Chapter 167: Very Comfortable

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Very Comfortable

He recalled what Caroline Whitman had said two minutes ago.

"The child kicks his blankets off at night, so he can’t sleep alone."

"You’re going on a business trip in a few days, so you should spend more time with him. Just sleep with him for the next few days."

’What does she mean, the child kicks his blankets off and can’t sleep alone?’

’What does she mean, I should sleep with him for the next few days?’

Adrian Grant pondered for a moment before finally giving in and lifting the covers.

"Get in."

Ryan Grant scrambled into the bed, turned his head, and blinked up at him. "Dad, you’re not going to sneak off to find Mom in the middle of the night, are you?"

Adrian Grant: "..."

"Hee hee hee, I bet you won’t be able to get into Mom’s room, because she’ll double-lock the door from the inside," Ryan Grant said with a grin.

This had happened before.

"..."

Adrian Grant: "Mom kicked me out this time. Why don’t you think we had a fight?"

Ryan Grant said in his cute, childish voice, "Mom’s done this before. I think this time, Mommy definitely wants you to spend more time with me since you’re going on a trip abroad."

There was another reason: the atmosphere between the two of them was no longer as distant and awkward as it had been at first.

Adrian Grant ruffled his hair. "Go to sleep."

In truth, after the child fell asleep, he did go to check if Caroline Whitman had locked her door.

Perhaps because it was the first time.

Caroline Whitman had no experience with this, so he smoothly pushed open her bedroom door.

Caroline Whitman, who had just finished her face mask and washed her face, was startled to see the man who had suddenly appeared on her bed.

"What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to sleep with our son?"

’I really should have locked the door,’ she thought.

’This man is so shameless.’

"He’s asleep," Adrian Grant said.

"..."

Caroline Whitman stood by the bed, a little speechless. "Aren’t you afraid he’ll wake up in the middle of the night looking for you?"

"Knowing how smart Ryan is, even if he wakes up, he’ll just come find us."

As Adrian Grant spoke, he patted the spot next to him, gesturing for her to hurry into bed.

"Ryan knows I’m leaving for my trip and doesn’t want me to go. Don’t you miss me? The thought of not seeing you for several days makes me want to stick to you."

Caroline Whitman froze.

An inexplicable feeling stirred in her heart.

Seeing her slowly sit on the bed, Adrian Grant didn’t rush. He sat up, extended his arm, and naturally pulled her in, guiding her further onto the bed.

’How could I not miss him?’

’But he’s still here. I never start missing someone in advance. There are still a few days left.’

She leaned against Adrian Grant’s chest and whispered, "It’s enough for me to know you’ll come back."

"Mm."

Adrian Grant lowered his head and placed a kiss on the crown of her head, tightening his arms around her.

Caroline Whitman asked, "How many days will you be gone?"

She had asked that afternoon, but Adrian Grant hadn’t given a precise answer.

She asked again when they came back from picking up their son.

Adrian Grant had given a vague "three or four" days.

This suggested that Adrian Grant himself wasn’t sure.

Caroline Whitman added, "If you don’t make it back for Ryan’s birthday, he’ll cry."

"Only Ryan will cry?"

"...You want to see me cry?"

"No," Adrian Grant said. "But if you really did cry, it would mean you couldn’t bear for me to leave."

Caroline Whitman lightly pounded his chest with her little fists and huffed. "Do I have to cry to show that I’ll miss you?"

Adrian Grant touched his chest. "..."

"You’re right. It’s like how my heart skips a beat for you. It doesn’t just happen on its own... for instance, when you pound my chest, I feel it then, too."

Caroline Whitman fell silent, using all her emotional and intellectual intelligence to finally decipher the meaning behind his words.

’Does he mean my little punch actually hurt?’

She uncurled her small fist and her fingers touched his hard chest. Feeling a bit guilty, she asked, "Did that hurt?"

"Not at all. It was quite pleasant."

"...Pervert!"

’I shouldn’t have even asked.’

Caroline Whitman closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat as she leaned against his chest. Before long, her breathing became deep and even.

Adrian Grant lay in the darkness with his eyes open for a while, then lowered his head to place another kiss on her forehead before finally closing his eyes.

’Last night was a sleepless one.’

’Her lower back could finally get a night’s rest.’

Maybe Adrian Grant knew he had gone too far those past two days. Or perhaps having their son around had awakened his conscience. Whatever the reason, for the few days the boy was with them, he became exceptionally composed and ascetic.

Friday and Saturday passed safely as well.

Just as Caroline Whitman was marveling at this, Ryan Grant was sent off early in the morning to the old family home, left in the care of the four elders.

After dropping off their son, Caroline Whitman entered the house first. As she bent over to change her shoes, she heard him follow her in. The sound of the door closing behind them was softer than usual, but the CLICK of the lock inexplicably made her back tense up slightly.

She straightened up, but before she could turn around, she was embraced from behind.

His hands clasped her waist, his chin rested in the crook of her shoulder, and his breath grazed the shell of her ear.

Caroline Whitman froze. "...What are you doing?"

Adrian Grant didn’t speak.

For someone who had been holding back for days, any word at a time like this would have been superfluous.

He lowered his head to kiss the spot behind her ear, his hands tightening around her waist.

Half-pushed, half-led by him toward the master bedroom, Caroline Whitman remembered midway that the curtains hadn’t been drawn and slapped him lightly.

Adrian Grant changed direction, pulled the curtains, and then continued on, all without missing a beat.

The curtains were drawn, and the bedroom grew dim.

The moment Caroline Whitman’s back hit the mattress, she heard him whisper something in her ear.

The tips of her ears instantly turned red. She raised a hand to push his chest, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he caught her wrist and pinned it by the pillow.

After that, the curtains were never opened again.

...

「When she woke up, it was nearly dusk.」

Caroline Whitman turned over, a dull ache spreading through her lower back. She let out a muffled groan and buried her head in the pillow. Recalling the day’s events, she realized not only was her back sore, but her legs felt a bit weak too.

The spot next to her was empty. The covers were thrown back on one side and had already gone cold.

Adrian Grant had left at some point.

She lay there for a few minutes, touching the clean pajamas she was wearing. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who had changed her.

A glass of warm water sat on the nightstand.

Caroline Whitman sat up, picked up the glass, and took a couple of sips. She slowly shuffled out of the bedroom in her slippers.

The entire mess, all the way to the bathroom, had been completely cleaned up.

It was only when she reached the living room that she realized Ryan Grant had already been brought back home.

Caroline Whitman rubbed her head. ’Just how long did I sleep?’

"Mommy, you took a really long nap today! Dad wouldn’t let me go into your room to bother you."

Ryan Grant’s eyes lit up when he saw Caroline Whitman come out.

Caroline Whitman yawned. "When did you get back?"

As soon as she spoke, she noticed her voice was a little hoarse.

Thinking about Adrian Grant’s actions today, her legs felt weak again, her steps a little unsteady. She decided to just sit on the sofa, leaning back comfortably.

"I just got back," Tiny replied.

As he spoke, Caroline Whitman turned her head toward the kitchen, looking for Adrian Grant.

The man, now fully dressed, was in the kitchen, all serious and proper as he busied himself with cooking.

From the back, he looked every bit the composed and ascetic man she knew.

She pursed her lips, averted her gaze, and turned to her son. "What did you do at Grandpa’s house today?"