Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption

Chapter 296: A husband shirking his duties

Deborah quietly stepped out of the room after the cleaning, her eyes meeting Davis’s in a silent exchange. Emotions and unspoken words flickered between them—concern, hope, understanding and curiosity.

As the door clicked shut, Davis turned back toward Jessica who was sitting quietly on the bed with her head resting on the headboard, her gaze lowered.

He gently took the tray from the bedside table and began to arrange the dishes on the bed with dedicated precision and calmness.

The food had been carefully prepared by Deborah, who had spent the better part of the evening in the kitchen. There was a wide range of dishes—white soup, plantain pudding, a bit of jollof rice, some grilled drumstick, and a light pasta dish, topping it up with freshly diced fruit salad.

She had to make the food slightly spicy. Everything was in small portions to make it easier for her to taste.

Deborah had noticed some changes in Jessica over the last few days since she rejoined her at Davis mansion. Her skin looked more radiant and glowing, her body slightly fuller and her subtle unconscious attitude of caressing her stomach.

Though Jessica hadn’t said anything, a mother always knows. Deborah had her suspicions, but chose to remain quiet, allowing Jessica her space and the choice to announce it when she wants.

What troubled Deborah more was seeing Jessica walk into danger earlier that evening. When the chaos broke out, she felt her heart leap in fear. The risk would have been a costly one.

After carefully setting out the meal, Davis sat by the edge of the bed and dipped the spoon into the steaming soup. He brought it up gently to Jessica’s lips.

She stared at him silently, making no move to open her mouth. Davis arched a brow, his tone soft and coaxing. "What’s wrong?"

But she had offered no response, just staring at him.

He reached out with his free hand, placing the back of his palm gently on her forehead. Her skin felt warm, but not alarmingly so. Still, concern flickered in his eyes.

"You don’t like the food?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Jessica shook her head slowly. "That’s not it."

"Then you need to eat," he said firmly. "You’ve already used up so much energy. You can’t just skip meals like this."

She let out a soft sigh, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can I sleep first?"

Davis shook his head, his tone calm but firm. "No. You eat before you sleep."

Jessica pouted slightly, knowing there was no point arguing. Still, she couldn’t resist throwing a tantrum, her lips pouting.

"There’s still another way to feed someone." Davis smirked, the glint in his eyes shifting from worry to playful heat. His lips curled into a sly smile.

"Would you prefer I show you?" He whispered with a wink, his tone teasing.

Jessica’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She quickly averted her gaze, staring at the far end of the room, anywhere but at him. Davis chuckled softly. noveldrama

"Babe, what were you thinking? I didn’t even say anything yet. What if it was just a silly spoon plane or something innocent, like ....?"

Jessica couldn’t wait for him to finish, unable to take any more, she snatched the spoon from his hand and began eating quickly with exaggerated focus, her eyes locked on her plate.

Her heart pounded wildly, she could still feel the heat on her face betraying her calm facade and she didn’t trust herself to meet his gaze again so soon. She hadn’t expected such a simple flirt to unnerve her so thoroughly.

Davis chuckled, a deep rumble that vibrated through the room, seductive in its resonance.

Jessica tried to keep her mind on the food, but she could still feel his gaze on her and no doubt it was warm, gentle and probably seductive like his voice.

She looked up, intending to scold him, but her gaze landed on the sensual curve of his throat, just as his Adam’s apple shifted with a swallow.

The sight sent an unexpected jolt through her. Her breath caught. Heat spread rapidly through her chest and lower abdomen. An unexpected scene flashing across her thought, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Carefully, she set the tray on the bedside table. Davis paused his laughter, noticing her sudden seriousness. "What’s the—"

Before he could finish, she straddled him and gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"Hubby," she said in a low voice, her lips close to his ear, her breath brushing his neck. "I changed my mind. What was that other way?"

Davis looked up at her with a knowing smile, shifting slightly under her weight. "Have you ever heard the saying, ’Don’t play with fire’?" he teased.

He rolled them over gently so she lay beneath him, propping himself up on one elbow to support his weight. With his other hand, he brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face.

Jessica arched an eyebrow. "Or what?"

Her fingers traced a slow, tantalizing path down his forehead, over his nose, then trailed down to his lips, brushing lightly over them before moving down.

Her touch lingered as it moved to his chin, then to his neck, dipping to his throat. She let her fingers rest on his Adam’s apple, her gaze locked onto every feature of his face.

Davis’s breath hitched. Her fingers were soft but her touch was confident, teasing. He swallowed hard, the air between them thick with tension.

He grabbed her hand to stop her. Calmly, she retracted her hand. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips lightly, testing.

When he started to pull away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, her body pressing closer.

"Do you know the implication of what you’re doing, young lady?" he groaned against her cheek, desire swelling dangerously between them.

Jessica pulled back just enough to meet his gaze again. "Why don’t you tell me instead of asking?" she whispered, a challenging glint in her eyes.

Davis smiled, not surprised. Even from the earliest days of their marriage, Jessica had always been bold. She’d often taken the lead leaving him flustered, she was never afraid to speak her mind. But this—this level of temptation was on a different scale.

He took a deep breath, struggling to rein himself under control. But she leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow, but full of intent.

Davis tried to pull back, his concern bubbling to the surface, but she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him again—deeper, with a fierceness that caught him off guard.

He pulled away, his gaze gentle and warm. His hand moved down to rest protectively on her baby bump, his thumb caressing gently. "Shouldn’t you be resting? You ’re hurt, tired... and yet this?"

Her fingers drifted lower to his chest. She found the hard point of his nipple and let her hand rest there. Davis’s breath hitched, his body betraying him even as his mind tried to resist.

He sought every possible word to reason with her. "Wife," he said softly, "You’re tired, you’re healing, and we have a baby to think about.

She smiled, circling his neck with her arms. Staring into his eyes as it battles with emotion.

"Is this a husband shirking his duties?" she smirked, her voice low and teasing.

Davis found himself speechless. He couldn’t deny the desire building inside him, but he was also afraid of hurting her and the situation from before must have taken a toll on her.

Still, the look in her eyes told him she was serious. Even, daring him to back away. Her lips were parted, eyes dark with desire. She licked her lips slowly, his gaze following her actions and he felt his heartbeat echo through his entire body.

Holding her this close was already a test of self-control, but now? Now she was tempting him deliberately.

"Wife, Is that a challenge?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

He let his hand glide upward, gently cupping her boobs. Jessica gasped softly, leaning closer to him. Her skin felt warm under his touch.

"What can you do about it?" she murmured in his ears, her breath tickling his skin.

Davis let out a low laugh, the sound vibrating against her chest. "Don’t regret this," he whispered against her lips as he kissed her again, slower this time.

His hand moved with careful precision, avoiding her injured arm. He explored the soft curves of her body, committing every sensation to memory.

Jessica hadn’t expected that from teasing Davis, she had ignited this fire melting her thoroughly. She let herself melt into his embrace, his touch, surrendering completely, choosing to forget everything else for now.

In this moment, the world outside their door no longer mattered. The worries, the threats, the chaos—all faded into silence.

Leaving only their entangled bodies, hurried breaths, sensual feelings, and soft whispers lingering.

~Downstairs~

Ethan continued his grim work. The attackers were now tied up, their earlier attempts at suicide thwarted.

Ethan made sure their pain was slow and biting. They curled in agony, showing the same symptoms of the lady that attacked at the hospital.

But then, he wouldn’t let them off the hook easily.