"I'll wait here." Ryan dug in his heels. No way was he trailing her through the lingerie section—even if he could stomach the embarrassment, the other female shoppers would die of secondhand shame.
"Come on." Chloe deployed her signature pout, tugging at his arm with both hands. Her wheedling skills were Olympic-level.
"Chloe, don't be difficult." Ryan stood firm as a statue, though his scolding lacked bite—more plea than reprimand.
But Chloe Johnson didn't know the meaning of surrender, especially not with Ryan Carter. History proved he'd never successfully refused her.
Naturally, she won. Again.
As Ryan reluctantly trailed her past racks of lace and silk, they drew glances—not judgmental stares, but envious ones. A man willing to browse lingerie with his girlfriend? That was rarer than unicorns.
Chloe clung to his arm, basking in the approving smiles.
If only Ryan weren't gay. The thought drew a quiet sigh from her. The struggle continues.
"Why the sigh?" Ryan caught her quiet exhale.
"If you weren't ga—" Chloe clamped her mouth shut, realizing her slip.
She shot him a sideways glance—he was waiting for her to finish. Flustered, she held up a sheer white nightgown against herself. "Do you like it?" Distraction deployed.
Ryan sensed evasion. "If you weren't ga—"? Gay? No way.
He had nothing against homosexuality, but personally? Women all the way.
"Ryan! Ryan!" Chloe waved a hand in front of his glazed eyes. Where had he zoned off to?
"Huh?" Blinking back to reality, he focused on the nightgown in her hands—and his eyes flared.
That thing might as well be invisible. If she wore it tonight, he'd be reduced to ashes by dawn.
Safety first: Ryan snatched it back onto the rack, swapping it for head-to-toe flannel covered in cartoon ducks.
Seriously? Chloe wrinkled her nose at the childish print. Absolutely not. While Ryan drifted into another overthink spiral, she zeroed in on the mannequin's silver-satin chemise.
Ryan's thoughts raced back—ever since Chloe saw Ziping giving him that massage, she'd been pulling these bold, unpredictable stunts that left him utterly defenseless...
God! Could she actually think I'm gay? But who'd put that idea in her head? Knowing Chloe Johnson, she'd never have jumped to that conclusion on her own.
"All set!" Chloe reappeared, shopping bag in hand, snapping Ryan out of his spiral.
As night fell, Ryan Carter and Chloe Johnson returned to the penthouse of The Apexion Tower.
Chloe Johnson headed into the bathroom to shower, while Ryan Carter casually poured himself a glass of water and sat down to watch TV.
"Ryan, how does this pajama set look?" Chloe asked after her shower, having changed into a silver-white nightgown.
Ryan turned to see Chloe walking toward him in a silver spaghetti-strap nightgown.
The straps were short, and the fabric wasn't sheer—by all means, it shouldn't have been particularly seductive. Yet the soft silk material and sleek tailoring clung gently to her body as she moved, perfectly outlining her curves. It was far more tantalizing than any low-cut or sheer nightwear!
Averting his gaze, Ryan excused himself to take a cold shower, brushing off Chloe's provocation.
He had some idea of what she was doing—she might be trying to help him. But why go this far?
Until she was certain about her own feelings, he wouldn't lay a finger on her. Even if every cell in his body screamed for her, his rationality wouldn't allow it.
Once Ryan was in the bathroom, Chloe secretly slipped a sleeping pill into his glass. Tomorrow was Sunday anyway—he didn't have work, so he could sleep in as late as he wanted.
After his shower, Ryan sat back on the couch and drank the spiked water.
Chloe Johnson watched as Ryan Carter drank the water, suppressing a sly smile.
"That's a pretty sneaky grin," Ryan remarked, catching her expression. Why did he feel like he was being set up?
"No, it's not—" she denied hastily, then snuggled closer to him, changing the subject. "Ryan, I wanted to tell you… Alex went to the UK."
For some reason, she needed to clarify things about her and Alex now. She refused to let Ryan think they were still a couple. After realizing her true feelings, she couldn't bear any misunderstanding between them.
"You…" Ryan started to ask her thoughts, but Chloe cut him off.
"When he told me, I actually felt relieved. Isn't that awful?" She already knew what Ryan wanted to ask, so she answered before he could finish.
Ryan's heart ached as he pulled Chloe into his arms. He saw her guilt and confusion clearly—and sighed at his own past suffering.
