Page 21
Story: His Ring, Her Rules
I smiled and said, “Nice to meet you, too.”
I looked at him again and saw him seated on the floor with his legs crossed, surrounded by kids who were no older than 10.
The nurse remarked, “He comes here every month.”
“And every time he gives them toys, candy, or whatever else the kids want, she said. “The nicest part is that he is paying for everyone’s therapy.”
“Everyone? You mean the whole hospital?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know why the media says he’s a cold-hearted person. He’s so kind and generous.”
I couldn’t help but feel a big amount of affection for my husband, who was sitting there with the kids, talking and laughing. “A heart of gold,” Kena said again and again.
I proceeded carefully towards him, and as I got to him, everyone stared at me with interest.
“Who’s she?” a girl of five years old whispered to Jaxon.
When he saw me, Jaxon’s smile dimmed a little, and he told the girl, “She’s my wife.”
I don’t know why, but it made me feel nice when he called me his wife.
The girl became enthusiastic and said, “Your wife?! She is so beautiful!”
I could still hear Jaxon say, “I know,” even though he murmured.
And then his cheeks turned a little pink. Is he blushing?
She came towards me when I crouched down to her level.
“Hi, my name is Nana,” she said in a kind way.
“Hi, Nana. My name is Vivian. You are very cute.” I reached out my hand to shake hers, and she carefully shook mine.
“Thanks.”
At that moment, all the other kids came up to me and introduced themselves one by one. They were all really nice.
As we stood up to go, one of the youngsters, Joseph, said, “Will you come again?”
“Yes, we will,” Jaxon said to him.
We said farewell to each and every one of them.
I sat in the passenger seat of Jaxon’s car and ordered my driver to pick up my car when I left the hospital.
As Jaxon drove, he still had a slight smile on his face, and I sat there and admired him. It wasn’t his looks that made him who he was. Anyone who thinks he is arrogant should see this side of him.
I called him arrogant and a lot of other things, but I learned that he is so lovely inside. He doesn’t reveal this part of himself to me; he always appears cold and cruel, but I know that deep down, he cares. He cares about everyone, even if he doesn’t express it.
“Do you want me to send you to a mental hospital?” he abruptly said. “You’ve been staring at me with a stupid smile on your face for the past two minutes.”
“I was just admiring you,” I said honestly.
He looked at me and then back at the road. “I know I’m very handsome, thank you.”
I rolled my eyes and said, “Not your looks, stupid. You should admire someone for their inner beauty, not their outer beauty.”
“Don’t say you like me.”
I laughed and said, “Never. Why should I fall for you? There are better men out there.”
“You can’t fall for anyone else while you’re married to me,” he said, clenching his teeth.
I answered, “Yeah…yeah…I know. It’s so sad that I can’t fall in love with anyone.” This made him angrier.
“Are you jealous, Mr. Jaxon Dante?” I said when he didn’t answer. “I can smell something burning.”
He looked adorable with his nose pinched, and his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not jealous!”
I said, “Oh, I know you are.”
He pulled over, and I noticed we were already home.
Before I got out of the car, I turned to him and kissed his cheeks, which surprised him. “You look cute when you’re jealous.”
I got out of the automobile after that.
He didn’t realize that he was the only one I wanted to fall for.
Bored.
I was very bored because it was Sunday and I had nothing to do. My husband was in his study, as he always is. Doesn’t he get tired?
Thank goodness he was chatting to me now, or otherwise, I would have to bother him even more.
After tossing and turning in bed for another minute, I decided to get Jaxon up and take him out for lunch or something.
I walked up to his study, knocked on the door, and went in. He was sitting in a chair with a laptop in front of him.
The spectacles he was wearing made him appear incredibly gorgeous, which was the best thing about him.
He looked at me for a second and then went back to work.
I questioned him, “Are you working?” but I shouldn’t have since he answered, “No, I’m dancing.”
I rolled my eyes.
I came up and leaned on his desk. “You work all the time; let’s go somewhere. I’m getting bored.”
“Don’t you have a job?”
“Please, I don’t work on Sundays. I’m not an idiot.”
He arched an eyebrow and said, “Are you calling me dumb?”
“Yes, I am. What are you going to do?”
“Are you really curious?”
His question made me pay attention: “Yes…no…”
He stood up quickly, took off his spectacles, and as soon as he stepped towards me, I shouted and rushed for the door.
He looked after me, and just as I was about to open the door to my room, he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder.
“Uh oh, someone is in trouble,” he replied with a smile before taking me back to his study.
He closed the door to his study and set me down, then pushed me against the door.
