My Clingy CEO Husband

### Chapter 78: Undress Me

Susie Summers’s reply came almost instantly, a series of exploding emojis flooding the screen.

Susie Summers: "!!! [screaming_marmot.jpg]"

Susie Summers: "Is it THE first time I’m thinking of!!! AHHHHHHHHH"

Susie Summers: "My baby’s finally getting some action!!!"

Maxine Rhodes buried her burning face in a throw pillow and typed back, "But I’m a little nervous. Mainly because... I don’t have any experience."

Susie Summers: "What’s there to panic about! This is the gateway to the wonderful world of adulthood! Hold on, I’m about to give you a full-scale, pre-battle pep talk!"

The next second, a video call request from Susie Summers popped up.

The moment Maxine Rhodes answered, she heard Susie’s excited voice commanding, "Listen, baby! Step one: set the mood! Now! Immediately! Let me see your closet!"

"Huh?" Maxine Rhodes was a little dazed.

"What do you mean, ’huh’?! Battle armor! You need battle armor!"

Susie’s voice was filled with unquestionable authority. "Just imagine it. What will you be wearing? A cute cotton pajama set? Or some boring, uninspired nightgown? NO! We’re going for one of those silk slip dresses that look effortless but are secretly full of tricks! You want that soft texture, the kind that glides right off your skin. Go for champagne or a deep red. The moment the light hits it, the mood will be absolutely perfect!"

Listening to this, Maxine Rhodes felt her face was hot enough to fry an egg.

"Isn’t that a little too... deliberate?"

"Deliberate? What’s deliberate about it! It’s respect! It’s the highest tribute you can pay to a beautiful night!"

Susie spoke with absolute conviction. "And lingerie! A matching set! Lace trim, the peek-a-boo kind! Don’t tell me you don’t have any. Go buy some right now! I’m sending you a link!"

Maxine Rhodes instinctively covered her phone, terrified someone might overhear.

"Oh."

"Don’t just ’oh’ me!" Susie continued her lecture. "Body wash, body lotion! Get the kind with a long-lasting scent, something a little more alluring. And no more of that milk-scented stuff you use! From head to toe, you need to look like you’ve been meticulously prepared, got it?"

Maxine Rhodes was left reeling from Susie’s barrage, but the vague panic in her heart really did seem to fade amidst the over-the-top battle preparations. In its place was a flutter of shy and powerful anticipation.

"Lastly, and most importantly, be safe. This is all about you. If you’re uncomfortable, you have to speak up. Don’t just grin and bear it!"

Maxine nodded furiously on her end, like a chick pecking at grain. "Got it! Got it!"

When the call ended, Maxine Rhodes put down her phone. She walked to the mirror and looked at the reflection staring back—eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed like peach blossoms. She took a soft breath.

That evening, Maxine Rhodes took a special bath, carefully smoothed on a faintly rose-scented body lotion, and then slipped into the champagne-colored silk dress she had so meticulously prepared.

The spaghetti straps, as thin as silk threads, highlighted her delicate collarbones. The hem fell just to her knees, shimmering with a subtle, seductive luster as she moved.

She padded barefoot out of the bathroom, the soft pile of the carpet pressing against her soles. The living room was lit by a single floor lamp, its warm yellow halo outlining the tall, erect figure standing before the window.

Ethan Hawthorne was already home. He’d changed into a set of dark gray silk loungewear, the top two buttons undone to reveal his sharp collarbones and a sliver of his chest. He had been standing with his back to her at the floor-to-ceiling window, but at the sound, he slowly turned around.

The instant their eyes met, the air seemed to ignite with invisible sparks, letting out a soft, crackling sound.

Maxine Rhodes clearly felt his gaze intensify, a raw, undisguised possessiveness surging within it. It was a focus so scorching it was almost tangible, like a predator that had finally locked eyes with its long-coveted prey.

"Finished your bath?"

His voice was deeper and huskier than usual, a dangerous, magnetic quality rippling through the quiet living room.

"Mhm," Maxine Rhodes hummed, deliberately slowing her pace as she walked toward him.

