Chapter 6

Burning, penetrating, tense.

His head lowered. She felt his warm breath brushing against her nipple, teasing her flushed skin. Then he sucked and pulled her pink bud into his mouth, while his hands kneaded her round buttocks.

"Mmm..." Bella let out a protesting moan, her fingers sinking into his sweaty shoulders.

"I will make you forget Adrian Lucas..." he assures hoarsely.

Bella didn't have time to refuse; his large hand had already parted her thighs and delved into her most intimate core.

She held her breath as the sweet heat burned from his fingertips, a passion she had never experienced before, causing her heart to race with excitement and unease.

She had never been a passionate woman, but tonight she had completely lost control. Perhaps it was because she had just been dumped by her boyfriend, or perhaps it was because she had drunk too much awful beer. Tonight, she suddenly didn't want to be alone anymore.

So despite knowing it was wrong, she still clung to this feeling of being needed, like a moth to a flame.

"I want to go inside..." he murmured against her delicate chest, his voice rough and urgent. "Bella, may I?"

Bella's delicate body trembled slightly as she opened her dizzying beautiful eyes. "I... don't know..."

Through the moonlight outside the window, she could barely see his chin and neck, but couldn't make out his features.

Who was he, after all? Why was he comforting her so gently? Even though in the end, the comfort turned into something else, she understood that he meant well, because from the beginning he had resisted her advances.

"I want you..." he forcefully suppressed the desire with an iron will, wanting to make sure that she needed him as much as he needed her, without any hint of coercion.

"Fine..." Bella murmured with closed eyes, deciding to indulge herself this once.

Suppressing his excitement, he couldn't wait any longer and rushed in eagerly -

"Drink!" Bella suddenly sprang up from the bed, awakening from a cold sweat.

Gazing at the pitch-black ceiling, she couldn't help but show a bewildered and confused expression.

"This is strange! How did I have a nightmare out of nowhere..." She scratched her disheveled hair and mumbled to herself, as if realizing something. "Could it be that Adrian Lucas scared me?"

"Hmm! Quite possible." However, it was strange to say, that guy in her dream was really persistent, making her have painful dreams for no reason. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember that man's face, otherwise, she would definitely settle the score with him.

Even though he was just a newbie like herself, he pretended to know everything and caught her off guard, leading to them doing it in a haze, which resulted in her pain lasting for several days.

"Never mind! Next time I dream of that guy, I'll take a better look at him." Bella's eyebrows stretched optimistically. In fact, she had said this to herself hundreds of times, but unfortunately, she never managed to do it once.

Bella hopped out of bed, planning to go to the kitchen and have a sip of cold water to calm down.

As she walked barefoot through the dark living room, a faint smell of smoke reached her. As if being paralyzed, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, and a sense of unease started to rise within her.

"E...Ethan, is that you?" Bella asked with a trembling voice.

"Yeah!" Ethan extinguished his cigarette and leaned back on the armchair, feeling disinterested. "Who else did you expect? A ghost?"

Embarrassed, Bella forced a few awkward laughs and quickly changed the subject. "Ethan, have you seen Cotton and the others?"

"They're comfortably sleeping on my bed," Ethan pursed his lips, thinking how fortunate dogs were compared to humans, with so few worries.

"Oh! Why do they keep running into your room lately?" Bella complained with some dissatisfaction. "My room is just as comfortable!"

She gracefully moved her body and sat down sourly next to him.

Ethan remained silent, his intense black eyes focusing on her. However, after she sat down, his body stiffened.

"Ethan, what are you thinking about sitting on the couch in the middle of the night?" Bella curled up on the comfortable sofa, tucking her long legs in.

Rarely seeing Ethan looking so burdened, Bella felt obligated, based on the "landlord's code," to share his concerns and difficulties.

"It's nothing, I just can't sleep," Ethan said. Anyway, even if he did say, this woman wouldn't understand. He might as well save his breath and avoid worsening his mood.

Bella furrowed her eyebrows in worry as she gently held his large hand. "Ethan, you shouldn't keep your concerns bottled up inside, or else you might get sick."

Ethan stared at her defenseless, innocent face, almost losing control of his primal instincts, wanting to have his way with her on the couch.

