Chapter 62

Elena closed her eyes and gently brushed her lips over the spot where Richard’s pulse was beating hard beneath his skin.

Richard lowered his gaze to her. She was still curled against him, and with her head tilted to one side, the long, graceful line of her own neck was completely exposed. Beneath her pale skin, he could just make out the faint blue trace of a vein.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer as she sat upright, until their chests rested against each other and even their heartbeats seemed impossibly close.

“Just take your time,” Elena said softly. “The fact that you’ve already gotten past so much of it is impressive.”

They’d been physically close plenty of times before without Richard reacting like this. She had probably just happened to touch the exact spot connected to that old injury tonight.

Richard’s arm tightened around her. “Thanks. But I’ll get used to it. Can’t have my future wife worrying about me.”

Elena immediately looked up at him, heat rushing to her face. “Future wife? Who said anything about marrying you?”

Richard laughed and ran a hand over the back of her head. “Girlfriend, then?”

This time, the word came out more seriously. There was something almost unfamiliar about the way he said it, as though girlfriend was a role he’d never expected to have much use for.

Elena tucked herself a little deeper against his chest, suddenly too embarrassed to look at him.

“…Whatever.”

The answer slipped out before she thought about it.

Wait.

Whatever?

That sounded dangerously close to agreeing with him.

Before Elena could figure out how to take it back, her feet suddenly left the floor.

Richard slipped one arm around her waist and the other beneath her knees, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.

“Hey!”

Elena immediately wrapped both arms around his neck.

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Richard carried her upstairs toward the master bedroom. Somewhere along the way, he looked down at her and kissed her again.

Elena barely had time to protest before the kiss moved from the corner of her mouth to her cheek and then the side of her neck. She clung to his shoulders, half laughing and half trying to avoid him.

“Slow down…”

Richard didn’t seem particularly interested in listening.

The bedroom door opened and shut behind them, and a moment later Elena found herself sinking into the enormous bed. Before she’d even caught her breath, Richard was already leaning over her, one knee on the mattress and his hands braced on either side of her.

He didn’t do anything. He simply looked at her.

Somehow, that was worse.

Elena suddenly remembered just how much she’d been teasing him downstairs. She retreated toward the pillows and looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, as though none of this had anything to do with her.

“Mr. Sterling…”

Richard’s breathing deepened slightly. The muscles in his arms were tense as he remained above her, but he didn’t move any closer.

“Mr. Sterling?” he repeated, one corner of his mouth lifting. “You’re not going to call me something else anymore?”

Elena narrowed her eyes.

Then the wicked smile came back.

“Oh!” she said, as though she’d suddenly remembered something important. “You’re right. Since you called Charlotte’s father an old man, and technically you two are from the same generation…”

She put on an extremely serious expression.

“Sorry, Uncle Richard. How rude of me.”

Richard stared at her.

“He’s more than twenty years older than I am.”

Elena knew perfectly well that Mr. Whitmore was much older. Charlotte had bragged before about how much her three older brothers spoiled her, so the age gap in that family was hardly a secret.

“Right, right.” Elena nodded solemnly. “Mr. Whitmore is old. You’re just… aging exceptionally well. Completely different.”

Richard almost laughed despite himself.

Rationally, he knew the little menace in front of him was doing it on purpose. Still, considering she was more than a decade younger than him, those particular jokes managed to irritate him more than he cared to admit.

He looked at the laughter in her eyes, and his expression suddenly went cold.

Elena froze.

Richard had always had striking features: strong brows, deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and sharp lines that gave his face a naturally commanding look. Usually, his calmness softened that impression, especially around her. There was almost always some trace of patience or indulgence in his eyes.

Now the warmth disappeared. His dark eyes turned unreadable, his lips settling into a hard line. Without the faint amusement she had grown used to, there was something genuinely intimidating about him.

Elena’s heart skipped.

Then Richard reached for her.

Elena’s eyes widened.

Was he going to hit her?

Or rip her clothes off?

His hand landed on her waist.

And started tickling her.

“Ah!”

Elena practically launched herself off the mattress.

“Hahahaha—stop! Oh my God, that tickles! What are you doing?!”

Of all the things she’d expected, this definitely hadn’t been one of them. And the worst part was that it really did tickle. She could touch the same spot herself and feel absolutely nothing, but the second someone else did it, apparently her body became a traitor.

“Stop! Hahaha—stop, stop!”

Richard ignored her completely. He pinned her flailing hands with one of his and used the other to attack her waist and ribs. Elena twisted helplessly beneath him, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

“Uncle Richard?” Richard asked, the cold look in his eyes already gone. “Go on. Call me that again.”

“I won’t! Hahahaha—I swear I won’t!”

“What are you going to call me from now on?”

Elena stared at him through the chaos.

“?”

Richard leaned down and gave her ear a light bite.

“Answer me.”

“Uh…” Elena dragged in a breath, her brain barely functioning. “Chairman?”

Richard went silent.

As if he didn’t already have enough people calling him that.

His fingers immediately returned to her waist.

“No—hahahahaha!”

Elena laughed until tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She twisted and rolled across the bed like a fish out of water, but there was no escaping Richard’s arms. By now, the previously immaculate sheets were a complete mess.

“Wait!” Elena gasped between bursts of laughter. “I just—I thought of another one…”

Richard finally gave her enough room to breathe. “Hmm?”

Elena sucked in a breath, still grinning. “One that absolutely no one else will ever call you.”

Richard looked at her expectantly.

“I could call you by your ID number. Or your driver’s license number. Or your passport number.” She blinked at him. “Pick one.”

Richard stared at her in silence.