ASTRID

"Sorry," he said with a teasing smile, his hands gently tugging my sweater back into place. I could hardly breathe after our intense make-out session and didn’t even notice my top had ridden up, exposing more skin than I intended. To make things worse, I wasn’t wearing a bra.

I was still on top of him, my chest heaving as I tried to steady myself. Everything had happened so fast. One moment, he was pulling me closer; the next, I was straddling him, his hands exploring every inch of my skin. The memory made my cheeks burn, and I gave him a half-hearted shove as I remembered the way his fingers lingered.

It almost made me forget how much of a gentleman he could be in public. But here, behind closed doors? He was a completely different person. Deceptively sweet on the surface, but when he got the chance to touch me—let’s just say his innocent looks were very misleading.

Flustered, I tried to get up, but his hands tightened around my waist, pulling me into a warm hug. I sighed and rested my chin on his shoulder, unable to fight the smile creeping onto my lips. So clingy.

As our breathing finally steadied, our eyes met, and we both broke into laughter, the intensity of the moment fading. "You want to shower with me?" he asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence.

“Hmm... later,” I murmured, then furrowed my brows as realization hit. “Wait. With you?” I clarified, narrowing my eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “You don’t want to?” he teased. Leaning in closer, he whispered into my ear, "Why not? We always shower together. What’s stopping you now?"

“You have a condom?” I shot back, giggling as I playfully pushed his chest.

His lips parted in amusement before he laughed softly. “Talk about character development, love.”

“Do you or don’t you?” I pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t have one right now,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

“Offer declined then!” I declared with a scrunched nose. Guess he’s not a Boy Scout after all.

“Just a shower,” he urged. “Promise," he insisted again, raising his hand as if swearing an oath.

"Oh, sure," I said, rolling my eyes. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “I know a scam when I see one. I don’t trust your ‘just a shower.’”

“You’ll seduce me, then I’ll end up begging for it!” I accused, acting as if I had caught him red-handed. “Art the scammer!” I declared.

"Fine," he said, laughing as he threw his head back. "Let’s skip the shower. How about we just stay in and have a lazy Sunday instead?" He leaned in to place a soft kiss on my cheek before effortlessly lifting me off him and settling me on the sofa, standing up in one smooth motion.

“Maybe I should actually consider the doctor’s advice,” I said thoughtfully. “The Depo shot or an IUD might be a good idea—just to be safe.”

“Let’s not rush into it,” he said, his voice calm and steady. “We should weigh the options first. I don’t want you dealing with side effects. For now I'll adjust for you.” He paused, then smirked. “Or maybe you’ll adjust for me since it wouldn’t be raw anymore,” he teased with a mischievous look in his eye.

“Love!” I gasped, mortified as I realized he was talking about condoms. It felt as though I could hear my own voice haunting me—begging him to fill me all over again.

His playful and teasing side can be so annoying, but at the same time, I love him more than anything.

And I can’t believe we’re really okay now after all that misunderstanding. It feels like everything’s back to normal again. My heart’s skipping a beat from sheer contentment.

“Wait. Doesn’t a lazy day mean we do absolutely nothing all day? So why are you standing up?” I asked, then sprawled back onto the sofa, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“You need to eat,” he said without hesitation, opening the fridge and looking closely inside. “And this time, on time,” he added with a gentle but firm tone.

“I’m going to help you fix your lifestyle, right?” he said, but I stayed silent. I didn’t think I needed that kind of fixing. I just wanted to drink coffee and sleep late as much as I wanted. But then again… my period. Pills alone can’t fix that.

A few seconds passed, and I glanced at him, curious. He closed the fridge door with a chuckle and turned to face me. “I forgot I haven’t stayed here for a while,” he said, still smiling. “There’s only water in here,” he muttered, pulling out his phone.

“Let’s just have something delivered,” he suggested, making me sit up in interest.

“Can we have Japanese food?” I asked sweetly, my eyes lighting up.

“Rice?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I pouted. “No.”

“Eat rice, love,” he teased, scrolling through his phone. “You’re already sexy. Perfect just the way you are—no need for the diet,” he added with a grin that made my heart flutter.

What a professional sweet talker.

My cheeks flushed instantly at his words, recalling the way his hands had caressed the curves of my waist earlier, his touch lingering as his lips claimed mine in that heated kiss.

