Jonathan walked straight to the fridge after entering the house, took out a can of beer, and drank it down. Only when he turned around did he remember he had a guest. "Want something to drink?" he asked.
Clarisse Balas glanced at his fridge, which was filled only with beer, and smiled awkwardly. "I'll just have some water."
Jonathan then realized his fridge had nothing but alcohol. When he lived with Catherine, the fridge was always packed with various items like yogurt and drinks. Pushing away his melancholy thoughts, he took a swig of his beer and walked to the kitchen. "I'll boil some water."
Clarisse hurried over and gently stopped him. "I can do it myself. You look really tired. You should rest."
Jonathan indeed felt exhausted. He had been keeping watch at that bar for a whole week and only came back after completing his task. All he wanted now was to collapse into bed and sleep.
Standing before him, Clarisse had soft, fluffy short hair and was dressed in a cool, pink outfit that made her skin look even more delicate. Her tender skin seemed as if a light touch could make it blush, especially with those large, bright eyes looking at him, saying such understanding words. Jonathan felt a rush of emotion and awkwardly looked away, not saying anything as he turned and walked upstairs.
Behind him, Clarisse hesitated but still asked, "Jonathan, have you had dinner?"
Jonathan didn't turn around. "I'm not hungry."
Clarisse had guessed he hadn't eaten. Hearing his response confirmed her suspicion. Watching his tired figure, she said, "Even if you're not hungry, you should eat something. How about I make you a little something, and you can eat before you sleep?"
After saying this, she suddenly closed her mouth, looking up at him uneasily. Was she bothering him again with her concern?
Jonathan stood on the stairs, looking down at her. She stood there timidly, like a wife awaiting punishment from her husband. He should have just walked away, ignoring her. But instead, he found himself standing still and even agreeing, "Okay."
After speaking, he felt a bit regretful. He didn't want to admit that her eyes had a bewitching effect. He just comforted himself, thinking he was probably just really hungry.
Hearing his agreement, Clarisse immediately smiled sweetly at him, like a delighted child. "Jonathan, go upstairs and take a shower and change clothes. I'll have it ready soon."
She quickly turned and ran to the fridge. However, upon opening it, her little face wrinkled up. "Oh no, there's only curry powder and instant noodles in here!"
Even a skilled cook like her couldn't make a meal without ingredients. Seeing no other option, she closed the fridge door. "I'll go next door and get some."
Their fridge was stocked with various ingredients, all bought by Farah, who always wanted her to cook different dishes.
"Don't bother, just make something simple," Jonathan said, glancing at the rain starting to fall heavily outside. Clarisse obediently replied, "Oh, okay. I'll make some curry then."
Jonathan said no more and went upstairs.
When Jonathan finished his shower and changed his clothes, he came downstairs to see a large plate of golden Thai curry on the dining table, emitting a rich aroma. Although he didn't particularly like Miami cuisine, he felt his appetite stir at the simple sight of the curry. Had he really become so hungry that he'd eat anything?
Next to the curry, a spoon, a napkin, and a glass of water were neatly arranged, showing her meticulous care. But she was nowhere to be seen. Jonathan glanced at the kitchen and saw her busily cleaning, like a diligent housewife.
He leaned against the doorframe and asked, "What are you doing?"
Clarisse turned and smiled at him. "Oh, I noticed your kitchen hadn't been cleaned in a while, so I'm tidying it up. The food is ready. You can eat now!"
Clarisse was very particular about cleanliness and couldn't stand any mess. She cleaned their small house several times a day, following Farah around. She had no great ambitions in her career, only hoping to find someone she loved, keep her house neat and clean, and quietly support her family.
Jonathan frowned, not approving of her actions. "I can hire a housekeeper to do these things."
"Oh, it's just something I can do easily. Why hire someone?" she said, continuing to clean. Her small face glowed softly under the light, unlike those haughty, pampered socialites. Jonathan, who had kept a cold facade for so long, felt his heart soften a bit. Without saying anything else, he turned and sat at the table to eat.
He had to admit her cooking was excellent. He quickly finished the large plate of curry, while she stayed busy in the kitchen, like an ordinary couple. For a moment, he wanted to let go of his hatred and live in this simple peace.
