Chapter 5

My thoughts were drifting unabashed as I quickly turned on the faucet, cupped my hands under to catch it and splashed the cold water onto my flushed face.

My attention shifted to what I was wearing when I remembered that I had fallen into the water. The clothes I had on were so big and long they almost reached my knees.

“Was he the one who changed my clothes?”

I felt around for my underwear but found nothing. As an adult, I understood his consideration—after all, they were wet—but… that explains why I could feel the cool air against the lower part of my body.

I forced myself to erase the inappropriate image that had entered my mind so early in the morning. Maybe my brain wasn’t fully awake yet, or perhaps the alcohol hadn’t completely left my system, because all sorts of scenarios were forming in my head.

While chasing my ex rated imagination away, my stomach suddenly growled loudly, as if protesting in earnest.

“I must just be hungry.” 

I quickly fixed myself up, trying to brush off what had happened earlier. What’s done is done. He didn’t do anything wrong, and I didn’t exactly… entice him— I mean, do anything bad either.

I also fixed the bed before going after the man.

I left my hair down to at least cover the swell of my chest. I took ny time as I went down the stairs and followed the sound coming from the corner.

My stomach growled loudly again as soon as I found the kitchen.

There was food already prepared on the table—eggs, longganisa, and fried tilapia with sliced tomatoes. The utensils and drinks were also set.

“Sit down, this will just take a moment.”

I thickened my face and sat just as he said. My attention couldn’t help but shift at his arm flexing every time he stirred the rice.

Yummy fried rice.

Even in a simple t-shirt, the man’s toned and ripped muscle, although not as sculpted as those of gym rats, oozed with raw power.

After a few moments, he transferred the fried rice into a large bowl and sat across from me.

“Let’s eat,” he announced, and I nodded gently even though I was starving.

We ate in silence.

I only ate a little because I didn’t want to ruin his impression of me by showing how much of a hearty eater I really was. I held myself back to maintain a demure persona.

Very demure, very mindful.

After eating, I immediately offered to wash the dishes. It would be too shameless of me if he had already cooked and I still let him do the cleaning, especially since I was literally just a freeloading stranger.

Selio was definitely a "packaged" deal man. Handsome, someone who smells good, kind, well-built—and most of all, he knows how to cook.

Very domestic, infinitely dashing a pity Lejandro can never compare.

After washing the dishes and the kitchen utensils, I poured boiling water over them, wiped them dry, and placed them in the cabinet. On my way back to the room, I noticed Selio sitting casually under the mango tree outside.

He looked up, and our eyes met. I quickly looked away because of the intensity of his gaze. I was about to head upstairs, but I changed my mind and decided to face him instead.

I could feel his eyes following my every move, but instead of feeling self-conscious, I just shrugged it off.

There was quite a distance from the foot of the stairs to outside, so I had time to gingerly observe hiim and his hangout spot.

His yard was wide. On one side was a large swing tied to a mango tree, while he sat on a long wooden bench. There was also a rectangular table in front of him.

Selio stood up and reached for a ripe mango. It was bright yellow and looked perfectly ripe.

There was a newspaper on the table, which made me raise an eyebrow. There are still people who read newspapers?

“Hi. Can I bother you for a moment?”

I stopped three steps away from him. Instead of replying immediately, the man stretched up again, pulled down a branch, and picked a fruit.

He handed me a ripe mango and gestured to the bench.

“I’m not busy. Want one? It’s sweet.” He tapped the tree and leaned against it.

The hairs on my arms stood on end as his deep voice floated. It was pleasant to hear and effortlessly natural. I tucked my hair behind my ear as the wind blew, smiled, and sat down.

“I won’t refuse! And thank you for saving me and for the food. It looks like I owe you quite a lot.”

“It’s nothing.”

We fell silent for a moment. It seemed he had no intention of continuing the conversation with how brief his answers were.

“I’m also sorry for the trouble. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if you hadn’t saved me. I owe you my life. If there’s anything I can do for you, just tell me, and I’ll do anything—as long as it’s within reason and legal.”

I joked, knowing full well that jokes are half-meant. Selio raised an eyebrow.

“Anyone in my position would’ve done the same.”

I smiled at Selio and sincerely praised him. “No, you’re just really kind and helpful.”

He smiled but said nothing more. Instead, he skillfully peeled the ripe mango using only his hands.

I watched as Selio opened his mouth and took a big bite. The juice immediately dripped onto his palm. Once again, the imaginary scene I had conjured earlier crossed my mind.

An image where his lips were ravaging my n*pple.

I quickly looked away when his gaze shifted toward me, as if he had sensed my shameless staring. I hadn’t even realized I had been staring at him.

I swallowed awkwardly as my throat suddenly went dry.

“By the way, how do I get back to Orion? I feel like I’ve been bothering you too much, and I should head back.”

Selio thought for a moment and shook his head.

“You might have a hard time getting back to the hotel. Boats aren’t allowed to sail right now because of the strong waves caused by the incoming storm.”

I was taken aback by what he said.

“Wait, why would I need a boat? I just walked away from the hotel,” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Was he serious? But he wouldn’t gain anything from joking about this.

Instead of laughing or taking it back, he simply shrugged and pointed to a distant island.

“That’s where Orion is. I found you by the shore last night. If you want, you can stay here for now until it’s safe to sail. You can come with me later—I also have something to take care of there.”

I stared blankly at the island where all my things were. No wonder my muscles were aching. It was a good thing I didn’t sink and instead drifted to another island.

Was I lucky? A long sigh escaped my lips as I weighed all the troubling events I experienced this past few days.

“If you prefer, I can recommend a lot of resorts for you to choose from.”

"Hmmm."

Once I recovered, I thanked him again. After calming down, I remembered a very important matter I've been mulling over: my clothes.

It was a bit awkward to bring up the topic. How should I ask? After counting a few seconds to prepare myself, I opened my mouth—but only to suddenly gripped the hem of my shirt tighter when a strong gust of wind blew.

“Um, about my clothes…”

We locked eyes for a moment, but he quickly looked away. I thought he was just embarrassed too, but he pointed behind me.

When I followed his gaze, I saw the shirt I wore last night and my underwear hanging together with what seemed to be his clothes.

He washed my clothes… including my underwear?!

I felt my cheeks instantly burn.

Out of sheer embarrassment, I didn’t even realize how I grabbed my now-dry clothes and returned to theroom where I woke up. The last thing I remembered was Selio’s reddened ears before I hurried inside and went upstairs to the bedroom.