Chapter 68: What game is he playing?

Unaware of Tahlia’s malicious intention, Soren and Elowen walked out of the hospital together. Once they settled inside the car, Soren turned toward her.

A warm smile touched his lips, his expression softening.

Elowen felt acutely aware of his gaze. She glanced at him. "What are you looking at?"

His smile widened. "I’m looking at my wife."

Elowen immediately looked away. She didn’t know where to hide her face. "Drive. We are getting late."

She didn’t meet his gaze as she spoke.

Instead of following her command, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I’ve got something for you."

He held it out toward her.

Elowen took the box. Curious, she opened the lid.

Inside lay a pair of diamond studs that glittered under the dashboard light.

Elowen’s lips curled into an appreciative smile. "Beautiful."

"Do you like them?" he asked, his voice a raspy murmur.

She nodded.

"Let me put them on you." Soren took the earrings from the box and secured them in her ears.

His eyes lingered on her as he admired her. "They look beautiful on you."

"Really?" she asked with a mixture of awe and anticipation.

Soren watched her for a moment. He couldn’t tell which was dazzling—her limpid, sparkling eyes or the diamonds adorning her ears. Unable to resist the temptation to be closer to her, he leaned forward and nipped her earlobe.

"Uh..." Elowen let out a soft whimper.

That sound undid something inside him. He groaned, winding an arm around her waist. "Are you going to drive me insane now?"

His eyes darkened with unmistakable desire.

"Soren." Her voice came out as a whisper.

She tried to push him away, but her touch lacked any real force. It was as if she was just pretending to reject him, but she actually wanted this closeness.

She couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed his attention, the way he was flirting with her, and the way he was making her feel important.

"We are still in the hospital parking lot," she reminded him.

"So what?" Soren showed no intention of letting her go. He held her close, burying his face in her shoulder and rubbing the tip of his nose against her neck.

A tickling shiver rippled through Elowen’s body.

"I don’t care if anyone sees us," he murmured. "I wasted too much time failing to notice you. I don’t want to spend another moment keeping my distance."

His hand moved from her waist to her face. His gaze locked onto hers, dark and burning with an intensity that was almost frightening.

"The world means nothing to me," he said hoarsely. "You and our children are only things that matter to me."

His lips found hers. He kissed her like a man drowning, with a desperate, frantic need. His fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back to gain better access.

The sweet, familiar scent of her filled his senses, making it even harder to restrain himself.

His mouth moved from her lips to the sensitive curve of her jaw, then down to the hollow of her throat.

"Elowen," he breathed against her skin.

His eyes blew wide with dark, raw emotion, his composure completely undone.

"I can’t stop. I don’t want to."

Elowen’s face heated up. She could feel the heat radiating from him. She could see how hard he was trying to hold back.

This was her husband for seven years. Once, he couldn’t bear to have her near him. He had recoiled from her touch and treated her affection as an inconvenience. Now, he seemed unable to get enough of her.

This contrast was so astonishing that she found it almost amusing.

’Was he always this impatient when it came to intimacy? Or has he finally discovered that he has a wife?’

The thought made her want to laugh. But the sight of his heated gaze sent another wave of embarrassment through her.

"Not here." She placed a gentle hand on his heart.

He let out a half-groan. "I know." He retreated to his driver’s seat reluctantly. "We’ll go home."

He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

As he drove, he rested one hand on her knee, his fingers moving in slow, absent circles.

The silence stretched inside the car. But the sexual tension between them remained thick.

His hand gradually moved higher, inching toward her inner thigh.

Elowen stiffened. "Soren, I have something to tell you," she blurted.

"I am listening," he replied, sounding distracted as his fingers continued their slow movements.

"My boss invites me to dinner."

His hand paused. A sudden, violent rage sparked inside him. His jaw worked as he tried to contain his rage.

"Why?" The single word came out, strained and cold.

Elowen didn’t have to look at him to know he was angry. The sudden tension in his body and the way his fingers had gone still were enough to tell her everything.

"His parents want to thank me for saving him," she explained.

"For saving him?" Soren repeated with a scowl.

He then remembered Theron’s story of a girl who had rescued him back then.

Theron had once told his friends how a bright, pretty young lady had pulled him out of that muddy pit and how he had fallen in love with her at first sight.

The memory only aggravated Soren.

’Of course. His precious dream girl.’ His knuckles turned white around the steering wheel. ’But she is no longer his dream girl. She is mine now, my wife.’

Sensing his anger was growing, Elowen quickly said, "I didn’t accept the invitation. If you don’t want me to go, I won’t go."

Soren glanced at her. The fact that she had come to him instead of accepting Theron’s invitation behind his back eased some of his irritation. She wasn’t rushing to agree to another man’s invitation. She was considering her husband’s opinion.

That realization made him understand that she cared for his feelings. Something softened inside him.

"You want to go?" It was not an accusation. He genuinely wanted to know what she was thinking.

Elowen shook her head. "I don’t..."

Soren smiled, satisfied. He had been furious at the thought of Theron inviting her to dinner. But now that he knew Elowen didn’t want to go, his anger vanished.

An idea began to take shape in his head.

Perhaps this invitation was exactly the opportunity he needed. Instead of stopping Elowen from going there, he could accompany her and send a clear message to Theron.

Elowen wasn’t someone Theron could pursue just because he wanted her.

"You should accept his invitation."