[This chapter is dedicated to Victoria_Ward_0901. Thank you for bestowing your power stones to this story every week!]

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After much protest from Jess, Noah was able to keep her in her seat as he drove home, fast. It was already early in the morning and there was no traffic. His sports car flew on the almost empty street that the almost an hour drive from ANAT to their residence took him only twenty minutes.

Jess asked Noah to put down the roof of his car and fell asleep as soon as they hit the highway. She was still sleeping soundly until he parked his car at his designated parking space in their apartment building.

Noah closed the car roof, gently unclasped Jess's seatbelt, and stared at her slightly parted lips. She was sleeping so soundly, he felt bad waking her up.

But he has to. The passenger seat of his car wasn't a comfortable place to sleep. Tonight, she would have a long flight, and once they landed in Mumbai. Dr. Sison would be busy, and that would also make her so busy.

He was just worried that Jess would get mad at him, but he was actually thinking of letting her fly to India in his private plane to make sure she would get a comfortable flight. But, right now, Jess would not only refuse him, but she would also get mad at him.

And he doesn't want that to happen. So, he was controlling himself, and maybe in the near future, Jess won't mind using everything that he owns for whatever he has would be hers too. Because he intended to give everything to her, whether she wants them or not.

He traced her moist lower lip with his index finger and softly called her name. A chuckle escaped his throat when Jess swatted his finger as if it was a fly that was disturbing her sleep.

He softly shook her shoulder and continued to call her name. He wanted to tease her, however, he remembered what Luke told him—how Jess broke his shoulder when he woke her up.

Since then, he tried to be careful in waking up Jess. And so far, the most effective and safe way to wake her up was to call her name.

"Jess, time to wake up, baby," he gently tapped her cheek. "Come on, baby. Let's get you in bed. It would be more comfortable than sleeping in my car."

"Jess...baby?"

She finally stirred from her sleep. She blinked her eyes multiple times and groaned.

"Come now, we are home. Let's go up."

"Jess?"

Noah chuckled as Jess scrunched her nose and started scratching it. It's a clear indication that she was slowly waking up. He just has to continue calling her name and she would wake up on her own.

Noah found this quirk of Jess too adorable when he discovered it. Jess always scratches her nose, even if he isn't waking her up, and wakes up on her own.

"Where are we?" she rolled her neck to her right. Her voice was hoarse, heavy with sleep.

"Parking lot." Noah grabbed Jess's purse before he got out on his side, and quickly moved to the passenger side to open the door for her. "Come now," he reached for her hands that she extended in front of him.

Rather than pull her to him, she fell on top of him, encircling his neck with her arms as she limped her body. Another quirk of Jess, she loves to be pulled up from bed whenever he wakes her up.

His hand slid around the small of her back the same time he closed the passenger door of his sports car. And with Jess, half asleep in his arms, he bent down to pick her up to carry her in his arms. "Baby, legs up," he whispered in her ear.

Jess didn't have to be told twice, her legs wrapped around Noah's hips and he walked to the elevator, carrying Jess in his arms like a child.

He had his elevator card ready to swipe, and within just a few minutes the elevator opened to their floor. Jess has her face buried in his shoulder.

"Your place or mine?"

"Yours," she grumbled.

He knew her answer but he was still tempted to ask because he was wishing that she would say her place. After the first time they had sex in her apartment, Jess didn't invite him over to sleep at her place. It's always his place.

He wondered if a part of Jess still hasn't forgiven him for not contacting her after that night. He already had the passcode to her apartment but he hasn't had the opportunity to use it. Another reason why he asked Jess if she wanted him to bring her to her apartment.

He wanted to open her apartment with the passcode she gave him. But, it won't happen today. Jess wanted to be taken to his place. And that's where they were going.

With her still clinging at him, he keyed in his passcode and entered his dimly lit apartment. He put a mental note to add an automatic light in his foyer. Jess doesn't like the dark.

He didn't put her down when they entered the house. He carried her directly to his bedroom. Jess was too sleepy to do anything.

"Bath," she mumbled when her back hit the mattress.

"Baby, you are too tired to have a bath. Be a good girl and I'll give you a sponge bath."

Jess pouted, "I felt sticky, and…" she sighed in drowsiness.

He pressed a kiss on her temple. "Sponge bath it is."

He left her on his bed, went to his closet, and pulled his old cotton shirt. Jess hunted those old tee-shirts and hoodies. She preferred those as her lounge and sleeping wear whenever she's here in his place.

He wasn't complaining. Jess looked so damn alluring, wearing his old college club t-shirt or his college hoodie. He always likes his women sophisticated, well-put, and when they are in his bed, he loves them naked or wearing satin sleepwear.

Jess hates those. She favored an oversized t-shirt over sexy lingerie and he'll be damned if she doesn't look way sexier in an oversized t-shirt than provocative lingerie. Especially when it was his t-shirt she was wearing.

After taking out his old shirt from his closet, he trod to the bathroom to prepare for her sponge bath.

He returned to his bed carrying a small silver basin full of warm water, a soft white towel soaking in the basin. His old shirt that Jess would wear was draped on his shoulder.

However, when he put down the basin on the side table, Jess was already deeply asleep. She was even snoring lightly.

He couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped his lips. His minx was too tired and he wanted to think that the orgasm he gave her in the car made her sleep well.

He grinned and shook his head. Even though he was glad that she was sleeping well, he would be tortured by the fact that he had to take off her clothes and he couldn't do anything but look.

He had to slide the warm towel on her supple skin and that's all he could do. He would feel like a perverted maniac if he would give her even a tiny squeeze. He would feel guilty that he was acting like he was taking advantage of Jess.

Hence, he tried to think of something else while he did the most difficult task of taking off her clothes and giving a sponge bath to a sleeping Jess.

After a lot of Hail Marys, and visual imagery of the most boring boardroom meeting, he survived and finally finished the task.

"You'll take full responsibility for this, Little Miss Jessie. I will ask for full compensation tomorrow." He looked down at his pants, which were tight in the crotch area.

After pulling the blanket over Jess, tucking her in, he kissed her goodnight. She rolled on her side and mumbled to herself in her sleep. He could not help but laugh when her arms reached for his pillow even while she slept.

"Your body pillow needs a long, freezing shower, minx," he said, turning to his heels, heading to the bathroom.

When he said he needed a long, freezing shower, he meant it. He had to suppress his overwhelming desires for Jess with the help of a cold shower, for he didn't want to attack Jess in her sleep when he returned to bed.

Currently asleep, Jess had no idea what he had to endure to make sure she woke up fresh, for her not to be cranky later. Another quirk of hers was that if she didn't freshen up before going to bed, she would wake up in a bad mood.

He learned it the hard way. They go to sleep after stumbling in bed, exhausted and spent. The next morning, Jessica woke up cranky.

The last thing he wants in the morning is a bitchy Jess.