Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 458

James’s body suddenly went rigid.

He swallowed, a low, rough laugh rumbling out as his fingertips traced lazy circles across her soft skin.

“Oh? So you want it now?”

Emmy squirmed in his arms, her face burning red with embarrassment and a little outrage.

“You’re the one who wants it…”

She didn’t even finish before he leaned down and pressed a gentle, almost chaste kiss to her cheek.

“Go to sleep. I’m not going to mess with you tonight.”

Emmy stared at him, stunned.

This… wasn’t like him at all.

She knew James too well. When it came to stuff like this, he was always like a wild animal, full of energy—especially if she made the first move. No way would he just let a chance like this slip by.

The leftover fear and anxiety from her kidnapping twisted inside her, making her want to lose herself in him. She needed something real, something intense, to prove they were both still here—alive and together.

She rolled over to face him, her eyes shining in the dark, glassy with emotion.

“We don’t have to use protection,” she said quietly.

Flames flickered to life in James’s eyes, burning so intensely it was almost scary.

He was just about to ask if she was finally ready to have his baby.

But Emmy quickly added, “I know about the morning-after pill. It barely has any side effects. The hospital should have some.”

In an instant, the fire in his eyes went out, like someone dumped a bucket of cold water on it.

He just pulled her head against his chest and didn’t say a word.

“Sleep.”

But Emmy didn’t want to drop it.

She felt more awake than ever, like only the most basic, tangled closeness could shake off the last bit of fear clinging to her.

She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his jaw, then kissed her way up to his throat, bold and desperate.

James’s arm tightened around her, muscles tense. He let out a strained, muffled groan.

Emmy’s hand slid down his chest, fingers teasing the edge of his waistband, drawing him in.

And just like that, all that fire inside him froze and faded away.

Emmy was wide awake and couldn’t fall asleep.

James hadn’t slept for two days, but tonight, he wasn’t tired at all.

Lying there in the dark, he finally broke the silence with a soft question.

“Babe, is there something you and Dean aren’t telling me?”

Emmy paused, caught off guard. “Why would you ask that?”

James was quiet for a while, then finally let out what had been bothering him.

“Last night, when Dean ran toward you, he said he’d die with you. That you could do it all over again.”

He hesitated, searching for the words to explain the weird feeling gnawing at him.

“That’s not something someone ready to die would say.”

“It sounded more like… he was hoping for something else.”