MIDNIGHT FLOWER

CHAPTER 12 : HOT REKINDLE

“Are you trying to seduce me, Ms. Gonzales?” he asked, his voice low and husky with desire.

Jenny’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk. “When did you start calling me Ms. Gonzales... daddy?" she said softly, her voice laced with a teasing edge.

Shau’s eyes fell to her lips again, which were tantalizingly close. His heart pounded in his chest, and he was on the verge of closing the gap and capturing her lips with his. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

Just as Shau leaned in, the sharp knock on the door shattered the moment. Both Shau and Jenny froze, their breaths catching in their throats. Shau’s expression shifted from heated desire to disappointment.

Jenny quickly pulled away with a mischievous smirk. There's a hint of satisfaction in her eyes, and moved back to her desk. She looked at Shau knowing that she had pushed his buttons just enough.

Shau, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, straightened his posture and cleared his throat.

“Come in,” he called out, trying to regain his composure as he turned toward the door.

He glanced at Jenny, who was now standing by her desk with a playful smirk, and then back at the door where a random employee stepped in with some papers to submit to the executive assistant for review.

As the employee left, Shau’s eyes lingered on Jenny, his gaze intense and hungry. Jenny could feel it and glanced at him with playful smile. The door clicked shut, and Shau muttered under his breath, "f**k," his voice low with disappointment. His jaw clenched; the frustration evident as he raked a hand through his hair. The desire still coiled tightly inside him, his mind racing.

At that moment, all he wanted was to close the distance between them, to finish what they'd started, but he was acutely aware they were still in the office. The professional setting, the looming responsibilities—it all held him back. Yet, there was something about Jenny's sudden shift in behavior, from avoiding him to subtly seducing him, that made him pause. He hesitated, wondering what had caused this change. Was she playing a game with him? Was she testing him?

As the day wound down,they gathered their things, ready to head home. Jenny walked toward the door to open it for Shau, but just as she reached for the handle, Shau suddenly stepped in front of her. His body leaned slightly forward, his eyes narrowing in playful accusation.

"What was that earlier, Ms. Gonzales?" His voice was smooth, but there was an underlying edge to his tone. "The massage... the way you were touching me..."

Jenny paused, a sly smile curving her lips. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she met his gaze. "You are just imagining things, Mr. Zhang." She took a step closer, his smile deepening, and let her fingers trail briefly down his chest. Then, just as quickly, she grabbed the door handle and made a move to open it.

Before she could fully pull the door open, Xiao leaned against it, keeping it shut with his weight. He was not about to let her walk away that easily. "Let me drive you home," he offered, though his voice sounded more like a command than a request.

"No need to worry, Mr. Zhang."

But Shau was not backing down. His eyes darkened as he used his authoritative tone, one she knew too well. "I said, I'm driving you home."

For a moment, Jenny hesitated, feeling the pull of his dominance. That tone always did something to her. It made her heart race. Her pulse quickened.

Without waiting for her answer, Shau opened the door for their exit. He made it clear there would be no arguing this time.

As Shau drove, the silence between him and Jenny thickened, the hum of the engine the only sound in the car. Jenny stared out of the window, her fingers lightly tracing patterns on her lap, lost in thought. The air felt heavy, filled with the tension of unsaid words, emotions long buried but not forgotten. Shau's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly as he stole a glance at her, his face serious, no longer playing the flirtatious game they had danced around earlier.

“What’s really going on with you?” he asked, breaking the silence with a calm yet firm tone. “You’ve been acting cold, then play with me. What’s really your problem?”

Jenny stayed quiet, biting the inside of her cheek. She could feel his eyes on her, searching for an answer she wasn’t ready to give. The truth hung heavy in the air, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go down that path tonight.

When her silence persisted, Shau’s voice softened, though there was a hint of frustration beneath the calm. “Was it about between us before? Didn’t I tell you back then that I didn’t want any serious relationship? That I wanted to be free and just enjoy life?” He sighed, his gaze flicking to her briefly. “I thought you agreed. You seemed like you were enjoying our time together just as much.”

This was the moment Jenny had dreaded. The very question she had tried so hard to avoid because deep down, she already knew the answer. Their relationship had always been fleeting—just a momentary thrill for him. She had known from the start that it was never meant to last. And now, hearing him bring it up so casually, as if their time together hadn’t left a lasting scar, made the ache in her chest even worse.

"Right." She took a deep breath to get some courage. "I never talked to you about this cause I knew you would only tell me what you were saying now. You didn’t want a relationship, and I was just a convenience to you." She was saying it so calm to hold her tears.

"Damn!" He slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

"But could you really blame me for getting attached, for... falling for you? For hoping against all odds that maybe, just maybe, you would change?"

"I left cause there's no promises," he said in low voice.

Jenny took a deep breath and let out a small, sarcastic chuckle, her voice calm but tinged with bitterness. “You’re right,” she said quietly, her gaze still fixed on the passing lights outside. “I was like this because I hate myself for getting attached to something that was never real. I’ve forgiven you a long time ago, for treating me like that, for ignoring my messages, for leaving without a word. But I can’t forgive myself for letting it happen. Like how did I let myself be treated like that? For letting you use me like that.”

She turned to face him now, her expression raw, vulnerable. “The worst part is not what you did to me. The worst part is that I stayed. I stayed, hoping that one day, you’d change your mind. That maybe, I meant something more to you. But I was only hurting myself with that hope.”

