Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

「Back at The Metropolis.」

Anne complained the moment she walked in the door, "That Matchmaker is so unreliable. What kind of freak did she set me up with?"

"Date didn’t go well?" Ethan asked.

The man was sitting perfectly upright on the living room sofa, his back ramrod straight.

Nina Halloway was asleep, lying on his lap.

The woman’s long legs were curled up, and she was facing toward Ethan. The spot where her face rested...

Was... sensitive.

A blush crept up Ethan’s face. His body was tense, and he didn’t dare move a muscle.

"That’s an understatement. I ran into a total Playboy."

Anne kicked off her shoes, hung her coat on the rack, and walked straight into the living room, plopping down on an armchair.

She glanced at her brother, whose chest was heaving, and could tell something was off. Although she didn’t have any experience with... that sort of thing between a man and a woman, she was an adult. She knew what was what.

Nina Halloway was making him nervous.

The atmosphere between them had been delicate lately.

Anne gave a resigned smile, suddenly realizing her little brother was really growing up.

"Ethan, are you okay?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"Your face is so red."

"..."

"Nina is asleep. Why don’t you carry her back to her room?"

"In a bit."

"What do you mean, ’in a bit’? It’s getting late."

Anne got up, walked over to Nina Halloway, and bent down. She gripped Nina’s shoulders and helped her sit up.

Ethan, who had been a bundle of nerves, let out a long sigh of relief.

Anne knew there was something going on between him and Nina Halloway, but she was too drained herself to ask any more questions.

Supporting Nina Halloway, she tried to wake her.

"Nina, time to go to your room to sleep."

Nina Halloway leaned against her, her eyes heavy with sleep. "What time is it?"

"A little after ten."

"Ethan."

Ethan shot to his feet. "I’m here."

"Carry me."

The woman lifted a hand. Even dazed with sleep, her every movement was as graceful as a noble Princess.

Ethan didn’t dare hesitate. He quickly took her in his arms, his strong, toned muscles flexing as he supported her back and the crook of her knees, lifting her into a princess carry.

Nina Halloway nestled comfortably in Ethan’s embrace, her arms wrapping around his neck and her face finding the crook of his.

The complete sense of security he provided made her feel safe, and she drifted back toward sleep.

Watching the lovey-dovey pair, Anne was sure she could smell that sickeningly sweet stench of new love. The thought of the disgusting creep she’d met on her blind date made her sigh.

She went back to her room, handbag in tow, shut the door, and sat on the edge of her bed. She couldn’t resist calling Sophie Shaw.

At that moment, Sophie Shaw was still at Evan Ford’s house.

She was sitting on the rug in front of the sofa, watching over a sleeping Alaric Blackwood.

When Anne called, she answered on the very first ring.

"I had my blind date today. The guy was a total Playboy."

Sophie was surprised. "You really went?"

"Well, I had nothing better to do, and I’d already paid the Matchmaker. According to the package, I can meet up to ten men based on the requirements I laid out."

’...’ ’Didn’t I recommend my cousin to you?’

’You’re passing up a sure thing to go on blind dates!’

Just as a speechless Sophie was about to persuade Anne to reconsider her cousin, Anne brought up Evan Ford herself.

"I have your cousin to thank for tonight."

Sophie blinked, then smiled thoughtfully. "Thank him for what?"

"The Playboy from my date is a regular at the pool hall. We ran into your cousin there, and it turns out he knew the guy. He warned me to stay away from him."

"See? My cousin is a pretty reliable guy."

Anne didn’t say anything, but she agreed with Sophie. Evan Ford was, indeed, reliable.

For some reason, an image of the man’s tall figure flashed through her mind, along with... that pert butt she found impossible to ignore.

Evan Ford was definitely on par with Alaric Blackwood.

’Hot stuff!’

"So how do you plan to thank my cousin?"

"Treat him to a meal?"

"Why don’t you give him another thought? I can help set something up."

Anne was conflicted. She felt the gap in social status between her and Evan Ford was just too wide. Plus, she’d only graduated from high school; she hadn’t even gone to college...

With her level of education, would the Ford Family ever accept her?

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to consider him; she felt she wasn’t worthy enough to even be a consideration.

She laughed breezily, changing the subject before Sophie could press her. "I’ve already paid for the Matchmaker’s package, so I’m going to meet all ten guys. Who knows, maybe one of them will have a nice butt."

Sophie: "..."

The air instantly froze.

Anne quickly covered her mouth.

Realizing she’d let that slip, she felt a wave of embarrassment.

’I meant to say, ’Who knows, maybe one of them will be decent,’ how did it come out as...’

"Anne, I’m starting to understand your tastes."

"..."

"Next time I see my cousin, I’ll check for you and see how nice his butt is."

Anne: "No, Sophie, don’t get the wrong idea! I was just... rambling."

"Alright, stop explaining. Excuses are just a way to hide the truth."

"..."

"I’m heading to bed. Don’t you stay up too late, either. Good night."

After hanging up, Sophie took off her overcoat and lay down next to Alaric Blackwood.

She slipped under the blanket he was covered with.

Evan Ford’s sofa was big and wide enough for two people to sleep comfortably without being crowded.

Alaric Blackwood was fast asleep. He had no idea Sophie had arrived, much less that she had slipped into his arms and was holding him as she slept.

「The next morning.」

He opened his eyes and saw Sophie, freezing for a moment.

The woman was sleeping face-to-face with him on the sofa, both of them under the same blanket.

He felt something odd behind him.

One of Sophie’s hands... was resting on his butt...

He didn’t move or push her hand away. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he let out a soft chuckle and simply continued to watch her quietly.

The alarm on her phone went off, jolting Sophie awake.

She was momentarily stunned to find Alaric awake and watching her silently. His charming eyes held a faint smile that was both gentle and filled with an indulgent sort of resignation.

...until Alaric reminded her, "Honey, have you been... feeling up my butt... all night?"

Her heart leaped into her throat.

The next second, she snatched her hand back.

’It was all Anne’s fault,’ she thought. ’Putting all those ideas about nice butts in my head before I went to sleep. She’s corrupted me.’

She threw off the blanket and scrambled up, straightening her clothes and hair with a very serious expression. "Mr. Blackwood, it’s time to get up. It’s still early. I’ll drive you back to Maplewood Estate."

"You have to get to work. Don’t worry about me, I drove here."

"Fine, I won’t worry about you then. You can sleep a little longer, but remember to go straight home afterward. No wandering off. And... no more ignoring my calls, no more leaving me on read, and absolutely no more staying out all night without telling me."

Lying on the sofa, Alaric watched Sophie’s face turn a visible shade of red. "I was wrong, honey. It won’t happen again."

His apology was sincere, and considering he was clearly still reeling from the whole illegitimate daughter issue, Sophie decided to forgive him this once.

Once again, she had managed to talk herself into forgiving him.

"I’m heading out, then."

She threw on her overcoat, grabbed her bag, and hurried out the door.

Too lazy to go home to wash up and change, she bought a toothbrush and toothpaste on the way. Once she got to the office, she went into the restroom to quickly brush her teeth and wash her face.

She spent the entire day busy at work, completely makeup-free.

When she got home from work, she found Alaric was already back, lounging on the sofa in a set of comfortable loungewear. She walked over and asked him, "When are we going to buy a gift for Grandma?"

"You focus on your work. Leave the gift to me."

Alaric knew full well that Sophie simply agreeing to come to his grandmother’s birthday was, in itself, the best gift the old woman could ask for.