“You were saying?” he questioned, edging closer until there was almost no space between us.
He softly gripped my bare bicep and began to stroke circles with his thumb.
Don’t wear garments without sleeves around him.
“Speak,” he murmured, getting closer to my face. I closed my eyes.
“No-nothin-g,” I stammered.
“Nothing?” He spoke in a low voice, and I could feel his breath on my lips as his lips lingered over mine.
He bent down, and I could feel his lips on my neck.
“Vivian, your feistiness is messing with my mind,” he said against my neck. Then I felt his lips on the back of my neck. He then ran his lips up and down my neck, kissing me all over and making my legs go numb. He gave me a kiss.
Beneath my ear, I softly nipped the flesh, and I couldn’t help but whimper, which made me wince.
I could feel him smile, and then he drew away, leaving me breathless.
“Did I leave you all hot and bothered, Mrs. Dante?” he said with a sneer.
I said “arsehole” under my breath, then walked out of the study and slammed the door. I could hear him giggle.
I yelled at Jona and Kena, who were laughing loudly after I told them what had happened in the last several days, “This isn’t funny, guys! Stop it!”
We were in a café right now, drinking our coffee. Because my spouse wouldn’t go anyplace with me, I had to phone them.
“And she says she doesn’t love him,” Kena said, which made me grimace even more.
“I was just impressed by what he did. If I admire someone, it doesn’t mean I love them.”
“But you care about him too, and you were so upset when he didn’t talk to you,” Jona replied.
“Since he is my husband…”
“About a month ago, you didn’t care about your husband,” Jona replied.
“The thing is, I’ve spent some time with him, and I know him. That’s why I care about him. And Jona, you know how easily I get attached to people.”
“Whatever…” Jona said, rolling his eyes.
“But,” Kena replied, “you will fall in love with him sooner or later.”
I know that I will fall in love with him deep down. That concept worried me.
I’m a strange person. If you leave me with a man and tell me I have to fall in love with him in two weeks, I will. You know what? I’ll fall in love with him in about a week.
I know I’m nuts.
The phone that was on the table rang, and the screen flashed up with Jaxon’s name. And a picture I shot of us together recently showed up.
When they saw it, Jona and Kena looked at each other, and I stared at them.
I answered the phone and said, “Hello?”
“Vivian?”
“Yes?”
I looked at him again and saw him seated on the floor with his legs crossed, surrounded by kids who were no older than 10.
The nurse remarked, “He comes here every month.”
“And every time he gives them toys, candy, or whatever else the kids want, she said. “The nicest part is that he is paying for everyone’s therapy.”
“Everyone? You mean the whole hospital?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know why the media says he’s a cold-hearted person. He’s so kind and generous.”
I couldn’t help but feel a big amount of affection for my husband, who was sitting there with the kids, talking and laughing. “A heart of gold,” Kena said again and again.
I proceeded carefully towards him, and as I got to him, everyone stared at me with interest.
“Who’s she?” a girl of five years old whispered to Jaxon.
When he saw me, Jaxon’s smile dimmed a little, and he told the girl, “She’s my wife.”
I don’t know why, but it made me feel nice when he called me his wife.
The girl became enthusiastic and said, “Your wife?! She is so beautiful!”
I could still hear Jaxon say, “I know,” even though he murmured.
And then his cheeks turned a little pink. Is he blushing?
She came towards me when I crouched down to her level.
“Hi, my name is Nana,” she said in a kind way.
“Hi, Nana. My name is Vivian. You are very cute.” I reached out my hand to shake hers, and she carefully shook mine.
“Thanks.”
At that moment, all the other kids came up to me and introduced themselves one by one. They were all really nice.
As we stood up to go, one of the youngsters, Joseph, said, “Will you come again?”
“Yes, we will,” Jaxon said to him.
We said farewell to each and every one of them.
I sat in the passenger seat of Jaxon’s car and ordered my driver to pick up my car when I left the hospital.
As Jaxon drove, he still had a slight smile on his face, and I sat there and admired him. It wasn’t his looks that made him who he was. Anyone who thinks he is arrogant should see this side of him.
I called him arrogant and a lot of other things, but I learned that he is so lovely inside. He doesn’t reveal this part of himself to me; he always appears cold and cruel, but I know that deep down, he cares. He cares about everyone, even if he doesn’t express it.
“Do you want me to send you to a mental hospital?” he abruptly said. “You’ve been staring at me with a stupid smile on your face for the past two minutes.”
“I was just admiring you,” I said honestly.
