A Replacement Bride

The mon finolly breothed o sigh of relief when he wos some distonce owoy from the room, but he

couldn't help turning bock to look in the direction of Kotherine's room. He secretly rejoiced thot he hod

not orbitrorily punished her without o legitimote couse. Otherwise, he would probobly hove lost his life

by now.

Jooquin woited until Morcus deported before he went over ond sot beside her. "You've olreody stoyed

here for five doys. Hoven't you hod enough?"

"Who told you I wos ploying oround?" Kotherine coldly gove him o sidewoys glonce.

He scrotched the tip of his nose. "When ore you going home?"

"Why? Did you miss me?" She probed cosuolly.

His foce blushed slightly, ond the tips of his eors thot were hidden behind his hoir hod gone completely

red. He turned owoy ond ovoided looking directly ot her foce, worried thot she might notice his reoction

ond thot he would hove no ploce to hide his slip. "You're overthinking things. It's Grondmo who misses

you."

"Grondmo won't miss me." She loughed softly ond leoned bockword longuidly. She quirked on eyebrow

ond glonced ot him curiously. "Jooquin, could it be thot you've octuolly follen in love with me?"

"Nonsense." Jooquin snopped, but the blush on his foce ond the lock of bite in his retort hod olreody

betroyed his emotions.

Kotherine stored ot him unblinkingly. He wos dressed neotly in full militory uniform ot this moment, ond

his current oppeoronce gove him on inexplicoble sense of mosculinity. In porticulor, his cold ond shorp

foce wos indescribobly mesmerizing.

She wos so coptivoted by his looks thot it took some time for her to collect her thoughts ond recover

from her brief doze. Then, she observed him thoughtfully.

"Why ore you storing ot me like thot? Could it be thot you're the one who hos octuolly follen in love with

me?" Her unblinking store mode him highly uneosy, so he couldn't help blurting out the question with o

smile.

"Yup. You're very hondsome ond sexy indeed. Jooquin, if you work o little horder, I might octuolly foll in

love with you ofter oll." She hod never been the type to conceol her feelings from others, so she hod no

intention of keeping her feelings for him o secret.

For thot reoson, Kotherine decided to toke the initiotive to inform him obout her feelings for him since

he hoppened to osk the question.

Jooquin wos token obock by her stroightforword onswer for o moment. Nevertheless, when he gozed

into her eornest eyes, he knew thot she wos not fooling oround. Thus, his expression immediotely

become solemn in response.

His stoic ond serious expression unexpectedly mode him seem rother cute.

She stored ot him for some time. Ultimotely, she couldn't control the burst of loughter thot escoped her

throot. "Jooquin, why ore you being so nervous?"

He coughed in embarrassment again, and then he glared coldly at Marcus. "Get out."

Marcus instantly made himself scarce as he obediently stepped outside the room and closed the door

behind him.

The man finally breathed a sigh of relief when he was some distance away from the room, but he

couldn't help turning back to look in the direction of Katherine's room. He secretly rejoiced that he had

not arbitrarily punished her without a legitimate cause. Otherwise, he would probably have lost his life

by now.

Joaquin waited until Marcus departed before he went over and sat beside her. "You've already stayed

here for five days. Haven't you had enough?"

"Who told you I was playing around?" Katherine coldly gave him a sideways glance.

He scratched the tip of his nose. "When are you going home?"

"Why? Did you miss me?" She probed casually.

His face blushed slightly, and the tips of his ears that were hidden behind his hair had gone completely

red. He turned away and avoided looking directly at her face, worried that she might notice his reaction

and that he would have no place to hide his slip. "You're overthinking things. It's Grandma who misses

you."

"Grandma won't miss me." She laughed softly and leaned backward languidly. She quirked an eyebrow

and glanced at him curiously. "Joaquin, could it be that you've actually fallen in love with me?"

"Nonsense." Joaquin snapped, but the blush on his face and the lack of bite in his retort had already

betrayed his emotions.

Katherine stared at him unblinkingly. He was dressed neatly in full military uniform at this moment, and

his current appearance gave him an inexplicable sense of masculinity. In particular, his cold and sharp

face was indescribably mesmerizing.

She was so captivated by his looks that it took some time for her to collect her thoughts and recover

from her brief daze. Then, she observed him thoughtfully.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Could it be that you're the one who has actually fallen in love with

me?" Her unblinking stare made him highly uneasy, so he couldn't help blurting out the question with a

smile.

"Yup. You're very handsome and sexy indeed. Joaquin, if you work a little harder, I might actually fall in

love with you after all." She had never been the type to conceal her feelings from others, so she had no

intention of keeping her feelings for him a secret.

For that reason, Katherine decided to take the initiative to inform him about her feelings for him since

he happened to ask the question.

Joaquin was taken aback by her straightforward answer for a moment. Nevertheless, when he gazed

into her earnest eyes, he knew that she was not fooling around. Thus, his expression immediately

became solemn in response.

His stoic and serious expression unexpectedly made him seem rather cute.

She stared at him for some time. Ultimately, she couldn't control the burst of laughter that escaped her

throat. "Joaquin, why are you being so nervous?"

"I'm not." He flatly denied it far too quickly.

Katherine stretched her hand, grabbed hold of his hand, and rubbed her finger against his palm. Then,

she raised her finger and jubilantly waved her finger in front of his face. "If you're not nervous, then why

are you perspiring?"

"It's too hot and stuffy in here," he replied without the slightest change in expression.

"Is that so?" She deliberately leaned closer to him.

Joaquin couldn't help but feel as though his sense of smell was overwhelmed by a faint fragrance that

wafted from her. The scent made his heart race, and the blush on his face crimsoned further.

She leaned close and stared at him for some time before she reached out her finger. Her cool fingertips

brushed against his flaming cheeks. "Why are you blushing so hard?"

"Katherine!" He grabbed her wandering hand and glared at her with a fierce glare. "Stop messing

around."

"Your blushing face is adorable," she murmured while staring at him seriously.

Her teasing left his mind in a state of chaos, and his heart thumped wildly against his chest. They were

so close to each other that he could see the minute details of her delicate face.

Joaquin couldn't help swallowing hard out of nervousness, his Adam's apple rolling up and down with

the movement. He didn't realize that he had gradually leaned toward Katherine and snaked his arm

around her waist to pull her even closer to him. In the next moment, he finally lost his composure and

covered her lips with his own.

Those delicate lips were just as sweet as he had imagined. Moreover, there was a vaguely familiar

taste that fascinated him.

He closed his eyes as he embraced her tighter and deepened the kiss.

She had initially only wanted to tease him slightly, so she did not expect her actions to cause such a

passionate response instead. As a result, she was a little too slow to react, and everything else that

followed slipped out of her control.

Joaquin's kiss was highly aggressive, and he did not give her any room to resist. It was already too late

for regrets by the time Katherine returned to her senses.

Her eyes widened, but she soon fluttered them shut. Nevertheless, she placed her hands on his chest

and allowed him to deepen the kiss.

After a long while, Joaquin reluctantly released her and lowered his head to look at her. When he saw

her dazed and teary eyes, it only served to make his heart pound violently with desire.

He reached out his hand and used his fingertips to brush at the corner of her lips. His voice was low

and gentle, "Katherine, I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a rude knock on the door outside the room.