Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 71: I’m Going to Kiss You...

Inside the flowerhouse, the scent of flowers was rich and the warmth was intoxicating.

Stella Sterling’s back was against the cool flower rack, with no retreat.

Shane Donovan stood right in front of her, his tall figure almost completely enveloping her. The crisp woody fragrance mixed with a faint medicinal smell overbearing her breath.

"What are you hiding from?" His voice was low and husky, and his slender fingertips didn’t touch her directly but gently twirled a rebellious strand of her hair, leisurely tucking it behind her ear.

His fingertips brushed past her earlobe faintly, sending a subtle shiver through her.

Stella’s breath hitched, her cheeks burning uncontrollably. She tried to turn her head away, but her chin was lightly held in place by his fingertips.

"Shane Donovan..."

His actions startled Stella, her heart racing out of order, "Grandpa Donovan just left, don’t do anything reckless..."

"Reckless?" He repeated softly, a faint curve tugging at his lips, like the first melt of ice and snow, with an astonishing beauty.

He leaned down, warm breath brushing against her sensitive ear and neck, "Counselor Sterling, teach me, what counts as reckless?"

He was so close, his high-bridged nose nearly brushing her cheek, his lips grazing her earlobe, "Is it like this?"

Stella’s body tensed up, a tingling electric sensation spreading instantaneously from her earlobe throughout her body, making her legs feel weak, almost unable to stand.

Instinctively, she reached out, grabbing the fabric of his shirt at his waist, feeling the warmth and the firm contours beneath the cloth.

Realizing what she had done, she tried to retract her hand as if burned, but he quickly caught her wrist, pressing it against his chest.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could clearly feel his steady, strong heartbeat.

Thump, thump, striking her palm.

"Or is it..." His gaze steady, locking onto her panicked eyes, his thumb slowly caressing the delicate inside of her wrist, evoking tingling sensations like tiny electric shocks, "like this?"

Stella felt her blood rush to her head, her cheeks reddening to the point of bleeding.

She wanted to pull her hand back, but he held on tighter.

The heat from his palm felt scorching, almost burning through her skin.

"Let go..." Her voice was tinged with embarrassment and anger, "I’m warning you, this is bordering on harassment..."

"Harassment?" Shane raised an eyebrow slightly, his other hand bracing against the flower rack by her ear, trapping her completely between him and the flower rack, a slight smile playing on his lips, "In the study just now, when you threw yourself at me in a hug, why didn’t you call it harassment then?"

At the mention of what happened in the study, Stella felt even more embarrassed, wanting to dig a hole to hide in, but she argued stubbornly, "I was saving you! Don’t flatter yourself!"

"Flatter myself?" He drew out the words, his eyes growing darker, like ink that couldn’t be dissolved, "That night, Counselor Sterling, you didn’t say that when you held onto me and wouldn’t let go... You even said I smelled nice, and that my abs felt good..."

"..." Stella wished she could shut his mouth!

Why did he say everything out loud?

Darn it, he should just choke!

The crisp, pleasant masculine scent invaded her senses domineeringly, clouding her mind and sharply decreasing her ability to think.

"I was drunk!"

"And being drunk exempts you from responsibility?" His soft chuckle was like a hook, scratching at her heartstrings.

He slightly tilted his head, his lips almost touching hers, his voice extremely low, holding a bewitching magic, "Counselor Sterling, how is this any different from a scumbag starting something but not finishing it?"

"..."

"I’m no scumbag!"

"Mm, you’re a scumbag woman."

"...Shane Donovan!"

"If you’re not, prove it to me."

Stella was stunned for a moment, "Prove what?"

"Prove..." His gaze fell on her slightly parted lips, his voice low and hoarse, "prove that you don’t feel anything for me..."

"?"

Shane slightly curled his lips, "Then I’ll kiss you..."

"!"

Before the words were fully out, he didn’t give her time to think, lowering his head, capturing her slightly parted lips.

"Mm..."

Stella’s eyes widened suddenly, her mind going blank.

His kiss wasn’t forceful, even containing a gentle probing, first gently capturing her lower lip, carefully savoring, as if tasting something extraordinarily delicious.

However, this gentleness was soon replaced by a deeper longing.

He pried open her teeth, advancing, intertwining with her softness from which there was no escape.

Unlike the blurry memory of that drunken night, the sensations now were startlingly clear.

His breath, his warmth, the irresistible force of his lips and tongue, all made her body go soft, barely able to remain standing only because of his grip on her wrist and the support of the flower rack behind her.

Oxygen became scarce, consciousness gradually blurred.

She passively endured the scorching and deep kiss; her hand, initially pressed against his chest, somehow slid down limply, resting weakly on his firm arm.

Feeling her surrender, Shane’s kiss grew deeper, carrying an almost devout plunder.

His large hand somehow slipped from her wrist, encircling her slender waist, pulling her closer to him.

Through the thin fabric, they could clearly feel each other’s contours and the searing heat of their bodies.

Amid the dizzying emotions, Stella hazily felt she was like a vine clinging to a towering tree, slowly losing her strength, surrendering under his breath...

Not until the air was nearly depleted from her lungs did Shane slowly release her lips, but his forehead remained against hers, breath slightly heavy, brushing hotly against her face.

Stella’s eyes were dazed, cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen from the kiss, glistening with a moist sheen, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Seeing her this bewildered state, Shane’s eyes flickered with a dark glint, his fingers gently brushing over her swollen lips, his voice hoarse and rough:

"Counselor Sterling, how is it your mouth is so soft, yet your words are so hard?"

Stella snapped back to reality, meeting his deep, smiling eyes. After a moment’s pause, she was filled with anger and frustration, gritting her teeth.

What a seasoned player!

Definitely an experienced flirt!

How did he manage to have her already falling for his charm?

"Shane Donovan! You... you bastard!" She was both embarrassed and furious, trying hard to push him away, but her limbs were still so weak that her actions seemed more like playing hard to get.

Shane let her feeble pushes be, his arm still securely around her waist, chuckling lowly, "Mm, I’m a bastard. Only a bastard for you."

These words, sounding almost like a love confession, made Stella’s heartbeat spiral out of control once more.

Outside the flowerhouse, faint footsteps sounded, as if a servant was passing by.

Stella was jolted awake from her dreamlike state, abruptly pulling her hand back, giving Shane a hard shove, stumbling back a couple of steps, her cheeks burning red: "I... I should go back!"

With that, she almost fled in panic, even her retreating figure was filled with haste.

Shane made no move to stop her, standing there, watching her slender figure disappear at the flowerhouse door, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together, as if still feeling the tender softness of her lips on them...