Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 236

Alaric continued to ignore her, keeping his eyes firmly shut. He looked like a sulking toddler refusing to eat his vegetables.

Exasperated, Ivy moved behind the sofa and gently pulled his hands away from his temples.

"Let me massage it for you. It'll help," she offered.

Alaric cracked an eye open, finding Ivy's delicate face hovering right above him.

His first instinct was to snap at her to back off.

But the moment her incredibly soft hands began working the tension from his scalp, a wave of blissful relief washed over him.

Swallowing his harsh words, he surrendered, closing his eyes and letting her work her magic.

Ivy gazed down at him.

From this angle, she couldn't help but marvel at how breathtakingly handsome he was.

His bone structure was a masterpiece of sharp angles and masculine perfection—dark, sweeping brows, a strong aristocratic nose, and incredibly sensual lips.

He had the broad shoulders and towering physique of an athlete.

Add to that his undeniable brilliance and commanding presence.

Inside and out, the man practically radiated pure, intoxicating magnetism.

As she massaged his scalp, Ivy shamelessly drank in the sight of his flawless features.

Driven by a sudden, overpowering impulse, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his.

Instantly, Alaric's eyes flew open.

Caught red-handed, Ivy scrambled back, a furious blush rushing to her cheeks.

"I... I just thought you looked really handsome. I couldn't help myself," she stammered.

Mortified by her own boldness, she spun around and sprinted out of the room.

Alaric sat in stunned silence.

He didn't even watch her flee; his entire focus had shifted inward.

Usually, whenever Ivy initiated even the slightest contact, his body responded with immediate, undeniable hunger.

But just now, despite the fireworks going off in his mind from her kiss, there was zero physical reaction below the belt.

Had fighting off those illicit drugs actually triggered some permanent dysfunction?

Panic set in as Alaric realized the gravity of the situation. He bolted to his master suite and jumped into the shower.

He needed to figure out if his body still functioned properly.

Toweling off, he climbed into bed and texted Ivy.

"I just remembered something crucial I have to handle. You go back to what you were doing. I need to leave right now."

With that, he practically leaped off the bed and started pulling on his clothes.

Ivy sat there, completely baffled.

His erratic behavior made absolutely no sense.

He was the one who had demanded this.

Why would he initiate everything, only to abruptly shut it down the second she enthusiastically participated?

Ivy wasn't stupid. She immediately connected the dots.

Not wanting to wound his fragile masculine pride, she simply smoothed down her rumpled clothes and said gently,

"Alright. Stella should be waking up from her nap soon anyway. I'll go check on her."

She quickly slipped out of the room.

Left entirely alone, Alaric was swamped by a suffocating wave of utter humiliation.

Had the chemical restraint really broken him?

Not daring to waste another second, he grabbed his keys and sped to the hospital for a full physiological evaluation.