PAMPERED

376 A kiss?

[PRESENT TIME] 1

Zoren nodded in understanding, recalling everything up until the moment he fainted. “Right… that’s what happened.”

What a disappointment. They should’ve just eloped.

“I stayed over to make sure you’re okay, she grinned, finishing the last bite of her plate. “It was just fatigue. So, from now on, you need to start walking and things like that.”

“Okay” He nodded without hesitation. “I also need to increase my stamina.”

“Yes.” She smiled but noticed the slight deviousness in his expression. “What?”

He shrugged. “Nothing”

“I think you’re smiling about something very… evil,” she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” he repeated, meeting her gaze. “I’m just happy to wake up and see you as soon as I

open my eyes.”

She pursed her lips and raised her chin. “I’m not… flustered.”

“I’m not trying to make you,” he chuckled softly as he took a bite.

Watching him chuckle and eat, Penny’s lips tightened further. Her cheeks flushed red as she observed how manly and attractive his chuckle sounded. The way his jaw moved as he chewed and how he occasionally glanced at her mesmerized her. Even his arms looked firm and because he was pale, she could see his veins around his toned arms.

‘Is he filming a commercial?‘ she wondered, touching her neck. Why does he eat so perfectly? He should be sickly. Since when did sick people look like this?”

Honestly, there were no tricks involved. He was simply eating casually, but seeing him up close was… flattering.

‘Why am I flattered?‘ she wondered, pursing her lips and noticing him raise an eyebrow. ‘Can he

see me now?”

“How did we get home?” he asked, snapping her out of her trance.

“Huh?”

“You stopped the story when I fainted, he reminded her. “I don’t remember the bodyguards. following us. If they did, they would’ve hidden us in the car?

Penny was speechless, not because of his question, but because she realized they could’ve avoided all the hassle If they had hidden in his car.

“Hello?” he leaned in, moving closer to get her attention. “Penny?”

Penny blinked back to reality, only to freeze. His face was only a few inches from hers, and with such nrovimitu she held her breath.

370 A kiss?

‘I haven’t brushed my teeth,‘ was the first thing that crossed her mind.

“Are you okay?”

She looked away and explained, “Ye

yes. We got home because they got worried and searched for us, eventually finding us just in time. So, that’s how things went.”

Zoren slowly drew back, smiling at how she was explaining while looking away. He moved his hand from the edge of the counter,

I over to her, and stood beside her.

Penny furrowed her brows and glanced at him. “What are you…” Her sentence trailed off as he suddenly pinched her checks. Her confusion deepened as he kept stretching her checks..

“Hehe,” he chuckled soothingly, his long eyelashes lowering as his eyelids drooped. “You’re really

here.”

“Huh?”

“I panicked this morning when I went back to the bedroom and you weren’t there,” he confessed, still pinching her cheeks. “I’m glad you didn’t go.”

Penny gulped, hearing her own swallow in her ears, followed by the pounding of her heart. He continued pinching her checks and stretching them mildly, and all she could do was manage a

small smile.

“Same.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought something happened when I woke up and you weren’t there anymore.”

Zoren knew their reasons were different. For her, she thought something happened to him. But for him, he feared she wasn’t real and that he had lost his sanity.

“Renren, she called, earning his cool hum. “What… what are we now?”

“Hmm?” His brows rose. “What are we?”

“I mean, we were dating as Zoren and Penelope, she explained in a mumble, casting her eyes. down. “But now that you know I’m Penny, isn’t it a little complicated?”

He tilted his head, confused.

“What I’m saying is, because we were friends, I don’t want you to think of me as just that young girl, Penny,” she said with determination, looking him in the eye. “Otherwise, let’s just be friends. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

and

“Should we kiss?”

“Excuse me?”

“Should we kiss?” he repeated in the same curious tone, leaving her momentarily speechless.

A kiss?

A KISS?

Penny opened and closed her mouth, rendered speechless by the question. “Ahem!” she cleared. her throat. “Wait, can you explain to me how my concern suddenly includes kissing?”

< 376 A kiss?

friendship with Penny get in the way of us? Yesterday, I reunited with my friend, shared another adventure with her, and gave her a hug.”

“And today?” she asked quietly, seeing his smile stretch a little.

“I want to kiss… my wife,” he confessed sincerely. “I want to kiss you and perhaps stay in bed all day with you. You don’t do that with friends, do you?” z

“On the… on the bed?” Penny closed her eyes slowly, pulling her head from his pinch, and dramatically placed a hand on his chest. She turned away, her other hand holding her head.

Zoren raised his hands in confusion. “Pen –”

“Shut up,” she breathed, her face so red it looked like her blood had rushed to her head. Why does this guy keep attacking? Oh, my poor heart, my poor body… he wants me to raise the white flag, I know.‘ 2

As she dramatically lamented, Zoren clasped her hand on his chest. When she looked up at him, he gently pulled her closer. Before she knew it, his large body enveloped hers, his arms wrapping around her securely.

Penny froze for a moment, noticing he was slightly trembling. “Renren, are you okay?”

“Too okay,” he breathed out, resting his head on her shoulder. “I’m too okay, too happy to believe this is real.”

Zoren closed his eyes, trying to calm his body. Even now, some doubts lingered in his mind. Everything was going smoothly and peacefully–this never happened before. So his mind was automatically questioning it.

“I’m real,” she whispered, slowly placing her hand on his back. Penny drew her head back a little, making him lift his head to look at her. Her lips curled into a smile as her other hand crept up to his nape, standing on her toes.

In another moment, her lips touched his check.

The softness of her lips on his cheek sent a rush of emotions through his heart. Slowly, she drew back, smiling.

She didn’t need to tell him what to do. It was her answer to his question. He smiled in satisfaction and carefully lowered his head to claim what he was privileged to have with at grateful heart.