CHAPTER 5

Indeed, she was in a bed of roses. Kai’s face lit up, and her smile widened as she looked at Jarrel’s king-sized bed, covered in rose petals. Most of them were red, but there were also petals in different colors—pink, yellow, white, and even blue.

On other parts of the bed, small candles flickered softly. She found it incredibly romantic. The red flowers seemed to symbolize the passionate love she shared with her boyfriend. The dim light, the flowers scattered on his bed, and the scent filling the room made everything feel romantically erotic to her.

“Did you like it?” Jarrel wrapped his arms possessively around her waist, hugging her from behind.

“Yes, very much!” She held onto his arms, which were securely wrapped around her. “You really prepared for tonight, huh?”

“For my girl? Of course. This is our first night together. This night is very special to me. My bed should reflect that.”

“Are we going to m-make love again tonight?” she asked shyly, biting her lower lip.

“All night until morning, if that’s what my baby wants,” he murmured, pressing a quick kiss on the side of her neck. She shivered at the sensation.

“I want to make love with you every day…”

Jarrel let out a soft laugh near her ear. “If only your parents would allow you to see me every day, then why not?”

She turned to face him, cupping his jaw gently with her hands.

“Just elope with me, Jarrel…” she said, her voice filled with desperation. She was so in love with him—she always wanted to be with him.

His eyes darkened with emotion. Lowering his lips, he kissed her hand that rested on his jaw, then let out a sigh, as if struggling with something.

“I want to be with you every day, Kai. I’m always eager to see you, to kiss you… even to claim you every single day… I will never get tired of you.”

“Then let’s live together…”

Jarrel carefully cupped her cheeks with his large hands. He looked troubled and pressured. Was what she wanted really that difficult? All she wanted was to see him and be with him every day and night. She wanted to be his wife!

“That’s not as easy as breathing, love.”

She let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. Pouting, she turned her face away from Jarrel and sat down at the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped slightly under her weight, making some of the petals shift. She picked up a red petal and focused on it.

She heard Jarrel sigh again before squatting down in front of her. His palms rested on her lap, but she ignored him.

“Listen, I’ll try my best to see you every day, even if I have so much work to do. Please, understand…” His voice was hoarse, sounding genuinely conflicted.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re the one here who’s not ready to marry me.”

His expression darkened further at her insistence. Why couldn’t he understand what she was trying to say? They should live together and get married so they would never be apart again. That was it. What was so hard about it? They loved each other—what else mattered?

“Baby, you’re still too young for that…” His raspy voice was the only sound she ever wanted to hear.

“It’s not about age, Jarrel. As long as we love each other, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Jarrel was turning thirty, while she was twenty-two. There was a significant age gap between them, but for her, that wasn’t a reason to delay marriage.

“Yes, it’s not about the age—it’s about maturity, Kai. Marriage isn’t a joke,” he said seriously, running his hand along her thigh, as if trying to calm himself more than her.

“Or is it because you don’t see me as your wife?” she pointed out.

“You’re still my baby…”

“But I want to be your wife!” she growled like a child, frustrated and desperate.

She never knew that loving this man would make her feel such overwhelming emotions. She was on the verge of tears, utterly disappointed.

“Hush,” he murmured, pressing soft kisses along the corner of her lips. He was now kneeling in front of her, his hands resting on the bed on either side of her, caging her in.

“I want you to be my husband…” she whimpered. “Why won’t you marry me? Is Kuya Dwaye right? That you’re not ready? But why? You’re at the right age. You have your own business. You’re rich. So why not?”

“Because you’re not ready for that.”

“I am ready!” she cried, turning her face away in frustration. “You don’t love me!”

Jarrel let out a long, exhausted groan before burying his face against her stomach, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He looked utterly hopeless.

“If only you knew how much I’m holding myself back from locking you in this room and never letting you go home…”

“Then do it! Don’t take me home! Let me stay here with you!”

