Tangled Temptations novel Chapter 209

Everything had ended, and the air was thick with discomfort. Especially for Eloise, she felt that their intense interaction was inappropriate. But they had done it, nonetheless.

With sweat cooling on their bodies, she felt uncomfortable and decided to take a bath, but Harvey gently stopped her. "Stay with me a little longer."

Eloise complied. He leaned in, kissing the back of her ear, and whispered, “Stop giving me the cold shoulder, okay?”

He reached for his pants at the end of the bed, a small box tumbled out. Eloise had an inkling of what was inside. She tried to get up to leave once more, but Harvey grabbed her, and Eloise stumbled back into his arms.

Harvey took out a diamond ring. "Do you like it?" His gaze was intense as he waited for her response.

Eloise took the ring, attempting to slip it onto her middle finger, but it was too small. She chuckled. "It's too small. It doesn't fit."

Harvey's eyes deepened. "Maybe it would fit on your ring finger. Give it a try."

Eloise knew that Harvey rarely made such efforts to please women. If she wanted to seize the opportunity, she should have been overjoyed and accepted his proposal.

But that was the old Eloise.

Before that Valentine's Day, she would have never refused him. But now, even though he was still charming, her feelings were not the same.

Eloise was about to refuse, but she held her tongue. She remembered something important. They had been reckless that night, and they hadn’t used any protection.

Eloise put the ring back in the box and closed it. She spoke after a moment of silence, “I’m not on the pill.”

Harvey immediately understood her meaning. His handsome face turned a light shade of red. “There’s no need for morning-after pills. I didn’t…”

Eloise wasn’t convinced. Even though she wasn’t a devout Christian, she held a belief. If she were pregnant, then it was fate, and she would keep the baby. Harvey clearly didn’t want her to take the pill, so she decided to buy it herself.

He gently stopped her and conceded. "I'll buy it for you."

Eloise nodded in thanks.

Harvey laughed in disbelief. As he dressed, he teasingly pinched her chin, "Sometimes I think you're just using me. All sweet and dirty during sex, but aloof after."

His words were crude. Eloise did not want to be outdone. She boldly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom naked. As she closed the bathroom door, her voice echoed back, "I'm not using you! It was quite enjoyable!"

His desire flared again. That little minx!

He buttoned his shirt and headed downstairs to buy the morning-after pill. When he returned, Eloise had already taken a bath and was standing by the window.

Harvey closed the door. He poured her a glass of warm water and opened the pill package for her. As Eloise took the pill, Harvey watched her intensely. "Eloise, am I not worth fighting for? Am I nothing to you?”

Eloise paused. Then she continued taking the pill, the bitter taste spreading as it mixed with the water.

Harvey gently embraced her, whispering gently in her ear, "Eloise, I want to be a father. I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl, but I'd love a little girl, especially if she inherits your brown hair and smooth skin. I'll treat her like a princess and won't let anyone bully her."

Eloise stiffened. Just as the moment was filled with tenderness, Harvey's phone rang. It was a call from Parker. His tone was stern. "Harvey, you need to come back to Peterborough right away. Orlena swallowed three sleeping pills. Your mother is distraught."

"The reason? ...Max has a mistress, and she made a scene in front of me."

Pauline nodded tearfully.

As Harvey was heading upstairs, his mother called him back, looking hesitant, "Harvey..."

Harvey knew what she was going to say. He smiled, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll explain everything to Dad later." Then he continued on his way up.

As he opened the door, he found Orlena lying in bed, her head buried under the covers. Harvey sat on the edge of her bed, pulling at the covers, but she wouldn't let go. He teased his sister, "Three sleeping pills, and you're still alive. Don't suffocate yourself now. It would be embarrassing if this made the news. The Horigan family can't afford such a scandal."

Orlena immediately crawled out from under the covers and threw herself into Harvey's arms. Harvey could tell she was upset, so he gently ruffled her hair and said softly, "Do you really want to end your life or do you just want to throw a fit?"

Orlena mumbled against his chest, "You're so mean, Harvey!"

"How am I mean?"

"Eloise and Max were together, but you never mentioned that. You even went on to date and marry her!"

...

Harvey just chuckled. He settled back against the headboard, stroking his sister's hair gently as if she were a puppy, trying to soothe her. "Yes, they dated, but it was just child's play. It meant nothing. Eloise's first real man was me!"

Orlena wasn't having it. "So if they didn't sleep together, it wasn't a real relationship?"

Harvey had an air of nonchalance. He said, "So if sharing a meal is dating, then when our father has dinner with the housemaids, should we start calling them our stepmothers?"