CHIARA

He must be really exhausted. I thought as I glanced at Ezekiel sleeping on his back, looking so much younger.

Technically he is not that old but his behaviour makes him look like that. He even forgot about his own birthday. I could never.

Maybe we could go out today to celebrate his birthday. I still have Dad's credit card with me so I will buy him something too.

After I got ready for the day, I decided to put on a little makeup as I sat at the dressing table.

As my eyes fell on Ezekiel through the mirror, an idea formed in my head.

Hopefully, he doesn't kill me for this.

I grabbed my lipstick and my pencil eyeliner and walked over to him.

Suppressing an evil giggle, I climbed onto the bed and kneeled over him. I just hope he doesn't wake up.

Taking my red lipstick, I first made a huge, red dot on his nose.

Once that was done, I made three whiskers on both his cheeks with eyeliner.

Using the lipstick once again, I was about to make a red smile, similar to what Joker had but the moment my fingers brushed his lips, I paused.

His lips were too soft to be real and I grazed them with my index and middle finger.

My body itched to close the gap between us and press my lips to his.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

How could I even think about kissing him?

Even if I wanted to, it would have been wrong to kiss him like this while he is asleep.

I shook my head, clearing away those weird thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

As I was done making that creepy smile, I took a picture of his face, trying not to laugh too hard.

I was about to take another picture when his fingers latched around my wrist and he half opened his eyes, staring straight at me. "What are you doing?" His voice sounded hoarse and sleepy.

I dropped my phone on the bed so as to not cause any suspicion and put on an innocent face. "Nothing. I...I was just waking you up."

"Hmm?"

I chuckled sheepishly and discreetly gathered my lipstick, eyeliner and phone and moved back.

Giving him one last look, I left the room and quickly sent that picture to our group chat with the caption: 'Happy Birthday to my dear husband.'

I was on the stairs when I heard him yell, "CHIARA!"

Oops.

I ran down the stairs and a moment later, he came down too, looking furious and extremely funny with that makeup.

I burst into laughter before running away and I heard him chase me.

I ran into the living room with him right behind me.

"Sorry!" I screamed as I jumped over the couch to get on the other side. "I swear I won't send it to anyone else."

With just the couch separating us, Ezekiel scowled at me but it only made me laugh harder and I pressed my palm against my mouth to stop it.

For a second his scowl vanished and mirth danced in his eyes, his lips twitching.

"Come here, wife." He demanded in a low voice.

"I said I am sorry, okay? But you gotta agree it was funny."

His eyes narrowed. "I'll show you just how funny it was." With that he jumped over the couch, crossing the distance between us.

With a shriek, I tried running away but he was too fast and he wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me back to him so that my back was pressed to his front.

I breathed heavily and tried to get out of his hold only for him to hold me even more firmly.

"I said I was sorry", I muttered in a last-ditch attempt.

"Too late for that", he whispered in my ear which sent a shiver down my spine.

And then he attacked me. Rubbing his cheek against mine, smudging up the makeup and then rubbing his nose too.

"Wait!" I said between chuckles because honestly, it was tickling when paired with his beard.

"Eeel, stop!" I laughed.

He next rubbed his mouth over my cheek trying to remove the lipstick but as his lips grazed my cheek, it made my heart skip a beat and a warm feeling spread through my body.

I stopped struggling as my body seemed to be enjoying having his mouth against our skin.

Only when he was satisfied, did he leave me.

As I turned around to face him, I noticed that his face now looked black and red which made him look even more funny.

But before I could make fun of that, he took out his phone and clicked my picture.

"No!" I jumped at him to snatch away his phone but he held it up and I watched as he sent that picture to the group chat, replying to his picture with my own, with the caption: 'Thank you, my lovely wife.'

I looked so horrible in that. My face looks the same as his.

"Now we are even." He said smugly, pocketing his phone.

"Fine, fine. I'll let this one slide since it is your birthday."

Then I stuck out my tongue at him.

His gaze darkened as they fell on my tongue, his jaw ticking and he stalked closer to me.

With his eyes fixed on my mouth, he placed his index finger under my chin and forced it close.

And for a second, he brushed his thumb over my lower lip before taking a step back and leaving from there leaving me confused.

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~~A Group Consisting Of Dumb People And Cyrus The Genius~~

(group chat name ^^)

Cyrus: Enjoying your honeymoon, I see😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭💀💀

Marcelo: 😂👍🏼 Happy Birthday, Ez

Lilith: lmao😂😂
Happy Birthday, Ezekiel 😂

Silvio: Happy birthday

Chiara: *replying to Cyrus* Yeah, we are definitely enjoying our honeymoon. By the way, your brother is the grumpiest person ever, I don't know how you handled him growing up.

Cyrus: lol, I know right. Anyway, happy birthday to Ezekiel, the Joker

Ezekiel: Wow, thank you for the heartfelt wishes, guys. Best birthday ever.

Cyrus: birthday at a beach house in Rome? I would say that's a fucking amazing birthday.

Ezekiel: It's a matter of company.

Chiara: I can read that 😒

Ezekiel: Good, you were supposed to.

Cyrus: by the way, shouldn't you guys be busy? 😏😏 What are you both doing here?

Chiara: EWW.

Marcelo: *replying to Cyrus* That's my sister!

*Silvio left the chat*

Cyrus: *replying to Marcelo* who is also a married woman now so what's wrong with them having sex?

