Chapter 34
Her offhand comment made the man pause in his vegetable picking before he muttered a low, “Yeah, I don’t like it.”
Cedric, standing nearby, shook his head discreetly.
Xanthea really was clueless. If Orion didn’t like onions, there was no way the private chef would include them. Clearly, Orion knew she disliked them and had picked them out on
purpose.
Xanthea chewed on her sea cucumber, relishing its light, meaty taste, smooth without being greasy. It was like a dance on her taste buds. “This is delicious, Orion. Where did you find this chef? Their cooking is way better than my nanny’s!”
“If you like, I can arrange for them to cook for you sometime.”
“No need for that, though I’d really like to meet them.”
“What for?”
“Just to admire someone who can cook this well.”
“You have a thing for people who can cook?” Orion looked up at her, and Xanthea caught a fleeting spark in his eyes, almost like a mirage. “Yeah, I think people who can cook are incredibly charming. Unlike me, I’m all thumbs in the kitchen, no matter how much I try to learn.”
“You…”
“What?” Xanthea looked at him, noticing his hesitation.
“Nothing.”
You are irresistibly charming, too.
Xanthea didn’t press further and continued eating her piece of carp. Mid-chew, Orion placed a tablet in front of her.
Curiously, she picked it up and when she saw the dazzling array of jewelry on the screen, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “These pieces are stunning! You can’t find these in regular stores; they must be collectors’ items for the ultra-rich, right?”
“Last time, your help was crucial in securing a deal with the MJ Group. I haven’t had a chance to thank you properly. If you like, all these pieces are for you, Ms. Nightshade.”
What? All these pieces? For her?
Xanthea was speechless, just about to respond when a tiny carp bone lodged in her throat, and she dared not speak, her face turning pale.
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14
Chapter 34
Orion noticed her discomfort, his expression immediately sharpening. “What’s wrong?”
“Ah.”
Xanthea opened her mouth, pain evident as she pointed to her throat. Orion instantly understood, stepping forward to hold her chin. “Don’t move!”
His deep, soothing voice seemed to have a magical effect, and Xanthea obeyed instinctively, feeling him gently tilt her head back against the couch, his fingers prying open her jaw before reaching into her mouth.
Xanthea widened her eyes in surprise, but the pain quickly brought her focus back.
Fingers were fine as long as they could remove the bone. It was too uncomfortable stuck in her throat, and his fingers, slender and precise, almost like tweezers.
But she had overestimated her tolerance and underestimated the bone’s persistence.
“Ah!Ahh!”
“Stop, it hurts, it really hurts.”
“Orion, be gentle, it’s so painful!”
“It seems to be going deeper, it’s really stuck, what do we do?”
“Slow down, please, just stop! Ohh.”
When Orion finally saw the bone, he was confident he could remove it, but the process proved excruciatingly difficult.
Her lips, red as roses, were soft and tempting.
As his fingers entered, they were enveloped in an unexpectedly warm and slippery sensation, sending shivers down his spine.
Orion’s body tensed, hearing her intermittent moans, which sounded distressingly enticing. despite her obvious pain.
He tried to focus, but the relentless buzzing in his brain and the overwhelming sensations made him falter again and again.
Nothing had ever been this challenging.
After what felt like an eternity, the bone was finally extracted. Xanthea swallowed a few times to ensure there was no more discomfort or pain and sighed in relief, “Ah! It’s out.
That feels so much better.”
“Thank you!”
She twisted her neck, looking at Orion, only then noticing his face and neck were flushed, his brow sweaty, his eyes dark and intense, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow as if he had endured an excruciating ordeal.
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