Eileen lay motionless in the darkness, her breath shallow. She was poised like a cat ready to spring, determined not to make the first move unless absolutely necessary.
The queen-sized bed at the hotel felt spacious when she was alone, but with another person, it suddenly became a tight squeeze.
In the pitch-black room, Eileen's gaze was locked on where she knew Egbert lay. It was then that a chuckle, unmistakably male and tinged with mischief, reached her. Eileen narrowed her eyes, pondering the meaning behind that laugh.
Did he think he had already won? That confident? She couldn't afford to be careless.
Suddenly, his hand found hers in the darkness, his grip sure and precise. "Your hands are cold," he whispered.
Eileen mustered her pride and retorted, "I have a cool personality."
Egbert only responded with a deepened chuckle before softly adding, "Let's head to bed."
Oh, he was challenging her now! Fired up, Eileen declared, "Alright then! I'm not afraid!"
With that, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Egbert in a victorious embrace.
He was wearing one of those thin hotel pajamas that left little to the imagination. Eileen's hands roamed over the warm surface of his skin until they found his abdomen.
Six-pack... no, eight-pack abs. She had to feel again. Yep, definitely eight-pack!
While she explored, Egbert's arm encircled her, his chest rumbling with suppressed laughter.
Eileen felt a twinge of embarrassment. It's not like she hadn't seen a fit man before, no need for such drama!
She withdrew her hand from his abs, plotting her next move, but then Egbert's hands scooped under her waist. With a quick movement, he flipped her beneath him.
Ambush! How low! This wouldn't do; she had to be on top. It was a matter of dignity!
Eileen struggled, trying to turn the tables, but then she felt her shoulders pinned, and a second later, his lips captured hers.
Their familiar entanglement carried the scent of his body wash, the same one she used. It never smelled particularly good to her before, but on Egbert, it was intoxicating.
The kiss was brief. Soon he released her, his fingertips trailing over her lips as he murmured, "Try to behave."
Eileen felt his restraint and dared not move.
Soon the weight on her vanished, and Egbert rolled beside her, his arms pulling her in close.
Trapped by his hold, Eileen could only snuggle closer, burying her face in his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist.
He held her tighter when she responded in kind and huskily asked, "Who do you think I am?"
Eileen paused.
He lightly kissed her lips again and then, with a hand cradling her head, whispered, "Sleep now, it's late."
Resting her chin on Egbert's chest, she asked, "And who are you?"
He chuckled softly, "Someone who loves you."
Eileen frowned but said nothing.
Egbert soothed her to sleep like a child, and before long, her breathing evened out.
Only when he was certain she was asleep did he leave the bed. The darkness didn't impair him; he kissed her once more before heading to the bathroom where the sound of running water soon filled the quiet.
Eileen opened her eyes to the dim light seeping from the bathroom door. She chuckled to herself and then turned over, comfortably drifting back to sleep.
When Egbert emerged from the bathroom, he didn't rush back to bed. Instead, he waited until his body warmed up before rejoining her under the covers, pulling her close once more.
He was a man with desires, but he knew she wasn't ready, and he would never pressure her.
He loved her, respected her, and had chosen her for a lifetime. He had all the time in the world to wait for her.
The next morning, Eileen woke to find Egbert gone. Confused, she reached for her phone and saw his message, "Caught an early flight, didn't want to wake you. Have a little more sleep. The Chester situation will be resolved soon. There's breakfast on the table, remember to eat."
She smiled at the sight of her favorite cake and milk on the coffee table. After replying with a simple "okay," she got up to start her day.
Eileen expected the "soon" Egbert mentioned to take at least a few days, but by that afternoon, Carrol had called all the main crew for a meeting.
With a grave expression, Carrol announced, "Chester has dropped out of the project."
The room fell silent.
"His termination fee will be paid, but recasting means all scenes he's shot are unusable. We'll have to reshoot everything!"
Paulina suddenly asked, "Why would he voluntarily drop out?"
Carrol shook his head, "His agent cited personal reasons."
Paulina looked at Eileen, who was deep in thought.
Once the meeting ended, Paulina pulled Eileen aside and asked, "Did you do it?"
Eileen shrugged, replying, "I didn’t do anything."
Paulina pressed, "Then your husband did it then?"
Eileen didn't respond, but Paulina's gaze was knowing. "Egbert was here last night, and today Chester drops out. It has to be his doing."
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