Chapter 128

Honestly, her response last night was a pleasant surprise for Samuel.

He had initially decided to restrain himself after the first time, not wanting to exhaust her. However, to his surprise, it didn't take long before she reached out, her hand shyly resting on his waist. He absolutely adored that bashful look on her face!

"I... I only did that because you looked so uncomfortable, it was pity, okay?" Layla huffed with annoyance. As if she were the only one who wanted it - which certainly wasn't true.

"Oh? So should I continue to 'pity' myself now?"

'Still? I'm going to be exhausted.' Layla's body, sore from the previous night, cautioned her not to overexert herself.

"Silly, we can pick up tonight," Samuel said, kissing her forehead.

Tonight...

"No, no," Layla waved her hands with a frightened gesture, "We can't be... uh, that frequent..." Even though she wasn't scared about sex anymore, she still had to consider she was pregnant.

Samuel took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, "Okay, I'll spare you tonight. We'll continue after you've had some rest."

Samuel was supremely confident that, bit by bit, he could draw out all the passion inside her.

He was looking forward to the day she'd be ablaze with desire.

...

It wasn't until the next morning that Layla, still recovering, made her way to the office, feeling quite drained.

As soon as Alice saw her, she exclaimed dramatically, "My goodness, you vanished after last Thursday and finally showed up today. If it wasn't for HR saying you called in sick, I would have thought aliens abducted you or something."

She tilted Layla's chin upward, examining her with a 'tsk, tsk', "Mmm-hmm, you're looking rather radiant and refreshed. I was worried for nothing. Have you been cozying up in bed with the boss these past few days or what..."

"Shhh, keep it down," Layla quickly covered Alice's mouth, her face flushed with denial, "That's not what happened."

"Don't try to fool me, your rosy cheeks say it all."

"..."

As Nathan's assistant approached, she handed Layla a box of exquisite breakfast items. "Mr. Marley asked me to give this to you." She said it curtly and was on her way.

"Wow, breakfast from the Gloria Hotel, that stuff's worth a pretty penny-a few hundred at least! Mr. Marley really spoils you," Alice said, her eyes wide with envy. "Poor Mr. Marley, working so hard to woo you, and he doesn't even know his rival is the big boss himself; it's heart-wrenching. I feel for him."

"Cut it out, Mr. Marley is just..." Layla started.

"Just what? You're gonna say he just respects you for your work? Come on, Layla, you're not new to dating. Don't tell me you still think it's all that innocent."

Layla frowned slightly. She genuinely hadn't considered the possibility that Nathan might have feelings for her, but he definitely treated her well-better than well.

She followed her heart, saying, "I only see him as a mentor, a really good boss."

"So, Mr. Marley's set up for heartbreak," Alice sighed. "If it were any other guy, Mr. Marley might stand a chance, but going up against the boss? I might as well sing him a breakup song."

"Oh, that reminds me." Alice suddenly started rubbing up against Layla energetically.

"What are you doing?" Layla was bewildered.

"I'm rubbing off some of your good love luck. I had a master predict your fortune based on your birthday; you're in the middle of a once-in-fifty-years peak of romantic opportunities." Alice said playfully as she mimicked a good-luck charm gesture.

Layla chuckled, "Really? I feel like a lucky charm."

"Mm-hmm, the master said you'll have three high-quality admirers this year. One's the president, one's Mr. Marley, but who's the third? Spill the beans!"

Layla thought for a moment and shook her head, "There's no one else."

"That means the third one's about to show up. Excited much?" Alice was brimming with excitement.

" It's okay. There's nothing to get excited about."

Deep down, Layla couldn't help thinking, no admirer could be more appealing than Samuel.

A fragrant scent wafted over as Alice eagerly opened her breakfast, grinning, "I'll eat it on your behalf."

...

Come lunchtime, Layla and Alice headed down to the nearby diner.

Alice kept speculating about when Layla's next romantic prospect might appear.

"It feels more like your romantic luck than mine; you're more excited about it," Layla teased.

"Well, since I'm not lucky in that way, I can at least enjoy the drama and be excited for my best friend, right? You wouldn't deny me that little joy, would you?"

Layla shot her an affectionate yet amused look, "You've been watching too many rom-coms. When are you going to have a serious relationship of your own?"

Alice chuckled mirthfully. "I mean, I'd love to chat up some guys, but they've gotta be easy on the eyes, you know? Look at you, surrounded by all these heartthrobs. As your friend, I can't really settle for less. Guess I'll just have to bask in your glow and snag a few for myself."

Layla's phone buzzed on the table beside her.

The screen flashed "boss."

"Your boss?" Alice's eyes twinkled with excitement. " Or should I say bedroom boss? That's so cheesy!"

"Cut it out," Layla replied, her face flushing despite herself as she shot Alice a playful glare, "I need to take this call."

"Why, and miss the chance to eavesdrop on all the sweet nothings?" Alice teased, playfully smacking her rear.

Layla stepped out onto the balcony, taking in the sprawling urban skyline. The wind, carrying the transition from summer to fall, was both warm and cool-a perfect embrace.

The weather was gorgeous, and her spirits soared just as high.

Unbeknownst to Layla, ever since the 'boss' notification appeared on her phone, a subtle smile had graced her lips, and her features had relaxed into contentment.

"Having dinner?" came the man's voice from the other end, deep and resonant.

Layla felt bewitched, her heart fluttering at just the sound of him.

Even in the early days of youthful infatuation, her heart had never been so easily moved.

"How did you know?"

"At this hour, where else would you be if not dining with Alice?"

"You know too much, leaving no mystery left for me," Layla said, her voice involuntarily adopting a coquettish tone. Her fingers tapped lightly on the tile, finding herself speaking more girlishly than ever-unable to restrain herself.

'There's plenty of mystery. I've just seen it all; I'll need plenty of time to thoroughly explore,' he responded

Blushing even more, Layla turned to glance back, half-convinced that the whole world was in on their affair with Samuel. She felt a blush of embarrassment.

Her heart raced, her skin tingled with warmth, and waves of heat enveloped her.

"Lout," she muttered under her breath, half in jest.

"True. I have discovered my own roguish side with you," he admitted.

"Stop talking like that or I'll hang up. Aren't you embarrassed, saying such things in broad daylight?"

"Oh, should I save it for nighttime?" His voice, rich and suggestive, oozed undeniable sex appeal.