"I think I was always better suited as Alex's friend—cheering him on from the sidelines. He's extraordinary; I'm just… ordinary. Being with him made me feel insecure. So when he asked me to be his girlfriend, I didn't know how to react. I just went along with it blindly." Resting her head on Ryan's shoulder, Chloe poured out her thoughts, finally feeling lighter.
"Ordinary is a blessing," Ryan murmured softly.
The woman he loved was back in his arms, sharing her heart openly. The hardest days were behind them now.
Just then, the sleeping pill began taking effect. Ryan Carter was surprised by how drowsy he'd suddenly become. As he drifted off, he told himself it would be a peaceful night—completely unaware of the crisis awaiting him.
Watching Ryan asleep on the bed, Chloe Johnson smirked in satisfaction.
Perfect. Everything was going exactly as planned.
She retrieved two neckties from the closet and used them to bind Ryan's hands to the wooden bedposts. Let's see him try to escape tomorrow!
With all preparations complete, Chloe climbed into bed and curled up against him, falling asleep in his arms.
The next morning, Ryan Carter woke up and tried to stretch, only to find his hands tied to the bedposts, completely immobilized.
Turning his head, he saw Chloe Johnson sitting beside him, waiting for him to wake up.
"Chloe, untie me. Stop playing around!" Ryan warned, his tone signaling serious trouble.
"Shh, no talking, okay?" Ignoring him, Chloe leaned down and sealed his lips with a kiss, silencing his protests as she began administering her "intensive treatment" for Ryan's condition.
Starting with his thin lips, she nipped at them teasingly, her agonizingly slow pace designed to frustrate.
Her hands slipped beneath his shirt, lightly tracing the contours of his firm pectorals, feeling his racing heartbeat and tension as she deliberately dragged her touch across his chest.
Ryan, ignited by her smooth caresses, retaliated by crushing his lips against hers in a furious kiss.
The intensity startled Chloe. She jerked back, only to meet Ryan's blazing glare.
Flustered, she averted her eyes and avoided his mouth, lowering her head to focus on his helpless body instead. Her tongue trailed down from his Adam's apple, inch by inch, systematically incinerating Ryan's self-control.
"Chloe..." Ryan groaned. This feeling of being at someone else's mercy left him powerless - a sensation he hated. He preferred being in control of everything.
Chloe's hand slid past his flat abdomen, pausing when it reached his waistband. She swallowed hard. Should she go further?
"Chloe, stop!" Ryan roared.
He yanked violently at his restraints, making the bed shake violently. Gone was his usual gentle demeanor - he was pure wild intensity now.
Startled, Chloe decided to end today's game here.
Seeing how the ties had chafed Ryan's wrists raw from his struggles, her heart softened. Without considering the consequences, she untied the neckties binding him.
Ryan's first act of freedom? Flipping Chloe onto her stomach and delivering a firm spanking to her backside.
She'd gone too far, daring to play this kind of game with him!
Chloe squirmed to escape, but her frantic movements made her spaghetti strap slip loose. Before either could react, the strap slid down - both could only watch helplessly as it fell.
In one swift motion, Ryan pulled the stunned Chloe against him, catching the falling strap and what remained of his self-control. Pinning her to the mattress, he crushed his lips against hers in punishing kiss.
"Did the AC break?" Chloe wondered dazedly, overwhelmed by the sudden heat. Her thoughts scattered as she clung to Ryan Carter instinctively, feeling his weight and burning warmth against her.
Waves of heat radiated from his body, licking at her skin like flames. Part of her wanted the fire to grow stronger—to reduce her to ashes if it meant satisfying this inexplicable, all-consuming craving.
"God! Damn it!" Ryan abruptly tore himself away and bolted for the bathroom again.
Chloe couldn't understand why her own body temperature had skyrocketed so alarmingly, yet she ached for more contact with Ryan—even though his skin burned hotter than hers...
Ryan emerged from the bathroom after his cold shower.
Seeing him dripping wet, Chloe scolded, "Who takes a shower fully clothed?"
"Like I had a choice," Ryan muttered under his breath. Grabbing dry clothes, he retreated back into the bathroom without another glance at Chloe.
When he reappeared dressed, Ryan was determined to get answers—he refused to suffer these unjust accusations any longer.
"Chloe, have you been listening to rumors about me?"
"N-no!" she denied too quickly.
She was a terrible liar. The way she dropped her gaze and flushed gave her away instantly.
"Good girls shouldn't tease men like that, you know."
I know, Chloe thought silently. But I'm making this sacrifice for you!