Chapter 2
Even with his memory gone, Adam still carried that aristocratic air. He just looked at me with a kind of unspoken awkwardness.
"R-Renee," he said, calling my name.
"What do you call me?" I deliberately put on a stern face.
He pressed his lips together, his voice as small as a mosquito's whine. "Baby."
I almost burst out laughing.
Adam, the untouchable ice prince, was actually calling me baby.
I walked over and straddled his lap.
Adam froze, his entire body going rigid. Unsure of what to do with his hands, he gripped the armrests of the couch to steady himself.
I coaxed, "Adam, you used to love holding me. Why are you being so distant now?"
I deliberately leaned closer, breathing warmly against the side of his neck.
I watched a flush creep rapidly up his earlobes until they burned a deep, crimson red.
He stammered, "I-I'm not used to it yet."
His breathing turned ragged, his eyes darting everywhere except at me.
I smirked wickedly and let my hand slip under the hem of his shirt.
The moment my fingertips brushed against his firm, burning abs, I couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
They felt absolutely incredible. A perfect six-pack.
"Baby, don't." Adam's voice was desperately hoarse as he caught my wrist, though his grip lacked any real conviction.
"Don't what?" I blinked innocently. "You used to beg me to touch you. You said your abs were mine and mine alone."
Adam's breathing fell apart completely.
He shut his eyes, looking utterly resigned, his long lashes trembling faintly.
"Be gentle," he whispered.
Looking at him, all sweet and helpless, my mischievous streak got everything it had ever wanted.
Who could have guessed that Adam, the man who was ruthless and unflinching in the corporate world, was actually this easy to bully in private?
I went a step further and pecked him quickly on the lips. "That's your reward."
Adam's eyes opened, dark and unfathomably deep, with what looked like a fire burning at the bottom of them.
He stared at my mouth, then, after a long moment, muttered, "More."
I'd noticed that even though Adam was innocent now, certain instincts seemed to be carved into his bones.
For instance, while he couldn't recall how to handle a complex contract, he still looked devastatingly handsome moving around the Blackwood pack house kitchen.
He wore an apron and flipped a pan one-handed, every movement carrying an effortless elegance.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching his back as he worked, feeling like the luckiest woman alive.
This kind of life was basically paradise.
"Dinner's ready," Adam called out.
He walked out carrying the dishes, and when he caught me staring at him, a faint smile curved his lips.
For a split second, my heart skipped a beat.
Seriously, this guy was just too good-looking for his own good.
At dinner, Adam kept serving me food.
"Eat up, you're way too skinny," he said.
His voice was so gentle it felt unreal, a world away from the snarky, cold guy I used to know.
As I ate, I was already plotting in my head.
When he finally got his memory back, I was getting the hell out of here.
If he ever found out how I had been playing tricks on him all this time, he would probably skin me alive.
Just as I was lost in thought, Adam suddenly asked, "Ren, when are we going to be mates?"
I almost spat out my soup right then and there.
I stared at him, wide-eyed. "B-Become mates?"
Adam nodded, his eyes completely serious.
"You're my girlfriend, and we've been together for so long. Isn't it only natural for us to become mates?" he said.
He set down his fork, walked over, crouched in front of me, and took my hand.
"Even though I can't remember anything right now, I know one thing. I love you," he said.
His gaze was so intense that it made me feel a little guilty.
"Uh, no rush, really," I said with a nervous laugh. "Let's wait until you're all healed up."
Adam's eyes dimmed, and he looked a little hurt.
"Is it because you don't like me now that I'm not as smart as I used to be?" he asked softly.
"No! Of course not," I denied immediately, trying to reassure him.
"Then why don't you want to be my mate?" he asked, his voice soft but insistent.
He leaned in, his tall frame looming over me, the pressure almost suffocating.
With his handsome face just inches away, my brain short-circuited, and I blurted out, "Because you haven't claimed me in front of everyone yet."
Adam blinked in surprise, then broke into a smile.
"Alright, I'll get ready for it," he said.
Seeing that smile, I felt my stomach drop.
Crap, I might've pushed this joke way too far.