Chapter 72- You hungry?

Chapter 72: Chapter 72- You hungry? "Partners? You mean... partners in bed?" Monna’s expression immediately darkened. That night was far from a pleasant memory for her. Getting drunk and ending up in bed with a guy she didn’t even like at first? No woman would enjoy that—especially when it was her first time. On top of that, he’d practically exhausted her. The next day, her whole body felt like it had been taken apart and put back together wrong. For days, her waist and back ached so badly she grit her teeth in frustration. But hey, she did drink. And if she remembered correctly, she was the one who had thrown herself at him. So here she was, silently suffering in bitterness, unable to vent her frustration. All that anger had nowhere to go except to coldly treat Norton—the main culprit—with the silent treatment. Just as Monna’s irritation was rising, Norton glanced at her, then calmly raised his hand to call the waiter over. After confirming that the dishes he and Sean had ordered hadn’t even been prepared yet, he told the waiter to cancel Sean’s order and pushed the menu over to Monna. "Monna, pick whatever you like." His considerate gesture made her glance at him again, but the way he said "Monna"—so casual—and even added the polite "you" in that formal tone, only fueled her irritation. Still, she forced a distant smile and replied coolly, "Alright." Then she lowered her head to browse the menu. Norton stared at her beautiful brows and eyes, feeling a lump stuck in his throat. After Monna finished ordering, the waiter took her menu and left, leaving just the two of them in the quiet space. Monna kept her gaze locked on Norton, unwavering. At first, Norton met her eyes head-on, but eventually, he gave in. He turned away and picked up his glass of water, sipping slowly to avoid her stare. Deep down, Norton was still bothered by that night when Monna casually said, "Let’s just call it a one-night stand."Her indifferent attitude angered him. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he held back, unwilling to speak. Suddenly, Monna broke the silence. "I’m pregnant." Norton had just taken a sip when those words hit him like a thunderclap. He choked on his water, coughing uncontrollably. The culprit across from him handed him a napkin with a calm, almost mocking care. "So, what are you going to do?" Norton finally caught his breath and met Monna’s eyes with a heavy gaze. His voice trembled just slightly. "That’s what you should decide." She was the one carrying the child; he wasn’t about to force his plans on her. But the truth was, he already had his own ideas—ones she would never accept. Marriage. Marry her. Let her carry the baby safely to term. Make sure mother and child had a proper home, a family with a name. That was his plan. Yet he knew she’d never agree. So why bother saying it? Better to just listen to what she wanted. Monna smiled—a slow, teasing smile. "Marriage?" Her eyes searched his face, reading every flicker of emotion. Norton relaxed his furrowed brows and answered solemnly, "I’d wish for nothing more." His serious response caught Monna off guard for a moment, then she burst out laughing. "Just kidding. I’m not pregnant." Norton’s face showed unmistakable disappointment. Monna kept smiling as she teased, "It’s only been a little over a week since that night. There’s no way you’d know if I was pregnant already." That heavy wave of disappointment inside Norton mixed with a sudden surge of inexplicable anger. When he finally spoke again, his voice was rough, almost grinding his teeth. "Is it fun to mess with me like this?" God knew—when he first heard the word pregnant from her lips, it sounded like the sweetest melody in the world. Overwhelming joy and shock had flooded his senses, making his voice tremble uncontrollably. And now? She casually told him it was a lie. Monna’s smile grew wider, playful mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Of course it’s fun. At least I confirmed that you haven’t made any other woman pregnant. Because you don’t even know the basics about pregnancy." What she really "confirmed," though, was the sincerity of his feelings and the kind of man he was. A man who hears "I’m pregnant" and immediately—without hesitation—says he wants to marry her? That proves he loves her. If he didn’t, he’d simply say to get rid of the baby and move on. His promise of marriage showed he was responsible, someone who took his duties seriously. Monna hadn’t expected to accidentally catch such a good man. Morrison was charming, sure, but his heart was too fickle—she couldn’t handle it. Besides, Morrison’s affections were fixed on that other girl now. Her chance with him was gone forever. But Norton? She didn’t see him as second best. "Second best" implied something was wrong or lacking. But to her, Norton wasn’t second at all. In fact, he was even better than Morrison—because at least Norton had her in his heart. A man can be handsome, rich, and charming, but if he doesn’t like you, it’s all meaningless. When a man has you in his heart, and he’s good-looking, upright, and capable—that’s the best anyone could ask for. Norton just sat there, speechless. What were women thinking? No wonder their boss kept getting so frustrated with Lilian, eyes blazing and beard twitching. Now he knew what that felt like. Women’s minds were truly unfathomable. So she lied about being pregnant just to check if he’d ever gotten another woman pregnant? Norton was so pissed he didn’t even want to talk to Monna. Just then, the food arrived. He lowered his head and ate with a cold, expressionless face. In his mind, he was fuming. She lied about being pregnant? Fine—he’d make sure she really got pregnant. A few more times and it’d happen for sure. His thoughts drifted to what kind of "punishment" he should give her later. Monna, clueless about the shameless things running through his head behind that icy facade, smiled happily at having just teased him. She ate her food with a light heart. They didn’t say much during the meal. Norton ate quickly. Monna looked at him curiously. "You hungry?" He looked up and gave her a slow, dark glance. "Yeah. Very hungry. So I want to finish fast." Finish fast so he could get back to her. Monna figured maybe he’d burned a lot of energy fighting with Morrison and the others earlier, so she understood his hunger. She ate little; he ate fast, so they finished almost simultaneously. Norton glanced at her. "Done?" She nodded. Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand and stood. "Then let’s go." Their hands linked unexpectedly—Monna froze for a moment but didn’t pull away. Instead, she smiled and let him lead her out. After paying, Norton held Monna’s hand as they walked to his car. He opened the door and gently pushed her inside. Last time, it was at her place. This time, it was his turn. Norton and Sean each had their own house, gifts from Morrison—one in the east part of the city, one in the west. Morrison joked he arranged it this way to prevent their wives from accidentally going to the wrong brother’s house. Of course, that was just a joke—and now, it seemed even less of a worry. Monna had a good eye. His movements grew urgent. Once inside the car, Monna leaned closer and traced his face with a teasing smile. "Why so impatient?" Norton tensed instantly under her touch, staring into her eyes, voice husky. "I told you. I’m hungry." Monna laughed and lowered his head, pressing her lips to his. The fire in Norton’s body flared instantly. He wrapped his hands around her waist, kissing her passionately while pulling her close. In the cramped car, they couldn’t get enough of each other. Finally, gasping for air, Monna pushed him away gently. "Drive. Now." Norton ran his hands through his hair and started the engine, speeding toward his home. As soon as they entered, he pinned her against the door and kissed her fiercely. Monna eagerly returned his passion. They were already entangled in the entryway, reluctant to part. Norton reached up to strip off her last piece of clothing—but Monna suddenly stopped him. "Sorry, I forgot something important." Breathing hard, Norton held her tight. "What?" Monna looked apologetic. "It’s... my period. We can’t..." Norton’s expression froze as if struck by lightning—the mix of shock, disappointment, and the undeniable stirring below was priceless. Monna laughed, clutching her stomach, and scampered away—collapsing on his sofa in giggles. "Serves you right. You made me hurt so badly last time. Consider this your punishment."