[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-394":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},394,46,"Chapter 46: The Price of a Sip","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell was a total menace when he’d been drinking. A clingy, relentless menace.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt her throat go dry, a strange, frantic heat rising in her chest. She shifted in his arms, her voice barely a whisper. \"I need to get some water.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn’t let go. His knee stayed firmly wedged between her legs, pinning her in place. At her words, he let out a reluctant sigh, his grip loosening just enough for him to stand up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna blinked, confused. \"Where are you going?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"To get water.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh,\" she said, trying to sound casual. \"Are you thirsty too?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No,\" Maxwell replied, his expression entirely too earnest for someone who had just finished a bottle of bourbon. \"I just wanted to keep you company.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stared at him. She honestly couldn't comprehend how he managed to say things like that with such a straight face.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Down in the kitchen, Arianna opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of ice-cold water. Room temperature wasn't going to cut it tonight. The frigid liquid slid down her throat, dousing the wildfire in her veins. She polished off half the bottle in one go, then turned to grab another, offering the unopened one to him. \"Do you want some?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell nodded, but he didn't reach for it. He just stared at her, his gaze heavy and simmering with a tenderness that made her knees feel weak.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Can I have the one you're holding instead?\" he asked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna froze. That was the bottle she’d just been drinking from—the one still damp with her lip print.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His eyes were glazed, the corners reddened from the alcohol, and his hair fell softly across his brow. He looked like a giant, obedient golden retriever, all soft edges and expectant eyes, with the kitchen light casting long, gentle shadows across his face.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She felt an overwhelming urge to reach out, to card her fingers through his hair, to touch his ears. She killed the thought instantly, crushing it before it could take root.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She couldn't let things go further. If this continued, she was going to end up doing something she’d regret by morning. They were a dangerous mix: a tipsy, seductive siren and a gullible fool who couldn't resist a shred of temptation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She stepped back, her resolve hardening. \"No. You drink the new one.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn't argue. He obediently took the unopened bottle and tried to twist the cap. But with his coordination shot, he fumbled with it, his fingers slipping uselessly against the plastic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Finally, Arianna couldn't take it anymore. She snatched the bottle from him, twisted the cap off with a sharp snap, and handed it back. \"There. Drink.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Thanks,\" he murmured.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Watching him, a sudden, inexplicable laugh bubbled up in her chest. It was so surreal. She had never seen this side of the cold, untouchable Maxwell King—the side that pouted, complained, acted unreasonable, and clung to her like he was afraid she might evaporate. She regretted not having her phone on her to record it all, just so she could play it back for him in the morning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell took a few gulps, capped the bottle, and handed it back to her. \"I finished my water.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna took it. \"Good for you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Is there a reward?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna paused. \"A what?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I drank the water, just like you asked,\" he said, his voice thick with a mixture of mischief and sincerity. \"Do I get a reward?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"...\" Since when had she asked him to do anything?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna let out a helpless laugh. \"What kind of reward do you want?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell looked at her, his eyes dropping straight to her lips, which were still glistening with water. His voice dropped, low, magnetic, and rasping with alcohol. \"Can I kiss you again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was mid-sip. She nearly choked, forcing herself to swallow. \"You want to what?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Can I kiss you?\" he repeated, his tone identical—earnest, calm, and maddeningly direct.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna wanted to scream. Was he actually drunk, or was this some kind of sick joke?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No,\" she said, refusing him flatly. \"Absolutely not. No more kissing.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Why?\" Maxwell tilted his head, watching her with agonizing patience. \"You seemed to enjoy it earlier.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was speechless. She scrambled for a defense, her heart hammering against her ribs. \"I did not enjoy it! How could you even tell? Stop saying ridiculous things, Maxwell. You’re drunk, and I’m letting this slide, so don't you dare push your luck.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell smiled, a faint, lopsided thing. \"But you closed your eyes.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A direct hit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna went silent. Under his mocking gaze, she steeled herself. \"And? That doesn't mean anything. Can't I blink?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Sure you can.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Exactly,\" she muttered, though she couldn't stop the memory from flooding back: his lips, soft and warm, the way his breath had tangled with hers, that electric, feather-light sensation that left her skin tingling. It wasn't a kiss with an agenda; it was a kiss that dripped with pure, unfiltered yearning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">By the time she snapped back to reality, Maxwell had crossed the gap between them. He stood before her, looming slightly, but he didn't feel threatening. He looked at her with such gentle, doting devotion that it felt like he was the one serving her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. \"What are you thinking about?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Nothing. Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed?\" She blurted it out, desperate to change the subject.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn't let her off the hook. \"Is it okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What?\" she played dumb.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"To kiss you.\" His fingertip traced the shell of her ear, slow and deliberate. \"Is it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stopped breathing. She could feel the heat radiating off her own earlobe. She forced a steady tone. \"And what if I say no?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell paused, his finger stilling. He leaned in, studying her face for a long, silent moment before he spoke. \"Arianna, you're blushing.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He gave her earlobe a soft, playful tug. \"And here, too. Your face is giving you away.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna closed her eyes in defeat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This time, Maxwell didn't bother asking for permission. He bent down, his cool fingers sliding to the back of her neck, and pressed his lips firmly against her eyelids.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna’s eyes flew open. *Did he just... kiss my eyes?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She didn't dare move. She felt the warmth of his lips against her skin, a soft, slow pressure. Then, he moved to her nose, her cheek, and finally, he settled on her lips.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was slow and careful, as if he were handling something fragile, something priceless. To keep her from tensing up, his fingers gently traced the edge of her ear, over and over again. It was a more patient, more agonizingly slow rhythm than before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The kitchen was dark, lit only by the distant, glittering glow of the chandelier in the living room. He had her cornered against the counter, but he didn't use any force. She could have shoved him away at any moment, yet her hands hung uselessly at her sides.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell kept his eyes closed, pressing his lips to hers, then drifting to her cheeks and brows, only to return to her mouth, again and again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He let out a soft, contented sigh, his lips brushing against her ear. \"Arianna, you're so sweet.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was dizzy, her voice trembling. \"What?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You,\" he whispered.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272906744]