Before meeting him, Grace would always clean herself up at home. Once they met, she would get straight to the point, and after it was over, she would casually shower in the hotel's bathroom before getting dressed and heading home.
She found the hotel's bathtub too dirty. Even with a disposable bathtub liner, she didn't have the time or inclination to use it.
In John Amster's words, after every time, she left quickly like something was chasing her.
The apartment at home was too small. Installing a separate dry and wet area was already pushing it, and there was no room for a bathtub, so her wish to take a bath was shelved.
The small apartment she lived in was bought with her own money. The housing prices in that city were the highest in the country; it was no exaggeration to say that land was as valuable as gold here.
Besides working at the kindergarten, she occasionally took on private side jobs.
Looking at her not-so-large single apartment, the down payment had cost her over 500 thousand dollars, draining the prize money she had earned from design competitions in her earlier years, as well as the savings from her side jobs. Every month, she had to pay more than 1,000 dollars in mortgage.
She told her mother that this apartment was a gift from Alex, and her mother raised her brows, saying Alex was too stingy.
The Hoffman family was one of the most prominent families in the city, so a one million house wasn't considered expensive.
Alex had indeed wanted to buy it for her outright, but Grace had refused.
It wasn't that she was being pretentious; from the very beginning, she knew she couldn't go all the way with Alexander.
Once there's an economic tie with a man, the material things are proof of his love when things are good. But when things go sour, they become a knife aimed at your back.
Without any financial entanglement, she could walk away cleanly.
Grace had prepared to stay the night, so she wasn't in a hurry and quietly enjoyed the moment of peace.
John was quite patient. She took over an hour in the bathroom, and he didn't rush her once.
On the countertop, there were unopened skincare samples specially prepared for female guests dining at the hotel, all from top-tier brands.
They weren't full-sized, so Grace didn't feel any burden using them.
When John entered, he saw the woman in his bathrobe, standing in front of the mirror carefully applying her skincare.
He was tall, and the bathrobe was custom-made for him. It was much larger than the usual ones, so on Grace, it hung loosely, reaching her calves.
She looked like a little girl wearing her father's clothes.
Having just taken a bath, her skin was soft and pink, with tiny beads of sweat still visible on her forehead. Her face was as full and beautiful as a flower petal.
She tilted her head, delicately applying the cream to every part of her neck.
Even before touching her skin, John could tell how soft, smooth, and elastic her skin was just by looking at it.
The shadow cast over her made Grace open her eyes to see the man who had silently appeared behind her in the mirror.
John wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her hard into his embrace.
Her back pressed tightly against his chest, and the large sleeves of the bathrobe revealed his muscular arm, covered with prominent veins.
He tightened his hold, accentuating the curve of her chest.
He tilted his head and sniffed the scent between her neck. "What are you using? It smells so good."
Grace, facing the mirror, could clearly see this seductive and intimate scene. Her face flushed even more.
She lifted her chin and showed a small smile. "This... it's a shame I don't have body lotion."
She'd started taking care of her skin when she was 15, always using body lotion after every bath.
But since this was just a hotel, and the skincare products were meant for touch-ups, hand washing, and face care, they didn't include body lotion.
"What about face cream?" John asked.
Grace was momentarily stunned. "Well, you could use it, but it's a bit wasteful. It's not winter, so it's not that dry. It's fine if I don't use it."
These luxury skincare brands, even the 5ml samples, cost over 100 dollars a jar. Using it on her body would be extravagant.
As soon as she finished speaking, John scooped a large amount into his palm. "I'll help you."
"No, no need."
His hand already rested on her collarbone, his hot palm melting the cream as he slowly massaged it into her skin.
"That's enough."
"No rush," he replied casually.
John grabbed a large towel, folded it, and placed it on the counter. Grace didn't understand his intention, and before she could react, he tightened his grip on her waist, and a feeling of weightlessness overcame her.
Grace was lifted onto the counter.
John opened a few jars and told her, "Extend your legs."
Grace's eyes widened. "John, you…"
John directly pulled her leg out. Embarrassed, she curled her toes, making her feet look very cute.
"What are you nervous about? Haven't I touched every part of you?" he teased.
He gently massaged her slender, fair ankle with his rough fingers, circling and pressing with care, each motion gentle and patient.
Her knee had a bruise from earlier, a stark contrast to the surrounding skin.
If anyone else saw this, they wouldn't be as concerned. John muttered under his breath, "How did you take care of yourself? Your skin is so delicate."
Grace was so embarrassed that she kicked his chest with her small foot to push him away.
This man was like iron—every part of him was hard as steel.
"I'm done! Enough!" she threatened, her voice trembling.
John easily grabbed her foot. "That's not going to work. Grace, have you heard the saying? Finish what you start."
Her body slowly retreated until it touched the cold mirror.
Their eyes met, and John kissed her softly.
In the mirror, an intimate scene unfolded, with the woman's fingers buried in the man's dark hair, her lips slightly parted in a soft moan.