His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 132: Silent Longing

Iris's face turned bright red. She was too shy to meet his eyes, holding onto her last bit of sense. "I'll be honest—you have a great body and look like you'd be good in bed. But I really don't want to."

Julian's hand rubbed her waist gently through her shirt, coaxing her softly. "I don't even know if I'm good. Never tried it. Should we see?"

Iris froze, staring at him in shock.

Never tried it? A virgin?

That doesn't make sense.

Didn't he have a first love he'd liked since high school?

They were together in college.

Even after they broke up, a guy like him—rich, handsome, successful—should have girls lining up.

In the two years they'd been married, he'd had tons of rumors.

She could barely believe Julian stayed faithful amid all the temptations of fame and money.

But guys hate admitting they have no experience. He wouldn't lie about something that makes him look bad.

The only thing that made sense was that he was telling the truth.

While Iris was spacing out, Julian tightened his arm around her waist, hooked the other hand around the back of her neck, and kissed her lips softly.

Iris panicked.

His soft kiss turned hot and intense, like he wanted to devour her, full of desire.

If she didn't struggle now, she'd never get the chance later.

Iris turned her head to avoid his kiss, snapping angrily, "Julian, I don't want this."

Julian panted, taking a deep breath. His voice was heavy. "Aren't you even a little bit worked up?"

Iris's body was already weak and empty, trembling. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it was hard to ignore.

"No, I'm not."

Julian used every bit of willpower he had to hold back the wild desire roaring inside him. He let her go, propping his hands on the bed.

Iris jumped off his lap right away and stepped back a few feet.

Julian stood up to get clothes from the closet. "Go to bed early."

Iris knew what he meant. If she didn't want anything to happen, she shouldn't rouse his desire. Going to bed early was the safest bet.

Julian went into the bathroom. Iris hurried to climb into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

She turned off the light.

She wanted to fall asleep quickly.

But the harder she tried, the more wide awake she became.

After a long time, Iris heard the bathroom door open. Her body tensed up, and she lay completely still, pretending to be asleep.

Light footsteps came toward her.

The fresh, clean scent of his shower filled her nose.

Her pillow sank a little, and she was wrapped in a warm presence.

That warmth lingered on her face for a long time. She tried to keep her breathing steady, too scared to open her eyes.

Suddenly, something pressed down on her. Her heart raced, and she clutched the sheets tight, nervous.

The next second, she felt his hot breath on her cheek, and a soft kiss landed on her forehead.

Her blood rushed. She could barely keep pretending to sleep, her heart thumping wildly.

Kissing her forehead while she "slept"—it shocked her more than anything, touching her deep down.

If he knew she was faking, he was really good at winning her over.

If he didn't...

She couldn't believe Julian was kissing her in secret.

His secret kiss was light, soft, and quick.

Iris felt him pull away, his light footsteps fading into the distance.

The bed stayed quiet.

After a long while, Iris opened her eyes quietly. Her gaze fell right on the balcony.

The curtains were half open, and bright moonlight streamed into the room. Julian stood in the dark, looking out at the night sky.

His back was against the hazy moonlight, like a dark, sad boy in a painting. An indescribable loneliness hung over him.

So she watched Julian's back, while he watched the moon.

The night dragged on, and both of them were lost in their thoughts.

*****

The next morning, when Iris woke up, Julian was already gone from the room.

She touched the spot next to her; it didn't feel like he'd slept there at all.

Iris got up, washed her face, changed her clothes, and went out.

The living room was packed and noisy.

Lots of people from the Lynch family had come. Everyone was happy, grinning from ear to ear.

Beatrice was busy entertaining the guests, with no time for anyone else.

Martin and Gloria were chatting happily with Luke's parents.

Beatrice and the other relatives were busy with traditional customs and rituals alongside the Lynch family.

In the corner, Jenny, Lily, and two young women she didn't know were looking at wedding albums and travel brochures. They seemed set on finalizing all the wedding details that day, including the honeymoon spot.

Iris didn't think she could help. She went to the kitchen to eat breakfast, then headed outside to the garden to find Julian.

Outside the villa, the sun was shining bright.

There was a man-made stream on the side of the garden, filled with colorful carp. The plants around it were lush and green, with flowers blooming everywhere.

Julian and Luke were standing by the stream, talking.

When Julian saw Iris walking over, his lips turned up a little, his eyes soft. He asked gently, "Why didn't you sleep in a little longer?"

"I slept enough."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"Yeah, I did."

When Luke saw Iris, he jumped, glancing nervously at Julian, embarrassed and flustered. "Who is she?"

Julian raised an eyebrow. "My wife, Iris. Didn't you meet her last time?"

"I did meet her." But Luke had no idea Iris was his wife. He'd even said a bunch of things he shouldn't have. Luke greeted Iris politely, red-faced. "Hi, Iris."