Chapter 31
When Calliope woke up the next morning, she found herself nestled snugly in Silas’s arms.
She recalled that she’d been having nightmares, and it seemed like someone had held her, calming her down significantly.
It must have been Silas who returned to the room and wrapped his arms around her.
Calliope felt a mix of gratitude and awkwardness. They were practically glued to each other, and she was acutely aware of the heat radiating from his body and his response to their closeness.
Even though she had never been intimate with anyone before, she knew what the reaction meant for a
man.
She tried to shift away slightly, but in doing so, she seemed to have brushed against him more.
“Don’t move,” Silas said, his voice thick and rough, as he held her tightly, their bodies pressed together. Calliope realized she had never seen Silas show interest in any other woman. A normal adult man must have certain needs, she supposed.
She had considered this when they made their agreement, and had said that during their marriage, they could live as a normal couple.
She had assumed Silas wouldn’t make any advances. But now, she wasn’t so sure.
They were married now, and it seemed only natural. If Silas wanted to release his desires, she felt she ought to oblige.
Still, she wasn’t mentally prepared for this. After all, she had always thought of him as an uncle to her. Sleeping together like this was one thing, but being completely open with each other brought a level of awkwardness and embarrassment she couldn’t quite shake.
Though Calliope obediently stayed still, she couldn’t help but wiggle slightly.
The heat was overwhelming. She felt both shy and flustered.
Silas’s heart pounded harder with her little movements, and he was finding it difficult to hold back. But he could sense she was avoiding him. She was scared.
Of course, she liked Gideon that much. How could she suddenly accept another man so quickly?
She had considered him her uncle before. And now, he was her husband, expected to do such things. How could she easily accept that?
Silas’s eyes grew darker with the thought. Abruptly, he released her and quickly got up to head into the bathroom.
Calliope felt the absence of his warmth, and soon heard the sound of water running in the shower.
Silas finished his shower and headed downstairs. By the time Calliope came down, Silas had already left, nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t even waited to have breakfast with her.
As Calliope sat down to eat, her heart felt heavy.
Was Silas angry? Was it because she had pulled away? Did he want… to do it?
It made sense, though. A grown man with a grown woman in his arms – it was natural to want something to happen.
Calliope felt a twinge of regret. She shouldn’t have pulled away from him. She had agreed to live as a couple, after all. What did her actions mean if she didn’t follow through?
Maybe she should find a way to make it up to him.
After breakfast, Calliope decided to head out. She went to check on her store.
Before her grandfather passed, he knew the Jewell family hadn’t been kind to her. They had treated her as a bad omen since childhood, leaving her in the countryside with him.
Later, when her grandfather’s health declined, he sent her back to the Jewell family, but they still treated her poorly.
Her parents and brothers favored Lisette, and even though her grandfather had spoken to them about it a couple of times, it made no difference.
In the end, when her grandfather passed away, he left everything to her.
The Jewell family’s business was already entirely in her father’s hands, so her grandfather gave Calliope
a street of properties and his savings.
He had always said, “If they won’t love you, I will p>