My heart raced as I realized what had happened. Before I could even react, I found myself in his arms.
How did I end up here? How could he be like this?
His demeanor was so cold and composed, but his actions—how could they be so bold?
I felt my face flush and quickly scrambled out of his embrace. "Do all soldiers just grab girls when they see them?"
His expression turned serious, his voice low but firm. "You're the only one I've ever embraced. You're my wife."
Soldiers were this forward?
"You know about my engagement to Alexander, don't you?" I asked.
He looked at me, a strange smile curling his lips. "It's about to be annulled, right?"
Did my father tell him?
He seemed a bit nervous, exhaling deeply. "I visit you every year, though you don't know. You love plum blossoms, and that tree outside your window, the ones with the blossoms, I make those with wax every year."
I was truly surprised.
The plum blossoms were so lifelike, and I had always assumed it was the gardener's work.
"Houston, I've waited for you for so long," he whispered.
His presence enveloped me with a powerful wave of hormones, making my head spin.
Houston took another step toward me. "He doesn't cherish you, but I will. Will you be with me?"
The room fell silent. All I could hear was his confession, the words shaking through me like thunder.
He stood straight in front of me, his eyes filled with an endless tenderness that threatened to pull me in completely.
I felt like prey trapped under his gaze, unable to escape.
His eyes reddened, betraying the turmoil inside him.
I was powerless to resist.
"I..." I started, my words faltering as I looked into his determined eyes.
I swallowed nervously. "Well, let's try?"
……
After spending a few days with Houston, I began to understand what it felt like to be truly cherished.
The way he looked at me was so intense, as though he wanted to melt me with his gaze.
To avoid scaring me, he refrained from making any further moves on me.
I started to get to know him better, and with each passing day, we became more in sync.
The trip to T City didn't go according to my plan, but Houston and I explored every corner of the sights together, and we even filmed a video.
It was time to go home.
Houston had originally planned to see me off personally, but due to some business, he could only accompany me to the station.
As we parted, he couldn't help but pull me into his embrace, his body burning against mine. "Seraphina, I really don't want to let you go."
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his chin. "Wait for me to come back for the New Year."
In the next moment, he lifted his military coat to shield us from view and lowered his head, pressing his lips to mine, his tongue invading my mouth, stealing my breath.
His whole body was stiff, as if he might break me in half.
When we finally pulled apart, he rested his head on my neck, breathing heavily. "Hmm, wait for me."
