"Don't you want to stay here?" Ryuchen suddenly asked while they were eating.
"Why should I stay here?" she asked, frowning.
"We are husband and wife, shouldn't the married couple be together under the same roof?"
"We are on the same roof." she means the roof of the building. "Just have a different room."
"I mean, why don't you want to live here in my apartment?"
"My apartment is just next door, Ryuchen." she said while laughing.
Ryuchen's heart softened once again when he heard her laugh, he wished that this moment will never end. Eating everyday while talking and laughing together, he also want to experience watching some movies while cuddling each other. Waking up in the morning and watch her beautiful face until she wakes up and sleep together at night. Those are the things that added on his list-to-do together with his wife.
"Why would I have to live here if I live only few steps away." she added.
Ryuchen just sighed.
Fine, he will not argue with her for now. He knows, he should be content and grateful for the time they spend together and that she agreed to eat with him inside his apartment.
Haste makes waste, that's what they say.
After they finished eating the cake, which he ate slowly so that Chloe could stay longer, she took their plate but he immediately took the plates on her hands.
"I will wash the dishes, so go back to your seat to rest and just watch me."
"What?" Chloe asked while laughing. "You know how to wash dishes?"
Ryuchen unconsciously swallowed his saliva realizing that he never washed dishes, not even once. Even when he stayed alone on his penthouse when he was in college, some maids will clean, cooked and wash the dishes for him.
"I will do it." Chloe said once again.
"L-Let me help you then." he said, feeling embarrassed.
Even though he has no idea what help he could give to Chloe for washing the dishes, he still wants to help her.
"Okay, give me that plate." she took the plate on his hand and went to the sink, he quickly followed her. "I will soap and rinse it so you just have to wipe it on the dry cloth and put on the kitchen cabinet."
"Okay." he said firmly.
Chloe chuckled when she saw how serious Ryuchen's face was, he seems like he will attend an important meeting that needs his full attention.
Chloe started to put soap on the sponge and rubbed it on the plate, then rinse it with water and handed it to him. He quickly took it and wipe the entire plate with full of care and attention, and smile when no wet spot could be found on the plate.
She couldn't help but laugh at how proud he looks like after wiping the plate, as if he achieved something from doing it.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked while putting the dry plate on the kitchen's cabinet.
"This residence building was old style, that's why there was no dishwasher installed. You have to know how to clean, cook, do the laundry and wash the dishes if you have plan to stay here. Well, unless you will hired a maid." she said as she continue washing the dishes.
"I don't have any plans to hire anyone." he said then took the plate she handed to her. "So I have to learn how to do household chores."
Chloe didn't said anything and just finished washing dishes, she didn't expected that she could change her mind that easily. That she will choose to just stay in the country, just to find out if Ryuchen will really treat her better.
Of course, she still want to stay with him.
She would be a hypocrite if she says she wasn't happy, that she didn't like what was going on between the two of them. Because what was happening to them at that moment was what she prayed for a long time. Spending time with each other, talking nonsense stuff, laughing together and many more, she wants to experience everything together with him.
"I will go now." Ryuchen heard Chloe said.
"I'll send you off."
They only spend an hour and a half together, and it seems that a lot of things had happened yet it was still not enough. He still want them to spend time even for the few more seconds, at least until they just reach her apartment next door.
"Send me off?" she said laughing once again. "My apartment is just outside your door, why do you have to send me off?"
"I just want to make sure you get home safely." he said and patted her head.
Chloe was stunned, her ears and cheeks was red and her mouth was slightly open. He stared at her lips and suddenly remembered the incident earlier, a desire to taste her lips again arose. But he refrained himself from kissing her, since Chloe hasn't fully accepted him into her life, he has to withstand his desire.
It was just a simple gesture yet she blushed easily and made his mind go crazy, this petite woman seems like she doesn't know how hard for him to send her off after he witness that kind of reaction. At that moment, he wanted to take her to his room and hug her all night.
Ryuchen sent Chloe in front of her door after she insisted that she wanted to sleep in her apartment, she was about to close the door of her apartment when he suddenly spoke.
"Make sure your door is locked." he said, holding the door to stopped her from closing it.
"...Okay."
"Take some rest first before you take a bath."
"...Okay."
"Also, don't sleep if your hair is wet, so you will not catch a cold, okay."
"Okay."
"Make sure the windows are closed, the wind at night is cold."
"Okay, but we're on the twelfth floor. We can't open the window."
"Good."
"Pfft--."
Ahh, come on, Ryuchen! THINK!
At that moment, Ryuchen emptied all the boxes inside his brain, he even went to his nonsense box inside his brain to look for something to say, but it doesn't work either. He can't think of anything else to say to Chloe to prolong their time together anymore.
"Anything else, Mr. Ajero?" Chloe asked while smiling.
