Chapter 176: Alex You Cheater!
Chapter 176
The chibi immediately appeared beside him and scoffed.
[Only a few?]
’Uh, last time I checked... Yeah.’
[Well if you call twenty nine more Desire Energy a few, then feel free to knock yourself out champ]
Alex’s expression darkened.
’Has anyone ever told you that you know how to ruin someone’s mood."
[Yes of course]
’Who?’
[You, who else? Didn’t you just say it now]
Alex glared at the smug little gremlin before finally deciding it was best to just ignore her. He turned his attention back to Sofia, who was standing in front of him. But now, her expression had returned back to its usual gentle appearance, though there was still a faint trace of embarrassment in her beautiful eyes.
Alex then suddenly realized something, that was; she was clearly comfortable worrying about him. But she wasn’t comfortable with what that worry meant.
That was the difference. And perhaps that was exactly where he needed to start.
"Thank you."
Sofia blinked, looking confused.
"For what?"
"Well, for worrying about me."
Her expression immediately changed.
"I wasn’t..."
"No need to lie, I know you were."
"Sigh. I was just worried that you would get hurt because of me."
Alex smiled.
"That’s still worrying about me."
Sofia opened her mouth, then closed it back. She couldn’t find a proper response, making Alex’s smile slightly wider.
"But on a serious note, don’t worry." He raised his hand. "See? Completely fine."
Sofia looked at his uninjured palm before sighing once again.
"You really are one troublesome young man."
"That’s maybe the second time you’ve said that today."
"Because it’s true."
Alex chuckled at her words. And for some reason, the sound made Sofia’s expression soften. She looked at him for a moment. Then her gaze suddenly shifted away.
"Did you come here just to annoy me?"
"No."
"Then why?"
Alex’s expression became a bit more serious.
"I thought I already told you. I came to see you. Not Emily or anyone but you."
Sofia could have sworn she felt her heart practically skip a beat after hearing such words from his mouth. She noticed when he took a small step closer but didn’t move away. Instead she watched as his gaze remained fixed on her.
"I wanted to know how you’ve been, and whether everything is okay."
Sofia’s lips parted slowly but she didn’t even know what to say. Nobody had asked her that in such a long time. It had been so long since someone had asked her so sincerely.
Her scumbag husband certainly hadn’t, and why would he? When he always spent most of the time frolicking with that homewrecker, and always forgetting that he even had a family back home.
And yet here was Alex. A young very attractive man who shouldn’t have been involved in her life at all. Standing in her kitchen, worrying about whether she was okay, and making her feel special. Sofia’s heart began beating fast as an inexplicable warmth flowed in her heart.
As Alex watched the subtle change in her expression, the system suddenly chimed.
[Ding!]
[+8 Desire Energy Gained From Sofia]
[+10 Desire Points Gained From Sofia]
[Ding!]
[+4 Desire Energy Gained From Sofia]
[+5 Desire Points Gained From Sofia]
Alex watched the panel with glee in his eyes. He quickly suppressed his excitement and cast a small glance at Sofia before thinking to himself.
She didn’t need to be seduced or anything, all she needed was to feel wanted. Just like Olivia she also needed someone to genuinely pay attention to her.
And the more she realized Alex cared about her, the more he got closer to breaking down those walls of her, thereby making it easier for her to finally accept whatever good feelings were sprouting inside her heart for him.
"Oh, no! I almost forgot about the second food!"
Sofia suddenly gasped, and snapped right out of her lingering gaze as a faint, telling smell of something good drifted through the warm kitchen. Her cheeks flushed with a fresh wave of pink color as she turned on her heel and hurried over to the second stove.
Alex leaned back against the edge of the smooth marble counter, folding his arms loosely across his chest with an amused and easygoing grin playing on his lips.
He watched her as she carefully picked up a pair of mitts laying by the corner, then carefully lifting the lid off a sizzling skillet of mouth watering pan seared chicken breast and garlic asparagus. With smoke drifting upward, carrying the distinct aroma of peak quality food that could make her win first place in cooking shows
But as Sofia probed the meat with a wooden spoon, she let out a small quiet breath of relief.
"Well," she murmured, turning back to face him while brushing a stray strand of auburn colored hair behind her small, delicate ear. "Thankfully, it didn’t burn like the other one or I wouldn’t know what to do."