He looked at me and then back at the road. “I know I’m very handsome, thank you.”
I rolled my eyes and said, “Not your looks, stupid. You should admire someone for their inner beauty, not their outer beauty.”
“Don’t say you like me.”
I laughed and said, “Never. Why should I fall for you? There are better men out there.”
“You can’t fall for anyone else while you’re married to me,” he said, clenching his teeth.
I answered, “Yeah…yeah…I know. It’s so sad that I can’t fall in love with anyone.” This made him angrier.
“Are you jealous, Mr. Jaxon Dante?” I said when he didn’t answer. “I can smell something burning.”
He looked adorable with his nose pinched, and his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not jealous!”
I said, “Oh, I know you are.”
He pulled over, and I noticed we were already home.
Before I got out of the car, I turned to him and kissed his cheeks, which surprised him. “You look cute when you’re jealous.”
I got out of the automobile after that.
He didn’t realize that he was the only one I wanted to fall for.
Bored.
I was very bored because it was Sunday and I had nothing to do. My husband was in his study, as he always is. Doesn’t he get tired?
Thank goodness he was chatting to me now, or otherwise, I would have to bother him even more.
After tossing and turning in bed for another minute, I decided to get Jaxon up and take him out for lunch or something.
I walked up to his study, knocked on the door, and went in. He was sitting in a chair with a laptop in front of him.
The spectacles he was wearing made him appear incredibly gorgeous, which was the best thing about him.
He looked at me for a second and then went back to work.
I questioned him, “Are you working?” but I shouldn’t have since he answered, “No, I’m dancing.”
I rolled my eyes.
I came up and leaned on his desk. “You work all the time; let’s go somewhere. I’m getting bored.”
“Don’t you have a job?”
“Please, I don’t work on Sundays. I’m not an idiot.”
He arched an eyebrow and said, “Are you calling me dumb?”
“Yes, I am. What are you going to do?”
“Are you really curious?”
His question made me pay attention: “Yes…no…”
He stood up quickly, took off his spectacles, and as soon as he stepped towards me, I shouted and rushed for the door.
He looked after me, and just as I was about to open the door to my room, he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder.
“Uh oh, someone is in trouble,” he replied with a smile before taking me back to his study.
He closed the door to his study and set me down, then pushed me against the door.
“You were saying?” he questioned, edging closer until there was almost no space between us.
He softly gripped my bare bicep and began to stroke circles with his thumb.
Don’t wear garments without sleeves around him.
“Speak,” he murmured, getting closer to my face. I closed my eyes.
“No-nothin-g,” I stammered.
“Nothing?” He spoke in a low voice, and I could feel his breath on my lips as his lips lingered over mine.
He bent down, and I could feel his lips on my neck.
“Vivian, your feistiness is messing with my mind,” he said against my neck. Then I felt his lips on the back of my neck. He then ran his lips up and down my neck, kissing me all over and making my legs go numb. He gave me a kiss.
Beneath my ear, I softly nipped the flesh, and I couldn’t help but whimper, which made me wince.
I could feel him smile, and then he drew away, leaving me breathless.
“Did I leave you all hot and bothered, Mrs. Dante?” he said with a sneer.
I said “arsehole” under my breath, then walked out of the study and slammed the door. I could hear him giggle.
I yelled at Jona and Kena, who were laughing loudly after I told them what had happened in the last several days, “This isn’t funny, guys! Stop it!”
We were in a café right now, drinking our coffee. Because my spouse wouldn’t go anyplace with me, I had to phone them.
“And she says she doesn’t love him,” Kena said, which made me grimace even more.
“I was just impressed by what he did. If I admire someone, it doesn’t mean I love them.”
“But you care about him too, and you were so upset when he didn’t talk to you,” Jona replied.
“Since he is my husband…”
“About a month ago, you didn’t care about your husband,” Jona replied.
“The thing is, I’ve spent some time with him, and I know him. That’s why I care about him. And Jona, you know how easily I get attached to people.”
“Whatever…” Jona said, rolling his eyes.
“But,” Kena replied, “you will fall in love with him sooner or later.”
I know that I will fall in love with him deep down. That concept worried me.
I’m a strange person. If you leave me with a man and tell me I have to fall in love with him in two weeks, I will. You know what? I’ll fall in love with him in about a week.
I know I’m nuts.
The phone that was on the table rang, and the screen flashed up with Jaxon’s name. And a picture I shot of us together recently showed up.
When they saw it, Jona and Kena looked at each other, and I stared at them.
I answered the phone and said, “Hello?”
“Vivian?”
“Yes?”