Two years had passed since Ist saw Gregory smoke. Not once had I smelled the faintest hint of tobo on him. It must have been a particrly tough time for him.


    Gregory kissed me with a tenderness and passion that felt like the first bloom of love, pouring all his fervor into me. My knees weakened, and only by his hands steadying me at my waist did I manage to stay upright.


    Sensing my instability, he wrapped his arms around me and, while continuing to kiss me, walked backward until we sat down on the couch. His hands, with their distinctively defined wrists, grasped my calves and gently parted them, inviting me to straddle him. Then, he held me closer, kissing me with a wild abandon that left me breathless.


    "Gregory..." I gasped for air.


    "Hmm? Are you okay?" he asked, pausing to let me catch my breath, only to dive back in a momentter. His hand slid up under my dress, his calloused palm creating a tantalizing friction against my skin, eventuallying to rest on my chest. His touch was so gentle yet so intense that I found myself unable to speak aplete sentence.


    Yet, all his kisses were through the fabric of my clothes.


    Without stopping, Gregory kissed me again, his eyes burning with restrained desire. "Jane, Jane..." His voice was hoarse with longing. "You have the worst timing with your period."


    My cheeks burned even hotter. "It''s not like I can control it. It happens every month at this time."


    "It''s okay," he said, his voice deep and soothing. "I can wait. Jane, if there''s one thing I''ve excelled at over the past twenty years, it''s waiting."


    I ran my fingers through his hair and gently kissed his forehead, using a nickname I had always avoided. "Thank you, Mr. Ford."


    He froze, surprise and pleasure evident in his gaze. "What did you just call me?"


    "Gregory, didn''t you hear?"


    "No, it''s not that," he said, yfully pinching my waist. "Thest part. Say it again."


    "I thought you hated being called that?" I teased, trying to hold backughter. I remembered when Dorothy used to call him by that nickname, and he always despised it.


    Gregory knew exactly what I was referring to and chuckled. "You said it yourself. I don''t like others calling me that. Are you ''others''? Jane, from the moment you were born, you were meant to be mine."


    "That does make sense," I mused. Our families had arranged our marriage when I was born.


    Gregory raised an eyebrow. "So, say it again."


    "I won''t... Ah... Stop, that tickles!"


    He flipped us over, pinning me down on the couch. One hand held mine above my head while the other tickled me mercilessly. "Will you say it or not?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "I can''t... Okay, okay... I''ll say it! Just stop!" Iughed until tears streamed down my face.


    He paused, waiting for me to speak,


    but was interrupted by his phone ringing He nced at the caller ID and answered. Before he could speak, a yful voice came through.


    "Greg, where are you? We''ve been here for ages, and the birthday boy is MIA. Did you run off to find a chick?"


    "You guessed right for once," Gregory replied, holding me close as he stood up. "We''ll be there soon. Start without us; don''t wait."


    After hanging up, rence was utterly confounded. But then, seeing Christine, he couldn''t help but tease her. "Are you sure Greg sent you and this little one ahead?"


    Christine shot back, "It was my best friend''s idea."


    From the moment she walked in, she and rence had been at odds.


    rence thought she was desperate to clinch a deal, following them here. No matter how much she exined, he wouldn''t believe her.


    Considering at the effort Gregory


    had put in over thest twenty years, only to be seemingly abandoned, rence was livid. "Your best friend? Jane, is it? You better go back and tell her not to think Gregory''s still pining for her."


    "While she''s still young, she should move on. Gregory''s already found someone else."