Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 438

“Cecilia, you've eaten me up, and now you've got to make an honest man out of me. When are we heading down the aisle? Or should I take the lead and sweep you off your feet?”

Owen sat up, wrapping his arms around Cecilia's waist, pulling her close under the covers with him.

He knew very well that Cecilia was naked under the blanket. If he didn't hold on to it, he was sure he'd burn up from the heat.

Cecilia didn’t feel unwell, except for a splitting headache – a clear souvenir from last night's boozy escapade.

She had never been a heavy drinker, but she had seen enough movies to know the score.

Plus, she had Lucinda, her novelist bestie, who churned out chapters so tame they barely brushed past a kiss. Though, Lucinda's drafts did get a bit steamy – drafts only a best friend would see.

Her lack of discomfort meant that last night hadn't gone beyond a certain point.

As her wits returned, Cecilia quickly unwound Owen's arm from her waist and clutched the sheets to her as she leapt out of bed.

“Mr. Malicious, you're trying to trap me!”

Owen chuckled mischievously, “You're quick on the uptake. I thought maybe we'd have to get a marriage license before you'd figure it out.”

That was as good as an admission that he hadn’t taken advantage of her last night.

A gentleman, indeed.

“But, Cecilia, you did give me quite the runaround last night. Surely, that calls for some sort of compensation, right?”

Owen had that roguish twinkle in his eye.

Cecilia’s face flushed even more, and she stammered, “How did I give you a runaround?”

“You were all over me, tearing at my shirt, buttons flying everywhere. You even complimented my body.”

This brought Owen no small amount of pleasure.

At least she appreciated what she had seen.

Cecilia was speechless.

Could lightning strike her unconscious now?

Or perhaps open up a hole in the floor for her to escape through?

This was mortifying.

Owen rolled out of bed, padding barefoot to the closet, and soon returned with a white shirt – the very one he had worn the night before.

“Cecilia, exhibit A. I'm not falsely accusing you. Those buttons didn't pop off by themselves,” he said as he presented the evidence of her handiwork.

Cecilia saw that indeed all the buttons were gone. It was just a few buttons; she could sew them back on.

Don’t think modern girls can’t handle a needle and thread; she was more than capable of fixing a few buttons.

“And, you managed to cover me in, well, let's just say I've smelt better.”

Cecilia felt awkward. She grabbed Owen's shirt in one hand, the other still clutching the sheets around her, and looked at him, utterly at a loss.

Owen sighed and walked away, only to return with a set of his clothes for her.

“Your own clothes got a bit messy, and I helped you out of that evening gown. To save myself from a fiery death, I didn’t help you bathe. Now that you're awake, go take a hot bath. I don’t have your clothes here, my bad. I really should have a dozen sets at all my places for you. I'll make it right. Next time, you won’t be left without a change of clothes.”

Owen genuinely felt he had been inconsiderate.

Stefan always made sure to have all the essentials ready for Lucinda at his places – the epitome of thoughtfulness.

“Wear my clothes for now. I'll call someone to bring you a fresh set.”

Saying that, Owen went to the bathroom and started running a hot bath for her. Looking back and seeing that Cecilia hadn’t followed, he called out, “Cecilia, come take your bath. I've got the water ready. If you need my help, I'll gladly assist – free of charge, of course. Not like when you only gave me a hundred bucks for a kiss. Might as well be free.”

A hundred bucks was nothing to someone like Owen. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Cecilia’s image was ruined last night.

Holding the clothes Owen gave her, she still wrapped herself in the sheets as she walked into the bathroom. Seeing Owen's eager gaze, ready to serve her anytime, Cecilia hesitated for a moment.

After a while, she said, "I told you not to let me get drunk. You promised, but you let me get so."

Owen, looking somewhat innocent, replied, "I did think of helping you hold back, but you seemed so happy drinking. You even pushed my hand away once, and I thought you can drink, thinking maybe I should wait and see. I never expected you to change so much after you got drunk."

Cecilia tried hard to recall what happened last night. Did she push Owen's hand away? She couldn't remember. Everything he said now seemed to favor him.

"Cecilia, trust me. Everything you did to me last night, I'll keep it in my mind and heart. I won't say a word about it to save you from embarrassment."

Owen sounded earnest, but to Cecilia's ears, he seemed like he wanted to laugh, appearing quite content. What he said about remembering her teasing him last night and keeping it to himself. Cecilia found something strange in his words. At this point, Cecilia couldn't salvage her image anymore.

Cecilia wished she could just feign unconsciousness or disappear into a hole, oblivious to everything.

“Out!” Cecilia shouted.

Owen stepped out, thoughtfully closing the bathroom door behind him.

Cecilia, not entirely reassured, double-checked the lock before finally releasing her grip on the sheets.

Her head throbbed as if it were about to split in two.

And there was a certain smell lingering on her skin…

Owen claimed she puked all over him, ruining not only his suit but her own evening gown as well. Just picturing the scene made Cecilia feel nauseous again.

It really said something that Owen could still manage to lie next to her and sleep through the night after that debacle.

As Cecilia took the bath, she tried her hardest to piece together the events of the previous evening, when she'd had one too many. But her memory was totally blank.

Lucy had always told her that she turned into a bit of a flirt when she was drunk, capable of doing just about anything.

Owen might stretch the truth, but Lucy? She never would.

It seemed she really did give Owen a run for his money last night.

The guy was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing, a patient and hungry predator.