After what felt like an eternity, Haley's entire body felt light-headed, as though she was being roasted over a fire.She could barely catch her breath when Shane finally released her reluctantly. His deep, dark eyes sparkled with a brilliant light.Leaning against his shoulder, Haley struggled to breathe, her chest rising and falling rapidly as though she had been harshly mistreated. This appearance made her even more captivating than before.Shane's Adam's apple moved slightly as his gaze fell on her full, rosy lips, growing more heated by the second.Sensing his intent, Haley glared at him sharply and covered her lips with the back of her hand, warning him in a low voice, "Don't even think about it."Shane silently regretted it but knew when to stop. With difficulty, he tore his gaze away from her.Seeing that he no longer attempted to touch her, Haley finally breathed a sigh of relief."By the way, has Dad contacted you recently? I haven’t seen him in ages." They had retur
Charles nervously touched his nose. "Let me explain...""Go on, you'd better explain yourself clearly, or don’t blame me for being harsh!" Haley sat down on the sofa, crossing her arms and glaring at him. She was giving off the vibe that if he dared lie, she would not hesitate to deal with him.Charles had no choice but to repeat what he had just said. "I really didn’t mean to lose contact. The mountain area was so remote that there was no signal. I had no choice."Haley snorted. "Stop making excuses. If you really wanted to contact us, you’d find a way, no matter what."Charles wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and helplessly glanced at Shane. These two were definitely a couple! They even thought alike."It’s true. There was no communication equipment at all. They live almost entirely like it’s the old days. I had no way to reach anyone."Haley gave him a stern look. "So, did you find the person you were looking for? You’ve been there so long, and you didn’t even find them?
As soon as they got into the car, Shane's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, answered, and asked, "What’s up?"Henry’s voice was filled with excitement. "I heard Zac is back! Want to go over? It’s been ages since we’ve all seen him, and I really miss the guy.""Zac’s back? When did that happen?" Shane was momentarily stunned. How could Zac come back without letting them know?Henry replied, "It should be today. I think he’s still at the airport. He’s probably got some business to handle, and he’ll have to head back soon. That’s probably why he didn’t notify us."Shane thought for a moment and then looked over at Haley.Meeting her curious gaze, Shane said, "Alright, we’ll head over right away."After hanging up, Haley asked, "Was that Henry? What’s going on?"Shane gave her a reassuring look and explained, "Zac’s back. Henry asked if we wanted to stop by his place.""Sure, but why’s he coming back at this time?"Shane casually drummed his fingers on the steering
Charlotte opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, not a single word came out. She lowered her head, her ears turning a deep shade of red, lost in her thoughts.But Zac was not going to let her off so easily. "You called me earlier today, saying you were in pain and asking if I could come be with you. Are you backing out now?"Charlotte bit her lip, still silent, unsure of what to say.It was true that she had called Zac, pleading for him to return, but things hadn’t gone the way she expected.She had always seen Zac as someone she could rely on. Aside from her mother, Zac was the only one who had ever treated her kindly. At the time, she didn’t even know what had come over her, daring to ask Zac to come back because she needed him.What she never expected was that Zac would actually return just because of her request.Charlotte felt like something had hit her heart hard, sending ripples through her emotions.Then, somehow, things had escalated, with Zac becom
In the car, Henry leaned forward curiously. He rested his arms on the backs of the driver and passenger seats, his eyes darting between the two of them."Shane and Haley, are you two hiding something from me?"Haley blinked innocently. "No, why would you think that?"Henry snorted, his tone suspicious. "I don’t know. I just have a feeling that something’s off with you two. You’re definitely hiding something from me. Did something happen to Zac?""No.""Of course not."Haley and Shane answered in unison.They exchanged a quick glance, then simultaneously looked away with perfect synchronization."Something’s definitely up. You two are acting way too suspicious. Pull over. I’m going back. I want to see what’s going on with Zac."Haley quickly grabbed him, lowering her voice. "Don’t do anything rash. Fine, I’ll tell you."Seeing that his little trick had worked, Henry couldn’t help but smirk before straightening up, putting on a serious face."Alright, now you can explain."Wi
Haley sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around Shane again, nuzzling him softly. "Of course, you’re more important than barbeque."As if to prove her point, she planted a quick kiss on Shane’s cheek without hesitation.Shane wasted no time pulling her into his embrace, his arms around her waist, holding her tightly, not allowing her to slip away.Haley smiled up at him and kissed him again. "Is that enough?""Not enough," Shane murmured as he leaned in closer, capturing her soft, rosy lips in a kiss.Haley wrapped her arms around Shane’s neck, timidly responding to his kiss.Her willingness was like fuel to Shane’s fire, and the kiss grew hotter, more intense.Haley slowly closed her eyes, and before long, it felt like the air was being stolen from her lungs bit by bit.She could hardly catch her breath.Haley gently pushed against Shane’s solid chest, and sensing her need, he pulled back just slightly.His gaze lingered on her glistening lips, his eyes darker than before.
Henry quickly shut his mouth at Shane's words. "Got it, Shane. Just hurry down, the ingredients are almost here.""You guys go ahead and start. I've still got some work to finish," Shane replied before hanging up.With a sigh, Henry turned to Zac and Jenny. "Shane's still busy with work. He said we should get started, so let's get things moving."Zac nodded, his expression still as cold as ever.Henry, remembering what had happened yesterday, couldn't help but feel curious. He lowered his voice and asked, "Zac, were you up to something shady behind our backs yesterday?"Zac paused briefly, his gaze flickering for a moment before he returned to his usual calm demeanor. "Why would you ask that?""Don't pretend with me, I already know," Henry said with a playful snort. "Did you really fall for that Charlotte? I just don't see how she's a good match for you."He had seen Charlotte before. While she was pretty, in their social circles, beauty was hardly rare. Plus, she seemed way too
Haley paused for a moment, then smiled sweetly and said, "Mr. Ford, make sure you eat more. You've worked so hard too."Pregnancy was tough, but caring for someone who was pregnant wasn't easy either. Shane had been constantly busy lately, moving a lot of his work home just to be there for her. Important meetings had been shifted to online video calls, and documents were now being delivered by Dean, which wasn’t always convenient. Yet, Shane never once complained. He actually seemed to enjoy it.Shane smiled, feeling a warmth he couldn’t quite describe. "It’s not hard at all. You’ve been so considerate that taking care of you hasn’t been much work."Haley smiled and nodded, then, in a sneaky move, tossed a piece of tender spicy beef into the grill. She thought she was being subtle, even glancing away as if nothing had happened.But Shane had seen it all."You can’t eat that. It’s too spicy and not good for you," Shane said sternly.Haley pouted, her lips curling in a slight fro