Oh my gosh, the memory made me feel all hot inside. It was enough to make me feel all kinds of things.

“Chicken? Beef? Pork?” he asked, looking at me intently before handing me his phone. I bit my lip, torn between what I wanted for lunch.

“I’m torn between Chicken Nanban and Beef Yakiniku,” I said, still unsure of what I really wanted.

“Get both, then you can pick whichever you’re in the mood for,” he suggested casually, his voice full of that caring assurance that made my heart skip a beat.

“What about you?” I asked, clicking both options.

“I’ll get whatever you don’t want,” he replied with a smile, taking his phone back from me. He started adding more items to the order, making me raise an eyebrow. Can we really finish all that?

After placing the order, his phone suddenly rang. Wow, that was fast. “Hold on a sec,” he said, but instead of heading to the door, he turned towards the bedroom.

So it wasn’t the delivery guy?

I pouted, feeling a little confused. What did he mean he would eat what I liked the least? Does that mean he didn’t order what he actually wanted just because I picked two options? He’s too sweet!

I lay back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what to do next while I waited. Check my social media? Maybe take a shower? I wondered if my undergarments were dry by now.

I stood up and walked toward the bedroom. I had hung them on the balcony last night, so maybe it was time to check.

Turning the doorknob, I stepped inside only to find Art sitting in the office chair, deep in conversation on the phone. His eyes met mine, and he smiled, tapping his lap, silently inviting me to join him.

The invitation was hard to resist—tempting even. But he’s busy, so it’s a no. 

Immediately, I shook my head and made my way toward the balcony to grab my undergarments. But I couldn’t help overhearing his conversation.

“Yeah, I saw the first article yesterday while we were eating,” he said, leaning back in his chair, his voice calm.

“Yeah, I saw the rest this morning too,” he continued, now watching me intently as I sat down on the edge of the bed in front of him. He stood up slightly, reaching out to take my hand and pull me closer. Still holding my panty and bra, I followed him willingly.

Before I knew it, I was sitting on his lap while he stayed in the swivel chair. My seat!

I rested my head against his chest, quietly listening as he spoke into the phone. His hand found its way to my back, gently caressing it as he continued to talk.

“Right. Over fifteen new endorsements,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “That’s good for her. She’ll need the money, especially since she’s going against me,” he added with a light laugh.

Who’s going against him? Xena? I couldn’t believe how confident he was.

“Oh, Estelle?” he asked, tightening his grip around my waist. I furrowed my brow. Who was he talking to?

“She’s here... on top—” he trailed off when I gave him a playful nudge in the chest. Too much information! “She’s here beside me,” he corrected, his eyes drifting to my hand where I was still holding my undergarments.

Embarrassed, I bit my lip as he flashed me a teasing smile, reaching out to take them from my hands.

“No, we’re still arguing about it,” he said, holding my bra up with a mischievous smile. I snatched it back, making a face at him.

I figured he was talking to Atty. Jandro about the case. From what I gathered, they were still going back and forth. Aside from his teasing, Art and I often argued about the libel and oral defamation case he was preparing to file against Xena. He kept pushing for it, while I insisted that he should just move on like I had.

“I still have six months left to file for the oral defamation, and a year for the libel case, right?” Art asked into the phone.

“Less than five months for oral defamation, and less than eleven months for libel. Everything's already settled. I just need the go signal.” Atty. Jandro’s voice came through the phone.

"Okay, I’ll take note of that," Art confirmed.

“Are you going later?” he asked, nodding multiple times as though Atty. Jandro could see him. “See you then.” He hung up the phone and tossed it onto the table, the conversation coming to an end.

“Atty. Jandro,” he murmured, as though informing me of who was on the other end of the line.

“I know,” I replied, smirking. “It sounds like you two are gossiping more than actually talking about the case,” I teased, setting my undergarments aside on the table.

“Gossiping, huh?” He raised an eyebrow playfully, lifting my chin to get my full attention. “So, you finally agree that we should get serious and file the case?”

I paused, almost caught off guard.

“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “Let’s not talk about that today. We just made up,” I added quickly, steering the conversation in another direction.

