The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 379

He was more than happy to have her 'intrude' on his life.

Winona still felt incredibly out of her depth.

"I should really head back. All my makeup and stuff are at my apartment."

Stefan nodded thoughtfully. "Send me a list of your preferred skincare and makeup brands later. I'll have Samantha buy duplicates to keep here."

Winona stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

Panic flared slightly as she backpedaled. "I... I'm not ready to move in together yet."

She really didn't want them to rush things this fast.

"It's not moving in," he corrected gently, a soft smile touching his lips. "I just want you to be comfortable whenever you're in my space. We need to spend time together to actually learn about each other, don't we?"

Winona realized she had completely jumped the gun. She cleared her throat. "Right. I can just buy that stuff myself... And, I mean, you can bring some of your things over to my place too..."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I have an open invitation to come over whenever I want?"

His tone was perfectly casual, yet it felt dangerously like a flirtation.

"Um, sure. I'm going to go shower now."

She tried to make a quick exit, but he caught her wrist. His gaze swept over her face, soft and unbearably intense.

"I might be a bit greedy, but I want you to rely on me more. Ms. Jowett, this is my first time actually being in love. My hormones are currently running the show, and I'm probably going to be extremely clingy. I'm hoping you can adapt quickly."

She had never anticipated that the untouchable, ruthlessly cold CEO would turn into an absolute romantic menace behind closed doors. Even though she was the one who had been married, she realized she was completely outmatched.

"Got it."

She practically fled out the front door.

After finishing breakfast, Stefan sat at the table waiting for her.

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Winona.

*Running late! I'm skipping breakfast and heading straight to the office.*

Stefan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It seemed it was going to take some time for her to adapt to being his girlfriend.

When Winona arrived at her desk, she realized her stomach was empty. She dug a packet of crackers out of her bag and washed it down with some milk.

He had cooked it.

Forcing her expression to remain entirely neutral, she typed back: *It's delicious.*

Stefan: *Next time, just eat at my place. It's not great to keep making Samantha run errands for us.*

Winona: *...*

That evening, Winona turned down Stefan's dinner invitation and had fondue with Rhea at her apartment.

"You guys just made it official! You should be practically glued to each other. Why are you avoiding him?" Rhea asked through a mouthful of food.

Winona couldn't quite articulate the chaotic mess of feelings in her chest.

"It's a 'me' problem. Every time I look at him, I get so nervous I can't think straight. And the way he acts... he does not seem like a guy who has never dated before."

Rhea laughed so hard she nearly choked. "He doesn't act like it's his first time, but *you* certainly do! Weren't you this nervous when you first started dating Yulen?"

Winona thought back. "I met Yulen right after I joined the Locke Group. You know how it was—I dealt with a lot of harassment in college, so I had zero interest in dating or men in general. Yulen chased me for a very long time before he wore me down. We practically jumped straight into marriage and settled into a routine almost immediately..."

Rhea nodded sagely. "So, when you started dating Yulen, there was no raw, physical chemistry. But with Stefan, the physical attraction is off the charts. Winona, that's completely normal! That intense, butterfly-inducing panic fades once you get comfortable. When I had my first major crush, I was exactly like that. Give it three months, and you'll be perfectly fine around him."