Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 47

Before the photo shoot started, Adira reached for the photographer and asked him a favor. 
[“Tell us to make intimate poses.”] 
The theme for the photo shoot is the advertisement of the newly launched wine made by Wine&Vibe and Crimson Meadow. Poster, pictures, and banners will be used to promote the product in digital and traditional magazines and online sites. Therefore, there’s no need for Chadwick and Adira to make intimate poses for they will only use a proper and formal picture to advertise. 
However, to the man who made a ruckus in the middle of the event, Adira thinks this is the best way to punish her husband. 
“Mrs. Adira will sit on your lap, sir.” 
The first hurdle that Chadwick should face is letting Adira sit on his lap. 
Just hearing the words made his palms sweaty and his heart beating so fast. 
Withal, he has no choice but to do what the photographer asked him to do. Either way, he is the reason why they had to model together, in order to shut down the rumors about his affair. 
A red velvet silky couch was set up for the two. Chadwick sat on the sofa, leaning his back against the couch while Adira is sitting on his lap, facing him with a glass of wine in her hands. 
“That’s right! It’s good!” the photographer praised. “Now look at the camera and give me a fierce look.” 
Chadwick and Adira looked at the camera. It isn’t the first time for the both of them to engage in photo shooting so they can easily project the right facial expression. Besides, their faces are gorgeous in any angle. 
However, although Chadwick may look calm from the outside, he is actually damn nervous that his heart is pounding crazily. How can he can stay tranquil when his wife is sitting on his lap and leaning closely against his trembling body? He feels dizzy, but in a good way. His knees seemed melted, and he’s trying his best to collect his strength. 
It is crazy to think, for Chadwick , that he will feel this vulnerable around his own wife. He is like an innocent boy who loves someone and felt the lust for the first time. Adira awaken all the desires he knew are hiding deep within his body, and he blamed it all to her seduction, her beauty and her sexiness. 
‘Damn it,’ he cursed inwardly as the photo shoot continues. 
Whatever the photographer asks them to do, they do their best to accomplish each pose, while Chadwick hid the nervousness, as if screaming internally. 
“Next, Chadwick , please hold the wine glass this time. Stand face to face but turn your heads toward the camera. Adira, put your arm on his chest. That’s right! Good!” 
“Adira, please stand behind Chadwick and hold onto his shoulder, then rest your chin on his shoulder. Chadwick hold her hands. Alright! Perfect!” 
“Hold Adira chin and then raised the hand with the wine glass as if you are offering it to her. Nice! Good!” 
So far, he can bear the positions the photographer asked them to do. But as the time passes by, the quest is getting deeper and closer. 
What’s wrong? They are married couple anyway. 
‘But it is just an arranged married and I was the only one who loves her!’ Chadwick shouted the protest inside his head. 
“Okay, this time, please lay down on the ground.” 
“What?” Chadwick murmured. He looked at the photographer as if questioning him if he heard him wrong. “Lay down on the ground?” 
“Yes, sir. Lay down on the ground and look at the camera.” 
Chadwick was about to protest but Adira did not give him the chance to. 
“Okay,” she said. Gently, she sat first on the ground and looked upon to her husband. “What are you doing? Lay down.” 
There’s a lump on Chadwick’s throat that the sigh barely slipped out from it and exited his lips. Biting the flesh behind his lower lip, he sat down beside Adira. 
“Great!” the photographer complimented while looking through his camera. “Make sure to get closer as you lay down, and lift your upper bodies a bit and use your arms for support.” 
Adira and Chadwick lay down closely to each other and looked at the camera. 
The photographer got down very low to capture the image. 
“Perfect! Now this time, put a little space between your bodies and look at each other.” 
The couple stick closer and tilted their heard and stared at each other. The moment their eyes met, he could feel his heart beating so fast and hard just like a parade of soldiers on a matching spree. 
He never winked, nor his eyelids moved, and he kept up that wondering fixed stare on her face. With all her features, his senses was took in. He looked at her eyebrows, her small nose with high bridge, fluttering eyes which shows the universe and her red lips which somehow invited him to come closer. 
After thus exploring  into her beauty, the murmur of voices around has faded and only the gleam of the light stayed. 
Maybe he had become blind to other things around, and probably this is a better reason to view love as being blind. 
 
“Now leaned a bit more as if you are kissing.” 
When Chadwick heard what the photographer wanted them to do this time, he felt a sense of gratitude. He’s thankful for being here, for having an excuse to be with Adira closely like this without the need of explaining himself why he should stare intensely at her eyes, as if he wanted to taste the sweet wine that once touched her red lips. 
Chadwick moved closer to her, cupping her cheek. Her breathing brushed on his lips, it gave an exhilarating feeling inside his chest. 
Adira saw Chadwick flushed slightly, and did not miss his nervousness of his expression and the forced enthusiasm he has while moving. 
“You are really nervous,” she murmured. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat you here. Not in front of many people.” 
His eyes widened.
‘It isn’t like that.’
