Harvey chuckled lightly. "I can't recall any of that," he said, not too convincingly.
Yet, as a man, he was certain he wouldn't confess that. He brushed off his jeans casually, returning the question with a hint of nonchalance. "We've been married for years, Eloise. How many women do you think I've been with? You should know."
He pinched her cheek lightly. "Jealous, aren't you? I'm sure you know."
Eloise returned his remark with a serene smile.
Harvey looked at her soft profile, his heart melting instantly. He lowered his voice. "Stop this nonsense. Let's live a peaceful life, alright?"
Considering his age, and Eloise's health, he was certain they could manage to have triplets. But maybe in a couple of years. It also depended on whether Eloise wanted it or not.
After he made his intentions clear, the atmosphere between the two massively improved. Harvey was always the one running around, doing all the work at the hospital. Even their butler, Baron, remarked, "Master is almost as attentive as he used to be!"
Eloise sat on a bench with a cup of water in her hands. She watched Harvey approach from a distance, and as he neared, he whispered, "You're looking great! All refreshed!"
Eloise blushed. She pretended to glance over the result casually before tucking it into her purse.
Harvey took a step closer, his arm wrapping around her waist. "Join me for a little holiday shopping. Father gave me a ton of tasks. It’s as if he wants to exhaust me!”
Eloise looked up at him, and her fingers were tracing his handsome face. "You brought this onto yourself. He has a lot of complaints about you lately."
Harvey held her hand. He lowered his voice. "Why does he love you so much?"
Harvey knew his father's character, as it was similar to his. However, his father's affection for Eloise seemed to surpass even his affection for Orlena, which was evident to everyone. Surprisingly, Orlena wasn't jealous, but rather, especially fond of Eloise. What kind of magic did this woman possess?
Eloise walked toward the elevator. "Of course, it's because I'm amazing."
Only the two of them were left in the elevator, and they were a bit more unrestrained. Harvey pressed Eloise against the elevator wall, skillfully flirting with her, whispering in her ear, "Could you show me just how amazing you are, Ms. Laurent?"
Eloise blushed intensely. Harvey was far more audacious than she had ever anticipated. She wondered if all men were naturally good at this kind of thing.
Eloise wasn't impulsive. She did desire Harvey, the man she deeply loved. How could she not want to be intimate with him?
But she knew that once she gave herself completely, she would have no cards left to play. Then, it would be easy for him to take her for granted. What would she do if he got tired of her one day?
Eloise placed her hand on his shoulder, gently sliding it down to his belt. Her delicate fingers traced the buckle, teasing him without giving in. "Depends on your performance!"
Harvey was so aroused by her tease that he bit her earlobe. "You're such a tease!"
Fortunately, he controlled himself and didn't go overboard in public. They spent the whole day shopping, not just for holiday groceries, but also for new clothes for the kids at home. They even picked out a couple of outfits for Luca and had the store assistant deliver them directly to the White's residence.
As they were heading back, Harvey was driving. After a while, he asked out of the blue, "You really like Luca, don't you?"
Eloise nodded. "He's very handsome! And smart!"
Harvey held the steering wheel and coughed lightly. "What do you mean by handsome?"
Eloise glanced at him. She knew what he was implying. He wanted to know if she found him attractive.
Harvey was indeed attractive. He was the most handsome man Eloise had ever met.
She generously admitted, "You, just as you are, are handsome."
Harvey chuckled lightly. He touched the windshield, murmuring, "It's snowing again! If it snows heavily, we'll have to spend the entire holiday at home. Find some movies you haven't seen. We can watch them at home."
The snow was getting heavier. Eloise gently touched the car window. Watching the snow with him in the car was somewhat heartwarming.
They had ignored all the calls, because they just couldn't stop.
Eloise moved to the passenger seat, her face still flushed. She turned her face away, unable to look at him.
Harvey buckled his seatbelt, stepped on the gas, and chuckled. "Why are you acting like a teenage girl! Haven't we done this outside before?"
"No!"
Eloise's face was burning. She rolled down the car window a bit. But Harvey quickly closed it for her, his voice deep and husky. "Don't open it! You'll catch a cold. If you get sick, then Darrien won't be able to breastfeed."
Eloise brushed off her long hair lightly. "You just care about him."
"I care about you more. I'm afraid you'll be in pain."
...
They chatted intermittently, their conversation laced with a certain sweetness.
Outside the car, a fine snow was falling. Inside, it was warm, and Eloise was seated next to her beloved.
When fog clouded up the windows, Eloise traced his name lightly - Harvey!
His phone buzzed several times. Harvey was driving, so Eloise checked. She recognized it was Monika calling, having seen her contact info before.
With a poker face, Eloise said, "It's a stranger."
With a chuckle, Harvey said, "Add it to the blacklist. It's the holiday season; all the salespeople are out in full force."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Tangled Temptations