Inside the car...
As Theodore put her in the passenger seat, Bella murmured something incoherently.
"How could you do that to me? I’ll teach you a lesson. Just wait and watch."
Theodore frowned, wondering if she was talking about him. "Bella!" he called out.
Bella fluttered her eyelashes, trying to steady her focus on the face hovering over hers. The face blurred and then cleared—then blurred and cleared. It kept going like that.
However, the recognition hit her.
"Theodore?" she asked, sounding surprised. "You!" The next minute, she grabbed his collar and pulled him down toward her. "How dare you lie to me?"
Her groggy eyes locked with his. Theodore found her appearance sexy, and a feral desire sparked within him.
"Why do you think I lied to you?" he asked huskily, his lips brushing against hers. Her breath was mingling with the smell of booze hitting his face. Her closeness and the charged moment between them made him intoxicated. His focus drifted to her slightly pouty lips.
"You have no idea what you are doing to me." With a groan, he claimed her lips, holding her head firmly and keeping her in her place.
A soft moan escaped Bella’s lips as the kiss deepened. Her hands wrapped around Theodore’s shoulders. Theodore climbed into the car, his weight pressing down on her, creating an intense and intimate pressure. With a swift pull of the lever, he pushed the seat backward, flattening it. Bella now lay beneath him.
He pulled back for a moment, his gaze locked onto hers. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open as she gasped for air. The sight of her flushed and breathless, made her even more irresistible.
Theodore couldn’t hold back any longer and kissed her again—once, twice, then thrice. Each kiss was more passionate than the last, his tongue lightly stroking hers at first, then exploring every inch of her mouth hungrily.
The heat between them grew with each passing second. Theodore’s hands roamed over her body, feeling the softness of her skin through her clothes.
His kisses became more demanding, filled with a hunger that had been building for far too long. Heat spread from his groin to the rest of his body. His erection pressed against her. He had to stop, now, before control completely slipped from his grasp.
Theodore tore himself away forcefully, the taste of Bella clinging to his lips. "Damn it, Bella," he rasped, "you are driving me crazy." He had never experienced such a ferocious lack of control. It seemed as if something wild and feral had been unleashed.
Bella’s response was a strangled groan. "Move," she gasped, pushing weakly against his chest. "Move aside. Quick! I need to..." Her words dissolved into a whimper.
Confusion slammed into Theodore. What had changed? One moment they were caught in a heated embrace, the next she recoiled in distress. "What’s wrong?"
"Move away!" she shrieked with desperation. "I want to puke."
"What? Wait..." Theodore fumbled to get out of the car, but before that, a wave of nausea overwhelmed Bella. She lurched forward, spewing stomach contents all over him.
Theodore froze. His mouth gaped open in shock as he stared down at the sickening mess staining his clothes.
This was something that had never happened before. He had seen apprehension and hesitation in people around him. They were scared to approach him and talk to him. But Bella... she had just puked on him.
He scowled at her, his gaze as sharp as a razor. Yet, there was no hint of disgust in his eyes; instead, they shone with confusion and questions. What had just happened? Why had things taken such an unexpected turn?
"Do you disgust my kiss so much?" He snapped, removing his vomit-stained suit jacket and throwing it into the backseat.
Bella offered no response, her face a mask of misery as she winced at a throbbing pain in her head. "My head hurts," she mumbled.
Theodore’s anger melted into concern. With a swift movement, he adjusted her seat, carefully helping her back into a more comfortable position, his earlier frustration giving way to a protective tenderness.
"Why, Bella?" he sighed. "If you knew you couldn’t handle the alcohol, why did you drink so much?" He fastened the seatbelt around her. "Hold on tight. We are heading back."
Climbing into the driver’s seat, he navigated the car through the bustling traffic.
As they approached his villa, Theodore felt a sense of relief wash over him. He glanced at Bella, who had drifted into a fitful sleep, her brow furrowed in discomfort. He parked the car and turned off the engine.
Carefully, he lifted Bella into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Despite the mess, despite the confusion, his resolve to take care of her was unwavering. He carried her inside and put her on the bed gently, his gaze lingering on her face.
The memory of Bridget and Joe’s hostility was still fresh, their venomous words echoing in his mind. They had clearly misunderstood his relationship with Willow and this explained why Bella had been drinking so much.
A wave of regret washed over him. It was his mistake. He had told Bella about his sister but had not revealed who her sister was. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips amidst the regret.
"You were jealous," he murmured, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
It was a curious sensation. While a part of him ached to erase the misunderstanding before it spiraled further, another part wanted to play along to see what else she would do out of jealousy. It would be interesting, to say the least, to see her reaction upon meeting Willow.
His smile vanished when his gaze dropped to her vomit-stain clothes. "Oh, shit. She can’t sleep with these clothes."
With utmost care, he began to undress her, his movements tender and respectful. He fetched a white shirt from the wardrobe and carefully dressed her in it, his touch as light as a feather. Bella groaned and protested a few times but didn’t wake up.
Throughout the process, he couldn’t help but feel a protective warmth toward her. At the same time, he was tempted to kiss her, press her down, and make love to her. Each time his fingertips brushed against her warm skin, a jolt of electricity surged through him. His gaze lingered on the inviting curves. Despite the fierce temptation, Theodore held himself back with an iron will.
This wasn’t the way he envisioned it. He craved a deeper connection, a conscious surrender on her part. He wanted her to remember their intimacy for a lifetime, not have it be a hazy memory lost in the throes of intoxication.
Unable to resist a small tenderness, he leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Sleep, Bella," he whispered, his voice husky with unspoken desire. "I won’t trouble you further."
He tucked the covers around her, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "Good night," he murmured, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he stood and retreated to the bathroom.
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