Challenge

I slowly pulled my head back when I didn’t get any response from Samuel. But just as my face moved a few centimeters away, his hand suddenly grabbed the back of my neck. He pulled me back with a strong jerk, then immediately sealed my lips with a fierce, hungry kiss.

Inside, I cheered in triumph. I didn’t stay still. I returned Samuel’s kiss with equal passion, devouring his lips, demanding more, while my hand slipped into his hair. This was the response I had been waiting for.

The kiss broke with both of us breathing heavily. But when I looked into his eyes, the warmth vanished, replaced by that same cold, flat gaze, as if the passion earlier had only been a fleeting illusion.

“Leave…” he hissed.

Hearing that, I looked at him in confusion. How could it be that after such a heated kiss, I was being dismissed just like that? Samuel should take responsibility. Something stirred inside me. I wanted more than just a touch on the lips, especially with his tempting body right in front of me.

“Leave, Emelia…!” His voice rose in warning.

“Why? Why should I leave? Why don’t we do more than this?” I challenged, refusing to get off his lap.

“Leave! I said leave, so leave!” he snapped, his anger erupting.

I froze for a moment at the blazing anger in his eyes. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to contain emotions I couldn’t quite read. Was it pure anger, or fear because his defenses were starting to crumble?

In the end, I chose to stand up. I stepped back and decided to leave him alone. After all, that stiff husband of mine had already given in and returned my kiss. That was enough for today. Maybe tomorrow, I would try a bolder way to tear down his walls.

***

I truly couldn’t read Samuel’s mind. Every time I made a mistake, he would punish me. And now, after daring to kiss him earlier, I was being punished again.

Just imagine, at this hour of the night, I was told to clean thousands of books in his study. I let out a rough sigh. Instead of organizing them, I chose to sit in the corner. Besides, the place was already spotless, not even a speck of dust. What was the point of cleaning it again? I might as well read.

But since I didn’t like reading, after just one page, my eyes grew heavy. Without realizing it, I fell asleep on the library floor. Strangely, when I woke up this morning, I was still there, but my body was covered with a thick blanket and my head rested on a soft pillow.

Who did this? Was it Samuel?

The corner of my lips lifted. I was sure that behind his cold and harsh demeanor, Samuel had a gentle side that he kept hidden.

I quickly got up and hurried to his room with a fluttering heart.

I knocked on his door while calling his name, but there was no response. To hell with his rules, I pushed the door open and entered again. The more I was forbidden, the more I would rebel.

My smile widened when I saw him still fast asleep under the covers. Boldly, I slipped under the same blanket. I hugged him tightly, not caring about what would happen next.

“What are you doing, Emelia?!” Samuel snapped as soon as he opened his eyes and found me clinging to him like a koala.

“Sleeping in my husband’s room,” I replied calmly, not letting go.

“Leave!”

“I won’t. I want to sleep with you.”

“Leave, Emelia!”

I sat up, but instead of leaving, I deliberately positioned myself on top of him. “Why should I leave? We are husband and wife, Samuel. I should be sleeping in your arms. Come on, let’s sleep together again.”

“Don’t make me angry, Emelia,” he said, letting out a long breath as he tried to control his emotions.

I nodded with a mischievous smile. Deliberately, I placed a brief kiss on his cheek, then moved to his forehead, nose, and finally his lips. I kissed him slowly, then looked deep into his eyes.

“Kiss me again, okay? I want to kiss, Samuel,” I whined softly. Without waiting for his approval, I sealed his lips again with passion. I explored every part of his lips until he finally responded. Samuel gripped the back of my neck, deepening the kiss.

When the kiss broke, I remained on top of him, resting my head against his warm, broad chest.

“Samuel, I know you’re a good person. Thank you for marrying me,” I said sincerely. After all, he was the one who had freed me from a family that treated me like a servant.

“I don’t care if you treat me like a maid or consider me just a contractual wife. To me, this marriage is real. You are my husband, Samuel. So if you want to take our relationship further... I’m ready,” I whispered as my fingers began to trace his chest.

I heard a low sound escape his lips. Boldly, my hand began to move lower, about to touch him more intimately. But before I could, Samuel grabbed my wrist.

“That’s enough! Go out and take a shower!” he ordered, his breathing slightly uneven.

I pouted in annoyance. “Let’s shower together.”

Samuel shot me a sharp look. I just laughed softly and leaned in again to steal a quick kiss from his lips. I was starting to get addicted to them.

“Thanks for the kiss. Next time, don’t stop at just that. If possible, let’s go further,” I said, winking teasingly. Then I got off the bed and walked out toward my room with a sense of victory.

***

I felt unusually cheerful that morning. I walked lightly toward the large kitchen, where professional chefs were usually busy preparing luxurious meals for the residents of this mansion.

“What would you like to eat, Ma’am?” the head chef asked politely when he saw me.

“I want to cook,” I replied briefly.

“Cook? What do you need, Ma’am? Let me prepare it for you,” he offered hesitantly, perhaps afraid I would mess up his expensive kitchen.

I looked at him sharply. I wanted to make something special for my husband, not just eat someone else’s cooking. “I want to cook myself. That’s final,” I said firmly.

“But let me—”

“No! Step aside, I want to make something with my own hands!” I cut him off.

“Just let her.”

A deep voice interrupted us. Samuel had just arrived in his wheelchair. “Everyone leave. Let her cook here alone,” he ordered coldly.

One by one, the servants and chefs left the kitchen, leaving only me and Samuel in an intimate silence. I smiled in satisfaction, feeling that he had dismissed them so we could spend time together.

“So, what do you want to eat? I’ll cook you something delicious,” I asked as I tied my hair and rolled up my sleeves.

“Nothing fancy. I still want to live,” he said dryly.

I glared at him at that sharp remark. My cooking wasn’t that bad. It wouldn’t kill anyone. “I can cook, you know! I guarantee you’ll get addicted to my food,” I challenged, placing my hands on my hips.

“Fine. Prove it,” he replied, looking at me dismissively.

I smirked as a mischievous idea crossed my mind. “If my cooking is good, can I ask for something in return?”

“What?”

I stepped closer to his wheelchair and bent slightly so our faces were level. “I want us to have a real husband and wife relationship,” I whispered with a challenging gaze.

***

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