The billionaire's sweet editor
Chapter 38: Iris: Falling hard

Chapter 38: Iris: Falling hard

THE MOMENT I close the door with a bang, I can’t stop myself from wailing. The floodgates guarding my tears open, and so do the snort gates.

I’m annoyed, frustrated, and angry, wiping my tears with so much vigor—if I put as much effort when exfoliating my skin, I’m sure it’d be supple and super light. Turning by the veranda’s corner, I head towards the small gate.

The sound of the door opening and closing comes from behind me and I increase my pace. It can only be Jerald trying to apologize for what he just said. To sum it all up, he called me a traumatized, stubborn, and dense idiot who’s always looking for a chance to be flipped about in bed by his friend. He also added that it was because my parents abandoned me when I was a kid.

I hate how most of it was the truth. After all, he said it. Truth hurts. But I never expected him of all people to lash out at me and say all that depressing gut-wrenching shit. Especially when he called me a sperm dish. That was the hardest blow among all of them.

"Iris," Lucas calls out in that deep voice, making me freeze from opening the gate. Rubbing my tears off quickly, I stop opening the gate, not bothering with turning to face his direction and letting him come to me.

His footsteps echo on the slab, taking large strides until he’s behind me. I feel his heavy breath on my skin as he hugs me from behind, leaning in and letting his body rest on my back.

Closing my eyes and inhaling his ocean scent, I let him soothe me, his large body seemingly becoming a shield I didn’t know I needed for the first time since knowing him.

I don’t want him asking me to forgive his friend, or asking me to chill down so we can talk this through like adults. Jerald crossed a line I never thought he would, and even though I’m partly at fault for dating his friend with all the warnings he gave me—who I date is my decision and his viewpoints have nothing to do with that.

"Is your wound hurting?"

"No." But my heart is.

Thankfully, Lucas doesn’t give me the "act like an adult" shit. Instead, he leans in till his mouth is on my ear, voice rumbling when he growls in my ear: "Want me to go back and punch the fuck out of his shitty gut?"

Letting out a light chuckle, I let him flip me around, tipping my chin till I’m facing him. He brushes the tears from my cheeks with his thumb, stroking it so lightly you’d think it were precious skin to him.

His face drops when he strokes my eyes, the tears drying up with every stroke. "Don’t let him get to you. You’re stronger than he thinks and I believe in you," he coos, his voice managing to soothe me from within, a fire to chill the cold feeling that had been seeping into my bones a while ago.

The tears come again, stronger this time. Lucas tips his head and kisses my chin. "I promised that you can use me all you want, however you want, and whenever you want. Just call me and I’ll be there. Always."

"Even now?" I reply in a shaky voice, slowly grabbing his wrist and closing my eyes when he kisses my forehead again.

Fuck, why am I being whiny like I’m his girlfriend? And why can’t I stop myself from shutting the fuck up?

Lucas nods reassuringly. "Yeah. Always."

Placing my palm on top of his knuckles, I brush them lightly. A few moments ago in the heat of my anger, I lashed out at Jerald and told him he didn’t need to worry about my nyctophobia and that I was moving in with my boyfriend.

It came out on a whim. I hadn’t planned for it to come out like that, but it did and I have to face it. My pride won’t let me apologize to Jerald and beg him to allow me to sleepover for two weeks. Not after what he just said to me, and definitely not after the rant I had.

Ironically, it’s urging me to beg Lucas to take me to his house instead, and in all honesty, even my brain, body, and soul are agreeing to follow the shenanigans.

Clasping Lucas’ hands tightly, I give him the best teary puppy eyes I can pull off—hoping with all might that they’re not red and puffy.

"Will you allow me to sleep over at yours until my grandparents come back? I don’t want to spend any more time around Jerald, but I’m worried the electricity will play tricks on me while I’m alone and I might hurt myself."

I swear, I see something flicker in his eyes. They grow a bit wider, glowing with mischief when he leans his head lower.

"Please," I beg some more. "I don’t want to depend on Jerald after—"

"My house is always open for you baby," he cuts me, voice deeper than it had been two seconds ago. "Want to move in today or tomorrow?"

"Today if possible," I mumble shyly, letting him stroke my face with his big hands, squishing my cheeks and making my words sound babyish.

He smiles gently at me, too gently with a hint of happiness in it. I know why he’s happy. He gets free access to me all day every day once I move in with him. It’s a free ticket to free pussy, he gets to use me as a sperm dish.

The pressure he’s applying on my cheeks increases, forcing me to look him in the eyes. His smile has dropped, and now he has this expression I’ve never seen on his face before. Attentive, like he’s trying to read my mind.

Spoiler alert, he does. Stroking my cheeks he lowers his voice. "I know what you’re thinking, and that’s why I want to assure you that even though I am happy you want to move in with me for two weeks, it’s not because I want to use you as a sperm dish. It’s because I’m happy I get to spend time with you."

I raise my eyebrows in shock. He did read my mind.

Lucas squishes my cheeks again. "You might not trust my words right now, but I’ll make you know that I mean what I say. So for the two weeks that you’ll stay at my house, I won’t touch you ever—"

I place my hand on his lips, halting his curse before he finishes it. "We both know that’ll be a punishment for the both of us. Don’t worry, I trust your words and that you won’t touch me like you promised. But don’t deprive me of this handsome magic wand just because you feel like I don’t like its magic."

On any other day, I’d have cringed at my cheesy line, but not today. It feels right saying it out loud. I want to say more, to tell Lucas that I don’t mind him using me as his sperm dish because this dish feels good whenever he touches it. I want to tell him I have been thinking about him a little too much these days, that he’s become the grade I place on men every time I think about my type.

The words are running in my brain, but I can’t say it out. And it’s not because I don’t trust him, no. Unfortunately, it’s because I don’t trust myself. I don’t trust my judgment.

"Yeah, I don’t know why I was saying such shit. Guess I was trying to make you feel better," Lucas replies, hand dropping to my waist.

I smile at him. "Even though you’d have to suffer because of it?" I ask the silly question, a trait I seem to have built ever since becoming closer to him.

He mirrors my smile, kissing my forehead again. The warm feel of his lips is a welcome pang that shoots down to my heart, making it race when he pulls me closer to his chest.

"I can do anything for you Iris, and this is not about our deal. This is me, Lucas Andrews, telling you, Iris Morris, that I’m ready for you whenever you need me."

I turn to mush in his arms, face heating up for no reason as I hide it in his chest. Has he always been this cheesy or is it because I’ve suddenly become conscious of the fact that I’m slowly falling for him each time we spend together?

He wraps his hands protectively around me, resting his chin on top of my head. "Let’s hug a little more, then I’ll go with you upstairs to pack your bags. We still have that movie we planned to watch after all."

I hug him tighter, breathing in his heavenly scent again, smiling on his chest. "Mhmm, let’s do that after the hug."

For a moment, I forget that were outside, that someone could peek from the veranda and see us being lovey-dovey in his yard. But do I give a fuck you may ask? No.

Because aside from the fact that it’ll hit him like a dagger and serve as revenge for his bitter words to me, I’m also enjoying this moment. I’m having so much fun that I don’t want this day to end.

Ever.

★★★★★