"I've been thinking about tonight," he discreetly withdrew his hand, not wanting to overstimulate his already sensitive body.

"What happened tonight?" Bella struggled to recall what significant event had happened that made Ethan's expression so heavy.

"Adrian Lucas's situation made me start doubting my own strategy. I'm questioning whether it's right or not." Ethan picked up the beer on the table and lazily took a sip.

Adrian Lucas's appearance had made him feel a sense of crisis. Even though Bella had her flaws, there were still plenty of men out there who knew her worth. If he continued to delay, there was no guarantee that another Adrian Lucas wouldn't come along. He couldn't take any more risks.

"It's so complicated! Can't you simplify it a bit?" Bella couldn't stand it and stole a glance at him. Why did men always have to speak in such cryptic ways? Couldn't they be straightforward for once? Moreover, wasn't Adrian Lucas's situation already resolved? Why was he still worrying about it?

"I'm wondering if I should be grateful to that bastard, Adrian Lucas," Ethan pondered as he rubbed his chin.

"Why should you thank him?" Bella couldn't understand a word he was saying. "Ethan, why are you speaking so strangely today?"

Ethan didn't want to miss such a good opportunity, so he boldly confessed in the dark night. "If it weren't for Adrian Lucas falling in love with someone else back then, how would I have the chance to be with you?" 

"Huh?" Bella widened her bright eyes, feeling that his words seemed to carry a hint of ambiguity. "What do you mean?" 

Ethan sighed helplessly, talking to this slow-witted woman was truly tormenting. 

"Well! I'll just say it directly, Bella, I like you." 

A trace of worry immediately appeared on Bella's pretty face as she gently placed her hand on his forehead. 

"Ethan, what's wrong with you? Are you running a fever?" 

"I'm not running a fever." Ethan grabbed her caring little hand and held it to his chest, earnestly looking into her eyes. "Bella, I mean it, I like you." 

"Alright! Alright! I know." Bella patted his strong chest to comfort him, as if coaxing a child. "I also really like you! You're like a good little brother, just like Jake." 

"You idiot! I moved in here to pursue you, not to be your damn little brother!" Ethan glared at her with extreme frustration, suppressing the urge to strangle her neck. He had been living here for nearly a month, and this woman still saw him as a little brother. 

Damn it! In this foolish woman's eyes, was he still not a man?

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"Chasing after me?!" Bella exclaimed, her mouth gaping in shock. "You're chasing after me?!"

She hadn't felt it at all. He controlled her like a prison warden, not only making her go for morning jogs and swim, disrupting her night owl schedule, but also buying off her dog, leaving her isolated and without support. There was nothing romantic about it. How could this be him pursuing her?

"No mistake!" Ethan, upon seeing her dumbfounded expression, felt a fiery anger flare up inside him. He couldn't help but grip her delicate chin, roughly and urgently kissing her crimson lips.

Originally, he had planned to thoroughly ravage her lips, to release his own frustrations. But as soon as he touched her sweet lips, he completely lost himself.

Revenge? Venting his anger? All of it was forgotten. His tongue slowly slipped into her mouth, eagerly exploring and delicately savoring her honey-like sweetness.

Bella was frozen. What was Ethan doing?! Was he kissing her...

Sensing her hesitancy and stiffness, Ethan involuntarily lifted her petite body onto his lap, gently enveloping her, massaging her neck and back.

Under his tender caresses, Bella gradually melted in his embrace.

It wasn't until a cool breeze of the summer night wind brushed across Bella's exposed arms that she woke up from her desire.

"No more kissing..." Bella gasped as she pushed his handsome face away.

"Why?" Ethan rasped, his hot palms still rubbing her back with unfinished intent.

Bella widened her almond-shaped eyes and straightened her spine. "Stop pretending. I've seen through your deceitful scheme, you big liar."

"What scheme are you talking about?" Ethan burst into laughter. He admitted that his methods of moving into the White family's house were not entirely honorable, but it was hardly deserving of being called a deceitful scheme.

"Don't think I haven't recognized you. You're the scoundrel who took advantage of me two years ago." Bella's face turned pink with anger.

His scent, his technique, she had just "reviewed" them in her dreams, she couldn't be mistaken.

