Galen let Luna say everything. He did not at all pause every word that came out of Luna's small, slightly rounded, childlike lips. For reasons he did not understand, Galen was intrigued by Luna's lips, which twitched attractively with each sentence that flowed from those tiny lips.
Luna kept talking, relaying the important points that had to be agreed upon in her cooperation with Galen. Galen's continued attention to her didn't bother her at all. To Luna, that was a sign that Galen was serious.
"So what do you think? You agree, right?" asked Luna enthusiastically at the end of her long sentence.
Galen didn't answer right away. Instead, he felt a little disappointed that Luna's lip movement had stopped. The fun was interrupted, and Galen had to focus on the important conversation.
"Some agree, and some need more consideration," Galen replied casually. "Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Why not just agree to everything? It's not hard," Luna asked, a little disappointed that the agreement she proposed didn't go over well.
"Because there will be situations and conditions where it will be impossible to agree on them absolutely," Galen replied calmly.
"Which agreement?"
"About touching. That needs to be discussed further."
Luna tilted her head slightly. It made the other side of her hair dangle in an arc. Galen's hand itched. There was a desire to smooth the hair of the girl, who looked both annoyed and confused. But the man was able to restrain his vague desire.
"Why the silence?" chided Luna impatiently. "Explain to me, what touch did you object to?"
"You seem upset. This conversation won't turn out well if someone is upset."
"No! Don't mind my feelings; just answer my question."
Luna snapped on purpose. She was masking the truth from Galen's judgment. In truth, she was indeed upset. Such an important point was prone to debate, and Galen showed it by raising his objection.
"Indeed, the types of touch you mentioned are very specific, which include holding, caressing, and kissing."
Galen did not continue his sentence. There was a very faint smile on his handsome face. That was because he saw how Luna misbehaved and fixed her seat when Galen mentioned the words caress and kiss. It was quite surprising, since Luna had previously mentioned those two things without embarrassment.
"Why the silence again? Are you like this?" asked Luna, who was beginning to dislike Galen's expression.
"What does this mean?" asked Galen, pulling his right eyebrow up.
"Speaks slowly and always hangs sentences with silence longer than three seconds."
This time, Galen couldn't help but smile. The way Luna was angry, it just looked funny. It was even funnier because Luna folded her arms across her chest. Her pouty face reminded Galen of a child gathering her anger.
"Satisfied?" asked Luna, annoyed that Galen seemed to be laughing at her.
Galen immediately pressed his lips together, trying hard to swallow his amusement. But he realized that this fun couldn't continue any longer. His car might explode due to Luna's anger.
"Sorry, sorry. Okay, let's get back to the topic."
Luna didn't answer, waiting with a ferocious gaze.
"Well, the point is that those three things can't be applied as rigidly as you ask. There will be unforeseen events that will make us have to do the things you've restricted. After all, shouldn't we create a condition that is natural? It shouldn't look stiff, awkward, or weird."
"I don't understand. Do you have any other wishes?" asked Luna.
"Flexible," Galen answered very briefly.
"Flexible in what way? Flexible in your favor, is that it?"
"It's not just about me. Each of us has a goal, and we're working together. The agreements that are made should not be for the benefit of one party or to protect one party, but for the common good."
"Are you saying that the points I mentioned earlier are not favorable to you?" Luna smiled wryly, as if mocking Galen.
"You misunderstand, Miss. Try digesting my words without emotion."
"I didn't misunderstand. You said it very clearly, and it wasn't difficult for me to understand."
Galen saw how stubborn Luna was, and it seemed to be hereditary, as Leah was also very stubborn. But Galen felt that there was something different between Luna and Leah, which was a shy, hesitant attitude. Galen saw that weakness, and it was much more human than Leah, who seemed to want to dominate things with her stubbornness.
With a quick movement, Galen grabbed Luna's hand. The girl did not have time to withdraw her hand, leaving it trapped in Galen's broad grip. Luna could only stare at his fingers with a dumbfounded expression as her tiny fingers became submerged.
"Are there any lovers who don't hold hands like this?" asked Galen, who deliberately rubbed the back of Luna's palm gently, which miraculously made Luna stop trying to pull her fingers away.
Luna's surprised face, with slightly parted lips, tempted Galen's other hand to gently stroke the girl's cheek.
"Are there any lovers who don't give cheek caresses like this?"
Luna held her breath. Her head stiffened, not daring to move. Joshua had touched her cheek many times, but Galen's touch was different. There was a warm feeling that made her cheeks blush.
Luna's silence was like a magnet for Galen. Tempting him to come closer in a strange way Galen could smell the floral scent wafting from Luna's hair. It was obvious because his face was so close to Luna's slightly bowed head.
Galen's fingers, which had been rubbing Luna's cheek, moved near the girl's ear, caressing the lobe.
"Are there any lovers who don't sit as close together as we are right now?"
Galen's heavy voice, coupled with Galen's warm breath, was a jolt of electricity for Luna to escape Galen's powerful aura. Her head shot up, and she immediately turned her head. It was a new calamity for the girl, as her lips almost touched Galen's serene face.
With a jerk of her body and wide eyes, Luna immediately backed away until her back hit the car door. Her angry face became a mask for the shame that was secretly slipping inside.
"Don't touch me! And don't take a chance! You think I can't knock you out, huh? Just because you're big, I'm not afraid to slam you down if you touch me again," threatened Luna.
Instead of being scared, Galen chuckled and returned to his original position. His stance was truly that of an aristocrat, with his legs crossed.
"I'm sure you can do it," Galen taunted. "But I wonder, what are your answers to my questions?"
Luna was stuck. The logical basis was clear: if she and Galen claimed to be lovers who loved each other, then those touches were very commonplace, not very strange. It would even make people's judgment that her relationship with Galen was natural and romantic.
It would have been strange, however, if Luna had put a lot of restrictions in place. Then what people would see would be false, and Luna didn't want that. Her relationship with Galen had to look very natural.
"Don't think too much, darling. We're here."
Luna was in complete shock. She looked outside. The car had already entered the hotel area, and within seconds, it was stopped in the courtyard in front of the lobby. There was no time to argue, and the deal hadn't really happened yet.
A doorman had opened the door for Luna, but the girl didn't come out right away. Instead, she stared at Galen with a sense of unease. There was a desire on her part to keep Galen from getting out of the car, but there was something deep within her that kept Luna from moving.
Her round eyes followed Galen's movement out of the car, around him, and now stood in front of the open car door. Since Luna wasn't moving, Galen bent down to check on the girl.
The close proximity allowed Galen to see the turmoil in Luna's increasingly beautiful eyes.
"Are you coming out?" Galen asked softly.
There was a feeling of apprehension in Galen's gut in case Luna backed out. His desire to hurt Leah was so great, but Galen also couldn't bear it if it made Luna worry about things, let alone be prejudiced against him.
When Luna extended his hand and welcomed him, Galen was quite surprised. The girl took a deep breath and then moved out.
"Are you sure?" asked Galen before taking a step. "If we're already inside, meeting your parents, then there's no going back."
Luna stared into the hotel. Within herself, Luna organized her inner strength to carry out this crazy revenge.
"I've made my decision, and it won't change until the end," Luna replied firmly.
Galen smiled faintly at Luna's tense face. He liked a woman who stood her ground, even if it might scare the hell out of her.
"May I take you by the hand?" asked Galen as he spread his arms and gave Luna his best smile.