CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 172 - 146: My Little Girlfriend

Even though they already had two children together, Naomi Shaw still found it hard to accept. They had been separated for so many years, after all. To her, being with him felt as new and embarrassing as the very first time.

Julian Donovan caught the pillow she threw, tossing it aside with a mischievous grin. "Are you trying to break it? What will you do for a lifetime of bliss if it’s broken?"

His words were so blatant that Naomi Shaw’s face flushed red. She huffed, "Y-You’re so shameless!"

"Come here!"

"I won’t!"

She refused without a second thought, clutching the blanket tighter and shrinking away from him. "I need to get to the hospital and see Joy!"

’How can he be so irresponsible? I ask him to watch our child, and he ends up here, trying to get me into bed. Most importantly, who knows how long he’ll take? What kind of person leaves Joy all alone at the hospital like that!’

"Someone is with Joy!"

"Who?"

"Someone trustworthy. They might even be doing a better job than you would. So you don’t need to worry about Joy. What you need to worry about right now is how to satisfy... this."

But now... she didn’t dare to dwell on his words. How could she have known? When a man truly loves a woman, he deeply desires her to respond to him in moments like these.

Julian Donovan knew she was shy, so he didn’t press her any further. "Ow..."

"Naomi, open your eyes and look at me. I have something to tell you... Hmm?"

Julian Donovan raised a hand to stroke her crimson cheek. "I know you don’t trust me," he said softly. "Starting tomorrow, let’s try dating, like a couple that’s just gotten together, okay? And you can test me, just like people do when they’re dating. Test me to see if I’m worthy of you trusting me with your life again..."

’That brutally honest Willow Summers told him that Naomi had spoiled him in the past. That’s why he didn’t know how to love, how to be considerate. And that’s why her trust in him was at zero.’

"Okay..."

"And if... you don’t pass, can I... return you?"

"No!"

"So bossy..."

’He fails the test but I can’t even return him. If that’s not bossy, what is?’

"What new couple jumps into bed the moment they start dating? So from now on, I’m refusing to do this!"

"Who says they don’t? Plenty of people do. Just think of tonight as our first time..."

He twisted her words with a cheeky grin. "The handsome hospital director is captivated by the beautiful young nurse... and it leads to a passionate one-night stand..."

Downstairs, a black car remained parked for the entire night. The person inside stayed there for the entire night as well. The car only drove away at dawn.

When Naomi Shaw woke up, the sky was already bright. She didn’t have her phone—it was gone, and she still hadn’t bought a new one—so she grabbed the man’s phone from the bedside table to check the time. But the lock screen image immediately caught her eye.

The screen showed a picture of her strolling on a sandy beach, holding Joy’s and Dylan’s hands. The two perfect, adorable children were on either side of her, and her own expression was one of contentment and bliss. She frowned, trying to remember. It seemed to be from that day they went to the beach after taking Lara Nash to the airport. She had no idea he had taken a picture of them.

She stared at the screen, imagining what he must have been feeling when he took that photo. ’Happy? Blissful? Content?’

’But regardless, for a man to set a family photo like this as his lock screen—seeing them every single time he picks up his phone—it has to mean that she and the children are in his heart. Especially for a man like him, who almost never did anything romantic.’

After one last, long look at the screen, she put the phone down, got up, dressed, and went out.

He wasn’t there, but the dining table was laden with breakfast: perfectly fried eggs, a glass of warm milk, and toasted bread.

There was a note tucked under the glass of milk: *My dearest new girlfriend, I’ve gone for a morning run. Wait for me to eat breakfast, but if you’re hungry, feel free to start without me.*

She read the note and chuckled in disbelief. ’New girlfriend? Only he would come up with something like that.’

She put down the note and walked toward the bathroom. Her heart felt a slight pang—it ached a little, but it was mingled with a subtle warmth, a hint of sweetness, a whisper of happiness. ’If three years of separation could lead to him treating me with such devotion... was it worth it? Yes, it probably was.’

In the bathroom mirror, she saw the corners of her own lips curving up into a smile without her realizing it. She hadn’t seen a smile like that on her own face in years. He had brought her the most profound pain, yet he had also brought her the greatest joy.

When she finished freshening up and came out, he had just returned from his morning run. He was dressed in casual athletic wear, a black shirt and black pants, and he exuded the aura of a mature man. Fine beads of sweat dotted his face from the exercise. ’He’s wearing so little on such a cold day.’ Naomi Shaw stood there, watching him with a smile. "I’m curious, where did you get the workout clothes?"

He slipped off his shoes, walked in, and pulled her into his arms, replying coolly, "I always keep a change of clothes in my car."