He is nervous not because he feared Adira will eat him, but the other way around. He is aware of the beast residing in his soul, the beast who longed for her, to conquer her. 
When his eyes traced at the remaining mark on her neck, his urges grew. 
It was a very strange manoeuvre, so strange and threatening in aspect that Chadwick forgot his nervousness in an instant as he looked at the mark he imprinted on her skin. 
Suddenly, Adira saw the shifting of his gaze when his lustrous eyes went back to meet hers. 
“If the photographer asked you to eat me here, I doubt you’ll decline,” he murmured with a voice that sounded like whispering meadow or the creaking of wood in the fireplace as they give warm in the middle of the cold weather. 
A smile appeared on Adira’s lips. Then she whispered, “It’s a pleasure.” 
Chadwick looked carefully at her with intense astonishment at the imagine of her white pale face and her intelligent seductive eyes. He came closer with his hard and burning eyes fixed on her. He doesn’t know what will come next after this, nor he cares. 
He leaned closer and he could feel his heart dancing, jumping, rejoicing inside the jail where his rib cages are the bars, keeping his heart from escaping. Faster and closer. Faster and closer. Breath held without thinking, the suspender air caught at the top of his throat like a minute grasped. 
“Mr. Chadwick,” the photographer called. 
Chadwick did not hear him. If he did, then he probably ignored the voice as his mind was occupied with something else. 
“Can you kiss your wife an…” 
Before the photographer can finish his request, the kiss already happened. 
Chadwick wafted Adira a kiss, pretending not to see the eyes looking at them inside the studio. 
His lips brushing her, ever so slightly parted, fluttering and tingling. There is a hint of pressure, then a soft warm exhale ending in an almost  imperceptible hum. 
Everyone inside the studio held their breaths, even Neil and Hansel who are watching their bosses’ acting. They never thought Chadwick won’t hesitantly kissed her wife in front of everybody, especially Neil and Hansel. 
For Neil and Hansel, they consider this as part of the couple’s acting to show that they are in love. But if it is really an acting, then Chadwick deserved an Oscar winning trophy for being the best actor. 
‘Wow,’ Neil exclaimed internally while watching. 
‘T-That bastard…’ Hansel thought. 
However, Neil and Hansel aren’t the only people who got shocked at Chadwick’s action. Adira too got so surprised. This isn’t their first kiss, yet, it was the first time that Chadwick did the first move. 
She considers this as a part of his acting but…
‘Why does it feels so sincere?’ Adira asked herself as she feels him sandwiching her soft lips. 
Adira could feel his nose against hers and his breathing. Her wondering eyes slowly shut and remained closed for a long time. 
Chadwick, then, leaned his elbow on the side and pressed his body against hers. He nibbled her lips. They were curved and full, evenly moisturized. They tasted like strawberries and he thinks that maybe, his new favorite flavor from now on is strawberry. 
The kiss is not hungry, not deep, not needy, but was sweet and soft, as if there is a spark buried somewhere inside him and it was like he had woken up. 
The frozen photographer, who was caught off guard for a moment,  finally moved. He lowered his body and took shots of the couple. 
Their kissing pictures, it is impossible to put this as part of their advertising photos. Yet the photographer can’t help it but to capture the beautiful moment. 
Actually, he also heard the issue that Chadwick McElroy is having an affair. He did not believe it at first. But when Adira came to him and asked him to give them an intimate poses, he slightly was convinced that maybe, the issue is true. However, from the beginning of the photo shoot, the photographer can notice the intense and sincere gaze of Chadwick to his wife.  And now, he kissed her voluntarily. 
What does it mean? 
The photographer is not sure what the right answer is, but he’s contented.
“Perfect!” he shouted after taking multiple shots. 
When the two heard the shout, they both parted from each other and opened their trembling eyes. 
‘What the hell just happened?’ Both got so confused. 
Adira was just joking when she said that she will kiss him in front of everyone. Chadwick was engulfed by his honest feeling that his body moved on its own. 
With trembling pupils and wet lips, the two stared at each other. 
“That was wonderful!” the photographer complimented. 
Adira and Chadwick tilted their heads on the side. What they saw is the photographer’s joyous expression. Next are the blushing of the staffs and lastly, Neil and Hansel who are looking at them with widely opened mouth. 
Chadwick hurriedly stood up with loud beating of his heart. 
Staying on the ground, Adira looked at her husband who is acting weird. It is as if some soul took over Chadwick’s body. 
“The shoot is f-finish, right?” Adira asked the photographer while scratching his reddened ear. 
“Yes sir! It ended so magnificently!” 
“T-That’s good,” he stuttered before he looked at his wife and offered his hand.
Adira looked at his hand and to his face which she cannot read. 
Usually, Chadwick’s mind is like an opened book. When his mad, it shows. When his annoyed, it shows. When he wanted to curse at her, it definitely shows. 
But this time, she doesn’t know what’s going in his head, as he deliberately hide his emotions from her. 
‘And why do I feel uncomfortable?’ Adira pondered. 
She held his hand with uneasy heart.