The phone barely rang once before he picked up.

"Ivy," his voice came from the other end, slightly husky. "I miss you."

The words caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected him to say it—let alone as soon as she answered. Her face flushed, and she instinctively covered her cheeks with her hands.

There was a brief silence before she cleared her throat. "What’s your chest measurement? Mom wants to make a sweater for you."

"I’ll text it to you." Christian responded.

That night, sleep didn’t come easily. Ivy found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Somehow, her own bed felt foreign now.

By the next evening, instead of staying another night as planned, she packed her bags and returned to Christian’s place.

Finally, in their bed, the moment her head hit the pillow, sleep claimed her.

It was late when Christian came home. He entered the bedroom, exhaustion heavy on his face, his suit jacket hanging loosely from one hand.

As he turned on the lights, his gaze fell on the bed, and his body stilled.

Ivy was there, sound asleep.

Chapter 22 Be A Good Wife

In an instant, all traces of fatigue vanished. Dropping his jacket to the floor, he rushed to the bed, leaning down and pressing a kiss against her lips.

Ivy’s eyes fluttered open, breaking out of slumber in surprise.

When he pulled back, his fingers threaded through her hair, caressing her gently, a wide smile lighting up his face. "You came back already?"

Ivy nodded, her voice still laced with drowsiness. "I came back early in the evening. I was waiting for you, but you didn’t come, so I went to bed."

Christian looked like he was about to burst with happiness. He leaned in again, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. "You should have called me and told me," he murmured. "I was working at the office. If I knew you were back, I would have come home."

As he spoke, he unbuttoned his shirt, his fingers skimming her neck, and then cupping the side of her head, rubbing her ear lightly, his gaze darkening with warmth and hunger.

Before she could take another breath, he was climbing on top of her, pinning her beneath him. His mouth claimed hers hungrily, his hands sliding down to her thighs, pushing her shortnightdress up, and parting her legs as his lower body pressed against her.

"I need you," Christian growled against her lips, his eyes burning with desire. His thick rod was already hard as a rock.

Christian pulled her hands above her head and captured them there.

His lips moved down, kissing and biting her flesh. Her neckline was delicate, and beautiful. It was begging to be bitten by him.

His mouth trailed to the side of her neck. His lips sucked on the sensitive spot, and his teeth followed, grazing the skin and driving Ivy wild with the sharp mix of pain and pleasure.

“Oh God…” Ivy groaned loudly when he kept sucking and nibbling on the same spot.

After one last bite to claim her, he lifted his head and met her gaze.

That innocently wild look on her face, the hunger in her eyes, the helplessness of her body beneath his, fueled his dominance.

In one swift motion, he ripped off her nightdress and shed his own clothes. Within seconds, they were both bare, skin against skin, heat radiating between them.

Her whole body was burning like it was on fire, that overwhelming ache consuming her from the inside out. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her body moved on instinct, desperate for relief.

She flipped them over and climbed on top of him. Her breaths were ragged, her heart racing.

She slid up on his body, her soft curves pressing against him. Her hands gripped his jaw, and before he could react, she slipped her nipple into his mouth.