Shau’s jaw clenched as he heard her words. The weight of her pain settled between them, heavier than before. Without a word, he pulled the car to the side of the road, parking in an empty spot along the curb. He leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly, as if her words had knocked the wind out of him.

Jenny let out a small sigh, her voice softer now. “I tried to avoid you at the office, tried to keep my distance. But you kept coming closer, kept pulling me back. And every time I see you, every time you’re near, I’m reminded of how foolish I was. How much it hurt to love someone who never saw me that way.”

Shau leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car, his face unreadable. After a long pause, he sighed again and looked at her, his eyes clouded with something she couldn’t quite place. “I hurt you so much. I didn’t realize. Let me make everything right.”

Jenny’s heart clenched at his words. "Are you making a promise now?"

"Do you trust me?"

Her expression a mixture of defiance and vulnerability. "Should I?"

His gaze went down to her lips and without warning, Shau unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over, his hand moving swiftly to cup her face. He pulled her toward him, their faces only inches apart. His lips hovered over hers, and Jenny instinctively turned her head away, but Shau wasn’t deterred. He captured her face again, more determined this time. "Stop running from me," he murmured, his voice hushed but intense.

His fingers slid from her cheek down her neck, a trail of warmth left in their wake. Jenny’s breath hitched as his touch grazed her collarbone, and her body responded, despite her mind resisting. Her pulse quickened as Shau pressed closer, his lips brushing her ear. "You’ve always wanted this, baby" he whispered, his words a dangerous mix of persuasion and challenge.

Jenny’s heart raced, her body betraying her internal struggle. She tried to push him away, but Shau’s presence overwhelmed her senses. He leaned in again, their lips finally meeting, this time deeper and more demanding.

His hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer as though he could erase the distance she’d fought so hard to maintain.

His hands leaned over her chest, pressing firmly. The warmth of this touch made her breath hitch. And despite her earlier resistance, her body responded instinctively. Her soul melted as she stopped resisting, leaning into this touch, her heart racing.

Her breath came out in shallow gasps as his hands roamed, exploring the places that made her weak. She felt the heat between them grow, the car's air thick with tension. Jenny knew that every touch, every whisper was pulling her back into the past—the part of her that had always been vulnerable to him.

Shau’s hand slid down to her waist, his fingers grazing the edge of her skirt. His touch was both tender and possessive, as though he had been waiting for this moment for far too long.

His lips moved to her neck, and a soft gasp escaped her as his hand traveled lower. Jenny felt her pulse quicken, her body responding to every touch. His fingers brushed against the inside of her thigh, sending waves of sensation through her. She trembled under his touch, her breath shallow and uneven.

"Baby," Shau murmured, his voice thick with desire as his hand inched higher. "Let me give you pleasure."

Jenny’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, but her body told a different story. She hesitated for a brief moment, but the temptation was too strong. Slowly, she parted her legs, granting him access to the most sensitive part of her. She closed her eyes as his hand moved, her breath hitching as he explored with careful precision.

Shau’s touch became more deliberate, more focused, and Jenny could no longer contain the sounds of pleasure that escaped her lips. She arched her back slightly, her hands gripping the edge of the seat as her body surrendered to the sensations. Every stroke, every caress sent her spiraling closer to the edge, and she could feel the tension building inside her, ready to break free.

"Daddy..." she whispered breathlessly, her voice filled with a mix of need and surrender.

He pressed his lips to her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "From now on, you belong to me. Don’t hold back, baby," he murmured, his fingers moving in perfect rhythm. Jenny felt the world around her blur as the pleasure overwhelmed her, her body tightening as she teetered on the edge of release.

And then, with one final touch, she let go. A soft moan escaped her as the wave of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her trembling and breathless in its wake. She collapsed back against the seat, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, her mind hazy from the intensity of the moment.

Shau pulled back slightly, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he watched her.

She met his gaze, a playful smirk forming on her lips. “Satisfied?”

Shau chuckled darkly, leaning in closer. "You didn’t look like you wanted me to stop at all. You enjoyed it, because I could tell you wanted more.”

She close the distance between them and find his lips. "Stop it, daddy. I'm blushing."

He chuckle, and fasten his seatbelt again.

---

The next morning, as Jenny focused on her tasks, Shau appeared by her desk, holding out the same gift he had previously offered for the upcoming company party—the one she had declined. He gave her a knowing smile and asked, "Are you sure you don't like this one? Or would you rather we pick out something else that suits you better?"

Jenny looked up at him, her eyes softening. "It’s not that I don’t like it. It's just... this dress is too elegant, daddy. It'll draw too much attention, and that's not really what I want." She paused for a moment before adding with a subtle smile, "I don’t need everyone's eyes on me. I just want yours."

Her words caught Shau off guard, but his mischievous smirk returned quickly. "Alright then," he replied, "Let’s get you something else. Something simple but elegant, like you want."

They both headed to a nearby department store, browsing through racks of dresses and stopping by a few boutiques so Jenny could pick out the perfect outfit. As she sifted through the options, Shau watched her with a keen gaze, his amusement evident as she critiqued each dress for being too flashy or too plain.

Just as Jenny was about to pull out another dress, someone familiar in the distance caught sight of them. Veronica, Shau’s ex-fiancée, stood frozen near the store's entrance, her eyes narrowing as she observed the two. From the way they moved around each other, the subtle exchange of glances and smiles, it was clear to her that this was more than just a typical employer-employee relationship.

Victoria’s curiosity piqued. Something about their closeness seemed off to her—too natural, too familiar. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something deeper was brewing between them, something she had not anticipated.

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