Chapter 213: Chapter 201: Don’t Heroes Save Damsels Without Expecting a Reward?

Lex Cross carried Flora Bloom into a room and gently placed her on the bed. His warm, large hand caressed her forehead and cheek.

"I saw you were having so much fun, so I didn’t call you back. But you soaked yourself in the ocean, and now you’re freezing. Have you forgotten that you’re pregnant?"

"I’m healthy, I’m fine!"

Flora Bloom gazed into Lex Cross’s deep eyes, watching as his devilishly handsome face drew so near. His lips curved up, about to press against hers.

Flora Bloom cupped his face with both hands and planted a quick SMACK on his cheek. "I’m going into my space to change clothes," she said, before vanishing from the bed.

Lex Cross, still leaning over, froze in place as the smile on his lips widened. He felt that she seemed a little different since coming back from the ocean.

She no longer seemed to resist his approach. At least, the bewilderment and resistance in her eyes that used to drive him crazy were gone whenever he got close.

Flora Bloom changed her clothes and gulped down several mouthfuls of spiritual water before finally chasing away the chill.

When she had viewed the space with her inner vision before, it had never felt this intense. But now, standing inside it, the dense Spiritual Energy washed over her, threatening to engulf her.

Its richness was visible to the naked eye.

Wisps of white and green Spiritual Energy, intertwined and tangled, drifted through the space. Flora Bloom poked them with her finger, and they dispersed like mist.

Flora Bloom, who had just advanced to a Middle Level superpower user, felt that within this dense Spiritual Energy, the two Crystal Stones in her sea of consciousness—one blue and one red, the source of her superpowers—had grown a tiny bit stronger.

Moreover, the spiritual power she had consumed by opening her space to take in the seawater and marine life had actually recovered a bit after absorbing the Spiritual Energy in the space.

Flora, who had originally planned to rest in the space for a while, found herself feeling refreshed and invigorated after just a few breaths of Spiritual Energy, so she immediately left.

The moment Flora Bloom left the space, she instantly felt that something was wrong.

To her left was the metal hull of the yacht. To her right was the floor. Above her was a low ceiling—a ceiling that felt strangely and significantly lower than before.

Even stranger, the once-soft bed now felt uncomfortably hard.

She tried to turn over, but a hand gripped her waist, and in a dizzying motion, flipped her over.

Coming face-to-face with Lex Cross’s teasing smirk, Flora Bloom realized she wasn’t on a bed at all. She was lying on top of him.

’To think I was completely oblivious!’ A wave of mortification washed over her.

Lex Cross’s arm was wrapped around her waist, and she found herself staring down at him, her eyes wide.

"You did this on purpose!"

To Lex Cross, her mortified flush was utterly captivating.

She wasn’t just radiant; her eyes were enchanting, her lips a tempting red. He longed to part those pursed lips and taste whatever it was that made even her words sound so sweet to him.

Flora looked down at Lex Cross, whose expression screamed, ’Yes, I did it on purpose. What are you going to do about it?’ She was utterly at a loss.

"I was. I came to Morhaven for you on purpose. I schemed to get close to you on purpose. I had The Crown Prince and Lynx follow you on purpose. I even jumped into the ocean to save you on purpose. I did it all on purpose, afraid you’d play dumb and give me nothing in return. So... what are you going to do?"

Lex Cross’s voice was a low, magnetic murmur beside her ear, plucking at her heartstrings and creeping into her soul. She gazed into the depths of his eyes and saw her own reflection. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Flora Bloom couldn’t help but smile gently.

"Heroes who save damsels in distress don’t do it for a reward! How can you only think about being repaid?"

A devilishly charming smile played on his lips. The curve was slight, yet it seemed to snag her very heart.

"When I, Lex Cross, do something, I am always direct. Everything I’ve done, and everything I will do, has but a single purpose: to have you!"

Flora Bloom bit her lip, a faint blush appearing on her fair face. She shyly turned her head away slightly, but in the next moment, Lex Cross took her chin in his hand and turned her face back to his.

"Flora, your body, your heart... I want it all."

As his words sank into her very soul, Flora tried to steady her wildly fluttering heart.

"As for your child..."

Lex Cross’s voice sounded again. Sensing the shadow fall over his eyes and the sigh forming on his lips, Flora cupped his sharply chiseled face and, for the first time, took the initiative, seeking out the lips that had just spoken words that made her heart race.

"..."

"..."

The yacht, now stopped, bobbed gently on the surface of the sea. Inside the cabin, the air around them grew still and thick with unspoken tension.

Flora’s kiss, which she had initiated, soon found her on the defensive. It was a severe test of one’s self-control.

At first, Flora had been competitive, trying to outlast him in a battle of breath. But soon, she found herself completely breathless, not even realizing when he had stolen all the air from her lungs. Her mind went fuzzy, buzzing from a racing heart and lack of oxygen.

Flora tried to pull her head back for air, but she couldn’t escape his hold.

"You..."

"..."

"Lex Cross..."

’I let my guard down! His kiss is just like him—a tireless, ferocious beast who won’t rest until he’s completely devoured his prey.’

Signaling that she had something to say, Flora patted his chest repeatedly. After a moment, Lex Cross finally opened his eyes, a smile filling them as he looked at the disheveled Flora Bloom.

To hide her embarrassment, Flora’s only thought was to flee the scene of the crime immediately.

"Trying to run?"

She had barely lifted herself an inch before he mercilessly pushed her back down.

"What on earth do you want!"

"That was just collecting a little interest. As for the rest..."

"That’s enough, Lex Cross! Don’t push your luck!"

"But Flora, you started it!"

"I...!" ’Can I really say I was just mesmerized by his handsome face?’ she thought. ’Besides, my ’initiative’ lasted three seconds, tops! He’s gorgeous, he whispers sweet nothings, and on top of that, not only is this man Polly Bloom’s father, but he also just risked his own life to save mine.’

She couldn’t bring herself to argue, so she simply lowered her head and lay still and silent on his chest.

"What’s wrong?" Lex Cross didn’t know why Flora Bloom had suddenly gone quiet, and he felt a little uneasy.

"Lex Cross, do you like kids?"

Lex Cross’s breath caught. He finally sighed but said nothing.

Flora Bloom fought the impulse to tell him right then and there that the child was his. She snuggled against his collarbone. "Lex Cross, thank you."

"You know I always expect something in return for what I do. Especially when it involves you."

Amused, Flora Bloom looked up, her gaze landing on his sharp, sexy jawline. Mischievously, she lifted her head and gave his chin a playful, sharp nip.

Lex Cross glanced down, seeing the smile in her eyes. "..."

"Since that’s the case, how about we play a game?"

"Oh? What’s in it for me?"

"Once you reach the Middle Level, I’ll tell you something."

The moment the words left her lips, Flora Bloom had piqued Lex Cross’s curiosity. "Middle Level superpower... oh? What is it?"

"Let’s just say it’s something related to you. Something that I think you’ll be happy to hear."

"And what if it doesn’t make me happy?"

"There’s no way you won’t be happy!"

"I’m talking about ’what if’? A bet has to have stakes, a way to determine a winner, right?" Watching her glare at him with her eyebrows knitted in frustration, he felt a strange sense of delight.

"Fine! If you’re not happy, I’ll be at your mercy!"

’Whether he was happy or not depended entirely on his mood.’ He was very satisfied with that answer.