Alicia reached her breaking point. “Quit it, will you?”

Caden stretched out his leg, hooked it around the leg of her chair, and pulled it closer to him.

Alicia jumped in surprise, instinctively shielding the soup.

Not a drop spilled.

But when she looked up, Caden’s face loomed right in front of hers.

That moment felt more terrifying than the thought of spilling the soup.

Caden kept a neutral expression, waiting for her next move.

Alicia felt paralyzed.

She couldn’t understand it. When she was a distance away from Caden, she often felt so infuriated by him that she wished she could strangle him.

But the moment they drew near, Alicia found herself captivated by his charm. A wave of dizziness swept over her.

Her body began to react on its own, especially her face.

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Her cheeks turned red and felt warm.

The heat radiating from her face betrayed her, revealing her nervousness to Caden.

It was mortifying.

Alicia attempted to escape, trying to push her chair back.

However, Caden extended his arm, pressing against the back of her chair, trapping her like a bird in a cage.

She was completely immobilized.

Caught in his grasp, she realized she was trapped.

Caden leaned in slightly. His warm breath brushed against her ear. “Are you thinking of escaping? Are you scared?”

The tone of his voice was chilling.

Yet, the warmth radiating from his body was unmistakable.

The stark contrast between his intimate posture and his stern demeanor was jarring.

Alicia found herself at a loss for where to direct her gaze.

“Why are you suddenly so angry?” Caden paused for a moment.

After a few seconds of silence, he replied in his usual calm tone, “Because you were too slow. I got impatient.”

Alicia stole a glance at him.

You should be grateful I haven’t hit you yet. Given our relationship, feeding you mouth-to-mouth feels like a punishment,” she said.

Caden let out a chuckle. “What relationship?”

Alicia didn’t know how to respond to that.

She honestly had no idea what their relationship was. Neither of them could stand the other, yet their sexual chemistry was undeniable.

Joshua stood as a giant obstacle between them, complicating everything with their tangled history. They weren’t friends, nor could they navigate a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement without discomfort. The situation was far too complicated, leaving her unsure of how to proceed.

Caden didn’t see the point in arguing with her.

He leaned back slightly and instructed, “Feed me.”

Alicia paused, sensing that escape wasn’t an option. Gathering her resolve, she finally took a sip of the pear soup.

Just as she leaned in closer, her lips quivered, and the soup slipped down her throat.

In the end, she gave up. “I can’t do this.”

Caden showed no signs of concern. “Why are you so on edge? You weren’t this shy when you were all over me before.”

Alicia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s completely different! I was acting that way because I was hammered!”

“You’re not drunk now. Your self-control should be intact. That means you shouldn’t feel nervous.” She had no response.

“Is it because of a lack of confidence?” He leaned in closer as he spoke. “Are you worried you might lose control and repeat your previous actions?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself!” she argued.

Caden scoffed. “So, what’s holding you back?”

Alicia found herself momentarily speechless. After a brief internal battle, she finally asked, “If I feed you, will you give me what I want?”

“Yes,” he replied simply.

Alicia took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed.

Caden’s gaze lingered on her glistening lips.

Even from this close, he couldn’t spot a single imperfection on her skin.

He felt an undeniable attraction toward her.

Adam’s apple bobbed as he added, “Shouldn’t you be the one closing your eyes? That way, you can pretend I’m Joshua.”

Alicia felt a surge of frustration. “Do you want the soup or not?” He was so chatty!

After that, Caden shut his eyes.

Alicia composed herself, took a sip of the soup, and leaned in closer to him.

Feeding him this way felt far more challenging than kissing.

Fortunately, Caden was accommodating.

As their lips met, he opened his mouth, making it easier for her to feed him the soup.

She scooped too much soup on her first attempt, revealing her lack of experience.

Neither of them could contain it, and a fair amount spilled out.

Caden used his tongue to catch the soup.

Alicia guided it into his mouth, and in the close quarters, their tongues inevitably brushed against each other.

The sweet flavor of the pear broth was delightful. He had expected the warmth from her mouth to be unpleasant.

Instead, it turned out to be surprisingly intoxicating.

He pressed his lips together and swallowed.

Once their tongues separated, Alicia instinctively licked the juice from the corner of his lips. She even cleaned a stain from his chin.

Caden’s body tensed at her unexpected action.

Realizing what she had just done, Alicia suddenly froze. “I didn’t mean to…” she stammered. “I just didn’t want to waste it.”

Caden stared at her more intensely.

He could feel his desire beginning to overwhelm him.

“You haven’t completely perfected the game of playing hard to get, but you’ve definitely become more adept at the art of seduction.”

Alicia felt her cheeks heat up. “No, I…”

She wasn’t trying to entice him at all.

Caden gritted his teeth, struggling to control his growing desire. “Keep going.”