brian let out a chuckle. Could it be that his little monster had grown some balls?

After breakfast, Brian arranged for the driver to send Joanne to Granny Wallace's place. On the way there, Joanne received a call from Freya.

"The agent from NovaStar Entertainment has contacted me!" Freya sounded so excited as if she was about to become world famous overnight. "As long as I get through the interview and undergo training for some time, I'll be able to make my debut!"

"Has Uncle Norris agreed?" Joanne asked.

"Of course he hasn't. He even said he would ask a few bodyguards to kidnap me back home." Freya snickered. "I'll not bend to his will. I'm serious this time. Why won't anyone believe me?"

At this point, Joanne did not even bother to make a jab at her. "You should probably ask yourself that. By the way, what would the interview at NovaStar Entertainment be like?"

"Don't know yet," Freya said. "But NovaStar Entertainment is one of the few outstanding modeling agencies out there. So I guess there shouldn't be any underhanded dealings involved in the process. Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes and ears open. What about you? How are things going between you and Lu Boss in G City?"

Once again, images from the previous night came flooding back. Joanne blushed and hesitated for a moment. "Nothing..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Freya laughed salaciously. "Something must have happened. You've done the deed, haven't you? Eh, I mean, if you stay at such a place like a hotel, it's pretty easy to get into the mood..."

"Just go to your damn interview!"

Joanne hung up decisively.