Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 187

Emmy didn’t even know how to answer his question. She rubbed the back of her neck, awkward and flustered. “It’s not that, I just… I’m not ready yet.”

James’s eyes darkened. After a beat, he asked, “Did you ever live with Dean?”

She hadn’t seen that coming at all. Dean? She shook her head so fast her hair flew, hands waving. “No! Never!”

James watched her recoil, and the tension in his jaw finally eased. A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.

Of course. If she’d lived with Dean, that night wouldn’t have gone the way it did.

He’d always heard a woman’s first time was something special.

If she’d given that to him, there was nothing left for him to doubt.

He patted the empty space beside him, his voice deep and a little rough. “Come here.”

Emmy hesitated, clutching the edge of her shirt, feet stuck to the floor.

James looked at her—so guarded, so unsure—and sighed. “We’re married, Emmy. We’ve already… you know. What are you being so shy about?”

Yeah, they were married. Yeah, they’d crossed that line. But she still wasn’t used to any of it.

She’d only just gotten used to living on her own again, sleeping solo in a big bed, finally free. Now she was supposed to share it with a man so soon?

If she’d known James would be this relentless, she never would have caved and helped him out the other night.

James’s patience seemed to be wearing thin.

He suddenly rolled over, swinging his long legs across the bed, half-kneeling as he reached out for her wrist.

Emmy barely had time to react before the world spun, and he pulled her right up onto the bed.

He hovered over her, his body blocking out everything else, his breath hot against her ear.

His voice was low, almost hoarse. “Does it still hurt?”

Emmy knew exactly what he meant. Something hot and hard pressed against her thigh.

Her face went bright red. She shook her head, then changed her mind and nodded frantically. “It does! Not tonight!”

James didn’t push. He just leaned in to brush a soft kiss over her lips.

“Alright. We’ll wait until you’re better.”

He rolled back to his side of the bed.

Emmy didn’t know. But somehow, she believed him. The anxiety in her chest faded.

With James breathing beside her, Emmy didn’t lie awake like she thought she would. She drifted off, no dreams, no restlessness.

When she woke again, the sky outside was just starting to lighten.

The first thing she saw was a solid, muscular chest, every line perfectly defined.

She’d slept the whole night with her head on his arm.

Her mind went totally blank. As she shifted, her long lashes brushed lightly against his bare skin.

“Awake?” His voice rumbled above her, deep and sleepy, rough enough to make her blush.

Emmy’s cheeks went scarlet. She tried to sit up.

James’s arm just tightened, pulling her right back into his arms.

“Don’t move,” he muttered, voice even rougher than before. “You bumped into me. Just… give me a second.”

Emmy froze. Only then did she realize, in her rush to get up, her knee had landed somewhere it definitely shouldn’t have.