"It looks pretty delicious to me," Alex replied seamlessly, his tone dripping with a warmth that felt kind of playful. "Besides, a little charred flavor never hurt anyone so the other one should still be good for eating."
Sofia shook her head with a faint, tender sigh, though her eyes softened at his words. "You really do know how to turn everything into a compliment, don’t you?"
*****
Soon, time, that treacherous thing, flew by faster than either of them had anticipated. Most especially Alex. Nearly four frickin hours had passed away, with the bright afternoon sun now giving way to the rich, golden hue of late afternoon.
Out in the lush back garden behind the residence, the air was filled with the fresh and intoxicating scent of damp earth and blooming petals.
Sofia was bending over a row of vivid red rose, that looked much bigger and healthier than the one in the supermarket, meticulously inspecting both their flowers and leaves, while Alex stood only a few places away with a heavy looking watering can in hand, carefully showering the roots of a nearby flowerbed.
On the surface, Alex looked completely relaxed, standardly assisting her with the garden chores like an attentive gentleman. But beneath his calm exterior, his mind was frantically racing at a desperate speed.
’Damn it... I still need ten more Desire Energy to complete this mission and rest.’
He cast a quick, secretive glance at the translucent system screen floating at the back of his mind. It had been over two hours since he had managed to collect any Desire Energy from her.
The last time he had even scored a gain was when he had reached over to gently wipe a speck of dust from working in the garden, off her pretty cheeks, only for Sofia to flush a bit red even though she was technically a mother, and gently grasp his wrist, whispering for him not to do things like that because it felt wrong.
Since then, she had purposefully kept a tiny, delicate boundary between them, keeping her rising emotions tightly under control.
And now, the damn consequences of that emotional defense of hers were closing in on him.
’Only ten minutes left until the four hours plus deadline...’ Alex swallowed hard as he felt a cold drop of sweat threaten to roll down his back. ’If I don’t get those last ten points before the timer runs out, I’m going to have to face those stupid system penalties.’
He couldn’t afford a failure penalty right now. The tiny gremlin would never let him hear the end of it, not to mention the absurd setback the system would slap onto all of his stats.
What he really needed right now was a... spark! A sudden undeniable surge of raw emotions that would break through the carefully constructed wall instantly.
His charming green eyes narrowed slightly as he searched his mind for a solution. What always worked when he needed to breach someone’s emotional defense in a split second? What was the one secret weapon that never failed to send a woman’s feelings into overdrive?
Yes! A kiss.
The thought hit him like a sudden bolt of lightning. Alex quickly reviewed the exact words of the system’s mission in his head. The system required him to reach fifty Desire Energy within four hours and fifteen minutes, without using either Aura Of Seduction or having sex with her.
It certainly never stated that he couldn’t kiss her, right?
Sure, there was a very real, very high chance that Sofia might panic and whack him across the face right after. She was a respectable, mature woman who had been trapped in a shaky marriage for who knows how long? Guarded by strict morals and lingering guilt. A sudden move like that would definitely shock her.
’But getting slapped is a million times better than facing the heart aching punishment the system has lined up for me,’ Alex reasoned internally, his jaw setting with firm resolve. ’Its now or never.’
With that decision made, Alex quietly set the watering can down and took a slow, deliberate breath to steady his fast beating heartbeat as he turned his full attention toward Sofia.
She had just finished taking a small sip from a clear glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, and was now setting the glass down on a small wooden patio table nearby.
The cool drink left a glistening, faint sheen across her plump, pink lips, catching the soft rays of the setting sun in a way that left him breathless. She looked so serene and utterly peaceful standing admist the blooming flowers.
Alex closed the distance between them with slow, silent steps.
Sofia turned around, catching sight of him approaching. She opened her mouth, perhaps to ask him if he had finished watering the flowerbeds or if he wanted a glass of lemonade for himself, but the words died in her throat the moment she caught the intense look in his beautiful forest green eyes.
"Alex...?" She whispered softly, as her voice trembled slightly.
Before she could even process what was happening or step back, Alex reached out. His fingers were surprisingly warm as he gently cupped the side of her soft face, with his thumbs resting tenderly near her jaw.
Sofia’s breath hitched and her heart almost leaped straight into her throat as Alex leaned down, closing the remaining distance between them without a second of hesitation, and pressed his lips firmly against her glistening pink ones.
[Alex you cheater!]