“Why are you so stubborn?” he sighed, sounding defeated. “I thought I was the territorial one, but you’re even worse than me.” He let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“Because you’re mine!”

He pressed gentle kisses against her stomach, his lips soft and warm.

“Maybe I should just get you pregnant…” he muttered, looking up at her with dangerously darkened eyes.

Her heart pounded wildly. She didn’t know why the idea made her nervous, but she wanted it. She really wanted it.

“I… I agree,” she whispered, biting her lower lip.

Jarrel stared at her like a man entranced.

“Get me pregnant…” her voice came out like a plea.

Jarrel didn’t say another word. He simply began removing her clothes, his movements slow and deliberate. Soon, she was lying on his bed, petals clinging to her bare skin. The candlelight flickered softly, casting shadows across the room. Her legs rested at the edge of the mattress, and he gently parted them.

Kai closed her eyes, her fingers threading through his hair as she felt his tongue trace a slow, delicate path against her—

“TEACHER! TEACHER!”

A familiar voice jolted her from her reverie.

She blinked rapidly, looking down to find Blake tugging at the hem of her dress.

It was Monday morning. A miracle that Blake had arrived so early at school. He looked adorable in his school uniform—so clean, so fresh. All the students here were well-groomed, but there was something about him that was different. Maybe it was because he was the son of her ex-boyfriend.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I’ve been calling you for a while, teacher. What were you thinking about?”

She pretended to think. She couldn’t possibly tell him she had been lost in thoughts of his father and their very complicated past. Blake was too young to understand.

“I was just wondering why you’re so early today,” she said instead.

Blake returned to his seat. They were the only ones in the room—it was still too early. She remained leaning against her desk, facing him.

“Because I was excited to see you, teacher. I missed you yesterday.”

Her heart softened at his words. She last saw him on Saturday night when they had dinner with Jarrel. She shook her head as memories of that evening resurfaced—especially that stolen kiss. Maybe it had been a mistake. She knew they had missed each other, but that kiss… it shouldn’t have happened.

“We were only apart for one day, and you already missed me?”

“Yes!” he nodded enthusiastically, swinging his feet from his chair. “I miss you, teacher…” His voice held a sadness that tugged at her heart.

She blinked rapidly, feeling an unexpected sting of emotion. He looked so innocent, so sincere.

“I promise I won’t make you miss me again, okay?” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

“Even on Sundays? Can we see each other?” His face lit up, eyes twinkling with excitement.

His hopeful expression made it impossible for her to say no.

What was she doing? Was this how a teacher should act toward a student? Why did she feel guilty, yet happy at the same time?

“If your dad allows it, then yes. I can see you every Saturday and Sunday.”

“Dad will say yes!” he exclaimed excitedly.

“Did you talk to him about it?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Not yet, but my daddy loves me,” he said, as if it was obvious that Jarrel would agree to whatever he wanted. Jarrel did spoil him a lot.

“Speaking of your dad… where is he?”

As soon as she asked, she regretted it. Blake’s mischievous grin made her want to blush.

“Why, teacher? Do you miss my daddy?”

“Of course not! I was just asking.”

“Do you think my daddy is handsome?”

She hesitated. Blake was obviously trying to tease her.

“Uh, yes, he’s handsome… but I like you more than him.”

“Daddy has a lot of girl friends. Do you want to be his friend too?”

Girl friends? Or did he mean girlfriends?

She gritted her teeth. Was Jarrel seriously introducing his so-called friends to his son?

“I don’t want to be your dad’s friend.”

“Why, teacher? Don’t you like my daddy?” Blake’s innocent eyes widened with curiosity. She almost forgot she was talking to a child.

“It’s not that, Blake. I just… have a different way of making friends.”

I don’t make friends with my ex-boyfriend.

She stopped herself from saying it aloud.

“But Aunt Maisie likes my daddy as her friend,” Blake mused. “And she wants to be my mommy.”