Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Kissing and Biting

The kiss was clumsy and awkward. After a moment, Naomi Kenway felt tired. She had just started to pull back when a hand cupped the back of her head and a scorching breath drew near again.

The familiar scent of his cologne lingered at the tip of her nose, exploding with even greater intensity.

“You…”

She was forced to endure the fierce kiss, able to manage only a few muffled sounds.

After what felt like an eternity, he let her go. She found it hard to breathe and gasped for air. She could feel his forehead resting against hers, his high-bridged nose pressed against her cheek. The clarity in his eyes was long gone, replaced by a frenzied blaze.

“Naomi Kenway, who the hell is that other man?”

Naomi Kenway had no idea what he was talking about. “What other man? I don’t know what you’re talking about, you lunatic…”

Another suffocating kiss assaulted her. After this happened a few more times, Naomi Kenway had no choice but to go along with him. “…I really don’t know which ’other man’ you’re talking about! I don’t have one!”

“You’re lying. He called you ’baby,’ and you called him Kara…”

Repeating it still made Ethan Shaw grit his teeth in anger.

“If you can’t answer, then neither of us is sleeping.”

Seeing him about to lean in again, Naomi Kenway’s sluggish mind started to race. “I… Kara is my friend. Kara isn’t some ’other man.’ Kara is a girl. She’s a girl…”

Her thoughts were a complete mess, and Naomi Kenway barely knew what she was saying, offering an explanation with what little consciousness she had left.

“Do you take me for a fool, Naomi Kenway? *He’s* a woman?”

“I’m not lying. If you don’t believe me, go ask Kara. We’re childhood friends…”

A shrill ringtone suddenly pierced the air. Ethan Shaw sat up straight and answered the phone, his voice a little hoarse. “Speak.”

The person on the other end reported their findings, which were no different from what Naomi Kenway had said: Chloe Murray was a woman.

After hanging up, Ethan Shaw deflated, the rage and anguish vanishing completely. He had to admit he never wanted to believe Naomi Kenway was actually cheating. He could stomach betrayal from almost anyone, but not from her.

When he looked at Naomi Kenway again, he was filled with guilt.

Suddenly, Naomi Kenway’s face contorted in pain. She said her stomach was upset and she felt like she was going to be sick…

Ethan Shaw quickly carried her to the bathroom and frantically called for a doctor.

Ethan Shaw barely slept a wink that night. Naomi Kenway’s reaction to the alcohol was severe.

*

「The next day」

Her head throbbed with a pain so intense it felt like it would explode at any second. Naomi Kenway knew it was a hangover. ’I can’t believe that drink Chloe Murray made me have was so strong.’

Memories of the previous night began to surface. She remembered Ethan Shaw coming to find her, and then… Chloe Murray had just been abandoned there.

Naomi Kenway’s heart sank. Cursing Ethan Shaw a thousand times in her head, she shot up and frantically searched for her phone. She had to call Chloe Murray and make sure she was okay.

A deep, sexy voice sounded from behind her. Ethan Shaw was propped up on a pillow beside her, and it seemed he had been watching her for some time.

“What are you looking for?”

“My phone! Where’s my phone?” Naomi Kenway grew angrier as she spoke. “Ethan Shaw, you unreasonable bastard! Did you really just leave Kara on the street? She was drunk! What if something happened to her?!”

Ethan Shaw picked up her phone from the nearby table and handed it over. “You don’t need to call. The Murray family picked Chloe Murray up not long after we left.”

“Really?”

“You can call and confirm for yourself.”

Just to be safe, Naomi Kenway quickly dialed Chloe Murray.

Chloe Murray’s voice was drowsy, as if she’d only just woken up. “Nicole?” She tapped her head and hissed. “I just remembered the stupid thing I did yesterday. I can’t believe I forced you to drink. I’m terrible. I’ll come over later and apologize in person!”

Hearing her tone, Naomi Kenway knew she was fine and finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Kara, where are you now?”

“Me? I’m at home. My mom just finished chewing me out.”

After chatting for a few more moments, Naomi Kenway hung up. They made plans to go shopping together in a couple of days.

The great weight on her heart finally lifted.

Ethan Shaw sat up, bracing himself on the bed with a well-defined hand while casually brushing the stray hairs from his forehead. The blanket slipped from his body, revealing taut abs. His shoulder blades flexed, every muscle clearly defined—a perfect combination of power and aesthetics.

Naomi Kenway stared, a little stunned. Then, belatedly, something occurred to her.

The embarrassing memory of hugging, kissing, and even nibbling on Ethan Shaw last night flooded her mind. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and she wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in it.

’How could something so embarrassing have happened…’

Ethan Shaw calmly finished buttoning his shirt. He looked at Naomi Kenway’s odd expression and asked with feigned seriousness, though his voice held a hint of teasing, “What’s wrong, baby?”

Naomi Kenway’s eyes flew wide open as she stared at him in disbelief. “Ethan Shaw, what did you just call me?”

“I heard Chloe Murray call you that.”

’What’s there to learn from that?!’

Naomi Kenway fought the urge to freak out and took a deep breath.

’Wait a minute,’ she thought. ’Ethan Shaw is technically my husband. So what if I kissed him? Isn’t that perfectly normal?’

With that line of reasoning, Naomi Kenway instantly felt much more composed.

Suddenly, her gaze froze. She spotted a tiny cut on Ethan Shaw’s crimson lips.

Naomi Kenway froze. ’I didn’t bite him, did I?’

Just as she was at a complete loss, a knock sounded at the door. From outside, she heard Ian’s innocent, childish voice calling for his mama.

Ian usually came to give her a good-morning kiss around this time.

Naomi Kenway’s heart grew even more flustered, her thoughts tangling into a chaotic mess. Thankfully, Ethan Shaw opened the door and stepped out.

Ian Shaw, dressed in the little yellow duck pajamas Naomi Kenway had bought him, looked up at Ethan Shaw with wide, dewy eyes. He seemed surprised; his daddy was usually already at the office by this time.

“Daddy, good morning!” he chirped in his sweet, childish voice.

Ethan Shaw wished him a good morning in return and picked Ian up. “Let’s go to the dining room and get ready for breakfast.”

Ian Shaw kicked his little legs. “No! I want to wake Mama up! I haven’t given Mama my good-morning kiss yet!”

Ethan Shaw’s expression darkened. He gave Ian Shaw’s cheek a gentle pinch. “You’re four years old now. You can’t keep clinging to Mama like this.”

“No! I like being with Mama!”

“Are you not going to listen to Daddy?”

In Ian Shaw’s eyes, anyone who tried to stop him from being with his mama was a bad guy. A big, mean bad guy.

“Daddy’s a bad guy!”

Having inexplicably earned a new title, Ethan Shaw looked at Ian’s puffed-out cheeks with a sense of helplessness.

“Be a good boy. Let’s go to the dining room first, okay? Mama’s very tired and needs to rest.”

Hearing that Naomi Kenway was tired only made Ian want to see her more, but Ethan Shaw said, “Mama wants to get some proper rest. You don’t want to disturb her, do you, Ian?”

Ian stopped fussing this time, but he still cast a few reluctant glances at the bedroom door.

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