She could hardly think straight with Bruno all over her like this. She instinctively started fanning herself with her fingers again.Her eyes darted around, desperately trying to avoid looking at him, but it was impossible to ignore how close he was, how his muscled chest and arms towered over her.He tilted his head, his expression puzzled. "Hot? It doesn't feel that warm in here..." He leaned in even closer, looking concerned and, looking genuinely confused."Maybe I should check your temperature again..."Beauty practically choked on her own breath as he leaned in, his face just inches from hers.She could smell him... God, he smelled so good...and the way his muscles flexed with every slight movement was so distracting, it made her head spin."No, no, it's fine! Really! You don't need to...um...check again! I'm okay. Just... um... just needed some air."She blurted out, stepping back quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. Bruno blinked, still concerned, but he took a small s
Bruno, noticing Beauty's flushed face and the whole situation, finally decided to do something about it.He awkwardly cleared his throat and excused himself."I'll, uh....go put on my clothes," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he hurried out of the kitchen.Beauty, still standing by the counter, took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.How am I supposed to be normal after all that? She thought, fanning herself with her hand.The image of Bruno in the kitchen apron was burned into her mind, and the lower part of his body... she couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her neck.She shook her head, then something hit her."My clothes!"A few minutes later, Bruno returned, but this time in his regular clothes-thankfully more covered now in a simple T-shirt and jeans.He found Beauty hugging her body as if she were naked."You... you changed my clothes?" she asked slowly."I... apologize for that. I had to take them off because of your temperature. I didn't mean any
Beauty stood up from the bed and sat in the chair slowly, staring at the plate, trying to dispel the awkwardness from their earlier encounter.Deep down,she couldn't deny how sweet it was that Bruno had taken care of her. Her mind, however, was elsewhere, wondering how nice and full his... weapon would feel in her palms if she could get hold of it.Where did that come from?! Thank goodness no one can read minds, Beauty thought."Thanks," she mumbled, nervously picking up her fork.Bruno leaned against the bed stand, watching her with a hint of worry in his eyes."You really scared me last night. I'm glad you're feeling better."His voice was quiet, sincere, but the way he looked at her sent a shiver down her spine.Even when he wasn't trying, his aura and presence were overwhelming to Beauty."I'm sorry I made you worry," Beauty replied, unsure if that was the response he wanted.Bruno chuckled, folding his arms. "You don't have to apologize."Beauty nodded and continued chewing the
Beauty's breath hitched, and she felt her whole body heat up under his touch.Bruno went back to his position, and silence fell between them again.Beauty picked at her food. She could feel Bruno's eyes on her, again!She struggled to keep her hands steady as she lifted a forkful of pancakes to her mouth.As she tried to focus on finishing her food, Bruno suddenly spoke up, his voice soft but sincere."You know... I never realized how much I cared about you until last night. I've always had a soft spot for you, but..."Beauty froze, her fork hanging mid-air. Her breath hitched at his words, her heart flipping in her chest."W-What?"Bruno continued."Seeing you sick, being here... It made me realize I don't want to see you like that ever again. It was scary. Please, be more careful."Beauty's cheeks flushed. She didn't know what to say.Was this an indirect confession? Was Mr. Bruno actually saying he cared about her, or was she overthinking and being delusional?The thought made her
She wanted him to be more than just the kind Mr. Bruno. She wanted him to show her off, kiss her, make love to her 24 hours a day, and have his children."Okay, I went far with that one," she thought, her cheeks suddenly feeling warm as she was too shy to meet his gaze.Besides, one of her exes had shown her off just because he saw her as desperate for such love language, not because he really wanted to. He did it to gain her trust and turn her into a sex toy. At the end of the day, he had his hands wrapped around the tiny waist of a beautiful woman. The standard.---After the meal, Beauty felt full and thankful."Thanks, I enjoyed..."She raised her face to look at him, only to find him dozing off.He was sitting on the floor beside her bed, resting his back against it. His posture was relaxed, his head slightly tilted to the side, his breathing slow and steady.He looked so angelic.The sight of him like that made her heart skip a beat."The caring giant must be stressed out. I be
Bruno opened his eyes slowly."You're done eating?""Yes, thanks a lot. It was delicious."Beauty smiled at him."I'm sure it's awful, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Now, you have to take your medicine," he said, standing up.Beauty's heart raced at the mention of medicine. She couldn't let him know she hated taking them!"Emm... Sir Bruno, I can take care of myself now. You need to rest.""Just Bruno," he replied, reaching into his pocket.He pulled out a small bottle of medicine."You need to take this, don't worry about me" he said softly, handing her the medicine with a glass of water, his eyes filled with concern."I will... not now," Beauty replied, avoiding eye contact, but he was quick to figure it out."You don't like pills?"Beauty's heart skipped a beat as she brushed an annoying strand of hair back behind her ear."No... of course not! I mean, I'm an adult. I'm not a child afraid of taking pills," she scoffed awkwardly."Then take it right now, in front of me," Bruno instru
