Chapter 192: Sleep

I nodded my head when I had made my decision. Hayden reached his hand towards me and patted the top of my head gently. I flinched when I saw the bandages around some of his fingers and closed my eyes.

"Luka was telling the truth. Although I told him not to say anything I guess he went ahead and told you anyways. It’s not safe outside right now and since we’ve been seen together often lately, I figured that it would be safer to keep you here. Needless to say, I’m also keeping you away from Ethan and his influence," Hayden admitted straightforwardly.

"What about you? Luka mentioned that it wasn’t very safe for you too…" I asked, recalling Luka’s words.

"He said that? Don’t worry about me. It’s safe enough for me…" Hayden said casually.

"I see. Please stay safe…" I said with worry.

"Starting from tomorrow, I’ll allow you to go outside these rooms as long as you stay in the mansion. Ask Auntie to give you a tour of the mansion. She will let you know of the parts that are off-limits. You can also go into the gardens, but you must have a group of bodyguards with you at all times. Is that clear?" Hayden explained before asking if I understood.

Luka was right about one more thing. If I was nice to Hayden, he would let me out. Now, at least, I can roam around the mansion and go out into the gardens.

"Yes, it’s very clear. Thank you, Hayden!" I thanked him cheerfully.

"I’d rather let you die of boredom in here than to have you get hurt or killed somewhere outside. My views will not change. So, until it is safe for you to roam outside, I will keep you in the mansion," Hayden said bluntly.

"You said that peace isn’t easy to achieve…" I murmured.

I wanted to ask him when I could go outside but then I didn’t think that Hayden knew the answer to that, so I was going to ask him about what he said about his brother’s death instead. However, I felt Hayden’s arm around me, and my body immediately stiffened. He gave me a quizzical look at my reaction.

"Umm…sorry, you’re hurt so…" I quickly explained so that he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

Hayden gave me a relief smile and hugged me closer before placing a soft kiss on my cheek. My eyes widened slightly in surprise before I turned and smiled up at him. The light of dawn flooding into the studio made me feel warm inside. When Hayden bent down to kiss me, I slowly closed my eyes and offered him my lips in sweet surrender.

His kiss felt equally sweet as he teased my lips softly with soft kisses until I was moaning in his arms.

My lips parted invitingly, and his wet tongue thrusted into the depth of my mouth. Our kiss quickly deepened as our tongues danced wildly together. He continued kissing me until I was breathless as his hands traveled along the curves of my body. If this continues…

"Hayden…" I called out his name breathlessly after managing to break our kiss.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"Let’s…continue when you’re feeling better…" I suggested weakly.

Hayden looked down at me with a blank expression on his face that transformed into a huge bout of laughter. He laughed so hard that I worried that it would hurt his injuries more than before. I was worried about Hayden’s recovery and felt like his body should do nothing else but rest.

"Look, the sun is rising…" Hayden said gently close to my ear.

My eyes followed his to see that the sun had indeed started to rise. Its rays changing the color of the night sky into a mix of purple, red, and orange. It’s a new day and it felt full of promising possibilities…

"You’re right…" I replied with a smile.

"You should sleep. You haven’t slept all night, right?" Hayden suggested with a smile.

"Doesn’t the same apply to you?" I pointed out.

"Should we sleep together?" he proposed suggestively.

He’s really pushy about this…on top of everything else…

"Sleep! Just sleep…" I declared firmly.

It was plain obvious to me that there were still things that Hayden didn’t want to tell me or talk to me about. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t want to or if he just wasn’t ready to. Regardless of his reasons, I decided to give him time…

…

I had no idea what time it was when I woke up the next morning; however, I felt like I overslept by a lot. Considering that we went to bed past dawn, it was probably sometime around noon right now. There was a heavy weight across my chest which I soon realized was Hayden’s arm draped across my body. Slowly, I arched my neck around to see Hayden still peacefully sleeping next to me.

Letting out a soft sigh of relief, I found a small smile had formed on my lips. Since I didn’t want to wake him from his peaceful slumber, I decided to stay still for a while longer as I enjoyed the feel of his body close to mine. The room was quiet save for the soft sound of our breathing. It seemed like years ago since we last enjoyed a peaceful morning together in bed like this.

"Malissa…" Hayden murmured my name.

I could see that he had his eyes opened now and he was staring intently at me. He looked very sleepy, and I found that adorable.

"Did I wake you?" I asked.

"No…" he replied lazily.

"Are you hungry? Maybe I should tell Auntie to prepare breakfast…or more like lunch for us?" I asked.

"No need. Just stay here…" Hayden replied before he closed his eyes again.

His arm around my body tightened and I knew that he was serious about staying in bed. I was sure that he was tired from last night and his body must feel sore now from all the injuries. Does the bandage need to be replaced today?

--To be continued…