She stopped in front of him, raised her hands, and slowly, deliberately, unfastened the buttons of the thin cardigan draped over her shoulders.

The cardigan slid from her shoulders, revealing the gossamer-thin slip dress beneath.

"Were you waiting for me?" She looked up, her eyes dancing with the slyness of someone asking a question to which she already knew the answer.

Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze slid from her crimson lips, down her slender neck, and finally settled on her smooth, rounded shoulders and the two delicate straps that looked as if they might snap with a single pull.

His eyes were as dark as the night as his Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably.

"I’ve been waiting a long time."

He reached out to pull her into his arms, but Maxine Rhodes, as slick as a fish, nimbly took half a step back. Her fingertips touched his chest, feeling his muscles instantly tense and his heart quicken through the thin silk. Then, her fingers began a slow, teasing descent.

"In such a hurry, Mr. Hawthorne?" She chuckled, her voice as sweet as honey.

"When it comes to you," Ethan Hawthorne said, capturing her mischievous wrist and yanking her back against him. Their bodies were flush, with no space left between them.

He lowered his head, his hot breath fanning across her ear and neck, sending a delicate shiver through her. "I’m always in a hurry."

His lips nearly brushed her earlobe, his voice impossibly husky. "This dress... I like it very much."

Maxine Rhodes tilted her head back in his embrace, the tip of her nose brushing his jaw. Her eyes glimmered with a triumphant, alluring light. "I wore it just for you."

She paused, feeling his arms tighten around her, before slowly adding with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "But... I might have to disappoint you."

"Oh?" A questioning sound rumbled from Ethan Hawthorne’s throat. He looked down at her, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Because..." Maxine Rhodes’s free hand slid to his waist and found the loose sash of his robe. With a flick of her finger, she pulled it, and the knot came undone, the lapels falling slightly open.

She met his gaze, their eyes tangling. Her red lips parted, releasing a warm breath. "I was planning... on taking it off very soon."

Ethan Hawthorne’s breath caught in his throat. The last flicker of reason in his eyes was extinguished, replaced by a surging tide of desire.

He bent down, hooked an arm under her knees, and swept her securely into his arms. His strides were quick but steady as he headed for the bedroom. "Good. I’ll help you."

In the dim light, the champagne silk against her snow-white skin was a breathtaking sight.

"Maxine Rhodes," he said, planting his hands on either side of her, his voice dark and hoarse. "You have one last chance."

"A chance for what?"

"To say stop."

Maxine Rhodes let out a soft laugh, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. "Ethan Hawthorne, I never make a decision..."

Her lips almost touched his. "...unless I intend to enjoy it completely."

Ethan Hawthorne lowered his head and kissed her, the pressure deepening. His hand slipped inside her dress, and the silk slip fell from her shoulder.

In the warm glow of the lamp, her snow-white skin seemed to be veiled in a soft light. Her chest rose and fell with her slightly ragged breaths.

His warm palm roamed over her body, separated by a thin layer of fabric.

The silent, searing heat left them both feeling dazed.

Ethan Hawthorne took the hand she had resting on his chest and slowly guided it lower.

Maxine Rhodes’s face flushed an even deeper red, and her body tensed slightly.

Ethan Hawthorne buried his face against her, kissing his way down inch by inch.

He paused when he reached her waist, his large hand pressing down on the edge of the small swatch of fabric there.

Maxine’s heart hammered in her chest as she waited, but then she felt a series of soft touches.

She looked down to see him cupping her bottom carefully in his hands, his chiseled face pressing soft kisses along the edge of the fabric.

Maxine Rhodes didn’t know that this was something Ethan Hawthorne had craved for a very long time.

His lingering tenderness made her feel as if she were melting. She reached out to gently stroke his dark hair, trembling slightly at the touch of his lips and tongue.

Ethan Hawthorne kissed her for a long while before removing the last of her coverings. He knelt between her legs. "Maxi, undress me."

Maxine Rhodes sat up, her eyes glistening, and helped him out of his own final piece of clothing.

Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and slowly rested her head against him.

The wall sconce in the bedroom cast a hazy, warm yellow glow, softly projecting onto the wall the shadows of two bodies, tightly entwined and inseparable.

...