*Marcelo left the chat*

*Ezekiel left the chat*

*Chiara left the chat*

Cyrus: What's wrong with you all? I guess it's just me and you now, babe @Lilith

*Lilith left the chat*

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My cheeks still burnt when I remembered what Cyrus casually said about Ezekiel and me having sex. That too in front of my brothers. He can be so blunt at times.

It was fair to say I didn't even bother glancing at Ezekiel during breakfast and lunch.

Cyrus threw a huge tantrum on how everyone left the group chat and he proceeded to add us all back again with Marcelo threatening to make Silvio delete the whole group chat if he says any nonsense again.

I sighed and put all those thoughts aside and rummaged through my clothes to find a bikini so that I could go out at the beach.

Ezekiel was already out on a lounge chair, working on his laptop under the shade of the umbrella.

After searching, I soon found the one I was looking for and I changed into it and as I looked into the mirror, my eyes widened.

I didn't realise how revealing and sexy it was when I bought it.

But I loved it and wondered what Ezekiel's reaction would be. Will he think I look hot in this?

Well, only one way to find out.

I grabbed a robe and threw it on and rushed down.

Walking out to the beach, I found Ezekiel busy on his laptop while sipping on some smoothie that looked too healthy for me.

As I reached him, I slowed my steps and put a sway to my hips and walked past him, towards the sea.

I could feel his gaze burning into my back and then with deliberate slowness, I undid the robe and let it fall down on the sand.

I turned around to look at him and he immediately started to cough as he choked on that smoothie. His eyes were wide in surprise and fixed on me. His drink paused halfway and he continued to cough.

Genuinely concerned, I moved closer to him. "Are you okay?"

He snapped out of it and placed the drink away on the small table and cleared his throat, his face looking flushed. "Yes."

As he calls himself a gentleman, I expected him to look away instead his eyes blatantly roamed over my body, lingering on my breasts and legs.

I felt my body heating up under his scrutinizing gaze and my breathing deepened.

Not able to withstand it anymore, I abruptly turned around. "I-I...I am going swimming."

Fuck.

What was I thinking? I didn't expect him to stare at me like that. Not that it made me uncomfortable, it was quite the opposite.

I have never felt so hot in my whole life.

To calm myself, I walked into the water, letting it cool me down.

Ten minutes later, I was floating on my back when I found Ezekiel standing at the edge and I watched him as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and let it fall beside my robe.

My breath hitched when I noticed his bare torso. He was neither too bulky nor too lean, just on the perfect side.

His muscles flexed as he made his way inside the water, his abs looking way too delicious.

I swallowed hard and removed my gaze from him as he approached me.

Feeling his eyes on my body, I stopped floating and ducked under the water so that only my face and neck were visible.

Silence engulfed us as we both remained in one place, his hazel eyes holding mine captive.

We remained like that for a long moment and then I opened my mouth to say something but at the same time, he splashed me with water, making it go inside my mouth.

Glaring at him, I spit out the water at him and rubbed my eyes.

He was laughing at me when I splashed him too making him glare back at me.

I shrugged. "You can't expect me to not retaliate when you do something like that."

He swam closer, his hand coming out to grab me but I quickly swam away.

And then he was chasing me again just like in the morning.

It continued for a few minutes before I swam closer to the shore. As soon as I stepped on the sand, he grabbed me from behind and threw me over his shoulder.

"Okay, okay! You win! Leave me!"

He pinched me on my thigh so I pinched him right back on his shoulder.

"It's my birthday. Shouldn't you be nice to me today?"

"Ha, nice my ass. Put me down."

Within a second, I found myself off his shoulder and in his arms instead as he grinned down at me mischievously. "Okay, I will put you down."

Oh, no. I knew what he was planning.

"No, no. Stop!"

But it was too late and he dropped me onto the sand, thankfully after lowering me a little bit so that I don't hurt myself.

"Ugh!" I got up but it was too late. I grabbed my wet hair strands which were now covered in sand. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to clean sand from my hair?"

Tears welled in my eyes due to frustration when I realised how long it will take for me to clean it.

He noticed my tears and his gaze softened and he dropped to his haunches next to me.

His warm hand cupped my cheek. "Hey. Are you seriously crying?"

Blinking, I looked away.

I heard him sigh softly and then I was in his arms again and he carried me inside the house.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled as he took me up to our bedroom.

Then inside the bathroom where he placed me inside the huge jacuzzi in the middle of the bathroom.

"Sit down." He told me.

Confused I sat down with my back to his and I felt his presence behind me as he sat down on the edge.

He grabbed the hand shower and turned it on, adjusting the temperature and then he was washing my hair.

Oh.

I couldn't turn my head to look at him since he held my head firmly, running the shower over my hair.

Oh my. He is not supposed to be this nice.

He ran his fingers through my hair, untangling it and washing each and every strand with great attention and care.

He grabbed the shampoo next and lathering it over his palms, massaged it into my hair.

My eyes rolled back as his fingers worked expertly through my hair.

Once satisfied, he washed away all the shampoo and then ran the shower over my body, washing away any remaining sand grains.

I was lost for words and simply followed his instructions as he made me stand up and then covered me in a bathrobe.

Taking another towel, he gently dried my hair and I couldn't stop staring at him.

When he was finally done, he met my eyes. "Hopefully, there aren't any sand grains left. I tried my best. You won't cry now, will you?"

I shook my head.

He smiled softly and ruffled my hair. "Good girl."