Chapter 115: I love you.
Augustine spent the entire night quietly studying Charles’s peaceful face, his fingers absentmindedly tracing soft patterns across Charles’s bare shoulder.
He couldn’t quite understand how, amidst the heat of their intimacy, Charles had suddenly drifted off so easily-like the world outside had melted away the moment he felt safe in Augustine’s arms.
A small frown tugged at Augustine’s brows.
Was he that exhausted? Or was there something weighing heavier on his mind than Augustine realized?
With a sigh, Augustine leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss across Charles’s temple, whispering, "What are you hiding in that beautiful mind of yours, Pookie?"
Augustine had cleaned the messy bedroom and used a napkin to wipe Charles body—only the areas that needed attention, careful not to undress him completely.
Afterward, Augustine pulled out a fresh blanket, gently covering Charles’s body to keep him warm, knowing he wore nothing that could guard against the cold.
Exhaling!
Lying beside Charles, Augustine found himself shamelessly biting down on his lower lip, unable to tear his gaze away from Charles’s serene, sleeping face.
’Damn, he’s too cute,’ Augustine mused, a low purr rumbling in his chest as he took in a slow, deep breath.
Unable to resist, he reached out, his fingers brushing delicately against Charles’s cheek, tracing the soft skin with featherlight touches.
Carefully, he tucked a few stray strands of hair behind Charles’s ear, savoring the intimate quiet.
Slowly, Augustine’s fingers drifted down to Charles’s lips, his thumb gently tracing the soft, swollen curve of Charles. "You’re so beautiful," he murmured aloud, voice thick with emotion.
The urge to lean in, to steal a kiss, tugged at him fiercely—but he held back, restraining himself.
As much as he wanted to taste those lips again, he refused to cross the line while Charles lay vulnerable, asleep.
No, he wouldn’t risk it feeling like he was taking advantage.
Instead, he let his thumb linger just a second longer before pulling his hand away with his gaze still locked on the face he adored.
Sigh!
He let out a loud such escaped his lips as he wrapped his hands around the waist of Charles, pulling him closer to himself.
Augustine shut his eyes and within the next minute, he fell asleep.
***
Warm rays of sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, casting a soft golden glow over Charles and Augustine’s bodies which were tangled beneath the sheets.
Slowly, Augustine fluttered his eyelashes, blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the gentle brightness flooding the room.
After that, Augustine sat upright, glancing down at Charles whose arms were still draped possessively around his waist.
Carefully, Augustine wrapped his fingers around Charles’s wrist, gently loosening the grip without waking him.
Once free, he slid out of bed quietly, his gaze lingering on Charles’s peaceful face for a moment longer.
Augustine headed straight to the bathroom, stripping off his underwear in one fluid motion before stepping under the steady stream of warm water.
The heat cascaded from his hair down to his toned body, washing away the remnants of the night.
After his shower, he reemerged from the bathroom, a white towel slung low around his waist, droplets of water still clinging to his skin.
He strode into his walk-in closet, selecting a crisp white shirt, a black suit jacket, and matching trousers.
Moving swiftly, Augustine dressed with practiced ease but before leaving the closet, he slipped on a sleek silver wristwatch and gave himself a light spray of his signature cologne, the familiar scent wrapping around him like armor.
Stepping out of the walk-in closet, Augustine grabbed his briefcase bag which was above the bedside table.
Once more, he stole a glance at Charles and with his lips curving into a smile, Augustine stepped out of the room.
He pulled his phone from his briefcase, fingers gliding swiftly across the screen as he dialed a number. The call connected almost instantly.
"Good morning, CEO Augustine," the woman on the other end greeted warmly, her voice carrying a familiar smile.
"Good day," Augustine replied coolly, his tone calm but detached. "I’d like a plate of turkey sausage and an egg sandwich. Make sure it’s fresh."
There was a slight pause before the woman responded, her voice a bit hesitant, "Is... is that all, sir?"
Augustine’s lips quirked faintly, though his tone remained sharp. "For now. Just make sure it’s..."