It was truth! Whenever we argued about that, it always led to more tension. We had just made up, and I wasn’t about to let that ruin our Sunday. Not when things were just starting to feel right again.

There are times when discussions about the filing get heated, but most of the time, I manage to steer the conversation in my favor. He can’t resist me, especially when I play the ‘don’t ruin the moment’ card. By now, I’m sure he knows exactly what I’m doing, but even so, he still can’t resist my charm.

I saw him sigh deeply, his eyes lingering on me as if he had no other choice but to give in to what I wanted. To console him, I leaned in and pressed a short yet sweet kiss on his lips, which instantly brought a smile to his face.

“Just tell me the details. Who’s got over fifteen endorsements?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“Xena,” he replied, his smile widening as he watched my surprised reaction.

Xena. Of course. That’s who they’d been talking about.

My blood instantly began to boil, the anger bubbling up inside me. Memories of her manipulating and hurting Art flooded my mind. That witch had caused him so much pain. And I wasn’t even upset about the rumors she spread about me—I was more furious at how she gaslit and manipulated him for all these years, making him question everything.

“As much as I love watching you fully immerse yourself in the moment,” he teased, his voice light, “it wouldn’t hurt to check your social media once in a while.”

I almost forgot I had a life outside of work, with how busy everything had been lately. And it was honestly a little surprising that he was more up-to-date on the latest drama than I was.

Speaking of which... I still had a mountain of work waiting for me.

“Love,” I tugged at his shirt, feeling a little guilty. “I can’t do a lazy Sunday today. I’ve got so much editing and proofreading to catch up on,” I explained, my voice tinged with regret.

We usually spend our weekends together, but today I had so much work on my plate that I couldn’t afford to rest.

“It’s alright, we can co-exist,” he reassured me, his voice gentle and soothing. “But love, you really need to stop working so much. It’s beyond your pay grade,” he reminded, the concern in his voice making me pause.

"As a CEO, I'd love to have an employee like you, but as your boyfriend, you're killing me, love. Don't overdo it," he said, as if trying to knock some sense into me.

“I know,” I murmured, resting my head on the crook of his neck, feeling a little overwhelmed. “I’m just working extra hard right now because my boss promised some kind of reward.”

“What kind of reward?” he asked, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my arm. “Maybe I could be the one to give you that,” he teased, his voice low and playful.

My breath caught as I realized—I was working hard, but I didn’t even know what the reward was. I hadn’t even stopped to think about what the reward was. Oh my God. I was so full of myself.

What if I was just working for a simple paper or some small token? Wait—but that’s still a reward! From my boss! From ELLE!

I looked at him, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

“See? You don’t even know what you’re working so hard for,” he said, a knowing smile spreading across his face. “Don’t overwork yourself too much. I could give you what you need, love. I have some connections that could make things easier for you,” he murmured, his tone soft but filled with a promise that made me furrow my brow.

“I don’t want to,” I protested, pulling away slightly. “I don’t need help.”

“Stubborn,” he muttered under his breath. I wasn’t sure if he meant for me to hear that, but it made me nudge his chest.

“I am not!” I exclaimed, pouting a little.

“Whatever you say, love,” he said with a laugh, trailing soft kisses along my collarbone. At first, his kisses were light, but soon they became more lingering and addicting, especially when his lips moved to my neck.

I knew where this was going, so I held his shoulders and gently pushed him back to meet his eyes. “I really have to proofread,” I said softly, trying to maintain focus.

“It’s rest day,” he whispered, pressing one last kiss to my jawline. “And I still have to compete with your work for your attention.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, love. I’ll make it up to you once I finish everything.”

“I’m just kidding. I’ll patiently wait for you,” he replied, offering a reassuring smile. I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“I love you,” I said, giving his cheeks a light squeeze.

“I love you too,” he replied, but his attention shifted to the table.

To my horror, he was holding my undergarments up again, a teasing grin spreading across his face. He examined it for a second before meeting my gaze with a look that made me want to bury myself deep in the bedsheets. We’d done everything by now, but I was still shy about all of this.

What the hell. He really loves teasing me, always finding ways to make me blush or get flustered.

“Does this mean you’re not wearing any right now?” he asked, his voice laced with mischief as he waved the bra in the air, holding it up with his hands.

“Love!” I gasped, feeling my face flush.

I will never get used to this.