My Clingy CEO Husband

###Chapter 69: I Want to Kiss You

Right, right, right. Ethan Hawthorne felt like a general, braced and ready for a vicious battle, only to discover the enemy envoy had come to deliver a wedding invitation. Thank goodness he hadn’t done anything rash!

He turned his gaze to Maxine Rhodes, who was trying hard to stifle her laughter beside him.

Maxine happened to be looking at him too, the smile still lingering on her face. However, the moment their eyes met, the curve of her lips stiffened slightly.

He didn’t have any particular expression on his face, just watching her quietly, but Maxine felt a jolt of electricity shoot up her spine for no reason at all.

’It’s over,’ she thought. ’The show’s over, the fire’s been stoked, and now... is it time to settle the score?’

Ethan Hawthorne took in her fleeting panic, the corner of his lip twitching into a smirk. He then unhurriedly continued with his meal.

After the meal, Ethan Hawthorne went to pay the bill. Bubbles seized the opportunity to sidle up to Maxine, whispering excitedly, "Maxine! I have a major announcement! As of today, Mr. Hawthorne has shot straight to the top of my ’Hot Gods’ list, becoming the eternal number one!"

Maxine was amused by his sudden declaration. "Oh? Weren’t you just saying that the cute waiter was your ideal type?"

"That’s nothing!"

Bubbles waved his hand with a serious expression. "Just think about it! Mr. Hawthorne clearly thought I had ill intentions toward you, but not only did he not give me a hard time, he even treated me to such an expensive meal. What magnanimity! What generosity!"

"But don’t you worry, Maxine! My feelings for Mr. Hawthorne are purely noble admiration and respect, with absolutely no improper thoughts! A sister’s husband is off-limits. I get the rules!" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Coco, who was standing nearby, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She rolled her eyes and retorted, "You say that as if you could steal him away even if you wanted to. Who else could possibly be in Mr. Hawthorne’s eyes besides my sister?"

Just then, Ethan Hawthorne returned after paying the bill.

Bubbles immediately put on his brightest smile, stepped forward, and bowed a full ninety degrees. "Thank you for the treat, Mr. Hawthorne! You’re truly handsome, kind-hearted, and have a powerful presence. Me and my dear Coco will get out of the way and leave you and Maxine to your private time!"

Coco also quickly smiled and said her goodbyes. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. We’ll be going now!"

After they spoke, they gave Maxine a knowing wink in unison, then linked arms and quickly walked away.

After they got in the car, the cabin was silent. After a long moment, Ethan Hawthorne spoke in a low voice, "Maxine Rhodes, you did that on purpose just now, didn’t you?"

"Did what on purpose?" She blinked, a look of pure innocence on her face.

Ethan Hawthorne turned his head, his deep gaze like a net, trapping her completely. "You made me jealous on purpose."

Maxine admitted it freely. "Mhm. Because you’re actually pretty cute when you’re jealous."

The color of Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes suddenly darkened, his tone unreadable. "It seems I’ve been too restrained lately."

Maxine tilted her head, looking at the tense line of his jaw, and deliberately fanned the flames. "What are you talking about, Mr. Hawthorne? I don’t understand."

"You don’t understand?"

He let out a sudden, soft laugh—a low, magnetic sound tinged with danger.

The next second, he wrenched the steering wheel, and the Maybach swerved cleanly onto a tree-lined road with few pedestrians, coming to a precise stop under a lush parasol tree.

The moment the car came to a complete stop, he swiftly unbuckled his seatbelt. Then, his entire body leaned toward her with an overwhelming presence, his arm reaching over her shoulder to brace against her headrest, instantly trapping her in the small space between him and the seat.

A crisp, masculine scent mixed with a faint, woody fragrance, aggressively invading all her senses.

Maxine’s heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously held her breath. Outside the window, the streetlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled, shifting shadows across his well-defined profile.

She forced herself to remain calm, raising her eyes to meet his deep gaze, which was now just inches away. Her voice, however, betrayed a slight tremor. "Ethan Hawthorne... what are you trying to do?"

He leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against her lips. His fiery gaze locked onto hers as he uttered three words: "I’ll kiss you now."

Before the words had even faded, his kiss descended, precise and with a force that permitted no refusal.

This kiss was nothing like the first, fleeting touch. It was full of domineering possessiveness, yet in the lingering caress of their lips and teeth, it also revealed an irrepressible sense of adoration.

Maxine’s mind went completely blank, as if he had stolen all the oxygen from her lungs.

He kissed her until she was dizzy and disoriented, aware of nothing but his scorching breath and the searing sensation on her lips. Her hands, which had been pressing against his chest, had long since gone limp, her fingertips curling to bunch the expensive fabric into an intimate wrinkle.

Ethan Hawthorne clearly felt her response and instinctively deepened the kiss, his force growing heavier, the entanglement tighter, as if he wished he could devour all her breath and saliva.

Inside the cramped car, the temperature climbed rapidly. The air grew thick and scalding, filled with nothing but their ragged gasps and the wet, intimate sounds of their mouths tangling together.

Only when the air in both their lungs was nearly depleted did Ethan Hawthorne reluctantly pull away.

Maxine was completely limp in her seat, her lips slightly parted as she panted. Her eyes were hazy, as if she still hadn’t recovered from the overly intense kiss.

Her cheeks were flushed, like ripe peaches, and even her earlobes and neck were stained with an alluring crimson.

Her once-smooth hair was now messily scattered around her cheeks, adding a touch of seductive vulnerability. And her lips, which he had ravaged so thoroughly, were now swollen and glistening wet.

Ethan Hawthorne’s hoarse voice, still thick with lingering passion, cut straight to the chase. "When is your period over?"

Maxine lightly touched her numb lips, a cunning glint in her eyes. She drew out her words. "Hmm... about a week, I guess."

"A week?"

Ethan Hawthorne repeated the two words, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently. His restrained and forbearing expression made it look as though he were enduring some kind of extreme torture.

"Maxine Rhodes," he said, opening his eyes again. They were swirling with inky blackness, and his voice was tinged with a hint of gritted teeth. "You really know how to torture someone."

Maxine looked at his rare, frustrated-but-helpless expression, like a large jungle cat that had its tail stepped on but still had to maintain its dignity. The mischievous impulse in her heart was thoroughly satisfied.

She reached out a fingertip and gently poked his tense bicep, her smile radiant. "Mr. Hawthorne, you don’t even have this much patience?"

Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze swept aggressively over her lips. He spoke, enunciating every word. "Maxine Rhodes, cherish this week."

"When that day comes," he paused, the dark fire burning in his eyes almost enough to consume her, "you’re finished."

With that, Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes darkened. He abruptly sat back in the driver’s seat, buckled his seatbelt, and started the car.*****