Chapter 138
“Married couple might do p>
The first thing Lisette thought of was… yep, that kind of stuff—some good ol’ forward-backward action p>
Now all she could see in her head was Tobias wearing just his boxers, strutting around in her imagination like some overconfident heartthrob, messing with her mind—again and again!
Lisette’s cheeks flushed deep red.
As soon as Tobias pulled back the covers and saw her beet-red face, he paused, surprised, then sat down on the edge of the bed and asked with concern, “Are you feeling stuffy under there p>
Lisette gave him a nod.
What else was she supposed to say? Like, “Actually, I was daydreaming about you in nothing but your underwear p>
Tobias reached over, gave her a head pat and lightly pressed his cheek to hers, seriously saying, “Don’t keep your head under the covers all the time—it messes with your breathing p>
“Okay p>
She answered vaguely, clearly not paying much attention.
After a beat, since he didn’t say anything else, her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, “So, what were you saying earlier about ’between husband and wife p>
Tobias had wanted to tease her a bit, but seeing as she’d just had a hard time under the blanket and might still be out of sorts, he changed his tone and said, “Well, it’s New Year’s Day. Shouldn’t couples wish each other a few lucky phrases to start the year p>
Lisette practically choked on her internal frustration.
Trying not to roll her eyes out loud, she stuck out her hand toward him. “Mr. Hastings, happy New Year. May you be rich and blessed—now hand over the cash envelope p>
She was obviously doing this on purpose!
He’d made her heart pound like crazy a moment ago—and even though she knew full well he’d given her access to his bank card and was probably broke at the moment—she said it anyway!
What she didn’t expect p>
“Cash envelope, hmm?” Tobias smiled slyly, suddenly leaning in.
His handsome face kept getting closer, until there was barely an inch between them. With the covers still between them, he practically pinned her down.
The guy was tall and strong—just that little move had her feeling completely overpowered.
Lisette’s blush, which had just begun to fade, came roaring back instantly.
Was he… was he actually about to p>
Her heart was thumping all over again—half nervous, half thrilled. She stiffened, unsure whether to freak out or not, her entire being tense and overwhelmed.
She could barely meet his gaze, her voice bashful and soft with nervousness. “You—you could’ve warned me first… I-I need to get ready p>
Just as she was speaking, he reached over behind her pillow and—
A flash of red.
Tobias straight-up pulled a cash envelope out from where she’d hidden her pillow.
He sat up and handed it to her. “Here you go, Lissy. New year’s gift p>
Lisette: p>
Her gaze went sharp in a second as she stared down at the envelope in his hand.
OH. MY. GOD.
She… she’d honestly thought he was going to… that!
And here he was—calm, collected, holding out a plain ol’ cash envelope like the most innocent man on earth.
Not even one hint of flirtation!
Taking a deep breath, Lisette coached herself to stay chill. But dang it, how could she p>
Especially now that he said, “Wait, what did you mean by ’get ready’ just now p>
“Get ready your big head!” Lisette sprang up, snatched the envelope from him, and grit her teeth with fake rage, spitting: “Tobias, are you seriously hiding cash from me p>
With a loud huff, she didn’t give him a chance to stop her as she stormed off to the bathroom with the envelope clenched in hand.
Inside, the bathroom lights were bright, and the thick door muffled all outside sounds.
Staring at her flaming-red face in the mirror, Lisette was practically cringing at her own naughty brain.
Seriously, what was wrong with her p>
She just wanted to slam her head into a wall a few times and reset her whole thought process. She bared her teeth at the mirror and muttered, “Lisette, what is wrong with you? Seriously, you’re losing it thinking stuff like that p>
“Tobias is all cool and distant, totally not the kind who’d get caught up in… that. He treats you well just because you’re his wife on paper, okay? It’s all for appearances. I mean, you basically threw yourself at him earlier, and the guy didn’t even blink p>
Ugh—
After mentally slapping herself for way too long, Lisette finally got herself together and stepped out of the bathroom, still grumbling over her lack of self-control.
Tobias was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone. The second he heard the bathroom door open, he tucked his phone into his pocket and walked over. “Lissy, about that cash envelope p>
“It’s fine p>
Now that she’d cooled down, Lisette wasn’t all snappy anymore. She waved it off like it was no big deal. “I was just messing around. Don’t overthink it. Even if you had ten Swiss bank accounts, it’s your life. I’m not gonna pry. You do you p>
Tobias: p>
Yep, she was still mad—clearly being sarcastic.
Before she could walk past him, Tobias grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her straight into his arms. She stumbled a bit, landing right against him.
He locked her in place with a firm hug.
“I’m serious,” he said, his tone low and insistent. “That cash envelope? My grandmother gave that to me last year. I’ve kept it in the drawer. Last night, when you were asleep, I took it out and put it under your pillow. I was going to give it to you this morning. I’m not hiding money from you p>
The air practically buzzed with his presence.
Most of the time, Tobias was either cold and aloof or gentle and calm—but being this forceful and dead serious? Yeah, not often.
He held her tightly, chest pressed to her back, leaving no space between them. All of Lisette’s mental pep talks flew out the window in that moment.
She cursed herself inside: Great. Here we go again. Back to simping.
Her ears turned pink. She weakly pushed at his chest and murmured, “Okay okay, you can explain, but do you really have to squeeze me like this? I’m struggling to breathe here p>
Tobias didn’t budge. “I’ll let go if you stop being mad p>
“I’m not mad,” she insisted.
“You sure don’t look like it p>
It was like arguing with a brick wall—no matter how many times she said she wasn’t mad, he just wouldn’t buy it. She was at a total loss.
Finally, with a sigh, she bit the bullet.
She stood on her toes and planted a quick kiss on his chin.
Tobias blinked.
Lisette smoothed her lips, her cheeks burning, then glared up at him and raised her voice just a little. “See? I kissed you! If I were mad, I wouldn’t have done that, would I p>
Her tone was a bit aggressive.
Honestly, compared to the way she’d been denying her feelings before, this actually sounded more like she was upset.
But Tobias? His heart was melting.
That stubborn, intense edge in him faded as he loosened his arms. Lisette slipped out like a little cat making a break for it.
He watched her go, absentmindedly raising a hand to touch his chin.
He could still feel the residual warmth from her lips.
She’d kissed him a bit hastily, her upper lip brushing the edge of his bottom lip. It was just a second, but it instantly brought back the memory of last night—of him pressing his lips to hers.
Soft.
Sweet.
Addictive.
Tobias touched the spot again with his tongue, collecting the faint taste she’d left behind, rolling it between his lips.
Back and forth—just like a real kiss.