Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Tarquin wanted to say he got them from his own florist, but realizing Elysia didn't know about the flower shop he had bought for her, he hesitated. Just like the 2% share he had acquired from Gideon to give to her, he hadn't found the courage to tell her yet.

Seeing the puzzled look on her face, Tarquin cleared his throat and tried to lighten the mood, "Good looks come for free, you know."

Elysia rolled her eyes, but Tarquin quickly added, "Why don't you relax? I'll handle dinner tonight and call you when it's ready."

He took off his coat, hung it by the door, and slipped into some house shoes before grabbing a bag full of groceries and heading into the kitchen.

He knew Blossom wouldn't be coming home tonight; she had told him herself. After their chat, they had agreed to be 'just friends', and Blossom was all for him pursuing Elysia.

Elysia watched his tall figure move, stealing another sniff of the roses and chuckling to herself, feeling a burst of joy.

She placed the roses on the TV stand and decided to join him in the kitchen to help prepare dinner.

Tarquin had already rolled up his sleeves and was tying on an apron.

Seeing Elysia enter, he didn't hesitate to ask for help, "Can you give me a hand?"

Without any fuss, Elysia stood behind him, each hand taking one of the apron strings and tying a neat bow at his back.

She then picked up an apron for herself, but just as she was about to tie it at her back, Tarquin stepped closer, his tall frame enveloping her.

Elysia's heart skipped a beat, her first instinct was to flee, but Tarquin's hands were firm on her waist, "Stay still."

Her breathing quickened.

The warmth of his palms sent tingles across her body, "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping you with the apron."

"I can do it myself."

"It's only fair. I don't owe you anything."

His hands stayed put, firmly on her waist, as his Adam's apple bobbed with nervous tension.

Elysia felt her heart pounding out of her chest, her face flushed with a deep red, half expecting him to embrace her.

But he simply secured the apron around her waist and went back to his cooking without another word.

Elysia was left wondering if he was acting strangely or if her thoughts were too impure.

Thankfully, Blossom's timely phone call gave her an excuse to escape.

"I need to take this call from Blossom. You carry on," Elysia said, taking her phone and rushing back to her room, while Tarquin watched her go, swallowing hard.

He knew he was close to losing control just now. His desire for her was growing stronger by the day.

Meanwhile, across the hall.

A nurse was tending to Keith's wounds, chatting away, "Ms. Thorne's husband sure is intimidating. You should have seen his look; scared me to death! That man doesn't seem like someone to mess with, Keith. I'd keep my distance if I were you. He doesn't seem too happy about Ms. Thorne talking to you."

Keith sat expressionless on the couch, a cold look in his eyes.

"How do you know he's her husband?" he asked suddenly.

The nurse paused, "Isn't he? I heard Ms. Thorne's kid calling him 'daddy'."

Keith's reply was cryptic, "For now, maybe. But not for long."

"Huh?" The nurse clearly didn't catch on.noveldrama

Keith, with a calm demeanor, said, "Prepare dinner, please. I'll manage on my own."

The nurse hesitated, "Are you sure? You're still in a cast."

"I'll be fine."