All Chapters of They Know What She Wants: Chapter 221 - Chapter 230

I lifted my head, blinking in surprise, and Gage’s arm tightened around me protectively for a second before he relaxed.“Come in,” he called.The door opened a crack, and Mrs. Harlan peeked inside, her kind face softening into a gentle smile when she saw us curled together. She looked so much better than she had in the hospital — her color was back, her posture straight, the caretaker Gage had hired still helping her around the house but giving her space to do the things she loved. She carried a tray with a covered plate and two glasses, the faint scent of warm soup and fresh bread wafting into the room.“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said softly, her eyes twinkling with quiet amusement. “I thought you two might like lunch in bed. Something light like chicken soup and some bread.” Then she added, “You both need to keep your strength up,” in a teasing tone.I felt my cheeks warm, but I couldn’t help the small, grateful smile that tugged at my lips. Mrs. Harlan had always been lik

The door opened without a knock, and Mrs. Harlan bustled in with two younger members of the household staff, all three of them carrying trays of celebratory snacks and a bottle of champagne. “Happy Engagement! We—” She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes landing on the mess on the bed, and on Gage’s shirt. The staff behind her froze too, their faces cycling through shock, confusion, and a hint of second-hand embarrassment. I didn’t care. Not one bit. The ring on my finger sparkled under the bedroom light, and I lifted my hand high, wiggling my fingers so the diamond caught every bit of sunlight streaming through the windows. “Look!” I giggled, my voice bright and a little shaky with leftover tears and laughter. “He proposed. We’re getting married.” Gage’s arm tightened around me instantly, his free hand discreetly adjusting the sheet to keep it high across my chest and lap. I was still completely naked underneath, fresh from the shower we’d shared after the study, and he made sur

I untied the ribbon, the paper crinkling loudly in the quiet apartment as I peeled it back. Inside was a small chocolate cake with messy frosting and a single candle stuck crookedly in the middle. It looked like he’d grabbed it from the grocery store on the way over.“It’s a cake,” I muttered, staring at it like it might bite me.He tilted his head, that small, almost shy smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Do you not like chocolate?”I hated it. Absolutely fucking hated it. The rich, heavy sweetness always sat like a brick in my stomach and left me feeling sick for hours. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. Not when he’d gone out of his way to show up on my birthday with drinks and this lopsided little cake and that look in his eyes like he actually cared whether I liked it. So I forced a smile, the kind that felt a little too wide and a little too fake, and lied through my teeth.“No, it’s one of my favorites,” I answered, the words coming out smoother than I expected.

God! Why did you say that, Mia! I mentally scolded myself, the words screaming in my head like a siren. Why the fuck did I have to blurt it out like that? Like I was trying to remind him of every reason he’d listed in the café about why we could never work—age, baggage, complications, the whole “signing your soul away” speech that still echoed in my nightmares. I could feel my cheeks burning, the heat crawling up my neck, and I wanted to sink into the couch cushions and disappear. Two months of careful friendship, of learning how to sit across from each other without the hotel room hanging over every silence, and here I was, dropping the age-gap bomb right in the middle of my own birthday like a goddamn grenade.But then, thank God, Thea was above the moon and didn’t notice the awkward silence at all. She kept talking, her voice bright and excited, words tumbling out like she couldn’t hold them in any longer. “Gage wanted to come too, but I told him this was a best-friend moment

“Still want me to stay?” he murmured against my lips, voice wrecked.I could barely form words, but I nodded, pulling him down until his weight settled over me again. “Don’t you dare leave now.”My hands slide down the front of his shirt, fingers fumbling with the buttons. I popped them open one by one, desperate to feel skin against skin, while my mouth found his again, tasting the faint salt of my own release on his tongue. Paul groaned into the kiss, hips rocking against me once, twice, like he was barely holding on.I broke away just enough to whisper against his mouth, voice shaky and shameless. “Now… put it inside me.”His eyes flashed dark, pupils blown wide. For half a second he froze, breathing hard, like the words had short-circuited him. Then he cursed under his breath again and reached down between us. I heard the rasp of his zipper, felt the shift of fabric as he shoved his pants and boxers low enough to free himself. The hot, heavy length of him pressed against my thi