Loving Him

Chapter 10

The room that Levi and Mike occupied was spacious. The bed, as Levi estimated, was a king-size—large enough for several people to lie on. There was a wide veranda with a sliding door, and like the furnishings downstairs, everything was made of antique wood.

She decided to check out the veranda. When she opened the sliding door, she didn’t expect it to face the sea. A cool breeze greeted her, carrying the scent of the fresh ocean air. She was amazed by the view before her. Closing her eyes, she savored the refreshing wind.

A smile formed on her lips as she opened her eyes again and decided to go back inside. As she scanned the room, she didn’t see Mike anywhere, causing her brows to furrow. When she glanced toward the bed, there he was—lying down and clearly settled in.

She frowned and approached him, hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me I’m sleeping on the floor. And where exactly do you expect me to sleep?” she asked sarcastically.

“I’m tired, Levi. Could you give me a minute to relax?” Mike complained, turning on his side and hugging the nearest pillow.

She rolled her eyes at his remark. Just then, there was a knock on the door—she was sure it was their food. But when she opened it, Levi froze at the sight before her.

The man standing there was hot and gorgeous. No words came out of her mouth; it was as if her tongue had been pulled down by gravity, while her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

“Hi, I’m Elias Alcocer, but you can call me Eli so it’s easier for you,” the man said, extending his left hand toward her.

Levi, still dazed, accepted his hand. She still couldn’t get over how handsome he was—Elias had mestizo features, thick eyebrows, and naturally reddish lips.

Levi's gaze unintentionally drifted down to his six-pack abs, which seemed to invite her to touch them. She swallowed hard. Why was a man with abs always her weakness?

“Are you okay?” Elias asked, snapping her out of her trance. “Berlin told me your tire went flat, so you’ll be staying at my grandmother’s house for the night. By the way, here’s your food—I offered to bring it up myself so you could rest. Berlin mentioned you’re here with your husband,” he added.

That last part jolted Levi back to her senses. She was about to correct him when Mike suddenly called her name.

“Levi!”

She slapped her forehead in embarrassment, quickly thanked Elias, and took the cart with their food from him. She sincerely thanked the man for his warm hospitality. Thankfully, these people were kind—otherwise, who knows what might have happened to them on that dark road.

“T-thanks, by the way. I’m Levi Velez. Nice meeting you, Eli,” she said shyly to Eli who was now gazing at her. He smiled before saying his goodbye. She closed the door and pushed the cart toward Mike, who was now sitting on the bed.

“Here, let’s eat. It’s a good thing the grandson of the house owner is kind,” Levi said with a smile.

“Grandson? Do you mean the hunchback is the owner’s grandson?” Mike asked in disbelief, his brows furrowing in thought.

“Of course not! The hot guy I talked to earlier—he’s the grandson. He’s even the one who brought us our dinner. You know, he’s so kind and incredibly handsome,” Levi said casually, trying her best not to show how flustered she really felt. She didn’t want him to think she was being flirty again.

“Handsome? Kind? You just met him, and you’re calling him kind already? Are you sure about that?” Mike replied sarcastically.

“Maybe. But let’s not argue about it. I know you’re just jealous, so come on, let’s eat,” she said lightly, smiling. In truth, though, her mind kept drifting back to Elias’s handsome face.

“You’re smiling like an i***t. You look possessed,” Mike teased as he watched her grinning while chewing. Levi’s mind snapped back to reality, and her smile immediately faded. She hadn’t realized she’d been smiling the whole time.

“I-it’s nothing. I just remembered something funny,” she said as an excuse.

After they finished eating, Levi took the cart back downstairs, hoping to see Elias again. But not even his shadow was in sight—the whole house was quiet, maybe because it was so large. She went to the kitchen and placed their dishes in the sink. Deciding to wash them, she did so before heading back to the room she and Mike were staying in.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of a freshly showered Mike, his back turned to her. He probably hadn’t noticed her come in since he didn’t even bother to look her way.

She freely admired his perfectly sculpted physique. His body was like that of Adonis himself, and his hair was still damp. But when he turned to face her, she was startled and gulped hard as his brows furrowed while he stared at her.

“What are you doing there? Aren’t you going to take a shower?” Mike asked the girl who stood frozen in place. She secretly smiled.

“No, I’d rather stay smelly so you won’t be tempted. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Levi retorted sharply before walking to the bed. She grabbed a few pillows and placed them in the middle of the bed.