After eating, he carried his plate to the kitchen, habitually starting to wash it. She quickly took it from him. "I'll wash it. You should rest."
He paused, and she had already started rinsing the plate under the faucet.
When he was with Catherine, he did most of these chores, while she enjoyed a carefree life. He didn't mind it then, but now, being cared for so tenderly by Clarisse stirred unfamiliar emotions in him.
He wanted to ask why she was so kind to him, but he swallowed the question. Suddenly, he understood. Love needs no special reason. She was infatuated with him, just as he had been with Catherine. Once you encounter love, you can't escape it.
Seeing him stand there, Clarisse felt a bit embarrassed. "Go rest. I'll head back once the rain stops."
Jonathan glanced at her, then went upstairs to catch up on his sleep.
He woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of thunder. The living room was silent, and he assumed she had gone home. But at the top of the stairs, he saw her curled up on the sofa, waiting for the rain to stop until she fell asleep.
There was only a thin blanket on the sofa. She was curled up under it, sleeping soundly. He thought she was foolish; she could have woken him to ask for a blanket. But then again, he didn't have any spare blankets except the one he used.
Sighing, he went upstairs, took his warm blanket, still carrying his body heat, and gently covered her with it. He then took the thin blanket and went back upstairs to sleep.
The typhoon had passed, and the next morning the sun was shining brightly again. When Clarisse woke up, she felt a moment of confusion as she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she? The light fixture on the ceiling of her bedroom was shaped like layered white cakes.
Once her brain was fully functional again, she suddenly sat up on the sofa with a gasp. She had actually fallen asleep here! Last night, after tidying up the kitchen, she had also straightened up the messy living room. When she wanted to leave, she found that there was a storm outside, so she decided to wait until the rain stopped. But she hadn't expected to fall asleep on the sofa.
Looking down at the blanket covering her, she felt a small warmth in her heart. She remembered she had been using a small blanket from the sofa last night. Could it be that he had changed it to this larger one for her? Was he worried she might catch a cold?
Thinking of this, she smiled softly, her mood as bright as the sun outside. You see, when you love someone, even a little kindness from them can make you immensely happy.
She got up, stretched, and then neatly folded the blanket. The first thing she did was run to the balcony to check if his car was still there. Seeing it was, she figured he hadn't left yet, so she still had time to prepare breakfast for him.
Just as she was about to head to the kitchen, she stopped with a frown. Ah, his house had no food at all. How could she cook? She thought about getting some ingredients from next door, but she didn't have a key to his house, so if she left, she wouldn't be able to get back in.
What to do?
After thinking for a while, she decided to sneak upstairs to his room and get his keys. She listened carefully and didn't hear any noise from upstairs, so she figured he must still be asleep. He had looked so exhausted last night; he was probably going to sleep for a long time.
With that thought, she tiptoed upstairs and stopped in front of his bedroom door. She gently knocked,
"Jonathan?"
"Jonathan?"
Calling his name twice with no response, she was certain he was still asleep. She carefully pushed the door open and saw him lying on his side with his back to her, a small blanket from last night covering his waist, which seemed too small for his tall frame.
His body was lean and tanned, with well-toned muscles. She guessed this was the result of spending days running around with Cesar Rollin Balas in Miami.
Blushing at her thoughts, Clarisse reminded herself that she was there to find the keys. She quickly spotted them on the bedside table but decided to first grab the blanket from downstairs.
Carrying the blanket upstairs, she approached him cautiously and gently pulled away the small blanket covering him. The next second, her face turned bright red. What greeted her eyes was the sight of a man's morning arousal, accentuated under his tight briefs.
She had completely forgotten he was a man and, more importantly, that he was almost naked under that small blanket. All she had thought about was preventing him from catching a cold, so she naively brought up a blanket to cover him.
While she was standing there, blushing and her heart racing, Jonathan couldn't hold back anymore. He turned over, pulled her into his arms, and then rolled over to pin her soft body beneath him.
He always slept lightly, and he had woken up when she first knocked on the door. His tiredness had made him reluctant to move, and he had thought she couldn't do much harm anyway, so he didn't respond. But he hadn't expected her to lift his blanket. Whether intentional or not, to a man, this was a blatant tease.