Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina pressed her lips and raised her eyebrows.

"Wife, huh?"

"Yes, of course," Jeremy said puffing his chest.

They are married. If she is not his wife, then who is she?

"Who agreed to be your wife?" she asked biting her lips. 

One of her brows was raised and that bunch of her hair hanging by her cheek made her look a thousand times more adorable.

"You didn't?" Jeremy raised his brows.

"No! When did I?" Jerlina raised her voice. The corners of her lips were lifted up and Jeremy couldn't help but pull her closer holding her waist. 

Leaning on the counter by the stove, he pressed her waist on his. Jerlina tried to step back, but he pulled her closer. "Then what did you agree on? Who are we?"

They've never defined their relationship properly till now. She used to hate him and now she doesn't. He has always loved her and now he has confessed to her. They are legally married.

So what is their relationship?

He was leaning casually on the counter and was almost at eye level with Jerlina. Jerlina could see his mood got a bit better or maybe he was just not thinking about Emma right now.

"Let go," she pretended to touch his beard with her rubber glove-wearing hands. "Or else..."

This guy treated his beard as precious as his willy. He spends more time on his beard than his face or hair even. She knew he wouldn't let it get dirtied.

But with a smirk, he leaned towards her hand. "What..." she pulled her hand behind. She didn't want to dirty his beard. 

He chuckled lightly. "You're such a..." he rested his head on her shoulder. He knew she wouldn't dirty his beard and as expected she didn't. But he wouldn't mind it even if she shaved off his beard while he's sleeping.

But she never would do such a thing.

Jerlina could feel his warm breath on her neck. She was standing between his legs, their waists were touching and she could feel his pounding heart.

He may pretend like he is casually asking, but she knew he is being serious. He's always been serious with her. 

But... I don't know what I feel.

She removed the gloves and ran her fingers through his hair at the back of the head. She could feel him flinch a bit, but then he turned his head a little. She felt him playing with a bunch of her hair with his fingers. 

"You want me to be your wife that much, Joel?" she asked. 

"Yes... that's all I think about," he replied. 

"Why?" she asked. She's been asking this a lot, but she couldn't get an idea why someone like him would want her this much.

Because he slept with me in the back of the pub once?

"Why..?" he said and lazily trailed his finger through her collar bone and ended up at the clavicle. 

Jerlina felt her skin burning and she pressed her cheek on his head, expecting his answer. The feeling of his short hair on her fingers was very nice and she closed her eyes.

"I have a lot to say to you that will take a lifetime. So..."

"For that?" Jerlina smiled. She didn't expect this answer for real. "Don't you have a lot of friends you can talk to?"

"I do..." he moved his head and his lips grazed on her earlobe. "But only you can make me fall in love and happier. The more I talk to you, the more I fall for you...And I want to spend the rest of my life falling deeper in love with you." 

He kissed the back of her ear and his gentle kisses slowly traveled to her neck.

"Joel, just..." Jerlina could only hiss and she placed her finger on his lips to stop him. She could feel her body warming up with his kisses, but she didn't want this to continue.

"Ah, you smell peculiarly erotic today," he kissed her finger and leaned back on her shoulder. "If only I could express my love better... 'cause all I want right now is to just..." 

Jeremy pressed his nose at the nook of her neck and took in a deep breath. His hand around her waist, gently traveled up. His middle finger traced up her spine and his thumb slowly climbed over her abdomen. 

Jerlina felt a jolt of pleasure rising in her lower abdomen just by the touch of his fingers. She knew people in love would like to touch their partner and it is normal for him to want to touch her. And if she doesn't mind his touches and if she gets excited by his touches, what does that mean?

"Joel..." Jerlina held his hand as his fingers reached the band of her bra. 

It seems like she isn't ready to go further after all!

"...I might break you... You're so frail..." he pulled back. He could feel the bones of her spine in his finger and her stomach was very flat. He probably could hold her around her waist just with his one hand.

Was she always this thin? 

He gently cupped her cheeks. Her lips that were slightly parted were red as a cherry and he didn't remember her wearing lipstick. Her eyes were misty but she didn't seem to be crying. That means she didn't hate his touch. 

"I want to kiss you badly..." he placed his lips over hers. "But is it hurting?"

Only then Jerlina could feel the slight pain in her jaws and she nodded knitting her brows. "A lot...hsss..." she held her cheek.

"Liar," Jeremy flicked her forehead.

"Oww..." she rubbed her forehead with a chuckle.

By now he had loosened his hold and was sitting straight. He could understand that he's wanting too much from her now.

Yeah, he was a little disappointed, but he didn't feel any repulsion from her. She refused but was not repulsed. That is a very good sign and a step in the right direction.

"Joel," she held his cheek. "I don't like to overstep and I won't demand things to be done even when I am in a relationship. I won't like it if you do it either... But... I get what you mean... There is a difference between lording over and asking to do some things out of love. Let's see...I am not sure, but... maybe one day, I too might ask something of you... "

She saw his face blooming with a smile and his blue eyes filled with joy. She wasn't sure, but she felt it like it won't be wrong to give him a chance.

It might be too soon for her to move on, and he might get bored and move on from her before her heart changes, but she decided to give him a chance.

Because deep in her heart, a voice kept on ringing – You won't find a man who'd love you as much as Joel loves you.

And she decided to give that voice a chance. She was scared to venture into this, but she still decided to take the leap.