Chapter 123: Are You A Soft Woman?

Michael’s POV

I rinsed my hands, picked up a clean towel, and dried them slowly.

"You haven’t earned my responses to this conversation." Then I dropped the towel onto the counter and walked away.

Alaric laughed behind me. I ignored him.

As I approached the study, I heard Emerald’s voice. She was on the phone. I slowed my steps when I heard her mention Laura.

"Mr. Blake said you have the potential to become an A-list actress within two years if you follow a normal pace," she said.

I stopped my steps, listening.

Laura’s voice came clearly through the phone, and I heard her excited response.

"Really? He said that about me?"

Emerald laughed. "Yes. He said you’re a great asset and that you only need a little push to get there."

Laura’s excitement was obvious even through the phone.

"I can’t believe it. I knew he was interested in me, but I didn’t expect him to say something like that."

Emerald smiled as she listened. "I thought you’d be happy to hear it."

"I am. Very happy. I think I’m going to call him next Friday."

"Then you should."

Laura said something else, and Emerald laughed again. "I will let you enjoy the news. We can talk later."

They exchanged their goodbyes, and the call ended.

I stepped into the study just as Emerald lowered her phone.

She looked up at me. "You’re done already?"

I nodded. "Yes."

I walked farther into the room, saying nothing about the conversation I had just heard. There was no reason to tell her.

I settled behind my desk and glanced at her. "Which topic from my course do you need help with?"

She smiled and opened her laptop.

"I have a few questions about the material we covered before I left for Washington. I understood most of it, but there are parts I still haven’t fully grasped."

"All right. Show me."

She turned the laptop toward me and pointed to the first section.

We started there.

What I expected to be a short tutoring session gradually became something much longer.

Emerald asked questions whenever she encountered something she did not understand, and I took the time to explain each point properly rather than rushing through it.

When one concept led to another, I followed the connection. When she challenged an explanation, I approached it from a different angle until it made sense to her.

She was attentive throughout the session. That did not surprise me.

Emerald was serious about her studies, and I had already seen how determined she was to maintain excellent grades.

She didn’t ask questions just to get answers. She wanted to understand why something worked the way it did.

I answered every question she brought to me.

At some point, I stopped thinking about the time. I only realised how long we had been sitting there when she leaned back in her chair and closed her laptop.

"I think I need to stop."

"Why?" I asked.

She gave me a tired smile. "My brain is full."

I chuckled. "You’ve been asking questions for a long while now."

"Exactly." She stretched slightly in her chair. "I am tired from absorbing all your teaching."

I smiled. "And?"

"And I’m a little hungry."

I glanced at the clock. Three hours had passed.

"I think these tutorials have finished whatever breakfast I ate," she finished.

I laughed. "You’ve earned a break."

She closed her laptop completely and began gathering her things. "I should probably head home."

I furrowed my brows slightly. "Do you have another appointment today?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then stay."

She paused. "Stay?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I will get you something light to eat."

She shook her head. "You don’t have to. I can just go back to the dorm and order something around lunchtime."

"You could." I leaned back in my chair. "Or you could spend the rest of your day here."

She tilted her head slightly. "Doing what?"

"Studying." I shrugged.

She stared at me. "I’ve already been studying for three hours."

"And you still have questions to ask."

She smiled. "That doesn’t mean I want to spend the entire day studying."

"I will make it easier for you."

"How?" she inquired.

"I will dedicate the rest of today to helping you with this course. You can take breaks whenever you need them, ask every question you have, and work through anything you haven’t understood properly."

She considered the suggestion. "You really have nothing else to do today?"

"I do."

Her expression changed instantly. "Then I don’t want to become a distraction."

I smiled. "You are not."

She still looked uncertain. "I don’t want to interfere with your personal business."

I gave her a playful wink. "I enjoy it."

She stared at me for a second, then shook her head with a small smile. "You really are something else."

"I’ve heard that before." I stood and walked toward the door. "Take ten minutes."

Her gaze followed me as she asked, "Ten minutes?"

"Yes. You’ve been sitting here for three hours. Walk around the condo, stretch your legs, get some air. Do whatever you want."

"Where are you going?"

"I’m getting you something to eat."

She nodded. "All right."

I opened the door and stepped out of the study, leaving her to take her break.

Three hours of tutoring had not been part of my original plan for the morning, but I had no complaints about it.

I stepped into the small hallway and immediately noticed that Alaric was no longer in the condo.

I could not sense his presence anywhere inside. That meant he had stepped out.

I was actually glad to have the place to myself for a while. It would give Emerald and me some uninterrupted time without having to deal with his constant teasing.

I went straight to the kitchen and started preparing something light.

I made creamy chicken, cheese, and vegetable sandwiches, making sure the filling was warm and properly seasoned.

I wanted something simple, yet filling for Emerald to enjoy.

Once I finished, I juiced some fresh oranges and poured the juice into two glasses. Then I plated the sandwiches and carried everything to the dining area.

After setting the plates down, I returned to the study to get Emerald. She was standing rather than sitting, looking around the room.

I stopped at the doorway. "Did you find anything interesting?"

She turned toward me and smiled. "You have some really good books."

My gaze moved briefly toward the shelves. "Do I?"

I didn’t think she would rather be interested in them than touring the rest of my condo.

"Yes." She looked back at the collection. "I wonder when I will ever get the time to borrow any of them."

She seemed to realise what she had said and quickly turned toward me. "Actually, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone through your books without asking first."

"It’s fine," I said to her. I had no confidential information in my study at the moment. I had cleared them out before she came today, so there was absolutely nothing to be wary of.

I walked farther into the room. "You can come and borrow any of them whenever you want."

Her expression brightened. "Really?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

I nodded toward the door. "Your snack is ready."

She followed me out of the study and into the open dining area. The moment she saw the sandwiches, her face brightened.

"Sit down," I told her. "Eat until you’re satisfied. Then we can go back to the study."

She took her seat, picked up one of the sandwiches, and took her first bite. She closed her eyes immediately.

I paused with my own sandwich halfway to my mouth and just watched her.

She chewed slowly, then released a soft sound of satisfaction.

A little cream had caught the corner of her lips. She absentmindedly ran the tip of her tongue over it and continued eating.

I stared at her. The innocent gesture affected me far more than it should have. It turned me on.

Just then, I released a slow breath and wondered whether she had the slightest idea of what she was doing to me.

"Do you like it?"

She opened her eyes and nodded enthusiastically. "This is delicious."

Then she took another bite before adding, "I was probably seconds away from having a food orgasm when you asked me that."

I cleared my throat. Then I took a bite of my own sandwich.

She continued eating. "You are actually a very good cook."

I said nothing, although I enjoyed hearing her praise.

She took another bite and continued eating for a while before looking at me. "Whoever your future wife is will enjoy this side of you."

I raised an eyebrow.

"A man who knows how to cook and actually enjoys cooking is rare." She complimented me and took another bite.

I watched her eat quietly.

After a while, she added, "But you look like a hard man, so you will need a soft woman as a wife."

My attention settled fully on her. I had no interest in discussing a hypothetical future wife, but her description caught my attention.

So, I leaned back slightly in my seat and asked, "Are you a soft woman?"