CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 89: MAY I KISS YOU?

The room fell into darkness.

Holly couldn’t sleep at all, as if something was blocking her chest.

Especially listening to the sound of even breathing beside her, the nameless fire inside her burned even more fiercely.

She finally couldn’t help it, turned over, and faced him.

Holly spoke softly, with a grievance she hadn’t noticed herself: "Blake... are you asleep?"

"Not yet." His voice sounded very awake.

"You... are you angry at me?" she hesitated to ask.

"No."

He answered very quickly, even with a slight laugh, "How could I be angry at you, I’m just keeping my promise."

"Oh..." Holly pursed her lips, feeling even more uncomfortable.

Keeping the promise? Did it have to be this thorough?

You really are a man of your word, your credit score must be over eight hundred!

Silence spread in the darkness, with a touch of awkwardness and heat.

Holly steeled herself and scooted closer, almost pressing her whole body against him.

At this moment, she heard a very soft laugh next to her, exceptionally clear in the middle of the night.

Blake turned to face her, extended his arm, and pulled her into his embrace.

Holly was taken aback, before she could react, she felt him lower his head slightly, close enough to almost touch her lips.

He spoke seriously, "First rule of our agreement. So, may I ask, Mrs. Sinclair, can I kiss you now?"

His tone was too formal, too polite, and even carried a deliberate sense of distance.

Holly felt her cheeks heat up from his sudden request, yet her heart involuntarily sped up.

How polite of him.

Alright~

She pretended to be reserved and nodded slightly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "...Yes, you may."

With permission received, Blake lowered his head, and a light kiss fell on her.

Holly instinctively closed her eyes, and just as she prepared to welcome a long-awaited and lingering kiss, he touched lightly and then parted.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, even shorter than a good morning or good night kiss.

Separated?!

That’s it?

No... That’s it?

Holly was bewildered, she opened her eyes, meeting his clearly smiling eyes in the dim light.

Did he just end it like this?

The spark in her heart that had just been ignited hung in midair, making her itch unbearably.

"Alright, thank you, madam, for granting approval, and good night."

Blake seemed to have completed a task, contentedly ruffled her hair, held her again, closed his eyes, and began to sleep.

Holly froze in his arms, breath stuck in her chest, neither out nor swallowed.

She could hardly believe it!

Did he just... stop like that?

Holly bit her lip in frustration and annoyance, should she say, "You didn’t kiss enough, do it again"?

Wouldn’t she have any dignity left!

She looked at the culprit sleeping peacefully beside her, only to turn her back on him, seething, and closed her eyes.

The following days almost became a repeat of that night in events.

After that night, Blake occasionally whispered sweet nothings to her, his fingers pretending to inadvertently brush her neck while drying her hair, and when they were cuddled on the sofa watching a movie, or almost at bedtime, he would suddenly ask her, "Mrs. Sinclair, can I kiss you now?"

Each time, Holly’s heart would skip a beat at his serious inquiry, then she would pretend to be calm and consent.

But each time! He would just stop at the surface, touch and leave, never crossing the line, leaving her heart itching unbearably and roaring in her mind.

Holly even came up with a dark guess that Blake wasn’t just keeping a promise but was retaliating against her in a more advanced, torturous way!

This man, to be able to endure this? Even a millennium-old ninja turtle wouldn’t be as skilled as he is.

Finally, at a certain point, after being teased by a good night kiss shorter than licking an ice cream, the next day, Holly couldn’t resist sending a distress signal to her adviser, Celia.

On the other end of the line, Celia laughed uncontrollably after hearing her complaint, "Hahaha! Senior, President Sinclair is playing a psychological game with you! He’s an expert!"

"Stop laughing! Quickly, think of a way for me!" Holly said, embarrassed and annoyed.

Celia stopped laughing, lowered her voice, and began to offer advice, "Isn’t this simple? Isn’t he playing hard to get? Just hit him directly, put on the secret weapon I gave you last time! I bet President Sinclair won’t be able to hold back, ensuring he forgets all agreements and turns into a wolf immediately!"

Holly twitched at the "wolf howl" on the other end of the phone.

Too bold of you, girlfriend.

Secret weapon?

She recalled the scantily clad outfits she had buried at the bottom of her wardrobe and immediately refused, "What kind of bad idea is that? That... how can I wear it?"

"Oh my dear senior, what era is this! It’s just conjugal fun! Trust me, put it on, stand in front of him, I don’t believe he can endure it!"

Celia continued to fan the flames on the other end, getting more excited as she spoke.

Holly hung up the phone, blushing, but her heart inexplicably sped up because of Celia’s suggestion.

Driven by some unknown impulse, she walked to the wardrobe, opened the bottom drawer, and saw that familiar pink box.

She opened it, took out the pale pink, thin lace edge, then picked up another piece with scant red fabric.

Just imagining what it would look like on, Holly’s face turned hot enough to fry an egg.

No, no, no.

She hurriedly threw the clothes back in.

"Forget it, forget it...."

Just a mere fancy, she was a composed Chinese woman, as strong as an eagle with steely determination...

"What are you looking at?"

As she was muttering, she suddenly heard Blake’s voice from behind her.

Holly was startled, her hand shook, and she hastily closed the drawer, turned around, her back tightly against the wardrobe door, stammering, "N-nothing! Just... sorting out clothes!"

Blake glanced at her flushed ears and the unnatural red on her face, then at the tightly closed drawer behind her, a hint of knowing smile flashed in his eyes.

But he didn’t ask anything, simply nodded nonchalantly, "Okay."

He said and stepped forward.

Holly watched him reach towards the wardrobe, an eagle spreading its wings, blocked him, "What are you doing?"

Did he see just now?

Blake raised an eyebrow and leaned down slowly.

Holly’s heart trembled, her mind went blank.

However, Blake’s hand passed under her hand, and lightly hooked, opened the wardrobe door, "Getting clothes to shower."

Holly: ".....Oh."

She shifted to the side, watching Blake retrieve his change of clothes, turn and leave to the bathroom to clean up.

He spent the whole time getting clothes, without looking anywhere else, nor did he touch her.

Watching his back, the bit of courage that Celia had just roused in her heart instantly crumbled away.

Forget it, forget it, this kind of thing, she really couldn’t bring herself to wear.

That night, as usual, Blake remained a perfect gentleman, giving her a good night kiss and no more.

Holly nestled in his arms, secretly sized him up with the light from the window.

This man, obviously wanting desperately, but can endure to this extent, how does he manage to do that?

Holly felt a wave of inexplicable dissatisfaction.

But she hadn’t expected that the one who was supposed to exercise restraint was her, the one who set the rules was her, yet in the end, she was the one to break the agreement first.

Just on Blake’s birthday, she was the first to surrender, completely defeated...