"I guess... I should get going," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You need to rest, and I don't want to intrude any more than I already have."Beauty blinked, surprised by his sudden decision."Wait, Sir Bruno!... Sorry, Bruno," she said, embarrassed. "I didn't mean it like that."He gave her a small, sad smile. "It's fine, Beauty. I'm glad you're feeling better. Just... make sure you finish the medicine and take care of yourself, okay?"His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of sadness behind it.Beauty watched as he moved toward the door. The room suddenly felt emptier without his presence."The reunion! Beauty, tell him about the reunion!" a voice yelled in her head.Before walking out of the house, Bruno glanced back at her one more time."If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." He paused, as if hoping she would say something, but when she didn't, he nodded to himself."Take care, Beauty."Good job, Beauty. You had him one-on-one and even made a move to
"What! Tell me you are joking".Jessie snapped."Well, I am not! You are not supposed to be here in the first place. I told you everything's fine and that I will visit tonight".Beauty snapped back."Oh really? You expect me to ignore everything and go to work because you said it's fine, what if you were kidnapped and forced to say that? I had a thousand ideas in my head, I had to make sure you are okay!""Well, I am not kidnapped...".Beauty paused abruptly," wait, I sent you the message too?" she asked in surprise."Yes, you did!"Jessie showed Beauty, her message inbox then slowly raised an eyebrow."Too? Who else did you message?"Beauty sighed as she sat down on the couch, Jessie flopping down beside her with a look of eager anticipation. She could feel Jessie's eyes on her, waiting impatiently for an explanation.She ran her fingers through her hair, still feeling flustered from everything that had just happened."Okay, fine," Beauty started, knowing she couldn't avoid it any l
"How did this even happen?" Jessie asked curiously."It's a long story, Jess," Beauty replied, shivering-not so much from the cold but from the aftershock of what had just happened."You're still shaking," Jessie commented."I'm okay, Jess," Beauty murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Thanks to Bruno... I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there.""I'm glad. He followed you without a second thought."Beauty pressed her lips together"The way he shouted my name, his voice... it was the reason I kept pushing to survive, even when I was sinking into the water. I've never been so scared in my life," she sobbed.Jessie hugged her again. "It's okay, honey. It's okay," she whispered.Just then, Ferdinand's voice interrupted them. "You two want to go back swimming? It's time to leave the woods!""This is probably a sign to leave the woods you know," someone on the team whispered.Jessie pulled back and used her palms to dry her friend's tears. "Come on, let's get you
Her voice was a whisper, her gaze downcast, her cheeks flushed but still wet with tears. She suddenly shifted, her foot slipping as she tried to balance herself, pressing her knee against his crotch, directly into arousal he'd been fighting to hide."It's... hard... rock," she murmured to herself, her cheeks flushing as realization dawned on her.Bruno froze, knowing she'd found him out, feeling the blush of embarrassment creep up his neck.How could he get an erection at a time like this? What a creep he is!Awkwardly, he stepped back, gently letting her go, his hands falling to his sides.Beauty stood there at the shore, her body soaked, watching him leave.Just then, Jessie and the others appeared, rushing toward them.Mrs. Lola Cruz covered her mouth emotionally, seeing they were both safe."Lo siento, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to look for Bobby.""Please don't apologize. It's not your fault," Bruno replied calmly.One of the staff threw him a towel.Jessie
"Hold on, I'm coming for you!" Bruno yelled out.The river's current was strong, making it difficult even for him, but his strokes were powerful, so he pushed through, his eyes never leaving her.He could feel his heart pounding harder and harder with fear. He had never felt so much fear, never had someone so dear to him that he panicked at the thought of losing them-let alone watching them die right in front of him.Beauty started coughing and sank into the river."Beauty!" Bruno yelled so loudly that his veins created a visible network across his forehead and neck, his eyes red with shock and despair.The river's flow had dragged Beauty under, only for her to resurface, coughing and choking, her eyes red from the struggle. Her breaths came in frantic gasps, her arms flailing.She burst into tears.Bruno, who had frozen after she went under, snapped out of it and pushed himself to swim faster this time.His heart skipped a beat when he saw her disappear beneath the surface again, w
