XIII

I woke up to a loud noise, as if there were cheers and some sort of competition happening. What’s going on?

Rubbing my eyes, I glanced to my side, but Yohan was nowhere to be seen. There wasn’t even a trace of him. Hasn’t he come back yet?

After swimming in the pool last night to clear my mind, I had gone straight to bed in the villa. I didn’t bother thinking about Yohan anymore, assuming he would take a while outside. But maybe he never came back at all. Where could he have spent the night?

Shrugging off the thought, I headed to the shower to freshen up. I wanted to step out of the villa and see what all the commotion was about. Could it be a concert?

I hurried through my routine, and since it was a beach resort and I was on vacation, I opted for a two-piece swimsuit. To complete my look, I put on a white crochet cover-up, let my hair down, wore a beach hat and sunglasses, and applied sunscreen before heading out.

The moment I stepped outside, I noticed a large crowd gathered near the shore. Curious, I followed their gaze toward the ocean and realized there was a surfing competition taking place.

Ah, so that’s why they’re cheering—it’s a surfing competition.

Wanting a better view, I moved closer to the crowd.

My eyes widened in shock when I spotted a very familiar face among the surfers.

Wait… is that Yohan?!

Why is he part of the competition? And since when did he know how to surf?

"Oh my gosh! Is that Zion? He’s back! He’s still so hot and talented!"

I furrowed my brows at the comment.

Two women standing nearby were eagerly watching the competition. One had curly hair and wore a black one-piece swimsuit, while the other had wavy blonde hair and sported a maroon one-piece.

Do they know Yohan?

I thought this was his first time in Hawaii, but judging by how the resort staff welcomed him yesterday, that clearly wasn’t the case. It seems like he’s a regular here. And on top of that, he even surfs on the side? Impressive.

I kind of admire that. Even though I have responsibilities at our company, I still find ways to do what I love—like dancing. Although, now that I’m married to Yohan, that seems less likely…

"Is he still single? I want to ask him out tonight! I want to taste him."

My eyes widened.

Are they serious?

And if they asked Yohan, would he actually say yes?

Even if our marriage isn’t built on love, we are married. I wouldn’t want anyone we know to see him with another woman, especially now. It would damage the reputation of both the Allens and the Warrens. We’d become the talk of the business world, and that’s the last thing I need.

Unable to hold back, I cleared my throat.

"Uhm."

The two women stopped talking, and the one in the black swimsuit shot me an annoyed look.

"What do you want, Miss? Can’t you see we’re having a conversation?" she snapped, her thick Australian accent making her irritation clear.

I smiled politely. "You were talking about my husband."

Both women furrowed their brows and exchanged glances before turning back to me, their eyebrows still raised.

"We don’t care about your husband, bitch."

I kept my smile, raising a brow just as I noticed Yohan approaching.

It looks like the competition is over. I didn’t even find out if he won or not.

The two women followed my gaze, and their faces immediately lit up with excitement.

"Oh my! It’s Zion!" the curly-haired one gasped.

"And he’s the husband I just mentioned," I added casually.

Their eyes widened in shock. They exchanged another glance before bursting into laughter, as if I had just told them the most ridiculous lie they’d ever heard.

"Dream on, girl! We all know every woman in Hawaii is crazy about him, so we get it," the woman in the maroon one-piece swimsuit said with a smirk.

I smiled at them before turning toward Yohan, who was now deep in conversation with another guy. He wouldn’t embarrass me, right? I wasn’t asking for much—I just wanted to put an end to those two women flirting with my husband.

"Yohan!" I called out.

He paused mid-conversation, turning to look at me. A slight furrow appeared on his forehead as his gaze met mine, and for a moment, I hesitated. But I pushed through, keeping a smile on my face as I walked toward him.

Without giving him a chance to react, I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him with a sweet smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the two annoying women staring at me, their mouths agape.

Satisfied?

"What do you think you’re doing?" Yohan asked coldly, his piercing gaze fixed on me.

I swallowed hard and slowly released my grip. When I glanced back at the two women, I found them grinning and laughing, as if mocking me. Clearly, they still didn’t believe Yohan was my husband.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back to him. He was still staring at me, looking both surprised and suspicious. I reached up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and leaned in close, my lips brushing against his ear.

"Kiss me," I whispered.

His eyes widened slightly, his expression unreadable. "What the f*ck, Cosette? Just go away!" He started to push me off, but I tightened my grip and spoke again before he could.

"I-I’ll give you head tonight if you kiss me. Please, Yohan," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper.

His expression didn’t change, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He just stared at me, unreadable. My heart pounded. Was I really about to humiliate myself in front of these two women?

I bit my lip in frustration, ready to turn away in defeat—

But then Yohan grabbed my arm, spun me back around, and pulled me against him.

Before I could process what was happening, his lips crashed against mine.

Oh my God.

He f*cking kissed me.

Shocked but determined, I quickly adjusted, kissing him back. My pulse raced as I deepened the kiss, my fingers gripping the back of his neck. I glanced at the two women, who were now staring in stunned silence.

A smug sense of satisfaction filled me.

Still kissing Yohan, I lifted my left hand and flashed my wedding ring in their direction, tightening my hold on him.

I had won this round.

But as I pressed closer to my husband, the reality of my earlier promise hit me.

Looks like I’ll be testing my limits with this man tonight.