Chapter 232: Good Fucking Morning

--

Lily frowned in a bit of discomfort when she felt brightness invading her closed eyes.

She shuffled on the bed, angling her head to escape it, but she couldn’t. A bit of wakefulness came to her, causing her to open her eyes slightly.

The brightness came from the brown curtains. It was definitely brighter outside, but the curtains dimmed it. Still, that muted brightness was enough to disturb her sleep.

She pouted at it before pressing her cheeks to her pillow.

Except it wasn’t a pillow. What sort of pillow has a rhythmic heartbeat?

When she noticed the sound, she raised her head to look up, and she saw a face that made her remember everything that happened last night.

’Oh, right. That happened.’

Lily flushed as all the memories came rushing back to her. She felt a bit hesitant, but in the end, she still rested her head on Ren’s chest.

Yes. That did happen to her and him last night, tangled between the sheets.

Her cheeks heated up at the remembrance. She felt even more bothered because now, she’s hyperaware of her very naked body pressed and linked to his very naked body as well. She was practically using him as a body pillow while she slept.

Her heartbeat hastened, and her body was doing the things again that she’s not used to. He made a woman last night, and as much as it’s embarrassing for her to admit, she could never deny that it felt really good.

But this also made her conflicted.

What was she supposed to do now?

Should she leave? Would that be wise? Should she get up now and try very hard not to wake him up? Would he be upset waking up without her? What would he say?

Should she wait here until he’s awake? Is she prepared for that conversation? What would it be like?

’Sigh...’

She heard him sigh above her, which froze her thoughts.

Then, before she could react, a pair of strong arms lifted her lithe body, and she was placed on top of him.

Before long, she found herself staring in his eyes, and everything that confused her was just suddenly gone. His magnetic gaze was hypnotizing, and it held fond mirth beneath them.

"It’s still too early for your thoughts to be too loud," he said, his voice rumbling on his chest and hers.

And before she could protest, his lips claimed hers and his large, warm, and solid hands slid through her hair, holding the back of her head to steady her.

Lily melted into the kiss.

It was still new to her. She still doesn’t know how to properly do it, but he was leading it and he’s a patient and very eager teacher.

She could feel her energy leaving her. She never thought about resisting in the first place, but even if she did right now, she couldn’t. Because all she could do was to helplessly accept and respond to what he was giving her.

With a loud smack of their lips, he pulled back. And much to her shame, she was found chasing after him.

He chuckled, pressed their foreheads together, and greeted her: "Good morning, beautiful."

"Mmm" was all she could do in reply.

She felt his hands roaming her body—starting with her back, then her waist, and then stopping at her ass. He gave her cheeks a few firm pats as if satisfied with them.

Lily flushed, but again, she made no move or sound to stop him. Honestly, as much as she feels shy about this, she admits that she loved the feel of his hands on her skin.

His hand might be rough and calloused, but it made her feel grounded and safe—something that the males of her clan had never been able to do and never will be able to.

Her attention shifted suddenly when she felt a twitch on her abdomen.

It didn’t come from her own body. It came from the stiff rod that had been awakened by the virtue of their pressed bodies.

Lily flushed again because that thing went way past her navel.

’That was inside of me last night...’ she recalled, and the memory made her feel all hot and bothered again.

To distract her from the memories, she reached out for her phone to check her inbox.

Nothing was urgent. She did tell her father that she’s staying for the night because she got drunk during the afterparty, so she didn’t wake up with a flood of messages and missed calls from him.

Aside from that, most of the messages were congratulatory. She dismissed those, not because she didn’t care or it didn’t make her happy, but because her mind was occupied right now.

She tossed her phone to the side, then raised her head to look at him. His eyes were still on her as if he never looked away.

"What happens now?" She asked, but even she wasn’t really aware of what exactly she was asking for.

"Well, what do you want to happen next?" He asked in return. "I’m fine with whatever, really. I’m not trying to rush you to commit to anything."

She expected him to answer like that, because it was him. He always gave her an option. She never forced her to be anything other than who she was. She never imposed his ideas on her, and he gave her agency and freedom and valued it highly.

This is why she gravitated to him.

It’s why she likes him so much.

"My father will know," she muttered as she rested her cheek on his pecs. "He’s uncannily perceptive. I don’t know how to explain it to him."

"He doesn’t need to know everything, if that’s what you’re thinking," Ren calmly responded. "You don’t have to tell them what I told you and what you did to your clan. Things like that...are better left unsaid."

"We can tell him about how we met in the VR world," he offered, "and how it became our nightly routine. And we can then tell him how we recognized each other during the tournament. It’ll work because it’s the truth, and things just escalated after that."

Something settled in her chest when she heard his words. Contentment and reliance. It made her feel safe and secure, just as she always felt when she was with him.

She needn’t reply; they both know that they’re going with this. He won’t let her face this alone, and she knows that.

Lily then felt him press kisses on her cheeks down to her neck, leaving a burning trail of heat in the process. His lips then found their way to hers, and once again, they’re liplocked. This time, Lily was eagerly responding.

He pulled back just to say something.

"Hey, just so you know, I really like you," he confessed, looking straight into her eyes.

And she could swear that her brain short-circuited when she heard that. Her heart leapt, and the butterflies on her stomach tickled her from the inside.

"Once I’m done settling my clan and my personal rewards, I’ll visit your home and your father to properly introduce myself. You’re not alone in this, okay?"

Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. She puffed her cheeks and whined, "That’s unfair; I wasn’t prepared for that."

He laughed, his voice rumbling on their chests. He pressed a firm kiss on her forehead and said, "I just don’t want you guessing my thoughts when I can just tell you. Miscommunication is a bad precedent in any relationship."

"And you’ve got to be ready too, because once we’re done with your father, I’ll bring you to my clan to introduce you to them. Don’t worry, they’re going to love you, I can already tell."

She just had to kiss him right then and there.

She was happy, and she feels too lucky for a man like this to like her so.

Lily felt warm all over her body. This warmth was unlike anything she felt before. It seeps into her soul, comforting her. She never felt so safe and so secure before, and it felt addicting.

She could get used to this.

As for her father...he’d probably be shocked. He’d probably feel anguished at the thought that his little girl has grown big enough to entertain the idea of starting her own family.

He’d probably wail, be annoying, and feel upset about it for a bit, but knowing him, he’d get over it and be satisfied.

Who wouldn’t be when their potential son-in-law was a man like Ren?

The rumbling groan beneath her returned her thoughts to the present.

As her and his tongues chased after each other in a seductive and dizzying dance, Lily felt hyperaware of the raging heat of the stiff hardness pressed on her abdomen.

Feeling a strange boldness empowering her, she slid her core deliciously in his shaft and settled its tip just before her entrance.

She whined on her hips, teasing the tip as she felt his hands anchoring her waist, forcing her to stay still.

This time, it was her who pulled back, and she looked at his dazed eyes filled with undisguised heat, desire, and need.

She pressed one hand on his chest and another to his cheeks before whispering.

"Love me again, please."

And what a good fucking morning it has become for the both of them.