"You finally remember," Ethan's mouth curled into a seductive smile. "I thought you would never recall it in your lifetime."

"Hmph! Stop smiling so smugly!" Bella angrily tightened her pretty face. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

She wasn't mad at Ethan's reckless behavior that night because it was consensual, but she was mad at him for keeping it a secret from her, without even giving her a hint.

This is too much! He must have been secretly laughing behind my back for a long time.

"I hinted as soon as I arrived, but you were too dull to pick up on it," Ethan affectionately pinched her cute nose.

"Did you laugh at me behind my back?" Bella is very concerned about this.

"Of course not, I was so angry that I was almost dying, I didn't have time to laugh at you," this naive woman clearly did not understand the blow to his male dignity during this time.

Bella sat on his lap, skeptically glancing at him. "What are you angry about?"

"I'm angry that after that night, you actually forgot about me! I was your first man!" Ethan felt indignant for himself. How could a woman forget her first man?

"That night was... a bit hazy... I was a bit drunk... so it's normal that I don't remember well!" Bella explained stutteringly.

So Ethan was angry about this! Hmm... In that case, the damage to his self-esteem is indeed slightly more serious than hers.

"Then how did you recognize me now?" Since he was already done being angry, Ethan couldn't be bothered to pursue it any further. He just wanted to know how she suddenly became smarter.

A light blush instantly appeared on Bella's graceful face.

"Because you... the way you kissed me is exactly the same as two years ago." It was only now that she realized the intimate sitting position they were in and struggled to get away from his lap.

Ethan took a breath and quickly put his big hand on her slender waist. "Don't move," he said.

"What's wrong, did your foot fall asleep?" Bella immediately stopped squirming with kindness. "Do you want me to rub it for you?"

"Rub where?" Ethan's charming black eyes emitted a passionate light.

Bella looked puzzled. "Of course, I meant your foot! What else did you think?"

"Forget it! You certainly wouldn't rub it for me." Ethan's innocent face flashed with a teasing meaning.

"Where exactly do you want me to rub? If you're going to be fussy, I'll just go to sleep!" Bella yawned and moved away from his lap, planning to casually rub it for him and then go back to her room to sleep.

"Give me your hand," Ethan reached out his big hand to her.

"You're so picky!" Bella grumbled as she placed her hand on his big palm, shaking it perfunctorily. "I'm not a fan of handshakes, it looks awkward!"

Ethan stared at her shaking little hand, his handsome mouth twitching involuntarily. "Who said anything about shaking hands? I've never seen a woman so clueless."

(Note: The translation of the names "Ethan" and "Bella" remains the same before and after the translation. European and American locations have not been provided, so I have kept the original locations in the translation.)

"Why are you reaching out your hand to me...what are you trying to do?" Her originally confident voice weakened a bit under Ethan's scorching gaze.

It's no wonder she misunderstood his intentions. After all, she often saw Ethan and Cotton practicing handshakes in the yard.

"I want you to help me here." Ethan grabbed her delicate hand and forcefully pressed down on his painfully tense male symbol.

Bella stood there in stupefaction, and after a second, her delicate face immediately blazed with embarrassment. "Ethan, how could you have such wicked thoughts?" One shouldn't underestimate this little boy!

She wanted to withdraw her hand, embarrassed and anxious.

Ethan firmly held onto her fidgeting hand. "I have even more wicked thoughts, do you want to see them?" His handsome face slowly approached hers, and his warm breath sprayed onto her blushing face.

"I don't want to." Under his pressure, Bella instinctively curled her fingers, but she didn't expect that even the slightest movement would cause a strong reaction from him.

In an instant, his already hard erection became even harder and hotter, pulsating as if it had a life of its own.

"Huh?" Curiosity overcame her shyness, and Bella couldn't help but flex her finger to test his reaction.

"Is it fun?" Ethan trembled as he took a deep breath, his muscles tensing all over. He had really sacrificed a lot to pique her "interest" in him.

Bella nodded vaguely. "Um... it's not bad! But touching a guy's... you-know-what seems a bit dirty, don't you think?"

Sob... when can she retract her hand?

Ethan's face turned ashen, staring at her crumpled face in disbelief. "You idiot!" he angrily shouted, losing control.