Mike burst out laughing at her remark. Levi ignored him, quickly covered her ear with a pillow, and closed her eyes—until she didn’t realize she had already fallen asleep.

Mike was the first to wake up, stirred by a knock on the door. Still half-asleep, he rubbed his eyes and slowly remembered what had happened the night before. He quickly sat up and turned to look at Levi—only to swallow hard when he caught sight of her smooth, exposed thigh.

He moved closer to cover her with a blanket. Just a little more and he would’ve seen everything. He hadn’t realized she was such a restless sleeper. His gaze drifted to her face, and he smiled faintly at the sight of her slightly parted lips.

He couldn’t stop himself from brushing his fingers lightly against her flushed cheek. She looked so fragile and innocent—so vulnerable in her sleep. His eyes fell on her soft, pink lips, which seemed to invite him to kiss her. But he resisted. He didn’t want to contradict his own words or give her any reason to tease him later on.

He gently pulled the blanket over her and stood up quietly, heading to the door. When he opened it, Elias was there.

The two men talked briefly—Elias informed Mike that his car was already fixed; the mechanic had replaced the flat tire, and they could leave anytime.

Mike thanked him sincerely, and Elias smiled in return. Elias even invited him for a cup of coffee so they could chat, but Mike declined, explaining that he and Levi needed to head home soon. Thankfully, Elias understood. Mike was mainly worried that his mother might be panicking, thinking something bad had happened to them.

Since Levi slept like a log, Mike had no choice but to carry her to the car. For some reason, she was taking forever to wake up. Carefully, he placed her in the front seat and adjusted it so she could lie down comfortably. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

He glanced at Levi, still sound asleep, and couldn’t help but shake his head. She looks adorable, he thought. She looks like an angel when she’s sleeping.

After a few hours on the road, he noticed movement beside him. Levi stirred, blinked her eyes open slowly, and yawned.

“Good, you’re finally awake,” Mike said. Levi sat up abruptly, glancing around in confusion.

“Are we going home?” she asked sleepily.

“Yes, but before that, we’ll stop by a restaurant. I’m starving. How about you?” Mike replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Levi glanced at him and hurriedly rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“I’m hungry too. Were you the one who carried me? Thanks,” she murmured, still half-asleep.

“Who else do you think would carry you? The house owner?” Mike replied, his tone teasingly annoyed.

Levi’s eyes suddenly lit up as she remembered the handsome Elias. “The owner? Did you see him?” she asked eagerly.

Mike shot her a sidelong glance, noticing that same smile he couldn’t stand—the one that appeared whenever she mentioned Elias. He wasn’t stupid; he’d already noticed her reaction to the man last night.

“Do you have a crush on Elias?” Mike snapped. “Don’t forget, Levi—you’re getting married to me. Maybe that slipped your mind.”

Levi’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a pout. “I know. But is it forbidden to have a crush on someone like Elias?” she shot back, irritation in her tone.

“It is,” Mike replied flatly. “So stop dreaming—he wouldn’t even notice you."

“Stop saying it’s forbidden—just admit you’re jealous. I know you find my beauty irresistible,” she teased Mike.

“That’s just your hunger talking. Come on, let’s get some breakfast,” Mike replied just as they stopped in front of an Italian restaurant. He parked the car in the lot, making sure not to leave the keys inside, and got out. Levi followed him closely.

The moment they slid open the restaurant door, the women inside couldn’t help but notice Mike’s charisma. Levi’s brows furrowed at the sight of several women giggling and batting their lashes at him. Annoyed, she hooked her arm around his.

“Don’t complain. I’m just protecting you from those flirty girls. As if they’re even that pretty,” she whispered softly in his ear.

Mike was caught off guard by her sudden whisper—it sent an unexpected shiver down his spine, awakening a warmth he tried hard to ignore. He turned to look at her, noticing the way she arched her right eyebrow while glaring at the women who were eyeing him. A faint smile tugged at his lips at her possessive remark.

Levi decided they should sit in a quiet corner. They quickly placed their orders, and their food arrived not long after. Both of them ate heartily, clearly starving.

But after a few moments, someone suddenly called Mike’s name. Since he was sitting with his back to the woman’s direction, Levi was the first to see her. Her eyes widened in shock—she nearly choked on her food.

It was her. The reason Mike became a womanizer.

The ex-girlfriend.

Yuna Lim.