Bella Woods just looked at the man at the door.
The man stood casually at a height of 1.9 meters, broad shoulders, narrow hips, long legs, and a nearly perfect body proportion.
The open collar of his shirt revealed his collarbone, and the face on his slender neck was stunning enough to be a dream.
His striking features had a strong visual impact, with sharp brow bones, deep-set eyes, long eyelashes that trembled with each blink, a tall nose bridge dotted with a red mole, carrying a hint of seductive allure.
He beckoned to Bella Woods: "Come here."
Bella Woods almost felt her heart stop.
At that moment, tears welled up, yet she smiled fiercely.
She rushed over almost without thinking, jumped onto the man, cupped his face, and kissed him!
The kiss was trembling and mad.
Filled with absurd relief.
The man grasped her waist with one hand, lifting her whole body up, "Hold on."
He reminded her to wrap her legs around his waist.
Bella Woods obediently held on, her body temperature rising from the medication, as the sensitive, soft flesh of her thighs rubbed against the man's lean waist through the fabric of his pants.
It made the man's breath hitch, and he carried Bella Woods into the room, pushing open the door and dropping her onto the soft bed.
As her body landed, the girl's black hair and clothes scattered, and instinctively, she raised her head, revealing a beautiful neck line, collarbone, chest, laid bare for the man to see, her fair skin tinged pink due to the medication.
The man swallowed several times, causing his Adam's apple to bob up and down. He undid the buttons of his shirt with one hand.
When his cold, large hand clamped around her delicate ankle, Bella Woods's body nearly shuddered instinctively, and soft sounds spilled from her slightly parted, rosy lips.
Yet it caused the man's heart to tingle, and gripping her ankle harder, he pulled Bella Woods down, pressing atop her.
Bella Woods only felt unbearably hot all over, entranced by the unique scent of male hormones and strength emanating from the man.
But as the pain in her chest stimulated her senses, Bella Woods's scattered gaze suddenly cleared.
She grasped the man's shoulder: "No, we can't…"
Disturbed, Ashton Marshall was slightly annoyed: "Hmm?"
Bella Woods bit her tongue, using the pain to regain her senses: "I'm getting engaged."
"And?" Ashton countered, "You don't want to do it?"
"I can't," Bella Woods emphasized. "If I have relations with you today, I'll be no different from him, both unfaithful."
"Is that so?" Ashton had an intriguing expression.
Bella Woods mentioned 'him'—he knew who that was, the nephew who was currently celebrating with his mistress.
When breaking up with Oliver Hughes, Bella Woods berated him for sleeping with Sienna Warren, flirting with many, being unclean, and unfaithful in relationships.
And today, he wanted her to become that kind of person too.
After concluding with the handsome male prostitute, she would face Oliver Hughes's humiliation the next day.
Realizing this, Bella Woods's blood froze, making her shiver from the cold.
She struggled, curling her body like a shrimp, bringing her wrist to her mouth and biting down hard.
Her body trembled over and over, unable to discern if it was from pain or the effects of the medication.
After stopping, Bella Woods said softly, "Your service today is to tie me up and don't let me touch you."
"In business, you have to be reasonable and meet needs to do well," she reminded.
"Reasonable," Ashton repeated Bella Woods's words, contemplating, "I'm all about reason."
"If you say don't, then we won't."
He reached out to clasp Bella Woods's waist, lifting her up and carrying her to the bathroom.
The bathtub was filled with cold water, and Ashton tossed Bella Woods in like a toy, causing water to splash all around.
The icy water washed over her fevered body, turning the cold into warmth.
Ashton sat at the edge of the tub, changing the water several times until he managed to bring her body temperature down.
The man dried his hands, biting a cigarette, lighting it with a click of a lighter.
He took a drag, tilting his chin slightly, smoke curling around him as he glanced at Bella Woods: "Want a puff to ease it?"
The thought Bella Woods could suppress was instantly shattered by the man's gaze, making her feel like ants were gnawing at her, causing her breath to hitch.
