18 The Morning

Charlotte rolled up against something hard. She reached out her hands and felt a strong wall. She heard a low groan.

"Woman, don't you know how dangerous it is to provoke a man first thing in the morning?" Gordon's voice was hoarse and raspy with sleep.

Charlotte's eyes flew open and she saw her hands on Gordon's bare chest. She immediately looked down at herself and was relieved that she had on pajamas.

"Did we...that is, did something happen between us last night?" Charlotte asked carefully.

"No. That's not to say you didn't try, but no, nothing happened along those lines." He assured her.

"Wait, then why are my clothes different? And why are we in bed together? And, what do you mean I tried it?" Charlotte fired questions consecutively.

"Rachel helped with your clothes, you asked me to hold you while you slept, and you also tried to initiate sex with me." Gordon was blunt.

Charlotte's face burned a deep red. "I—Surely I didn't do that! I tried to initiate..." her voice trailed off in disbelief.

"I tried to get you to eat dinner and you jumped in my arms saying you wanted to eat me. Then you french kissed me. We did kiss on the bed but I stopped before we went any further. You begged me not to stop. But I knew you'd regret it today so we went to sleep instead." Gordon explained in a near emotionless voice.

"I begged you not to stop?!" Charlotte shouted. She pulled the quilt over her head in embarrassment.

"That's it. I officially can't show my face around you again! I am so ashamed of myself!" Charlotte wailed.

Gordon pulled the quilt back to reveal her adorable face.

"You don't have to be embarrassed around me. However, you are not allowed to drink alcohol again. And I expect the same level of enthusiasm from you on our wedding night with you sober." Gordon announced.

"Wedding night?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes. You're going to have to marry me soon before you torture me to death. I can't withstand more incidents like last night!" Gordon grumbled.

"All I remember is my mouth was on fire and I grabbed the first thing I saw. It's all fuzzy after that." Charlotte said.

"Rachel said you downed about five glasses of wine before she managed to stop you." Gordon told her.

"So Rachel knows too?" Charlotte asked.

"And Michael. He helped me beat the crap out of the pervert that almost made off with you. Yet another reason why you are not allowed to drink again."

Charlotte could hear the anger in his voice.

"Do your parents know?" She asked softly.

"No. The media doesn't either. That's why I brought you upstairs. To keep people from seeing you drunk." Gordon explained.

"Are you very angry with me?" Charlotte asked looking down at her hands.

He lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"It's widely reported that I have a bad temper. But I have never truly lost my temper with you. I was never angry with you last night but I was terribly worried. And the anger I felt for the man trying to get you in his room...if Michael hadn't been there I would've killed him. I wanted to kill him." Gordon admitted.

"Thank you for not killing him." Charlotte said. Gordon's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"If you killed him you would go to prison for murder, and I can't live without you." Charlotte confessed.

"You also told me you loved me last night." Gordon suddenly added.

Charlotte covered her face. Was there anything embarrassing she hadn't done last night?!

Gordon pressed her down on the bed and moved his thin lips over hers. After awhile he finished kissing her and whispered in her ear, "And I love you too."

———————

Gordon took a shower and dressed in a suit he kept on hand in the closet. While Charlotte showered he called room service for breakfast and also asked hotel staff to bring clothes for Charlotte.

Charlotte came out of the bathroom with wet hair and wearing a bathrobe. Gordon swallowed hard.

"Is there a hairdryer?" Charlotte asked, oblivious to what the sight of her like this was doing to him.

"There is, but let me help you." He motioned for her to sit on the bed. He sat behind her and towel dried her hair.

After awhile he brushed her hair to one side and began slowly kissing her neck and shoulders. He could hear her breathing deepen and he felt her tremble beneath his tender ministrations.

"Let's get married." He whispered in her ear.

"Gordon we've just met. I mean people say I'm impulsive but this is really sudden." Charlotte replied.

"Sweetheart, whether we marry now or next year, I won't change my mind. I want you and only you." Gordon proclaimed.

"But we don't know each other well enough yet!" Charlotte argued.

"Our ancestors married before they knew one another all the time. They managed." Gordon said.

"You haven't met my mother yet." Charlotte protested weakly.

"Set up a time for us to go see her." Gordon responded.

"Will your parents truly accept me as your wife and hostess of the Zhou family?" Charlotte asked.

Gordon pulled out his cellphone and handed it to her. The message was from his father and read: "Hurry up and bring our daughter-in-law back to us so we can know her better. Your mother is anxious to have Charlotte accompany her."

He took the phone back and opened another message. This one from his mother: "When are you and Charlotte free to join us for a meal to discuss your wedding? We should pick a date just after the New Year if possible."

Charlotte was stunned.

"I received those while you were showering." Gordon said.

Charlotte's eyes were red with unshed tears.

"Why are they so kind to me? I'm nobody." She said.

"First of all, they are kind to you because I love you and you make me happy. Secondly you are not nobody. You are my woman and that gives you status that others only dream about." He was matter of fact.

"We need to talk to my mother first. Then we can meet with your parents." Charlotte promised.