Dear Ex-wife, Marry Me novel Chapter 17

She was soaked to the bone, with rivulets of water dripping from her long hair. Her bare feet were on the floor and her ankles were as straight as a pin.

Her toes were plump and fair. Her nails were neatly trimmed, and unconsciously curled due to nervousness.

Ian shot her a meaningful glance, then shut down his computer, sneered and said, "Hubby? Not bothering to hide your thoughts now, are you?"

She noticed where his gaze landed and looked down at herself. Under the light, the outline of her underwear was clearly visible. Her usually pale face turned as red as a beetroot in an instant, and she bolted back into the bathroom like a scared rabbit.

Ian had no interest in entertaining her little show anymore. He grabbed his laptop and some documents, ready to make his exit, but a picture fell out of the folder and onto the floor. Before he could pick it up, the bathroom door swung open.

There were no fresh clothes for her to change into, and Maja could only wrap herself in a towel. Her wet hair was tied up, exposing her entire face, and her demeanor was much more reserved than before.

"Mr. Raymond, I deeply regret what happened," she said.

She bent down to retrieve a prepared card. "I'll arrange a new room for you and I'm willing to compensate you for all the mental distress you've undergone."

Ian had come to her rescue, only for her to turn on him. It was already magnanimous of him to tolerate such insolence from a woman he didn't even like.

"Mental distress compensation?" Ian repeated, making sure he heard correctly.

Maja's hand tightened around the towel she was clutching due to her unease, causing it to wrinkle. She looked up at Ian. Their eyes met, and she forgot what she was going to say next. The memory of her forcing a kiss on him flashed across her mind, and she felt her cheeks burn. The only thing that made her breathe a sigh of relief was that, given his reaction, he probably didn't know who she was yet.

"Do you think I'm short on cash? Or did you say that to get my attention?" Ian looked her up and down. "What makes you think you're my type?"

Earlier in the day on the golf course, she had the audacity to tell Kurt she was the wife of the CEO of the Raymond Corporation. Now she wished she could deny any connection with him. Her acting skills were laughably poor. He didn't want to stay in this room any longer than necessary. He bent down and calmly picked up the picture from the floor. The last one, however, was by Maja's foot.

Maja stepped back and picked it up for him. Just as she was about to hand it over, she saw the content of the picture and a look of surprise crossed her eyes. Wasn't this the villa she had designed? She was somewhat taken aback, so she held onto the picture and didn't hand it to Ian right away.

Noticing that she was staring blankly at the picture, Ian frowned.

Catching the chill in his eyes, Maja quickly snapped back to reality and handed him the picture. "It's only natural that you wouldn't be interested in me, but I was in the wrong tonight. If possible, I hope to compensate you for your loss in other ways."

She had never thought she would have any deep relationship with him, so his harsh words didn't offend her. They just made her feel a bit embarrassed. She relaxed slightly and regained her composure.

In other ways? What could that be?

Ian shot her a cold glance, took the picture from her without changing his expression, and turned to leave. But then she asked, "Are these photos from Mr. Elston?"

Ian hadn't expected her to try to keep him there at this moment. He couldn't help but laugh softly, a scornful look in his eyes. "Don't tell me you're friends with this designer and want to recommend him to me."