Taylor's pushy and unreasonable behavior left Leonora both anxious and furious. "Put me down; I can walk on my own," she demanded, quickly wriggling out of his arms.
She wasn’t a kid; she didn’t need to be carried around. If he really cared, he'd let her go! Instead of sneaking around, making her his secret lover, just to share his bed in the middle of the night.
Once free from Taylor’s grip, Leonora marched towards the elevator without saying a word.
Taylor locked the car and followed behind her, noticing the tail of her pajamas swaying. He chuckled and teased, "You seem pretty familiar with the way."
Leonora shot back, "I've walked it so many times I could do it in my sleep."
To make these late-night visits easier, Taylor had bought an apartment close to Leonora's place, in the nicest neighborhood around.
With her hair a tangled mess, Leonora pressed the elevator button in silence. Soon, they reached the 18th floor. Leonora stepped out first, heading straight for Taylor’s door.
Her demeanor said it all; Taylor didn’t need to ask. She wanted to get this over with and go home.
He watched as she keyed in the door code, changed into slippers, and then, without warning, he pinned her against the wall, kissing her passionately—more intensely and dominantly than before.
With her hands trapped against the wall and sensing Taylor’s intense mood, Leonora tensed up, shutting her eyes tight.
Seeing her discomfort, Taylor held her hands still but paused, softening his tone, "Look at me. Don’t frown."
Despite the gentleness in his voice, Leonora couldn’t help but fear him. At his command, she opened her eyes, trying to relax her furrowed brows.
As their gaze locked, Taylor’s kisses enveloped her once more.
He let go of her right hand, his strong grip moving to her waist, slightly tickling her.
"Mmm..." A muffled moan escaped Leonora as Taylor’s lips traced down to her chest.
"Wrap your arms around me," Taylor commanded softly.
Obediently, Leonora embraced him.
Feeling her compliance, Taylor suddenly lifted her off the ground and carried her to the bedroom.
Afterward, seeing Leonora in tears on the bed, Taylor lit a cigarette, chuckling while gently ruffling her hair, "Wasn’t it enjoyable? Why the tears now?"
Leonora turned her face away, ignoring his teasing.
Trying to console her, Taylor said, "Alright, alright, my fault. I’ll be gentler next time."
His words chilled Leonora to the core. Is there ever going to be an end to this? She wanted to confront Taylor but feared his reaction based on past experiences. It would only lead to more tears.
They weren’t in a legitimate relationship. Taylor wasn’t with her out of affection, and she knew they were worlds apart.
She wanted out but felt powerless against Taylor.
Laying there, pondering for a while, Leonora didn’t dare provoke him by suggesting an end to their relationship. Instead, she cautiously proposed, "Can you not rush next time? Maybe use some protection, to avoid pregnancy?"
The mention of pregnancy piqued Taylor’s interest. He extinguished his cigarette, eyeing her with a curious smile, "And why would that be bad? Don’t you want to be a mom?"
Taylor, a year older than his friend Jason, who already had two kids, along with Bryce, couldn’t deny the occasional longing for fatherhood, despite his usual indifference towards children.
"Taylor, do you even hear yourself?" Leonora stared at him, dumbfounded. Of course, she wanted to be a mother, especially at 26. But not with Taylor’s child!
Two years ago, after their first night together, he warned her against getting pregnant, threatening her well-being. He would never let her keep a child, and she didn’t want to either.
Today’s conversation was baffling. Taylor seemed almost delusional. With a perplexed look at Taylor, Leonora felt utterly lost.
"If it happens, let's keep it," Taylor said, casually touching her neck.
Silence fell between them. Was he feeling the weight of years, yearning for a child now? But she couldn’t comply. If she were to get pregnant and keep the baby, Taylor would likely send her away with money, severing any ties she might have with her child.


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