Chapter 5 Negotiating Terms
1283 Words
THIRD PERSON'S POV
She stared in shock at what the man did. He just kissed her! Well, not really kiss but licking the side of her lips was something an ordinary person wouldn't do! Especially not to a complete stranger!
"Damn, you can't even eat properly. Did you do that on purpose so I could lick your lips?" he asked which left her in disbelief.
"Excuse me, but you could have easily told me I have something on my mouth and I could have taken it by myself. That's what a normal person should do, no?"
Woodrow played his tongue inside his mouth and gave her a smirk. "Well, I'm not a normal person."
Elma narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled. The sound was dark and rich. The kind of sound she would love to listen every night in a dark room.
He stood and looked at her before saying, "I'm going to wash the dishes, and then I'll come back to give you your medicine."
Before she could even say something, he left, leaving her in disarray.
Elma was just staring at the door where Woodrow left. She couldn't believe how much audacity the man contained for pulling a stunt like that.
She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, thinking about how to negotiate with the two brothers. If she wants to survive, she has to be wise.
As Woodrow left the room, he couldn't help but grin to himself. She looks adorable when he teased her. He unconsciously bit his lips that touched hers earlier. Her lips were as soft as the clouds. He could drown in them.
Woodrow turned around with a satisfied smile on his face, still savoring the soft, warm touch of her lips.
Earlier, it took every ounce of his self-control to stop. The moment his lips touched hers, all he could think about was to kiss her more--to savor the softness and the sweetness of her lips. However, he doesn't want to scare her and have her running away.
He went straight to the kitchen and saw Rock eating the soup. He sat down in front of his brother and they both devoured the soup.
"How is she?" he asked and Woodrow shrugged.
"She's fine. A little more rest and she'll be good."
There was now an extra mouth to feed, and they didn't have much. They thought that now that they have a wife to take care of his brothers, they can focus on making money. That is, of course, if she doesnt run away like the others they brought.
When they found Elma, she was badly injured. The fall from that high cliff must have been nasty and could have killed her. Surprisingly, she was recovering well.
It was also fate that they delt a mating connection to Elma. It doesnt happen aften and they thought that they got lucky to meet Elma.
Elma seemed to be in better spirits than before, they believed that as long as she had enough to eat and took her medicine, she would recover.
They were both very pleased about this.
"She's a bit jumpy but that's normal. She's still adjusting." Woodrow finished his soup.
"Do you think she'll be like the others?"
Silence covered the two of them. Two women have already come to their house-their prospect wives. However, they all have ran away. Elma, being their potential mate, should be handled with care so she wouldnt run away like the others.
"I think we just need to take care of her. She had a bad accident. She's in a stranger's house. She'll be nervous and wary but if we show her she can trust us, I think it will be fine."
Rock nodded and finished his soup too.
After tidying up the kitchen, Woodroack went back to the room, only to find that the medicine bowl on the cabinet was empty. He looked at Elma, who was already fast asleep and took away the empty bowl as he left.
As his footsteps receded, Elma, who was pretending to sleep, breathed a sigh of relief.
She was afraid that Woodrow would try something again, so she had drunk all the medicine and wiped her mouth clean, determined not to give him any opportunity.
But soon, she heard the door often and footsteps came in. Elma was starting to panic, wondering what the man needs this time.
"Darling..." she heard the voice. It sounded like Woodrow but it was gentler...
"Darling..." he called again in a low voice when Elma didn't respond.
Elma remained silent, pretending to be asleep.
She remembered what he said about helping her wash. She hoped he would give up once he sees that he is fast asleep.
But she heard the sound of water and wringing cloth next to her.
Was he going to forcibly wash her?
Frightened, Elma sat up and stared at him, clutching the quilt tightly against her chest, her face pale.
"Um... put that down, I can do it myself," she said. When she looked at the man, it was not the same man who fed her earlier. Sure, they look alike. They are very identical. But strange enough, she could recognize the two of them. The man in front of her right now is Rock.
He stopped what he was doing, his face stern, which made him look even more intimidating.
He didn't say anything. Elma mustered all her courage, facing the invisible pressure emanating from him, she spoke with a sense of tragic determination.
"I...I want to discuss something with you."
"Negotiate terms?" His eyes narrowed upon hearing this, he threw the cloth into the basin. The splash of the water made a mess on the floor. He looked like a bully who had been provoked and was furious.
Elma swallowed hard in fear.
But she stubbornly held her ground, it was now a battle of wills, whoever faltered first would lose.
"I am listening." Rock crossed his arms and looked down at Elma coldly from where he stood in front of the bed.
He revealed a gentle smile, but his icy tone almost made Elma's teeth chatter
"I'm still young, and I don't want to consummate the marriage too early, because having a child at a young age can lead to complications during childbirth. If I die, you will be at a loss. How about we wait until I'm 20 before consummating the marriage? Don't worry, I'll take good care of this home and take care of Sean and Orville. Of course, ... if you think you can't wait, I'll work hard to earn money and pay you back double so that you can marry a woman who can have children immediately. Until I repay you and help you find a wife, I'll stay and contribute to this home."
Elma quickly finished her speech. She had mentally rehearsed these words countless times and carefully considered them, praying she wouldn't stutter. Thankfully, she didn't.
This rugged man-twins- were clearly eager to get married. So she has to offer a win-win situation for them. She also needs to buy time for herself to plan her escape because there is no way she's staying in this house with these strangers.
So, just to be safe, Elma decided to use a roundabout tactic and give him two options. One was for them to wait until she turns twenty which can give her two years of time to plan her escape. And the second option was for her to offer them her assistance in the house which, from what she can gather, they desperately need.
Of course, she really hoped that the rugged man would choose the second option.
- Writer
