Men couldn't handle seeing a woman cry, and no woman liked to see her man vulnerable, either., Not anyone could claim the high ground the first time when it came to intimate matters between a man and a woman., What mattered most was that Fanny, ever so thoughtful, sent me a message, mentioning it was normal for a woman to feel hurt after her first time and that I shouldn't hold it against Ernest., I reckoned Ernest owed Fanny big time for smoothing things over without making a scene and arranging for his sister to consult with Yates., I was still hurting, and Ernest should've been reigning in his desires. So, I thought he'd retreat to his room for the night. But no, Ernest didn't leave. Instead, he held me closer.,

"Ernest, doesn't it bother you?

" I teased, nestled in his arms., He just replied,

"Quit talking. Let's sleep.

", I chuckled.

"Think you can sleep?

",

"Licia,

" his voice was all husky,

"don't mess around.

", He was struggling, filled with desire, yet so restrained. If Ernest had slept alone, it wouldn't have been so hard on him. But no, he had to stick around me, masochist that he was. I poked him with my finger.

"Why even do this to yourself?

", All I got in response was him pulling me in tighter, and right then, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Even the toughest guys had their soft spots.,

"When do you plan on bringing Susie over?

" I shifted the conversation to something more serious while still in his embrace.,

"I'll sort it out at the office tomorrow and go get her,

" Ernest's hand gently caressed my shoulder.,

"Coming straight back, or will you stay out a few days?

" I asked casually.,

"How long do you want me to stay out?

" He surprisingly asked me back., I paused, suddenly catching his drift. He was hinting that I might miss him., This man was quite a narcissist., I chose not to bite on that, instead asking,

"Are you flying back or taking the train?

",

"Either works. It depends on the schedule,

" Ernest's voice was deep and soothing, lulling me toward sleep., When you're on the brink of sleep, your guard is at its lowest. Relying on what I knew, I blurted out,

"Trains are more comfortable.

",

"Hmm, then train it is,

" Ernest was all for doing whatever I suggested., My eyelids were battling it out.

"Susie will be so happy to see you.

",

"She likes you, too. She will be happy to see you as well...

" His words trailed as I drifted off., Thinking of how much Susie liked me.

"Yeah, I'm her sister-in-law.

", Ernest let out a soft laugh, and I fell asleep., However, when I turned over in the middle of the night, Ernest wasn't by my side., I thought he had left, but then I saw light coming from the living room. Leaning in closer, I could just make out some huffing and puffing sounds. What was Ernest up to?, Barefoot, I tiptoed over, only to freeze at the sight. Ernest was down on the living room floor, doing push-ups. Was that his new morning routine?, I glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 AM, not morning, more like night training., So, was he unable to sleep? But why?, The realization hit me, and I quietly retreated, returning to bed to pretend to sleep., That was right, pretend. I couldn't fall back asleep either., I heard Ernest doing push-ups for half an hour, followed by a shower that lasted just as long before he finally climbed back to bed., Only then, nestled in his arms, I managed to drift off., When I woke up in the morning, Ernest had prepared breakfast., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.