"You jerk—let go!"
Riley fumed, struggling in his grip.
Mr Yeardley, who had been thoroughly enjoying the show, chimed in from the side, all smiles.
"Madam, if it's just playful teasing, try not to curse people."
Riley shot him a glare.
Playful?
This is a full-on fight, okay?
Are your eyes failing already?
She twisted her wrists, but his grip only tightened, biting into her skin.
A mix of frustration and helplessness flickered through her.
Is this guy serious?
Does he not understand basic decency? I may be pretending to be a fool, but I'm still a woman!
Unfortunately, Adrian wasn't thinking about any of that.
He was too busy feeling smug about having her pinned.
"I told you not to mess with me," he said lazily. "But you didn't listen. Why don't you surrender?"
Riley puffed her cheeks, shaking her head stubbornly.
"Surrender? No way. Chicken's good!"
Adrian went silent for a second.
Then, his lips curved slightly.
"That's quite the bird's nest," he said coolly. "Keep it like that tomorrow. You might just set a trend."
Riley froze.
Bird's nest?
That stung.
Not physically—but emotionally devastating.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Maybe you should try it on the plane tomorrow," she shot back. "You'd definitely stand out."
That did it.
His expression darkened instantly.
Seizing the moment, Riley twisted her wrist free and lunged for his hair.
His dark, soft hair slipped easily between her fingers.
Perfect grip.
At first, it was pure revenge.
But after a second, she didn't want to let go.
Okay, this actually feels nice.
Out of sheer appreciation for her own hands, she softened her movements.
Adrian, surprisingly, didn't stop her this time.
He simply let her play.
After all, he was leaving on a business trip tomorrow.
Suddenly, he didn't feel like going.
And when he was in a bad mood, he didn't feel like moving.
Riley kept tugging lightly at his hair while watching his expression.
"Hubby, are you okay? I can make you feel better."
For once, her conscience kicked in.
Lowering her gaze, she noticed the faint redness on his face—caused by her earlier assault.
A flicker of guilt stirred.
Her own forehead didn't hurt anymore.
And now she was the one pinning him down.
Maybe that was a bit too much.
A soft breath brushed across his face.
Adrian's eyes flickered and suddenly, his arm tightened around her waist.
Riley wasn't prepared.
Her body tipped forward—
And—
Smack.
Her lips landed squarely on the tip of his nose.
"HAHAHA—!"
Mr Yeardley burst out laughing, then quickly coughed and waved everyone away.
"Alright, alright, nothing to see here! Everyone, get back to work!"
The living room cleared in seconds.
Riley's face flushed bright red.
She scrambled to get up—
But the arm around her waist tightened, holding her firmly in place.
She couldn't move.
Adrian leaned back in his wheelchair, relaxed, a teasing smile playing at his lips as he watched her racing heartbeat.
"So that's it," he drawled. "All this effort to pick a fight—just to steal a kiss from me?"
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"You could've said so. I'm your husband. I'd have let you do whatever you wanted. No need to go through all this trouble."
Unbelievable.
Riley nearly choked on her anger.
Where is my hammer when I need it?
Still—
She had kissed him.
Even if it was an accident.
The sensation lingered.
Soft.
Warm.
A little… strange.
Her heart felt itchy, unsettled.
Why is his skin so smooth? What kind of skincare does he even use—
Wait—what am I thinking?!
Her eyes widened.
I'm no longer pure.