novelxo Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Right now, at the edge of Whispering Lake, the rain was coming down harder and harder, and the lake’s water level was shooting up like nobody’s business. It was crystal clear that camping out tonight was a no–go with this crummy weather.
Leonard hopped into his car and dialed up Athena. What he got instead was a chilly automated voice saying. “Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is out of the service area.
He glanced at his phone, and sure enough, he was down to a single bar of signal. This Whispering Peak joint always lost its cool once the rain started pouring.
Wasn’t the forecast all sunshine for the week?
Then there was Zoey, knocking on the car window from outside.
His sports car got jacked by Newman, and now he was left out in the rain with no shelter in sight.
Payne, strapped into his kiddie seat, piped up to Leonard, “Don’t let him in the car!”
Of course, Leonard was not about to roll out the red carpet for Zoey. He told the kid in the backseat, “Kevin, I can’t get through to your mom. She mentioned earlier that she and her bodyguard are heading down the mountain to run some errands. Let’s head down too, we might bump into your mom.”
Payne, on reflex, corrected Leonard, “That’s my daddy, not her bodyguard!”
Leonard’s mind was blown, “Kevin, how in the world is that bodyguard your daddy?”
“He just is my daddy!” Payne insisted, dead serious.
Leonard gave the kid a look, his face turning into a stone–cold mask.
It seemed that the bodyguard had got some moves on Athena, getting Kevin to call him ‘dad“! It made him wonder if Athena’s clued in on her new hire sweet–talking her son.
“Hey! Mr. Bishop, right? Let me in, will ya?”
“Mr. Bishop, crack the door open and give me a lift!”
Zoey was knocking like there was no tomorrow, but no matter how much he yelled, Leonard was giving him the cold shoulder.
The sleek silver Bentley rolled away, leaving Zoey chasing after it, rain soaking his hair and styling his bangs into a ‘three–strand flop‘. He watched the luxury ride disappear into the rain, bawling his eyes out!
Newman swung open the door and told Athena,
“The receptionist’s only got this brand–new men’s shirt.”
He swapped his Patek Philippe watch for a men’s shirt, a pair of ladies‘ disposable panties, and
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a pair of men’s too.
The rundown inn didn’t even have a dryer, so the receptionist could only offer Newman a hairdryer.
Athena reached out for the shirt in Newman’s hand, but he reminded her, “I’m drenched too.”
Athena pouted, “Newman, you can go shirtless, but I can’t.”
The guy’s eyes were ice–cold, not a hint of warmth. He knew the shirt’s gotta go to Athena.
After Athena got the shirt and the disposable undies, her cheeks were still puffed up.
“Got any more complaints?”
Athena grumbled back, “I just haven’t mustered the courage to hang out in the same room with you wearing just a shirt and no bra.”
Newman scoffed dismissively, “I’ve got zero interest in you.”
Athena snorted, “Newman, did you forget how you ripped off my clothes that one time? Got a case of old–timer’s amnesia?”
Newman’s eyes glinted coldly.
“The receptionist said her bras probably won’t fit you. If you don’t want to go commando, maybe pad your chest with toilet paper?”
Athena was tempted to lob a roll at his head.
Instead, she instructed Newman, “Alright, blow–dry my bra while I’m showering.”
Newman was speechless.
Seeing Newman’s deflated look, Athena’s eyes lit up with mischief, “Since you’ve promised to be my nanny, might as well go all the way with the nanny duties!”
With that, she grabbed the white shirt and disposable undies and headed into the bathroom.
A moment later, the bathroom door cracked open, and a pale, slender arm tossed out some personal clothing onto the bed.
Newman’s gaze landed on the splash of crimson on the bed, and his eyes darkened.
His features set in stone, he took a deep breath and picked up the burgundy bra.
It was wet and warm from Athena’s body heat.
He plugged in the hairdryer and started blowing hot air on Athena’s bra.
After a while, the bathroom door opened again, and that slender arm reached out.
“Newman, is my bra dry yet? Don’t you dare do anything weird with it!”
He turned off the dryer and hung the bra strap on Athena’s arm.
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She felt the warmth of the hairdryer on her bra, slipped it on immediately, but the thought of Newman, a grown man, drying her bra gave her the heebie–jeebies.
The bathroom door opened for the third time, and Newman instinctively looked back.
The white men’s shirt on Athena was way too big, making her look even more delicate and slender.
The thin, almost see–through shirt revealed the bright red underneath.
The hem barely covered her thighs, her legs long, straight, and blindingly white.
With a towel in hand, she was drying her damp hair, droplets falling down and dampening the shirt, making it cling to her skin.
Newman’s gaze burned hot. Athena reached for the hairdryer, her back to him.
She flipped it on, and after a beat, the sound of the bathroom door closing echoed.
Athena shouted towards the bathroom, “Newman, there’s no hot water left in the heater!”
Newman stripped off his soaked clothes in the bathroom, catching a glimpse of the ladies‘ panties tossed in the trash.
He looked away, ignored Athena’s heads–up, and turned on the shower, cool water washing over him.
After braving a cold shower, Newman stepped out, toweling off.
Athena was blow–drying her clothes when she turned her head and saw a man with a towel. wrapped around his waist.
The dude looked the same as he did five years ago, except for a fresh, rose–colored scar on his left chest that looked like it was sliced by something sharp.
Athena passed the hairdryer to him, “Do me a solid and help me dry my clothes.”
She had a nanny at her beck and call, so she didn’t have to lift a finger for chores like this.
Newman took the hairdryer, not only to dry Athena’s clothes but his own as well.
Athena sat on the bed, her gaze involuntarily falling on Newman’s waistline.
Wrapping a towel around himself and manually drying clothes, Newman was a sight for sore
eyes.
The sound of a camera shutter clicked, and Newman shot her a frosty glance.
“You’re snapping pics of me?”
“I, uh, hit the button by accident!”
Before Athena could finish her sentence, the man turned off the dryer and lunged for her phone.
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Athena quickly scooted back.
With a grand motion from Newman, the towel around his waist came undone.
Catching an eyeful of his body, Athena teased with a low whistle, “Whoa? Newman, your cartoon chick undies are kinda cute!”
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