Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Life-Threatening
Rhys Hawthorne still planned to slowly soothe Victoria Monroe and gradually cultivate a relationship with her.
Not to mention kissing, he didn’t even dare to think much about holding hands.
Who knew that Victoria, in a confused state, would unexpectedly initiate physical contact, catching him completely off guard.
His buttons had been undone, his chest completely exposed. Luckily, his pajama pants remained on, but Victoria was nearly naked.
Only a loosely worn pajama shirt of his hung on her shoulder, revealing her round and small shoulder.
The only woman he had intimately touched in his life was Victoria Monroe, and such close contact as today was a first.
He took just one look and was so flustered by their current position that he blushed, not knowing where to place his hands and feet.
He lay there stiffly like a rigid corpse.
Victoria seemingly found his body temperature just right, even happily snuggling against him.
"So cool..."
Rhys suddenly felt that it wasn’t Victoria who had a fever, but himself.
The temperature that had gone down from a cold shower quickly surged up again, and with the little furnace embraced in his arms, a layer of sweat formed on his body.
In a low, hoarse voice, he gently spoke, "Victoria, be good, stop snuggling."
How could Victoria hear anything he said? From time to time, she would move a bit.
It was maddening.
To stop Victoria’s maddening actions, Rhys placed his hand on her waist.
Unexpectedly, there was no fabric barrier, and his palm directly touched her skin.
He had long known how slender her waist was, previously only holding her through clothes, barely making contact like a dragonfly skimming the surface.
This direct contact was a first, and any thought of stopping her vanished, leaving only one thought in his mind.
Turns out her waist was not just slender, but also soft.
Her skin resembled smooth satin, tempting him to linger.
He wished he could be just a rogue, breaking free of moral constraints, to lean down and kiss his beloved girl.
But his upbringing as a gentleman reminded him to respect women and not to take advantage of others.
He restrained the clawing desire, gently holding her waist to pull her a bit away.
If things continued like this, he feared he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
Victoria grew up without parents by her side. Although her grandmother loved her dearly, she still developed a dependent personality.
She used to trust Julian Fordham, but now the person she trusted was Rhys Hawthorne.
Subconsciously, she felt she was in a safe environment, her body fully relaxed.
Not only did she not move away, but she even deliberately snuggled closer to Rhys, like an octopus, her limbs wrapping around him.
Rhys: "..."
What could he do? He felt utterly helpless; the cold shower was in vain.
The girl he liked, he had to pamper her himself.
He sighed with a touch of helplessness.
As night fell, the sea remained restless, just like Rhys’s heart, rising and falling with the waves crashing against the ship.
He felt like a famished beast guarding his little sweetheart.
The night seemed like a devil tempting the heart, subtly augmenting one’s desires.
His throat continuously secreted saliva, his sharp teeth wanting to graze his little sweetheart’s skin, pierce her bit by bit, tasting her sweetness.
But seeing the obedient little sweetheart curled up against him, how could he bear to?
Feeling Victoria’s waves of hot sweat, along with his increasingly heated body, their bodies clung to each other in stickiness.
Even in such heat, Victoria showed no signs of letting go.
Rhys originally intended to slip away while she was relaxed and unaware; otherwise, if she woke up tomorrow and saw this scene, it would be disastrous.
Even if he had a thousand mouths, he’d never be able to explain it, not even if he jumped into the Ophir.
Rhys, who was usually self-restrained, hadn’t slept well recently, and after staying up all night, he fell asleep before Victoria got a chance to lower her guard.
Even though the situation was special today, he had dreamt of being held by his long-loved crush for years.
Not only did he fall asleep, but he slept extremely peacefully.
The two slept soundly like an old couple, and as the sun rose, its blinding rays streamed through the window.
Victoria subconsciously felt a bit annoyed and nuzzled closer in the man’s arms.
Her hand caught a smooth, elastic, and somewhat firm sensation, not the softness of a woman but a man’s abs!
The vague and muddled thoughts suddenly cleared; she remembered jumping into the sea. Could it have been Julian Fordham who saved her?
Victoria felt her entire body stiffen and mechanically lifted her head to look at the man beside her.
Seeing him, she realized it was even worse than being with Julian!
How could she have ended up in bed with Rhys? Had she done anything to him?
At that moment, Rhys lay flat while she lay on her side, clinging to him, and that hand had just felt his abs!
Even scarier was the sense that she wasn’t wearing any clothes!
Knowing Rhys’s good character, Victoria had no reason to doubt that he would have taken advantage of an unconscious pregnant woman.
Feeling her move, the man’s eyes slowly opened.
Victoria felt herself plummet into an icy abyss, a vague memory of undressing Rhys flashing in her mind.
With a terrified expression, Victoria looked at him and stammered, "Rhys, did I... did I wreck you last night?"