Chapter 1389: Chapter 1389: What Does Mr. Battleson Want to Talk About?
For a moment, Charlotte Thompson’s face was tinged with a blush as radiant as the setting sun.
She glared playfully at Justin Battleson, her brows slightly furrowed, and scolded, "Let go of me, the kids are watching."
Hearing this, Justin turned his head to glance at the few little "light bulbs" shining nearby. He raised an eyebrow, but without saying anything, Hank Thompson was the first to shift his gaze away.
"Ah, what a lovely day it is today!"
The other children followed Hank’s lead, dramatically averting their gazes in exaggerated fashion, while muttering irrelevant remarks to themselves.
Even though Justin and Charlotte had been in a committed relationship for quite some time, such intimate gestures were fine when they were alone in private.
But for Charlotte, these blatantly affectionate displays in front of the kids still made her feel somewhat embarrassed.
Flustered, Charlotte quickly pushed down Justin’s hand and wriggled out of his embrace.
Seeing Charlotte’s bashful expression, Justin felt even more delighted. He lowered his head and sneaked a quick kiss on her cheek before finally releasing the arm he had wrapped around her waist.
"You!"
Charlotte lightly bit her lower lip, then pressed the back of her hand against her slightly burning cheeks and hurriedly turned to leave.
"I’m going to wash some fruit."
What Charlotte didn’t notice as she turned away, however, was that the children, who had outwardly averted their gazes earlier, were now once again focused intently on her without her realizing it.
The kids exchanged glances with one another, their faces breaking into smiles of shared joy.
But Justin, as he looked at the group of little rascals in front of him, couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed.
After all, Charlotte was far too shy in front of the kids. If he had known, he would’ve made sure to leave these little troublemakers at Stardust Garden for longer.
It felt like it had been ages since he and Charlotte had shared any real one-on-one time together.
Hmm, in a few days, he’d find some excuse to send all the kids away.
As if sensing the intentions hidden in Justin’s gaze, the kids immediately stifled their grins. Quietly, they grabbed their toys and marched upstairs one by one like soldiers on a mission.
By the time Charlotte came back out with a fruit platter, the children were nowhere to be seen.
"Where are the kids? Where did they all run off to?"
Charlotte paused briefly, puzzled as she looked at the now-empty living room.
"Probably realized that the lights in the living room are bright enough already," Justin replied, seated on the sofa. His expression was composed, though the subtle curve at the corner of his lips gave him away.
Charlotte blinked, a bit perplexed, but as her gaze locked with Justin’s, she suddenly realized what he meant.
"I just remembered there’s a bit of work left on my designs. I’ll head to the study," she said, setting the fruit platter down and turning to leave. But Justin was already a step ahead, hooking her arm and pulling her back into his embrace.
Charlotte’s fingertips, still damp from the water, felt slightly cool as they brushed against Justin’s skin.
"You’re already home from work. Are you really planning to keep talking about work today, hmm?" Justin asked in a soft, teasing tone.
In the end, Charlotte resigned herself to curling up in Justin’s arms. She lifted her dewy eyes to gaze at him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Then what does Mr. Battleson want to talk about?"
Justin’s eyes darkened slightly. Leaning closer to Charlotte, he played with her fingertips, massaging them in his palm.
"What do you think?"
His voice was deep and magnetic, like aged red wine—imbued with a temptation as intoxicating as it was irresistible.