Chapter 79: Sienna, You’re Holding On So Tight

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Sienna, You’re Holding On So Tight

Sienna Everett glanced uncomfortably at Julian Forrester. "I’m going to take a shower first."

With that, she grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

In truth, this wasn’t the first time she had slept in the same bed as Julian.

The last time at the mountain resort, she had gotten drunk and woken up in Julian’s arms the next morning.

But she had been drunk then. Now, she was completely sober, so she couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.

When she came out of the bathroom after her shower, she saw Julian standing by the window. He was on the phone, and it sounded like he was discussing work.

Sienna didn’t say a word, quietly drying her hair with a towel.

Julian had noticed the moment Sienna came out of the bathroom. He said a few more words to the person on the other end and hung up.

He turned around and saw her listlessly dabbing at her hair. He walked over, picked up the hair dryer, and said, "Here, let me."

In truth, he loved taking meticulous care of her.

The low hum of the hair dryer filled the room.

He held the hair dryer in one hand while his other hand lifted, his long, pale fingers combing through her black tresses.

As the warm air gently blew across the crown of her head, Sienna closed her eyes in comfort, as content as a kitten basking in the afternoon sun.

A short while later, her hair was dry.

Sienna walked over to the vanity to fix her hair in the mirror.

Julian’s gaze followed, watching her reflection in the mirror.

Her features were delicate and radiant, her lips naturally crimson. Her skin was like white jade, so smooth it was flawless.

Having just showered, a veil of moisture misted her clear eyes, making them glisten like a pool in springtime—unconsciously alluring.

As Sienna arranged her long, dark hair, she noticed him still staring. She met his gaze in the mirror. "Aren’t you going to shower?"

Julian arched a brow. "And dry my hair for me after?"

Sienna huffed, putting on a proud air. "In your dreams. Do it yourself."

Hearing this, the man chuckled and shook his head, his expression one of complete indulgence.

While Julian was in the shower, Sienna lifted the covers, slipped into bed, and browsed the internet on her phone for a while.

’There’s no interesting news online.’

’Not even any gossip.’

She was scrolling boredly through her phone when, with a CLICK, the bathroom door opened and Julian emerged from his shower.

Sienna immediately tossed her phone onto the nightstand, shut her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

’There was no way she was performing any "wifely duties"!’

Julian stepped out of the bathroom, casually drying his hair with a white towel. He caught sight of the still lump on the bed out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze faltered for a second before he walked over.

He saw Sienna lying motionless on the bed, as if she were already fast asleep.

Julian nonchalantly arched a brow.

He leaned down, reached out, and his long, slender fingers gave her waist a light tickle.

Sienna’s body tensed instantly. Even beneath her thin eyelids, her eyes couldn’t help but dart around.

Julian’s brow rose another fraction. A teasing smile bloomed in his eyes.

He had grown up with Sienna, so he knew her inside and out. Of course, he knew exactly where she was most ticklish.

He reached out and gave her waist another light tickle.

Sienna couldn’t take it anymore and, with a jerk, twisted away.

She snapped her eyes open, glaring at him with her cheeks puffed out. Two little flames of fury danced in her beautiful eyes.

The man’s lips curled into a slight smile, his voice light and laced with amusement. "Done playing possum?"

Busted, Sienna rolled over to face away from him, refusing to admit it. "Who’s playing possum? I was just getting drowsy. I was about to fall asleep, you know."

Julian, charmed by her antics, deliberately provoked her. "Don’t you need me to tell you a bedtime story anymore?"

Sienna: "...I’m not a kid anymore."

’She used to pester him for bedtime stories when she was little, but she didn’t need them anymore.’

Sienna lay on her side. A moment later, she felt the mattress dip behind her as Julian lay down.

The clean, crisp, pleasant scent of him drifted over in wisps, lingering intimately around her, his presence overwhelmingly strong.

Sienna’s back tensed, and her heart began to beat uncontrollably faster.

Seeing she was still lying on her side, Julian didn’t say anything or make any moves. He simply reached up and turned off the light.

Cool moonlight streamed in through a gap in the curtains.

In the quiet that followed, Sienna chanced a peek behind her. The man’s eyes were closed; he seemed to already be asleep.

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. She had been through so much that day, including a trip to the hospital that night. She was exhausted, and the moment she relaxed, she drifted off to sleep.

In the darkness, Julian opened his eyes. His gaze was perfectly clear, showing no sign that he had been asleep at all.

He turned his head to look at Sienna beside him.

Her profile, bathed in moonlight, was exquisitely beautiful, almost unreal.

Julian’s gaze softened with affection. With a sweep of his long arm, he gently pulled her into his embrace.

And he held her as he fell asleep.

...

「The next morning.」

Sienna woke from a deep sleep. As she blearily opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with a warm, firm chest.

Her hand, meanwhile, had crept inside his pajama top and was currently caressing his abs.

Sienna: "?"

Her legs weren’t behaving any better; they were tangled tightly around his, like an octopus’s tentacles.

Sienna was dumbfounded for a second before she became wide awake in an instant.

’How did I end up in Julian’s arms again?!’

’And I’m clinging to him so tightly!’

’I don’t have a habit of clinging to people in my sleep! Why do I always end up wrapped around him whenever we share a bed?’

Sienna swallowed nervously and peeked up at him.

The man’s eyes were peacefully closed, his long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them. His breathing was light and even; he was still asleep.

Sienna prepared to quietly disentangle herself.

But the moment she moved, the man was roused and slowly opened his eyes.

Sienna froze on the spot.

Julian lowered his gaze, taking in the woman wrapped around him. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he couldn’t suppress a pleased chuckle.

"Sienna, why are you holding on to me so tightly?"

The man’s just-awakened voice was laced with a husky quality—sexy and utterly seductive.

A shiver ran through Sienna’s entire body, a tingling sensation zinging straight down to her tailbone. A flush of heat crept up her earlobes.

Mortified, she shoved him away and scrambled off the bed as if making a great escape.

She hadn’t taken two steps before his lazy, languid voice drifted from behind her. "Running off after we’ve slept together? Aren’t you going to take some responsibility?"