His voice trailed off for a second as he pondered within himself for a while.
"Add a bowl of fresh fruit salad to that," Augustine added, his voice firm. "And I expect everything delivered to my doorstep within thirty minutes."
He paused briefly, then emphasized, "Leave it at the doorstep. Do not ring the bell, do not knock. Just leave it there."
His tone left no room for argument—he couldn’t risk anyone waking Charles, and he trusted no one enough to let them step foot inside while he wasn’t home.
The lady from the other end of the call nods her head. "I’ll do that right away."
"Okay," Augustine spat as he hung up the phone call.
He made his way over to his mansion gate and as he opened it, his driver suddenly stepped inside the mansion.
"Good morning, CEO Augustine. It has been a while."
Augustine nod. "It has." He mumbled, turning around to make his way over to the car garage.
Augustine’s driver had traveled abroad weeks ago, forcing him to occasionally rely on his secretary, Reginald, to fill the role.
Though Augustine compensated Reginald well for the extra duty, making it seem like a win-win for them both.
As Augustine got seated inside his car, the driver turned on the car engine as he drove outside the mansion compound.
Meanwhile, two hours later, Charles shifted under the covers, his body instinctively stretching as a soft groan escaped his lips.
His fingers brushed the empty space beside him, and he squinted, the sharp sunlight seeping through the curtains forcing his eyes to flutter open.
For a few moments, he lay still, blinking rapidly as his vision cleared—then, suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, locking onto the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
Realization hit him like a wave.
’Las... last night,’ Charles purred deep within himself as he fluttered his eyelashes. ’Last night I was... I... I and Augustine were both having an intimate time then... I began to feel hot and dizzy.’ He mused within himself as his words trailed one after the other. ’Did I have sex with him?’ He thought and within a swift motion, Charles sat upright on the bed as he raised the blanket that was above his body.
Gazing beneath the blanket, he just couldn’t help himself but smile in amusement. ’Thank goodness I didn’t have sex with him.’ Charles mumbled within himself.
Charles reached for his medicated glasses resting on the bedside table, realizing that Augustine must’ve carefully removed them for him the night before.
The thought made his chest tighten slightly—Augustine always noticed the little things.
Charles wore his glasses and with a sigh, Charles rolled out of bed but all of a sudden he swiftly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around his waist.
’I don’t want Augustine to make fun of me because of what happened last night.’ He mused within himself, while making his way towards the bathroom, thinking that Augustine was probably in the living room.
Charles took a quick shower, steam still clinging to his skin as he stepped out wrapped in a white bathrobe.
He padded over to the bedside table, grabbed his phone, and unlocked the screen—his heart giving a small jolt when he saw multiple missed calls from Augustine lighting up the display.
’Seems like Augustine isn’t in the mansion after all,’ Charles mused, switching on his mobile data to text him but before he could even open his messaging app, a notification popped up—Augustine’s message sitting right at the top, as if he’d been waiting for Charles to wake.
’Good morning, pookie. I’m sorry about last night—I didn’t mean to send you into a pleasure syncope. To make up for it, I’ve ordered you a Turkey Sausage and Egg Sandwich, plus some fresh fruit salad. They’re waiting for you at the front door. Enjoy.’
Reading Augustine’s text message, Charles’s lips curved into a wide smile as he rushed over to the entrance door of the sitting room.
Opening the door, Charles spotted the neatly packaged meal waiting for him.
He scooped up the bag and carried it to the kitchen island, setting it down gently.
As he stared at the contents, a soft smile tugged at his lips, and without realizing it, he bit into his lower lip—his chest tightening at Augustine’s thoughtful gesture.
"Thanks for the meal." He typed, sending the text over to Augustine.
Within seconds, Augustine replied. ’You’re welcome, Pookie,’ the message read, followed quickly by another: ’Pookie, I want you to know that I love you. I have fallen in love with you.’
Charles stared at the screen, the smile that had just begun to curve his lips slowly fading.
His fingers hovered over his phone, heart beating a little faster as conflicting emotions swirled inside him.
’What the hell!’