“Perhaps it’s a feeling that can’t be touched nor seen. It just happened without any particular reason.” Joan explained.
“Is that so?” Andrew raised his eyebrows in doubt.
“Why? Haven’t you been in love before? Have you ever liked a woman?” Joan was in disbelief.
Andrew looked at him and narrowed his eyes, “Why? Are you questioning my abilities?”
“No, it’s just abnormal for you not to have fallen for a woman at this age!” Joan joked.
“You’re the one who’s abnormal.” Although Andrew was cute and tender when he was young, he had matured considerably after joining the military. Even if now he was not in the military, he still radiated the spirit of a soldier.
“I heard that you are rather skilled in combat fighting. Shall we have a sparring match to check out if you can protect my sister?”
The two exchanged looks not simply as a man versus a man but also a soldier challenging another soldier. This concerned the pride of both nations.
Both would not want to lose to the other. They started to spar and fought along the lake. They were equally matched.
After an hour, both of them collapsed onto the grass while panting and drenched in sweat.
It was obvious that Joan was more exhausted as he was still injured. He did not wince in pain even as the grass pierced onto his wound.
“You must be good to my sister, otherwise I will not hold back my punches,” Andrew said as he looked towards the sky.
Joan rubbed the corner of his mouth as Andrew had bruised it and laughed, “Got it.”
Joan had dinner at the villa but stayed at the hotel. He and Amanda could not spend the night together as they were not married. Joan went back to the hotel after parting with Andrew. Amanda was waiting for him at the hotel.
Joan saw Amanda as soon as he entered the hotel room. He did not expect her and quickly covered his bruise and asked, “Why are you here?”
“Your wound had not completely healed and the ointment is with me. I brought them over to you.” Amanda walked over and held his hand and saw the bruise. She frowned and asked, “Did you fight with someone?”
Joan acknowledged.
“Are you a kid?” Amanda was angry and her heart ached. She wrapped some ice cubes with the towel and pressed them onto the bruise.
“What hit you? It’s already turning green.” She asked as she started to massage the bruise.
“A fist,” Joan replied truthfully.
Amanda was speechless.
After that, she removed his shirt only to find the wound had opened up. She was now upset and scolded, “Don’t you know that you’re injured? Why did you fight like a child?”
Joan relished her mumbles and was not angry. Instead, he continued to look at her as he laid on the bed and said, “I did it intentionally. How else can I get your heart to ache for me?”
“Whose heart is aching for you?” Amanda intentionally pressed down hard as she was applying the ointment. Joan winced in pain and flipped around and grabbed Amanda into his arms. He immediately kissed her. He was unusually rough and kissed her deeply.
Amanda did not reject him but allowed him to take her into his arms and responded passionately. Her body relaxed as she looked at him and breathed in his scent and the odour of the ointment.
Buzz buzz!
Joan’s cellphone started to vibrate.
Amanda snapped back to her senses and pushed him off and said, “Mmm! your phone is ringing.”
Joan was frustrated by the call and did not want to let go of her but the phone continued to ring.
He could only let go of her and said, “I’ll answer this.”
Amanda blushed. Although they had decided to be together, all these happened quickly and she felt uneasy being so intimate with him.
“I’ll leave first while you answer the call.” She stood up and walked towards the door.
Joan held onto her hand tightly and said, “I’ll send you home.”
“No need. I drove here.” Amanda replied.
The caller pestered and he could only release her hand, “Drive carefully and let me know when you’re safely home.”
“Okay.” Amanda walked out of the room.
She arrived home and saw Andrew as she was going up the stairs. She noticed that Andrew had a black eye.
“Andrew.” She walked over to him.
“You went to see Joan?” Andrew asked.
Amanda nodded and replied, “Yes.”
“Your eye!” She walked over and wondered how come his injury seemed like Joan’s but at a different spot.
“Did you fight with Joan?” She asked curiously.
“Yes.” Andrew went to get a glass of water and said, “I taught him a lesson so that he won’t bully you in the future.”
“Who won?” Amanda took some ice cubes to rub his eye.
“What? No winners.” He declared. It was an even fight.
Amanda led him to the sofa, “I’ll apply some ice onto it otherwise it will be swollen.”
Andrew drank the water and looked at his sister, “Both of us were injured. Are you more concerned for me or him?”
“Of course!” She wanted to say ‘it’s you’ but she changed at the last minute, “of course it’s Joan.”
“Heartless! to think that I took care of you since you were young.” He was not angry but sat back to allow Amanda to nurse his black eye.
He narrowed his eyes and threatened, “Tell me if he bullies you. Although the fight was a draw, he would definitely lose if Joshua joined in the fight against him.”
“Since when did you resort to violence to settle disagreements? You weren’t like that when you were young.” Amanda said angrily.
Andrew looked at her and replied, “You’ve said it yourself. Everyone grows up.”
He looked at Amanda and asked, “What about you?” He knew that she had grown up. She seemed fine after what she had gone through because of Stanford. That showed that she was emotionally very strong.
“You’re just older than me by a few minutes.” She continued, “I already had one marriage, what about you?”
Andrew was silent for a while and thought about Evelyn.
“It’s getting late, rest early.” He stood up.
New Book: Beginning with a Daring Encounter
Celsie was tired of being labeled as an introvert, workaholic, and dull virgin by her friends. Determined to prove them wrong, she made a bet that she would do something daring on her 25th birthday. Now that the day had arrived, it was time to fulfill her promise. On her daring to-do list, there was one task: a one-night stand with someone.
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