She quickly averted her gaze, "Yes."
She had never smoked, but Oliver Hughes once joked that a cigarette could cure all ailments.
"Oh."
The man responded, putting the cigarette to his lips, taking a drag, then leaning in to clasp the back of Bella Woods's head, lowering his head to kiss her, smoke billowing out from both their noses and mouths.
Bella Woods was choked, pushing him away, coughing repeatedly as saliva dribbled down.
Ashton glanced at her, stripping off his clothes and sliding into the water.
The two soaked in the bathtub, the man's long legs casually brushing against Bella Woods's waist and thigh, causing ripples in the water with his movements.
Bella Woods blushed fiercely, trying to shrink away, but her gaze landed straight on the part of the man below his waist.
The wet pants clung too tightly, outlining the contours.
Impossible to ignore.
The pain from the first time suddenly resurfaced, and Bella Woods quickly emerged from the water.
Gasping for breath with her head held high, she then angrily confronted the instigator: "Can't you just…"
"How?" The man swam over, his breathtakingly handsome face magnified at such close range in front of Bella Woods.
Bella Woods swallowed instinctively, then coldly called out, "Don't do it."
The man chuckled, cupping her face in his hands: "I said, I'm reasonable, you say no, then no."
"Can you not get so close to me?"
Getting close brought the overpowering male hormones and sense of strength, making Bella Woods crave more.
"I have a few questions," Ashton said, "Don't think I'm intentionally seducing you, but you're too weak, so you need to be close for me to hear you clearly."
Is that so?
"What do you want to ask? Get on with it," Bella Woods urged.
"Are you being pressured by your family to get engaged to Oliver Hughes?"
Bella Woods's eyelashes trembled, and her gaze lingered on Ashton's face for a few seconds before finally shifting away: "Yes."
"And to get him to marry you, you debase yourself to please him?"
The fact that he knew what happened earlier didn't surprise Bella Woods.
The bar was too crowded, and many witnessed her humiliating display.
Probably, the video of her losing dignity was now circulating in Oliver Hughes's circle of friends.
"I have no choice."
"Getting engaged to him, marrying later, continuing without self-respect…"
"I'm not planning on getting married!" Bella Woods interrupted him excitedly.
Ashton's gaze was intense, his wet hand cupping Bella's cheeks, forcing her to open up as he lowered his head to kiss, his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly.
Bella Woods, slightly more sober, was enticed until her head spun.
"No doing it," she was clearly resisting, but her eyes turned red with grievance, more like an unspoken invitation.
"I did anything?" The man's gaze was profound, "If you still can't tell the difference between kissing and doing it, tell me. I'm reasonable, I can go further, so you can tell."
The man's expression remained calm, teasing her through their pants.
Embarrassed and sore, Bella Woods's face flushed red, quickly pushing him away.
"I've answered your questions, so…"
"Not done asking yet."
"What else do you want to ask?"
"If you're not planning on getting married, why preserve your purity?"
"It's a principle."
"Engagement is just a formality you set up, not about feelings, so what is the principle?"
The man pulled the slipping strap of her bra back onto her shoulder, a crisp sound when he let go, leaving a red mark on her delicate skin.
Bella Woods was stunned, unable to respond.
The man stood up from the tub, casually scooping water with a nearby tool and pouring it over his neck.
Water cascaded down his taut muscles, flowing past his well-defined pecs, eight-pack abs, and two streams diving into the waistband.
Bella Woods swallowed multiple times, her heart pounding wildly.
Wanting to bite.
Wanting to suck.
Wanting to taste.
Never craved so much before.
"There's something else I should tell you."
The man's voice was a huge invitation for Bella Woods, and she practically whispered, "What?"
"I'm not someone Oliver Hughes hired."
"What?" Bella Woods's eyes widened.
Watching the man's corner of the mouth curl into a smile, head tilted slightly: "I passed by, just happened to lure you away."
That smile pulled at her logic, and her soul dissolved.
Without further thought, she got up and lunged at the man!