Chapter 108: You are my little distraction.
"Do you mind if I finish up the dishes?" Augustine asked, his voice unexpectedly calm.
Charles blinked, momentarily stunned, his eyes wide in disbelief.
He had braced himself for some flirtatious remark or a suggestive tease, but instead, Augustine’s offer caught him completely off guard.
"Why do you look so shocked? Don’t you want me to help?" Augustine asked softly, tilting his head as his fingers brushed lightly against Charles’s knee.
Charles swallowed hard, feeling his heartbeat quicken.
He fluttered his lashes, struggling to steady his breath. "I... I just thought you’d say something else," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes flickering with an emotion he couldn’t quite name.
Augustine chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "So, Pookie... you were expecting me to say something dirty, weren’t you?" he teased, leaning in as his voice dropped lower.
Charles’s lips twitched into a nervous smile, his cheeks tinting faintly. "I— I didn’t say I wanted that, alright?" he snapped defensively, avoiding Augustine’s gaze.
Augustine grinned, shaking his head as he leaned in and brushed a quick, featherlight kiss against Charles’s lips. "Such a filthy mind, Pookie," he murmured teasingly before pulling back with a smirk.
Charles swallowed hard, his fingers instantly making it was towards his hair as he nervously scratched his scalp, trying—and failing—to steady his racing pulse.
"Can I do the dishes now?" Augustine asked, tilting his brows upward with a playful glint in his eyes.
"Umm... you can do whatever you want," Charles purred, wiping his hands on his bathrobe. "Also, make sure you dish up a nice portion of meal for yourself. I need to get dressed to avoid getting late. And don’t forget, I still have to be at Gyapm Corporation Hall by four," he added, voice laced with casual urgency.
"Is there really that much left to handle over there? I mean, at my company’s grand hall?" Augustine asked seriously, his brows furrowed.
He distinctly remembered the head cleaner assuring him that the hall would be ready for use before the end of today.
"There’s not much left, but we still have to clear out the dust that somehow sneaks back in. Besides..." Charles smirked, glancing over his shoulder, "all the cleaners are terrified of what you might do. You’ve always had a reputation as a harsh freak."
"What!" Augustine exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief.
He leaned forward, his voice dropping into a playful purr. "I am not a freak, thank you very much," he defended, though the amused glint in his eyes said otherwise.
Charles rolled his eyes before looping his arms loosely around Augustine’s neck. "Trust me, you’re known as a freak. I even used to wonder if you had OCD," Charles murmured, locking eyes with him.
A teasing smile tugged at his lips. "But ever since I started staying over... I haven’t seen this house get cleaned even once. So yeah, guess that clears up my doubts."
Augustine let out a soft chuckle, gently pressing his forehead against Charles’s and letting it linger there as he gave a slow shake, their skin grazing.
Pulling back slightly, he flashed a warm smile. "I’ve got someone who handles the cleaning while you’re away," he murmured. "There’s a house cleaner for that."
"W... what?" Charles purred in extreme surprise. "You have a house cleaner? How?"
"I have a contracted worker who comes in twice a week to clean the mansion," Augustine explained, his tone casual. "She handles the laundry too, and as per the contract, she’s supposed to work when no one’s home. That way, everything’s spotless without me having to lift a finger."
Charles arched a brow, withdrawing his hands from Augustine’s neck as he pointed his finger toward Augustine’s chest. "Yo... you’ve got to be kidding me... right?"
Augustine let out a low scoff, folding his arms. "And why the hell would I joke about something like that?" He shot back, one brow cocked, daring Charles to challenge him further.
For a split second, Charles kept quiet as he observed the face of Augustine, hoping to at least see a teasing smirk or something that would justify that Augustine was currently teasing him, but to Charles’s dismay, Augustine had a serious look on his face and a bright smile which shows that he wasn’t messing around.
"I... never in my wildest dreams did I think your mansion had a cleaner," Charles muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Lately, I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out how to free up enough time just so I could clean every corner of this damn place myself."
Augustine scoffed, a devilish smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "Nice to know you’re so invested in keeping my mansion spotless," he purred, voice dripping with playful teasing.
Something in Augustine tone made Charles narrow his eyes, doubting Augustine’s words all over again.