"Ahh!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Why do you have to leave my apartment, you can also stay there as much as you want."
"No, thanks." she said and was about to close her door again but he stopped it once more. "What now, Ryuchen? I decided to find a job starting tomorrow so I have to go and take some rest."
"Huh?" he tilt his head and looked confused. "Why would you look for a job if your husband owns the biggest corporation in the country?"
Chloe was stunned.
Husband?
She had long wanted to call Ryuchen her husband, but she never called him that. Whenever she thought of calling him her husband, his angry face will flashed through her mind in an instant. She was even afraid to introduce herself as his wife, because the last time she introduce herself as his wife, his employees laughed and insulted her and even kicked out by the guards on his company.
"And my money is your money as well, why do you need a job?" he asked innocently as if he doesn't really understand why she needs a job. "All you have to do is to spend, spend, and spend all my money."
Ryuchen was surprised to think that he could easily say those words.
He doesn't like a woman who only knows how to accept money from other people, and hates those people who don't know how hard it was to earned money. But he was willing to give all his wealth to Chloe, just thinking of her shopping happily and buying everything she wants makes him happy.
"Are you insane, I will not spend you money."
Ryuchen's jaw dropped when he heard Chloe's answer and she seems mad at him.
But why? She's his wife, why she didn't want to spend his money.
"I can earn money on my own and I will spend money that I earned." she added.
This petite woman was really driving me crazy!
At that moment, Ryuchen felt proud when he realized that he was in the right woman. He was ashamed that he didn't realized her value back then, everything about her was so adorable and interesting.
All women loves money, that was what Ryuchen thought because that was his grandmother said to him all the times. Even his grandmother admitted that she loves money, she said money can buy everything even happiness. He also realized that his grandmother was right because every time he gave Lyka something that she asked for, she become happy. There was nothing wrong if women loves money, it's just inappropriate when they spend money that isn't theirs.
But it seems like Chloe was different, he was more than willing to give her all his wealth but she refused it, on his face!
"Fine..." he said then sighed. "But if you're looking for a job, I can give you one."
"...R-Really?"
"Of course."
Ryuchen couldn't hold back his smile when he saw Chloe's face brightened, If he can give her all his wealth, of course he can give her a job as well.
"I need a secretary."
"What?" she exclaimed. "Do you want me to work with you?!"
"Listen first." he said, laughing at her reaction. "My assistant and his girlfriend got engaged recently, so he asked me if he could take vacation next week."
Sorry, Robin.
"He just got engaged?" Chloe said in disbelief. "I though he was a father already."
Chloe frowned when she heard Ryuchen burst out laughing, then was surprise and quickly covered her mouth when she realized that it seems like she's insulting his assistant by thinking that he has a child.
I'm sorry Mr. Assistant, it's a tie now, okay? Because you didn't respect me either in the hospital, sorry. Chloe said in her thought as if she's talking to the assistant.
"Anyway..." Ryuchen said as he calmed down from laughing. "I couldn't approve his leave, I need him because there's a lot of work at the end of the month. But if you accept my offer to be my secretary, I can approve his leave."
Ryuchen noticed Chloe seems to be in deep thought.
If Chloe wants to give him another chance, she will accept it. But based on her reaction, she seems that she is still hesitant to accept his offer. But he didn't want her to make a decision immediately either, because he could tell Robin to work at home any time.
"My wife..."
But Chloe seems to be deep in thought and can't hear him so he thought of teasing her a bit, he smirked while lowering his head and put his mouth in front of her ear.
"Can you bring back my wife to earth." he whispered to her.
"Kya--Ryuchen!"
Ryuchen burst out laughing once again because of her cute reaction, he even saw how red her face was when she cover her ear. He hugged her and looked at her face, but his eyes went straight down to her lips.
Their faces are almost touching, but she didn't pushed him away and seemed like she stopped breathing. He want to stopped himself from thinking of kissing her so he looked back on her eyes, but the desire suddenly arises when he saw Chloe was looking at his lips as well.
Shit!
He gave her a quick kiss on her lips causing Chloe's eyes widened in surprise. It was a quick kiss, a peck kiss but he couldn't help but do it once more. So he kissed her again, and again, and again, but still not enough. He wants to bring her back to his apartment, lay her down on his bed, hugged her tightly while kissing her deeply.
But of course, he will not do that, at least not now. Not until she accept him wholeheartedly.
"I'm sure you're tired, go get some rest."
Ryuchen immediately ran back inside his apartment, leaving Chloe in the daze.
Oh God, damn it!! What is happening to me?
He didn't even understand what he was feeling, it was just a peck kiss and yet he got a strong reaction on his body as if he wanted to touch her more. And if he will stays still with Chloe even for a few seconds, he knew he will not be able to stop the burning desire he feels.