CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 119 - 117: Where Do You Want to Talk 2
But who would have thought? The call had barely connected, and before she could say a word, he spoke from the other end.
"You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come over and eat with us. Dylan and I are waiting for you and Joy!"
She was so furious she hung up on the spot. ’How could he be so sure I’d call him?’
But angry as she was, she still hailed a taxi to his house. It was just as he’d said. He and Dylan were in the dining room, waiting for her beside a table laden with food. She was in no mood to eat with him, however. She set Joy down next to Dylan, then instructed him, "Dylan, make sure your little sister eats well. I need to talk to your dad!"
Dylan nodded. "Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure Joy is well-fed!"
Naomi Shaw strode forward and yanked the leisurely seated Julian Donovan to his feet. "Julian Donovan, we need to talk!"
Julian Donovan narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the small, fair hand gripping his arm. Its soft touch sent a shiver through him. Realizing her actions were inappropriate, Naomi Shaw quickly let go and turned to walk out.
Julian followed her and grabbed her hand. She tried to yank it away as she walked, but he persistently caught it again. She shook him off; he grabbed on again. After this tug-of-war played out several times, she finally gave up trying to get away and let him lead her out by the hand.
Watching them from behind, Dylan’s eyes curved into a smile. He then turned to Joy and asked gently, "Joy, what do you want to eat? I’ll feed you!"
Joy tore her gaze away from the pair leaving hand-in-hand and pointed a small finger at a plate of braised prawns. Dylan immediately took one and dutifully peeled it for her, holding it out. For once, Joy said, "Thank you, big brother!" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Dylan’s eyes curved into a smile again.
Once they were out of the dining room, Julian pulled her into his arms with a single tug. Under the bright lights, his eyes, burning with deep affection, stared intently into hers.
"Where do you want to talk? My house only has so many places. A few bedrooms, the study, the dining room, the living room... Oh, and the bathroom..."
His tone was suggestive as he spoke that last word, his face drawing close to hers. The comment made Naomi blush, and she pushed against him. "The study!"
"The study?"
A suggestive glint flickered in his eyes. He mulled it over for a moment, then nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Mm, good choice."
Annoyed, Naomi shoved him away. She’d rather have the quiet, reserved man he used to be than this shameless, improper version of him.
Seeing how terribly red her face had become, Julian didn’t press her further. Suppressing a smile, he started toward the study upstairs. Naomi followed at a safe distance.
His study was large and luxurious. It not only had a full suite of office equipment but also a bar-like counter. Next to it stood a large row of liquor cabinets displaying a dazzling array of spirits. He walked over to the cabinet, poured himself a glass, and leaned lazily against the counter, sipping his drink as he asked her,
"What can I get you to drink?"
She sat down tentatively on the visitors’ sofa and said,
"I don’t drink!"
’He must be doing this on purpose to make things difficult. He knows perfectly well I can’t handle alcohol at all, yet he still asks.’
Julian walked over, glass in hand. He leaned down, a smile playing in his eyes and at the corners of his lips.
"Naomi, look at you. You’re showing no sincerity at all. Didn’t you want to talk? If you can’t even have a drink with me, how are we supposed to have a conversation?"
Naomi bit her lip and looked up at him. After a long moment, she suddenly reached out, snatched the glass from his hand, tilted her head back, and downed the entire drink.
This terrified Julian. He never expected someone with her gentle temperament to do something so drastic. He fumbled to grab the glass from her, shouting in frustration,
"Naomi Shaw, are you crazy?!"
He had just poured himself a glass of strong vodka. Even he wouldn’t dare to down it in one go like that, yet she, a person who couldn’t handle a drop of alcohol, had drained the entire glass.
Naomi was choking and coughing violently from the harsh liquor. A burning sensation seared its way down her throat and into her stomach, so unbearable it brought tears to her eyes. Julian poured her a glass of water and tossed her a pack of tissues, questioning her irritably, "Are you really going to torture yourself like this over Sean Donovan?"
Naomi guzzled the large glass of water and coughed for a long while before her stomach finally started to feel a bit better. She shook her head, refuting his claim. "I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing it for myself, for my own conscience. I don’t want to drag him and the Donovan Group down because of me!"
After she spoke, she uncomfortably raised a hand to rub her forehead. ’Why is my head spinning so much? I don’t have any strength left.’
Seeing her like this, Julian knew the alcohol was hitting her. Such strong liquor, downed in one gulp—it would be a miracle if she wasn’t drunk. ’But does she have any idea what being drunk and doe-eyed in front of a man can lead to? It’s an open invitation for him to do bad things, especially a man who craves her every second of the day.’
But he couldn’t do that to her right now. If he forced himself on her, her disgust for him would surely reach its peak. So for him, this was pure torture—a delicious meal right in front of him that he couldn’t eat.
He walked over, sat down beside her, and hooked an arm around her, pulling her limp body into his embrace. He looked down at her flushed, tipsy face.
"Naomi, my terms are very clear. As long as you come back to me, I will give up on acquiring the Donovan Group!"
Although he had sworn to take back the Donovan Group, if she would return to him, he was willing to forsake those grudges for her. After struggling in this world for so many years, he had seen through all the rights and wrongs, all the debts and grievances. No amount of glory, wealth, fame, or status was more important than having a woman he deeply loved, and who loved him back. Then they could have two or three more children, and a plain, simple family life. That would be enough.
"Come back to you?"
Her consciousness was slowly being eroded by the alcohol. Lying in the crook of his arm, she asked him dazedly, her eyes hazy.
Before he could answer, she suddenly puffed out her cheeks, pushed him away with all her might, and shakily got to her feet. Then she started taking off her clothes. Her overcoat wasn’t buttoned, so she shed it easily. Underneath, she wore a black, form-fitting pullover that outlined her exquisite figure. Even after having two children, her body hadn’t lost its shape; she was still slender and graceful, with a flat stomach.
As she did all this, Julian’s expression shifted from initial shock to a predatory stare. He couldn’t deny that a part of him hoped she wouldn’t stop. He selfishly thought... ’Well, she drank the alcohol herself, and she’s taking off her clothes herself. She’s the one throwing herself at me. Of course, I’m not going to refuse.’
After taking off her coat, she raised her hands to pull off her shirt. But in her drunken state, it took her several tries to get it off. Julian’s gaze instantly darkened, and his breathing grew ragged. Unable to restrain himself, he reached up and undid the top few buttons of his own shirt.
However, her next words instantly doused his passion. She threw the shirt she’d just removed at him and began to whimper accusingly, "Julian Donovan, all you ever do is bully me! It was true three years ago, and it’s still true now. Are you satisfied?"
That she thought of him this way was unbearable for Julian. He yanked her down onto the sofa, pinned her beneath him, and roared with uncontrollable anger, "You think when I said I want you back, all I meant was getting your body?"
She said nothing, only looked at him with aggrieved eyes, sobbing softly. He ground out the words through clenched teeth, "You listen to me, Naomi Shaw. I want your heart! I want you to fall in love with me again!"
Her gaze filled with unease, then deep panic. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and cried like a child. "Julian Donovan, don’t be like this. Don’t force me, please don’t force me... SOB..."
’Don’t force me.’ She really wasn’t ready to love him again. Anyone who hadn’t experienced a hopeless six-year love affair like hers would never understand the fear in her heart. She didn’t have many more six-year spans left in her life to squander so recklessly.
If loving him again meant getting hurt again, she would rather choose not to love at all.
Julian knew she was a crier, but in the past, her tears had never made his heart ache so much. Now, seeing her cry like this, he was at a complete loss. He had no choice but to rein in his anger and clumsily try to soothe her.
