"So let's dance when it's full moon night. What say?" He winked at her.

"Shameless!" Lilly ran towards the bathroom.

And that night Ashton did something he had never done before. He laughed. He laughed so hard that his cheeks started to hurt. He had never thought that there will never come a time in his life when he would enjoy a conversation with a woman so much. When he would find an argument so entertaining and he had never thought that one day he would be making efforts to chase his wife.

Behind the closed doors of bathroom Lilly could still hear his laughter. Turning the water taps on she looked at her reflection in the mirror. A girl with sparkling eyes and pink cheeks stared back at her and now she could no longer control her laughter. Not sure if she had ever laughed this much in her life. She still couldn't believe she just had this stupid yet funny kind of conversation with ever so serious and always stoic business mogul Ashton king. The man was hilarious.

'Slowly he seems to be breaking your defences.' her inner voice commented.

Her smile disappeared from her face as she remembered the reasons as to why she couldn't let him get closer to herself. If she allowed her feelings for him to born and grow then just like her sister her heart would be stepped upon too, her feelings will be ridiculed. If she allowed any feelings for him to grow then she would not only lose her heart but she would end up losing Sam too. And losing Sam was not something she could afford. She had promised her sister that she'll take care of Sam so he should be her only focus. So she needed to keep her distance from him for the sake of Sam.

When she finally left the bathroom Ashton was already in bed. He was wearing a t-shirt while the lower half of his body was covered duvet and she hoped he was wearing something down there too.

He chose a side for himself on the bed leaving the other side of the wide bed for Lilly. With slow steps, she walked to her side and got on the bed all the while making sure to not make any noise. Switching the lights off she covered herself with the blanket up to her chin.

The only light entering the room was that of the moon. She held the edge of the bed from her side tightly.

'As long as I stick to my side nothing will go wrong. I don't want to end up in his arms early in the morning.' She decided.

Taking a deep breath she turned her head to her right and saw the back of Ashton's head.

'Is he asleep?' she wondered.

"Don't you dare come to my side of the bed?"

Just as the words left her mouth Ashton turned to his left and his sparkling eyes met hers as he said, ''Oh, you have no idea how much I am dying to."

'Oh shit!' She quickly turned her back towards him. 'Why the hell did I open my mouth!?'

"Good night, Mrs King." Ashton chuckled.

She had no idea what was good this night. So far she had done nothing but embarrass herself. She did not remember when exactly the sleep overtook her worries but she was grateful for it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Next morning when warm rays of sun announced the new day Ashton slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of his sleeping bride. Yet, untouched bride, his brain reminded him and he smiled.

He had completed the first step which was to bring her to his room and on his bed. Soon they will proceed to the second step. Ashton smiled as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. With the back of his fingers, he touched her cheek gently, it felt warm and soft under his touch. He looked at her sleeping face which looked calm, beautiful and serene.

He couldn't help but admire her beauty, her courage in deciding to raise a little boy all alone. Her love for Sam sparks in her eyes and he had seen it. The way she looks at Sam and cares for him as if he is the only one in her world. Ashton couldn't help but feel jealous.

'Wait.' he stopped that train of thoughts.

' I am not jealous of Sam. Why would I be jealous of a toddler?'

Just then his eyes fell on the clock. It was already 8.

"Damn it! I am late." he quickly got out of the bed and headed to the bathroom.

The rays from the sun woke Lilly up and she gently rubbed her eyes. Turning her head she looked out of the window which was bringing the early warmth of the sun in and smiled at the chirping of birds. The room looked bigger and the bed was larger than hers and it was then that she realised she was in Ashton's room and on his bed.

She got up quickly and looked around but Ashton was nowhere to be seen. "Maybe he left already." she took a breath of relief. "I just hope I didn't cross the boundary last night." She looked at his side of the bed which was empty and contemplated if she should sleep just a little bit more.

Just as she was about to lie back on the soft sheets she heard the bathroom door click open and from there emerged the Great Ashton King. All bright and shining and fresh out of a shower with a towel wrapped around his hips. He looked the same as last night the only difference was this time instead of the darkness and silver lining of the moon it was the brightness of the sun that clearly showed every cut and sinew of his chiselled body. The water droplets that were still lingering on his body were reflecting the rays of sun and Lilly was no longer sure whether it was the heat from the sun or the endothermic reactions in her body that were responsible for her reddening cheeks.

"Good morning, Mrs King." his voice brought her out of her reveries.

'Gosh! Don't tell me I was checking him out.' she cursed herself inwardly.

"Erm...Good morning."

As he walked to the closet to take his suit and boxers she decided to dash out of the room with the speed of Usain Bolt. But alas! her legs refuse to move out of the bed. For some strange reason, her legs suddenly felt numb clearly announcing their dissent. So she just sat there. Rooted to the spot on the bed.

"Are you planning to sleep a bit more, sleepyhead?"

Lilly raised her head and saw he was dressed in a white shirt and dark blue trousers. With his coat in the hook of his finger, he was ready to enter the business jungle for a hunt.

"Er... No. I'll go and check up on Sam first." Lilly answered willing her voice to behave and stop stuttering.

"Uh...huh. I'm getting late for an important meeting so you and Sam have breakfast without me today."

"Alright." she simply nodded her head keeping her eyes low so as not to get distracted by his hypnotic gaze once again. Then she felt the mattress press a little. Frowning, she raised her head only to find Ashton was coming closer towards her. With one knee pressed on the mattress, he crawled towards her and planted a kiss on her head.

It was so unexpected that it took Lilly 10 good seconds to realise what actually happened.

"Wh- What was that for?" she looked at him in shock.

"A good morning kiss. Couples usually do that." He smiled cheesily.

"And from where did you get that stupid information?"

" I heard about it." He said innocently.

"Then you should give your ears a break and stop hearin - "

Before she could complete her sentence Ashton planted another kiss this time on her lips.

" I have also heard it's a good way to shut your wife." His twinkling eyes looked into her shocked ones. "Even though you have a beautiful voice, my wife but don't waste it in arguments. Save it for later when you will be screaming my name."

"Why would I be screaming your name?" she looked at him, horrified. The only time she remembered herself screaming someone's name was when the neighbourhood boy had run away with her teddy bear.

'Is he going to run away with my Sam?'

He laughed at her expression. This woman had an uncanny ability to make him laugh during any time of the day.

"There are times Mrs King when you make me wonder if there are things about you that I am unaware of."

"I don't think your detectives missed a thing."

"Hmm... yes my people are very efficient." he nodded while adjusting his cufflinks.

"What would you do Mrs King if you had a lot of money."

"I would hire a detective for you," she answered without missing a beat.

"Sounds fair." He chuckled as he brought his face closer to hers.

" I think I would need to watch my steps then."

"Don't worry." Lilly shrugged her shoulders as she continued, ''I don't have money to waste on things like this."

This was the truth though.

"Let's play a game then," Ashton said sitting at the edge of the bed.

What kind of game do you think he is planning to play now? 🤨