Husband With Benefits-Chapter 849: Worried

Lily tucked her father in, brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, and stepped back. She gave him one last look before leaving the room. Cai had already gone, and with his absence, her anger deflated like a popped balloon.

Then the thought struck her—he was avoiding her. Why else would he show up and leave without speaking to her alone? He’d simply visited her father and then gone.

But if he was avoiding her, why did he come in the first place? And what was all that talk about the wedding and her having a piece of his heart? She shook her head, trying to make sense of it, when suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the next room.

She gasped, her heart jumping to her throat, and was about to scream when the door shut behind her, and she was pressed against it. A hand covered her mouth, muffling her shout

Her wide eyes landed on Cai, standing far too close, his lips quirking into a smirk. She blinked, confusion swirling in her mind. He was still here? Hadn’t he left almost thirty minutes ago? Why was he lurking around? Her gaze must have given away her questions because he chuckled softly.

"Well," he said with a teasing shrug, "you were angry and ready to tear into me, so I figured I’d make a quick exit. Thought I’d give you time to cool off and maybe confuse you a little in the process."

Her eyes narrowed at his smug tone. He left just to mess with her? So that she would not be prepared for him. Before she could think it through, she acted. She bit his hand.

He winced, the sound low and sharp, but to her frustration, he didn’t pull away. His grip tightened slightly, holding steady despite the clear pain.

"Babe," he muttered through clenched teeth, "if you keep this up, you’re going to tear off my flesh." She froze, realizing what she was doing, and let go immediately. As he pulled his hand away, she saw the deep red marks her teeth had left. He rubbed his palm, examining the imprint, and she felt her stomach drop with guilt.

Shock rooted her in place. She couldn’t believe she’d done that. What was wrong with her?

"I..." she began, her voice trailing off. Her back pressed harder against the door, as though she could somehow disappear into it. "Why didn’t you move your hand?"

Cai didn’t answer her question. Instead, he cupped her face with his unmarked hand, the warmth of his palm making her breath hitch. Her heart raced as he leaned in, and before she could process what was happening, his lips brushed hers in a soft, deliberate kiss.

The gentle pressure fried her brain, erasing all thoughts and protests. Instinct took over, and she kissed him back just as softly. Her hands found their way to his arms, clutching them for balance as if they were the only thing keeping her grounded. He deepened the kiss and she surrendered herself within a moment. All the rage, the confusion that she had been harboring seemed to disappear from her as his lips moved over hers.

When he finally pulled back, her lips tingled, and her chest felt too tight. His eyes searched hers, a flicker of something deep and unreadable in them.

"I missed you."

The vulnerability in his voice made her throat tighten. She swallowed hard, her mind reeling. He missed her? Then why hadn’t he reached out? Why show up now with cryptic words and confusing actions?

Her guard went back up, and she stepped back, though his hands didn’t let her go far. "If you missed me so much, why didn’t you contact me all these days?" Her voice wavered between hurt and anger.

His gaze softened, but he didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned in again and captured her lips in another of his maddening kisses. This one was firmer, less restrained, and when he groaned against her mouth, a shiver ran through her. He pulled back abruptly, his forehead resting against hers as he exhaled heavily.

"I’m starved for you," he admitted, his voice low and rough.

Her cheeks burned at his words, the raw honesty of them leaving her speechless. Before she could collect her thoughts, he tugged her gently toward the bed. She stumbled slightly, but he steadied her with ease, sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

Still holding her hand, he pulled her down to sit beside him, his touch lingering on her wrist. "Lily," he began, his tone quiet but serious, "there’s a lot I need to explain. But for now, I just need you to listen to me, okay?"

Lily nodded slowly, searching his face for any answers. But he only looked back at her, waiting for her. So she sighed and prepared herself for whatever curveball he planned to throw at her.

Cai sighed and then explained," Okay. Its like this. When the news broke out, you’d disappeared for days on end. At first I thought nothing of it, assuming that you were busy and unaware. And then later I was worried about you, which proved to be right because Uncle Kingston was in the hospital."

Initially, Dad, my dad was supposed to come and bring you but when he realized that your father was here, he sent me over. But my being here would have brought more of a shi* storm for you, so I left hurridely later."

"But I knew that things would get to you soon, so the moment I left, my priority was to resolve the matters before the strom hit you.

"However, as you know I failed," he admitted, "I thought I had time, but I didn’t. You found out, and you took the hit head-on while I was off trying to fix things. I hated that by the way. Please don’t do that in the future."

He shifted closer, his hand brushing against hers. "Then I discovered who was behind everything," he said, his tone hardening. "I swear, Lily, the moment I figured it out, I planned to come back to you after handling things. I wanted to tell you everything, to make it right."