The Unwilling CEO's Love Game

After dinner, Daisy helped tidy up a bit and glanced at the closed bedroom door, commenting, "Usually, the room door is left open for ventilation. It's not good if the air can't circulate." Jocelyn, afraid that Daisy was going to open the door for her, quickly went over and did it herself. "Yeah, I just closed it while cooking. Didn't want the cooking smell to get in."

Her eyes swept the room and caught sight of Melvin, frozen in place by her dressing table, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Just by watching his Adam's apple bobbing nervously, she could tell he was on pins and needles.

She found it both amusing and a bit heartbreaking.

It was amusing seeing him trying to make himself invisible in the corner, but it was heartbreaking realizing how scared he was of their relationship coming to light.

Their so-called relationship only applied to the two of them; to everyone else, it was still under the radar.

Jocelyn saw her parents out of the building and watched them leave. Turning back to Preston, she said, "I don't have your address, so you'll need to hail a cab yourself. I'll cover the fare."

Preston has grown up now, right in the thick of adolescence and all the lovey-dovey stuff that goes with it.

Add to that the internet age we're in, kids grow up fast these days, so he was pretty clued up about the birds and the bees.

"Aren't you bothered by how my uncle treats you?" Preston was only now getting the picture of how little respect his uncle had for Jocelyn.

Jocelyn smiled helplessly. "We agreed from the start."

"Is this what you call dating?" Preston asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.

Jocelyn looked down, pressing her lips together, feeling a tightness in her chest. Preston's cab arrived. He looked at Jocelyn and sighed softly. "I'm off then."

"Mhm. Drop a message when you get home, or call your uncle."

After Preston left, Jocelyn didn't rush upstairs. Instead, she took a seat on a bench.

Flashes of her and Melvin together ran through her mind, crystal clear.

Falling in love is a two-way street, but what she had with Melvin was a case of a one-sided crush.

He didn't need affection; he made that clear right from the start.

And she had bravely accepted that.

So now, it was her who wanted to break the rules of the game, her who wasn't content with the status quo.

She bent over, covering her face, feeling utterly frazzled.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it out.

It was Melvin calling.

"Hello?" sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Have they left yet?" His tone sounded harsh.

Maybe because of his hide-and-seek act tonight, plus her own irritation, Jocelyn's response was equally frosty. "What's the rush? Can't I spend some time with my parents?" There was a brief pause on the other end.

"Then enjoy. I'm hanging up."

Jocelyn was left staring at her phone.

She stayed downstairs for another fifteen minutes before heading up. Opening the door, she found Melvin munching on their leftovers.

He barely glanced up as she came in, not a word said.

Jocelyn thought for a moment, then sat down opposite him. She waited until he finished his last bite before speaking up, "We'll probably have a lot more days like today. My folks are really poking into my personal life, likely to drop by unannounced now and then."

Melvin lit a cigarette, took a drag, and leaned back in his chair. "So what?"

"It's just a matter of time before..."

"Get to the point."

Jocelyn wasn't sure if he was playing dumb or genuinely didn't catch her drift. "What if they run into you here next time? How do we explain it?"

Melvin's eyes locked onto hers, a gaze that should have been filled with passion but now felt oppressive.

At least, Jocelyn felt incredibly on edge.

Somehow, even though it was his issue, why did it always feel like she was the one with the problem?

"Explain however you want," Melvin said, puffing away; the smoke created a haze that obscured his true feelings.

Jocelyn took a deep breath, stood up, and poured herself a glass of water. She stood opposite him and asked, "Then why did you hide?"

Melvin continued to smoke in silence.

The quietness stretched on until Jocelyn felt a surge of old grievances. Looking down at her toes, her eyes misted over, and soon enough, tears started to drop onto the floor.

Melvin was quick to notice. His eyes caught a tear as it fell, and his brow furrowed. He crushed out his cigarette, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tight. "What's with the tears?"

His lips kissed away the tears from her eyes, his hands roaming around her waist, his face buried in her neck, and his kisses moving up to her sensitive earlobe. He felt her shiver, then his actions growing bolder.

Jocelyn couldn't help but tilt her head back, and he promptly moved his kisses down her throat.

Before she knew it, she was straddling him, facing him.

His face buried lower, and Jocelyn swallowed hard, feeling a tingle at the tip of her heart. "How long are we going to keep up this... arrangement?" Jocelyn asked, her voice trembling. Melvin's kisses were intense, setting her skin ablaze wherever he touched, stirring her emotions. She hated how easily he overpowered her and how she had no self-control or boundaries with him. Melvin didn't answer, his heavy breathing and increasing urgency spoke volumes.

And when he finally conquered her completely, Jocelyn's body arched back uncontrollably, losing herself to his rhythm. Jocelyn lay flat on the bed like still water, listening to the steady breathing beside her. A chill traced down the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look at Melvin beside her, tracing his outline with her gaze.

In ancient times, they said a beauty could captivate a heart.

To her, he had captured her heart at first sight.

After two years of crush and three years of love, how could she let him go?

Today's events had once again made it clear to her: he wouldn't give her what she wanted, and she wasn't satisfied with that.

One yearned, the other withheld, then how could such a relationship last?

Jocelyn couldn't sleep that night.

As dawn approached, she felt him move beside her. And then a cool, soft touch pressed against her forehead. Her resolve to play it cool crumbled in an instant.

Too often, she found herself disarmed by his little gestures.

Ultimately, Jocelyn gave in.

Perhaps the one who loves is always the most vulnerable.

Jocelyn never expected Willow to ask to meet her.

In the café, Willow sat poised and elegant with her sunglasses on, looking every bit a work of art, utterly stunning.

Jocelyn sat down across from her, and only then did Willow take off her sunglasses.

Jocelyn ordered a glass of water.

"Man, if you ever got into showbiz, you could totally set the world on fire, even just as eye candy." Willow's pretty almond-shaped eyes sparkled with mischief, her innocent charm totally captivating. Jocelyn smiled slightly, not giving a hoot about the dig, "So, what's up? You asked to meet for a reason, right?"

Stirring her coffee leisurely, Willow flashed a coy smile, "Melvin's my man."

Jocelyn blinked, a bit taken aback, but quickly composed herself, taking a sip of water to soothe her throat, leaning back in her chair cool as a cucumber, "Melvin's your man, or just the man you're after? Are you sure you got your words straight?"

"Are you living with him?"

"We're both adults in a normal relationship. What's the big deal about living together?" Jocelyn shot back, unbothered.

Willow's pretty face suddenly became gloomy, her clear eyes no longer sparkling.

Jocelyn was upfront and fearless, not worried about losing this battle.

"Ha, living together, so what? He's still claiming to be single in public." Willow continued stirring her coffee, looking up with a hint of scorn. "So, in his eyes, you're just a booty call."

It was hard to believe that such mean words could come from a starlet known for her pure and innocent image.

Gotta admit, those words were like a knife, stabbing right into Jocelyn's heart, making it hard for her to catch her breath.

She clenched her hand under the table tight, forcing herself to keep cool. She said with feigned indifference, "In the world of grown-ups, being each other's booty call is pretty standard, isn't it? Who says a relationship has to be public knowledge?"

With that comeback, she evened the score.

After all, Willow couldn't even get a foot in Melvin's bed.