"Are you messing with me, or are you actually serious?" Charles asked, voice laced with suspicion as his brows knitted tightly together.
Augustine rolled his eyes as he head over to the kitchen sink.
He threw Charles a glance over his shoulder, lips curling into a wicked smirk. "Hmm... maybe I’m messing with you," he purred, deliberately vague, before turning back to the sink. "Sit tight and watch me— I won’t take long with the dishes."
Augustine had sensed that Charles was about to step down from the kitchen island so he made his statement to reassure Charles.
’Sigh!’
Charles let out an exaggerated sigh, his sneer softening as he leaned back, eyes fixed on Augustine’s every move.
Four minutes later, Augustine finished up, dishing steaming porridge soup into two plates.
Without a word, he carried them over to the kitchen island, setting them down with a deliberate grace before glancing at Charles with a teasing glint in his eyes.
He slid his arms firmly around Charles’s waist, his grip unshakable yet gentle, and in one smooth, purposeful motion, lifted Charles off the kitchen island.
Without giving him a chance to protest, Augustine sank into his seat, pulling Charles effortlessly onto his lap, anchoring him there like he belonged.
Charles instinctively braced his palms against Augustine’s chest, his heartbeat slightly quickening at the intimate proximity.
"Stay like this with me for a while," Augustine murmured, voice low and steady, his chin resting lightly on Charles’s shoulder. "Let’s wait for the food to cool... and maybe, let my heartbeat settle too."
Charles sigh, gulped his saliva in nervousness as he nod his head.
Besides, there were things weighing on his mind—things he knew he needed to discuss with Augustine.
"How was your business trip?" Charles asked, his voice soft but edged with curiosity, shifting his gaze from the kitchen island to fix it on Augustine.
Augustine exhaled, his fingers absentmindedly tracing slow circles on Charles’s lower back. "It was exhausting," he admitted, his eyes momentarily clouded. "But I’ve wrapped up the meetings I had scheduled... at least, for now."
Charles gave a small nod, feigning understanding, but couldn’t ignore the flicker of suspicion tightening in his chest.
He tilted his brows slightly, his voice quieter this time. "How come you showed up last night?" he asked, studying Augustine’s face carefully. "I thought you traveled out of the country. That’s what you said... in the texts we’ve been exchanging all week."
Augustine let out a light scoff, a shadow of amusement flickering in his eyes. "I did leave the country," he murmured, fingers absently tracing circles along Charles’s thigh. "But I’ve been back in Country H for three days now— I had to handle the business meetings for my other companies." His tone was casual, but there was something unreadable beneath it.
In an instant, Charles’s expression darkened into a frown. "You’ve been back all this while and didn’t bother to come home?"
His voice dropped, laced with quiet hurt. "Do you have any idea how empty this mansion felt without you? How quiet... and lonely it’s been?"
"Pookie, I had to restrain myself from coming home," Augustine murmured, removing his hands from Charles thigh as he placed it on his cheeks.
Augustine’s thumbs gently brushing over Charles’s cheeks as a smile warmly. "You’re dangerously addicting... and I knew the moment I saw you, I wouldn’t have the will to leave again."
He took in a deep breath before continuing his phrase. "I can’t afford to get distracted by you... you’re my irresistible little dirty distraction," Augustine purred, his voice low and teasing.
*Author note*
Dearlovelyreaders,
This is truly unlike me—I usually avoid leaving author’s notes at the end of a Chapter, but ever since I started this novel, I just can’t hold back.
I’ve pleaded before, and now, I find myself at a loss for words.
In this app, a writer’s performance and motivation are deeply tied to the support of their readers.
Whether it’s powerstones, reviews, golden tickets, or gifts—these little gestures mean the world to us.
But honestly, most of the support this novel has received comes from my family members alone.
And while I’m beyond grateful for them, it’s also disheartening.
I didn’t pour my heart into this story just for my family—it was meant for all of you, too.
Sometimes, I find myself wondering... maybe my writing isn’t good enough? Maybe the lack of feedback is because my novel isn’t worth it?
These thoughts creep in more often than I’d like to admit.
But regardless of my doubts, I still hope you’re all having a wonderful day.
Your support—no matter how small—would mean everything to me right now.
Thank you for reading.