Warmth.
That was the first thing I felt when I opened my eyes. A strong arm was draped across my waist, and a solid chest was pressed right against my back.
My sleep disappeared instantly.
I stiffened and slowly turned my head, only to come face-to-face with an absurdly handsome man sleeping peacefully beside me.
For a moment, my brain just stopped working.
Did I die again? Is that an angel? Was heaven giving me a visual welcome gift?
Then reality slapped me hard. I remembered this person was no angel, but my accidental illegal husband. My brows twitched. What on earth was I doing in his arms?
Before I could move away, his eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes. The second he saw me staring, he gave me a slow, lazy smile. Then he leaned forward and kissed my lips.
"Good morning, wife."
".....…."
My soul left my body. I yanked myself away so fast I nearly rolled off his arms. I slapped a hand over my mouth, my eyes huge and cheeks burning. "Y-you—you—! How dare you kiss me?! We have a deal! No touching!"
He sat up like a saint wrongfully accused and gave me the purest, fakest innocent smile I'd ever seen. "But, wife, I didn't touch you. I kissed you. Those are two completely different things."
I almost choked.
Different?! How on earth was that different?!
I glared at him, hard. This man was born with no shame. Absolutely shameless!!
If I was going to live with this madman, I seriously needed to set some boundaries. I opened my mouth to add "No kissing" to the deal, but he cut me off smoothly.
"Ah ah, wife. You can't add more terms. That's unfair. If you do, the whole deal gets canceled. You don't want that, right? Because, according to the contract you signed, I am your legal husband. I can do whatever I want."
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you threatening me?!"
"Nope," he smiled.
I snorted, cursing him under my breath. "Insidious dog!!"
He raised his brows. "Did you say something, wife?"
"Stop calling me wife!" I glared, hissing. "Also, what are you doing in my bed? I clearly told you to sleep on the floor!"
He chuckled. "Wife, I'm not in your bed. You're in mine."
I blinked, confused, then looked around and froze. He was right. I was lying on the makeshift bed on the floor. But how was this possible? I clearly remembered going to bed last night!
My eyes narrowed. "Did you carry me here?"
His face scrunched up pitifully, hands pressed to his heart like I had accused him of treason. "Wife! You're wronging me again! I don't know how you ended up here!"
"You must have done something!"
"No, wife," he shook his head solemnly, "I really know nothing. Maybe… you sleepwalked?"
He said it with such righteousness that for half a second, my brain actually considered it. Had I started to sleepwalk now? No! That was not possible! This man must have shifted me in my sleep.
"Don't lie to cover up your crimes!"
"Wife," he pouted. "No proof, no accusation."
I scoffed, about to retort, when suddenly, he wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me close. His face filled my entire vision. My heart instantly malfunctioned.
He was warm, firm, and way too close. I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, strong and steady, while mine was running wild like a trapped rabbit. His scent wrapped around me, clean and faintly spicy, and it made my head dizzy.
I lifted my eyes, only to find his already on me, dark, focused, and heated.
"W-what are you doing…?" I whispered, but it came out weak, like even my voice was losing balance.
His fingers tightened at my waist, holding me flush against him. "Wife," he murmured, his voice low and rough from just waking up, "you accused me wrongly. Isn't that a crime?"
My throat went dry.
That look in his eyes was not innocent anymore, but deep and hungry, like he had already decided what to do with me. My body trembled, and my heart pounded faster than it ever had.
Before I could wriggle free, his forehead rested lightly against mine, our noses brushing. My stomach turned over, my knees went soft, and I could actually feel my lips trembling.
"Since you wronged me," he whispered, his breath brushing my skin, "I should collect compensation…"
"W-wait...." I began, but he didn't let me finish.
His mouth captured mine. This time, it wasn't a light kiss—it was slow, deep, and claiming. His lips moved against mine like he had all the time in the world, teasing first, then taking more.
My fingers curled helplessly into his shirt while every nerve in my body sparked awake, hot and confused. Somewhere in the blur, I felt him tilt my chin up, making the kiss heavier, greedier, like he had waited a long time for this.
I forgot to breathe until my lungs started burning. That was when my brain finally returned. The moment I finally remembered how to breathe, I tried to push at his chest, but he didn't move an inch.
Instead, his arm slid further around my waist, locking me firmly in place while his other hand cupped the back of my head, deepening the kiss like he owned my mouth.
He kissed me harder, slow but intense, like he was teaching me something—teaching me who was in control.
My toes curled, and my knees almost gave up completely. My body didn't feel mine anymore. For a second, I wasn't sure if I was holding onto him for balance or if he was holding me captive.
His thumb brushed the corner of my lips, coaxing them apart again, and a helpless sound almost escaped my throat.
This man was dangerous.
The kind of dangerous that made a girl forget her own name.
My heart wasn't beating anymore, it was sprinting. His breath mixed with mine was hot and unhurried, like he was enjoying every second of watching me fall apart in silence.
When he finally broke the kiss, only a tiny inch of air remained between us. His lips dragged slowly against mine before parting, as if he couldn't quite let go.
He looked straight into my eyes—calm, satisfied, and shamelessly pleased with himself, while I stared back like a short-circuited raccoon.
"Punishment complete," he murmured with a smile.
That jolted my brain back online. My face flamed so hard it could cook breakfast. I shoved him, not very successfully, and practically stumbled out of his arms.
"P-Pervert!" I gasped, pointing at him like he was the devil in human form.
He didn't even defend himself. Nope. He simply reclined back, leaning on his palms like a villain on vacation, wearing the expression of a man who had already won.
"I swear, I'm going to kill you!" I growled before sprinting to the bathroom at top speed.
I slammed the door and pressed my burning face into my hands. My chest felt like a drum being beaten from the inside. My legs were buzzing. And my lips.... these traitors still tingled like they'd been struck by lightning.
And outside?
I could sense him grinning like a hunter who has finally captured his prey.