A collective sigh of relief swept through the group. Beauty felt a strange mix of embarrassment and awkwardness. She wanted to laugh but had to hold it in.They had all been so caught up in the drama, so ready to offer help, only to find out it was just... a chicken?"Oh, sorry," they all murmured in unison, their faces flushing with embarrassment.Jessie was fighting every urge not to laugh at the poor lady. In fact, she had to avoid eye contact with Beauty, because that would definitely cause her laughter to explode."We'll help you find your baby, Mrs. Lola," Bruno said gently, reassuring her."Muchas gracias."Beauty stared at Bruno as he consoled the elderly woman, hoping they could make eye contact, longing to be consoled by him too. But he was very serious about keeping his distance this time... forever.Kathy wasn't happy with the idea of looking for a chicken. She had been glad to finish her shoots so they could leave this dreadful place, only to be asked to find a missing ch
However before any of them could actually say anything, Mrs. Lola approached them.Beauty nervously wondered what could be her reason for coming to speak with her."Ms. Beauty, I am impressed by your designs, really. I would love to work with you again... after this tour. What do you say?""Thank you so much," Beauty managed, feeling a mix of pride and nerves. "I appreciate the offer and will do my best.""I'm sure you will," Lola said with a smile, then she nodded at Jessie inform of acknowledgement, Jessie smiled back awkwardly.As the two watched her walk away, Beauty drew a deep breath."She does like you... a lot of pressure, huh?" Jessie whispered, starting a conversation.Beauty's breath caught in her throat as she looked at her friend and nodded slowly.Jessie chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up."Good job. Looks like you've got a fan in Mrs. Cruz. You shouldn't be distracted at this time, okay? We all make mistakes...you have to be strong and focused more this time. Don't let t
Mrs. Lola Cruz stepped forward with a broad smile."First, I want to thank the F&F team for this collaboration. I am yet to see Mr. Bruno, but I am sure he has something important that may be the reason he can't be here with us. About this collection. It is meant to embrace our culture with a combination of nature. I must confess, Mr. Ferdinard, your company has some real talent; I can testify to that. It was nice working with them.. especially Beauty Hills.I can't believe we were able to round up the designs within hours after she joined us... please give her an applause, please."She said and gestured at Beauty.The models and stylists, the whole crew, clapped loudly, cheering for Beauty.Well,Kathy was an exception,other designers had a tough t"Thank you... for the opportunity, Mrs. Lola." Beauty managed to reply and tried to force a smile but her thoughts kept drifting back to her break-up.She stole a glance at her phone lying beside her Sketchpad, half-hoping for a message fr
Jessi frowned at his stubbornness. She didn't blame him, but the fact that he was in denial seemed childish to her.He still loves her, he can't even look her in the eyes and say those words!He longs for Beauty..he just need to push a little bit. He must be feeling like a fool but just another chance."I know you're frustrated, Bruno. But she's been through so much. Her past... it's made her afraid to trust anyone, even herself. Can't you give her one more chance? She's terrified you're going to leave, just like everyone else. And here you are, making it come to pass. Don't pretend this doesn't matter to you. You can't just shut your feelings for her off like that; you know you love her."Bruno shook his head, an exasperated chuckle escaping his lips."You don't get it, Jessi," he muttered. "Beauty's... she's too complicated. She's hurt me in ways I didn't even know were possible. Do my feelings not matter because I am a man?"Jessi crossed her arms as she took another step toward hi
Jessi stood just outside the door, hesitating. She had already knocked twice; no reply from Bruno. She wasn't sure if he even wanted to see her. Not after what happened last night. She knew it would be tough for him this time.However, Beauty's sadness had broken her heart. She knew she had to do something-anything-to bring them back together.She told Beauty she can take care of him.Ofcourse,she would have given it a chance, but not when she knew for sure that Beauty loved Bruno, and he also loved her. They had to make it work; they should!Arching her brow at the thought, she summoned a deep breath and gave one more quick knock.Without waiting for an answer anymore, she turned the knob and stepped into the room.Bruno was standing by the window, his gaze out over the garden. He didn't turn when she entered or even act like he noticed her presence.Jessi sighed."Bruno," she called softly, as she closed the door behind her. He didn't answer, and she didn't expect him to."I know y
The next morning, Beauty was the first to wake, her heart heavy as she sat up on her bed, staring at Bruno. He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his breath.Everything that happened last night kept flooding into her head.From the truth-and-dare game, the harassment from Ferdinard, to Bruno's drunk act and cuddling her to sleep.She wasn't sure how he would have reacted, so she had to wake up with him close to her, but she had to pull away. Her gaze went back to Bruno.She didn't know what to expect from him or the next step she should take. Jessie isn't here to give her a piece of advice. Her words last night were clear; she had to choose.As if on cue, the duvet she had carefully draped over Bruno's body after sneaking out of his arms the night before shifted and fell off, leaving him exposed.Beauty's breath hitched, her hands trembling slightly as she stood up and moved toward his bed to cover him again.She reached for the blanket, but before she