Jasmine’s eyes widened.
Could it be that Leonardo had truly become incapable in that regard because of his illness?
She blinked several times. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.
He had suddenly hurried off to the bathroom and was still in there.
A strange feeling of relief spread through her chest. Originally, she had only agreed to this marriage to save her family, not because her mother or stepfather deserved it, but she didn’t want Vin’s life to be ruined. Also, this way, she could be free from the Gallo family’s grasp for life.
This was a temporary marriage after all. After one year, she would regain her freedom.
She had worried that fulfilling the role of a wife might become complicated.
But now, if Leonardo truly wasn’t able to consummate the marriage, then the arrangement would remain exactly that.
A contract. Nothing more.
The tension gradually drained from her body. Her eyelids grew heavier.
Without realizing it, Jasmine quietly drifted into sleep.
***********
Inside the bathroom, ice cold water poured relentlessly over Leonardo’s head.
He braced both hands against the marble wall. The freezing water soaked his hair and ran down his broad shoulders.
He closed his eyes. He’s never been this aroused his whole life. It felt as if he was suddenly on an aphrodisiac.
He had dealt with billion-dollar negotiations without breaking a sweat. Faced armed competitors without flinching.
Yet, one look at his wife’s beautiful body in a nightdress sent him almost losing his mind.
He wasn’t angry with her for looking scared, she had every reason to resist him tonight, after all, this was a marriage forced upon her by circumstance.
The only thing he could do... was wait.
No matter how long it took. He shouldn’t take her by force. He needed her to want him too. To want this.
Several minutes later, he finally turned off the shower.
The cold water had steadied his thoughts.
He dried himself, changed into fresh clothes, and quietly returned to the bedroom. The room was peaceful.
Jasmine had curled herself into a small ball beneath the blanket and was fast asleep.
Leonardo released a quiet breath.
Good. At least she could rest peacefully.
He carefully lay down, intentionally leaving a generous distance between them.
Within moments, something soft nudged against his arm.
He frowned.
Before he could react, Jasmine unconsciously rolled across the mattress and straight into his chest.
One slender arm rested over his waist, her head nestled against his shoulder.
She sighed contentedly in her sleep.
Leonardo stared blankly at the ceiling.
She had looked so frightened as if she was having a panic attack when he held her earlier.
But now that she was asleep, she was treating him like a giant pillow.
He shut his eyes and to five.
Opened them again. The warmth radiating from her body was dangerously arousing.
Another curse escaped his lips. “Fuck.”
Very gently, he untangled himself from her embrace without waking her.
Then, he returned to the bathroom.
The shower started again but this time his hard dick wasn’t going down.
His hands dragged down to his stomach, slow, almost annoyed that he was doing this and then he wrapped his fingers around his length.
Leonardo closed his eyes.
Pulling the foreskin back sent sharp little spark up his spine.
Fuck.
“Mmph.” He let out a rough sound. Barely a sound at all. More like air breaking in his throat.
He tightened his fist around his length and stroke again. Harder. His dick twitched.
Those beautiful eyes of Jasmine’s show up behind my eyelids. The way they widened when she was confused. Those pink lips he desperately wanted to kiss; she had no idea what that did to him, or how long she had done things to him.
His orgasm hit him so fast, his stomach tightened without warning. He jerked himself quicker. His grip got sloppy, water sliding everywhere, heat building right behind his balls.
His breath kept snagging in his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking about having sex with her.
That pressure snapped hard. A hot pulse shot out of him and hit the wall in messy streaks before the water drags it down. His knees nearly give out, forcing him to stay against the marble.
**************
That continued for a while, getting any sleep proved harder than usual. He jerked himself off repeatedly, tried to get his ragging hard dick to understand that they couldn’t fuck this woman right now.
They had to suppress their desire. He could have her against her will. Very soon though, he knew he’d get her to give herself to him.
By the time Leonardo emerged from his fifth cold shower, the eastern horizon had begun to brighten.
Faint streaks of dawn slipped through the curtains. He looked toward the bed.
Jasmine hadn’t moved. Perhaps this time, he could finally get some sleep.
He carefully lay down again. Keeping as much distance as physically possible.
He had barely closed his eyes, before the mattress shifted.
Slowly...Almost instinctively...Jasmine rolled across the bed once more.
This time she nestled against his side, her forehead resting lightly against his shoulder as though she’d found the warmest place in the room.
Leonardo stared at the ceiling in silent disbelief.
Why was she doing this to him?!
Even if she was asleep, she had to know how enticing she was.
A humorless laugh escaped him. “So this is my fate.”
He gently lifted her arm away from him.
She murmured something unintelligible but didn’t wake. Leonardo pinched the bridge of his nose.
Sighing, he climbed out of bed yet again. The bathroom door clicked shut.
A few seconds later, the shower started for the sixth time.
************
The next morning, sunlight spilled into the bedroom, Jasmine stretched lazily before opening her eyes.
She instinctively reached toward the other side of the bed, it was empty.
Sitting up, Leonardo was nowhere to be seen. She quickly looked down at herself.
She still had her nightdress on and nothing felt out of place.
She let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“So... I was right.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “He really didn’t...”
The memory of him disappearing into the bathroom resurfaced. Combined with the untouched state of the bed...
Her conclusion became even firmer.
She didn’t need to worry about him pouncing on her. Their contractual marriage suddenly seemed much simpler.
One year.
Then freedom.
No emotional complications.
No physical expectations.
Perfect.
She freshened up, changed into a crisp cream blouse and navy trousers suitable for a job interview, tied her hair into a neat ponytail, and headed downstairs.
The aroma of breakfast drifted from the dining room.
Leonardo was already seated at the long dining table, dressed impeccably in a charcoal suit despite the early hour.
He looked as composed as ever. Almost.
Jasmine paused when she saw dark circles lingering beneath his eyes.
He looked tired. Very tired.
She blinked, perhaps he stayed up late feeling less of a man.
If what she suspected was true, last night must have been difficult for him in ways she couldn’t fully understand. An unexpected pang of sympathy tugged at her heart.
It must be hard slowly losing several functions of his body.
She pulled out the chair opposite him.
“Good morning.”
Leonardo glanced up. “Morning.” His voice was as steady as always, though perhaps a touch hoarser than usual.
The butler served breakfast in silence.
After a moment, Jasmine cleared her throat. “I’ll be going for a job interview today.”
Leonardo looked at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “What time?”
“Ten o’clock.”
He gave a small nod. “The driver will take you.”
“You don’t have to...”
“It’s on the way.”
She knew he was simply making it easier for her to accept. “Thank you.”
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Jasmine couldn’t stop glancing at the faint dark circles beneath his eyes.
The more she looked, the guiltier she felt.
Perhaps her fear the previous night had embarrassed him, making him feel ashamed that she was scared for nothing.
Perhaps whatever burden he carried wasn’t something he wanted others to notice.