Bella pouted. "Why are you cursing at me?"

As soon as her right hand was free, she vigorously shook it in the air, as if it had touched something dirty.

Her actions undoubtedly added fuel to the fire, infuriating Ethan to the point where his face turned black and he wanted to grab her and spank her fiercely.

"Let's go!" Ethan lifted her delicate body, burning with anger, and walked towards his room.

"Where are we going?" Bella protested, slapping his back. "Ethan, put me down, my stomach feels sick..."

"To my room," Ethan snapped back, slapping her butt. "No more noise!"

"Why are we going to your room?" Bella's frustrated voice contained a hint of confusion.

"Release!" 

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Bella was thrown onto a bed covered with black sheets, and although she fell in a disheveled state, she bravely climbed back up again. 

"Ethan, you can't be serious, can you?" She knelt on the bed, momentarily unable to adjust to Ethan's "wickedness." 

"I couldn't be more serious." Ethan turned on the bedside lamp, boldly staring at her with his serious and passionate eyes. 

"I want you, Bella, it's been two years." 

"Oh... " Bella scratched her head, feeling torn. "But once we do it, there's no turning back!" 

Though she really liked Ethan, she always saw him as a younger brother, so now suddenly considering him as a lover felt strange to her. 

"Then don't turn back, just let it happen naturally!" Ethan didn't understand what she was worried about. 

"I can't, it's too risky. What if we have a falling out later? Then there will be no one to clean, no one to wash the dishes, and no one to mow the grass. Plus, I won't be able to taste your cooking anymore!" Bella counted off on her fingers, realizing how much she would actually lose in the end. "I think it's better if we just maintain the landlord and tenant relationship."

She clapped her hands and prepared to quickly get out of bed and leave. Ethan frowned and stopped her from escaping, throwing her back onto the bed. "Coward, we haven't even tried yet, how do you know we will definitely have a falling out in the future?" It turns out that this woman has always treated him as a male servant, no wonder she is unwilling to further develop their relationship. "Um...because I have a bad feeling about it," Bella struggled to come up with a reason to dismiss him. This should be a reasonable excuse, right? Ethan narrowed his bright black eyes and scrutinized her for a while before slowly speaking. "Fine then! If you want to play like this, Bella, I have no objection." "Huh?" For some reason, Bella's heart suddenly started to panic. "Play what? I didn't say anything." "From today on, we will return to being a normal landlord and tenant. All these trivial matters will be handed back to you as the landlord. How do you feel about that?" He must be crazy to be so chatty with her in the middle of the night, instead he should just pin her down on the bed. "No way! Absolutely not," Bella exclaimed excitedly, unable to believe that Ethan would say such cruel words. "What a terrible idea!"

Ethan shrugged. "No choice! Who asked you to have no confidence in our relationship? I just wanted you to adapt early." 

　　This is the best way to deal with this lazy bug! 

　　Bella hesitantly bit her lower lip and asked, "If I agree to give it a try, will you still do these household chores?" 

　　"Yeah!" Ethan felt pathetic for relying on doing household chores to attract a girlfriend with his always successful male charm. If this were to be known by Jake and the others, they would surely laugh at him for the rest of his life. 

　　Oh well! It's really sad! There are more beautiful women in the world than ants crawling on the ground, yet he chose the most difficult one. 

　　"Well...Fine!" Bella reluctantly agreed. "Because you've been good to me before, I'll give it a try." 

　　Undeniably, she was a traditionally lazy woman, but since she now knew that Ethan had once had intimate contact with her, she felt that she had to give each other a chance, because she didn't think she had the courage to face another man completely naked. 

　　Let's take a risk! The future is uncertain, and who knows, maybe she can even find a permanent male servant! Hehe... 

　　Ethan held back his excitement and kissed her passionately, then chuckled and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing," Bella extended her small hand and quickly covered his lips. "You first chase Cotton away, then I'll let you kiss me."

She glanced alertly at the two curious dogs that had been watching the show for a long time by the bed.

"Why?" Ethan took the opportunity to lightly lick her delicate palm.

Blushing, Bella whispered, "Because I'm afraid Cotton might have a nosebleed."

Ethan was first taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha..."