Chapter 85: You are seducing me.
Augustine blushed, nodding as his eyelashes fluttered. "I already told you I forgave you," he purred before rising from the couch.
Extending his hand toward Charles, he waited.
Without hesitation, Charles slipped his fingers into Augustine’s grasp, their warmth melding together.
"Let’s head to the room," Augustine murmured, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion. "I just want to lie down for a while."
Charles gave a small nod, allowing Augustine to guide him towards the stairs, their hands remaining intertwined in silent understanding.
Charles’s shoulders slumped as his gaze flickered toward the kitchen.
Augustine didn’t need words to understand.
The gaze of Charles already told Augustine what he needed to know; Charles wanted him to prepare a meal.
"Pookie, I’m not a good cook" Augustine whispered, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation.
Charles scoffed, pushing the covers aside as he rose from the bed, rolling his eyes. "If you can’t cook, then I guess I’ll just have to do it myself," he declared, his tone laced with mock disappointment.
Before Augustine could protest, Charles grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the kitchen, leading the way with determined strides.
Augustine let out a small chuckle, allowing himself to be pulled along, his fingers instinctively tightening around Charles’s hand.
Upon arriving at the kitchen, Charles scanned his surroundings, his gaze drifting over the mostly empty shelves.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that Augustine barely had any food in stock.
"Hey, did you eat anything today?" Charles asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he kept his back turned to Augustine.
Leaning down, he opened the refrigerator, rummaging through its contents in search of milk.
His fingers brushed against a near-empty carton, and he sighed, realizing he’d have to settle for whatever was available.
"I had lunch in the afternoon, and I’m skipping dinner. Besides, I don’t have an appetite," he explained, responding to Charles’s question.
Swiftly, Charles turned around, the cold bottle of milk firm in his grasp.
His amber eyes locked onto Augustine as he advised him. "You’re starving yourself, and that’s bad for your health," he stated firmly, his voice carrying a rare authority.
Without waiting for a response, he reached for a deep plate from the kitchen rack, his movements quick and decisive.
Augustine leaned against the kitchen island, watching Charles with an amused smile.
Charles placed the plate on the kitchen island, which could serve as a dining table.
"Do you have cereal?" he inquired.
Augustine shook his head sideways. "I’m out of cereal," he replied sincerely.
Charles scoffed. "Then what am I supposed to eat?"
He placed the milk bottle on the island with a sigh, drumming his fingers against the countertop in frustration.
Augustine shifted his weight from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his neck. "Umm... why don’t we go grab a nice meal at a simple restaurant?" he suggested.
Charles shook his head firmly, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I can just find something to eat tomorrow," he muttered. "Besides, it’s already..."
’Gruuuuuuull!’
The sudden rumbling of Charles’s stomach cut his words short.
He froze, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard, his gaze instinctively dropping to his stomach as if betrayed by his own body.
Augustine smirked, crossing his arms. "Looks like your stomach disagrees with your plan of waiting till tomorrow," he teased.
Charles scoffed, turning away abruptly to hide the heat creeping up his face. "I’ll get changed," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper before he strode out of the kitchen and made his way to the bedroom.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Charles let out a quiet sigh, the weight of exhaustion settling over his shoulders.
He stripped off his clothes, tossing them into the laundry bag before dragging his tired feet toward the bathroom.
The moment he stepped inside, he reached for the shower faucet, turning the knob to the warm water setting.
A steady stream poured down and he slightly bent his neck towards the side to prevent the water from directly flowing down from his hair.
Charles allowed the water to hit his neck first before cascading over the rest of his body.
He made sure that the water didn’t flow down from his head because he was scared of catching a cold.
’Besides, I believe the reason I started bleeding from my nose while bathing this morning was because I always let the water run from my hair first, making me cold.’ Charles mused, releasing a weary sigh as the steam curled around him.
After his bath, he grabbed a towel, dried himself off, and hung it back on the towel rail.
Stepping out of the bathroom naked, he walked over to the wardrobe, his skin still slightly damp.
Charles pulled out a pair of purple boxer briefs, slipping them on before grabbing a black long shirt that draped just above his thighs.
Charles grabbed a brown hat from the wardrobe before stepping out of the room and heading straight to the sitting room, where Augustine sat waiting for him.
"Hey, let’s get going," Charles urged, walking past Augustine and making his way toward the entrance door.
Augustine slowly rose from the couch, his gaze fixed on Charles as he took measured steps toward him.
"It’s cold outside," he murmured, his voice laced with concern.
His eyes flickered over Charles’s attire before he arched a brow. "Don’t you want to cover yourself up?"
Charles scoffed. "It’s just a quick meal. I don’t want to waste time getting dressed," he stated, dismissing Augustine’s concern.
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and stepped out of the sitting room.
Augustine exhaled, shrugging his shoulders before reluctantly following suit, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.
He walked straight to his car, where Charles stood leaning casually against the sleek black Ford, his arms a crossed his chest.
As Augustine closed the distance between them, a heavy sigh escaped his lips, the cool night air making it visible for a fleeting moment.
Augustine stood right in front of Charles as he placed his hands by Charles’s waist and they both locked their gaze with each other. "I don’t like what you are wearing." He purred.
Charles scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. You don’t like it because you’re afraid my exposed skin will tempt other men."
Augustine slowly shook his head, drawing in a deep breath as he leaned closer.
His lips hovered just inches above Charles’s hair before he whispered, his voice laced with warmth, "It’s because you’re seducing me more than you could ever imagine."