Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86

I woke slowly, my body deliciously sore from the night before. Christian was still asleep beside me, one arm draped possessively around my waist, his face relaxed in a way he rarely allowed when awake.

I studied his features for a moment-the long lashes, the strong line of his jaw, the lips that, hours ago, traced every inch of my body. It was unfair that someone could be this beautiful, even in sleep.

As if sensing my gaze, Christian opened his eyes slowly, that intense gray-blue immediately locking onto me.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.

“Good morning,” I replied, inexplicably shy after everything we’d shared the night before.

He smiled, pulling me closer.

“Sleep well?”

“Once you finally let me sleep? Yes.”

His smile turned smug.

“I don’t remember hearing any complaints at the time.”

“You won’t either.” I laughed, feeling my cheeks heat.

Christian leaned in for a soft kiss on my lips, then settled back on his elbow, watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, his fingers tracing light patterns along my arm.

I hesitated. Physical intimacy between us had always been easy, natural. But there was something about morning-after vulnerability-about honest conversations in bed-that felt more intimidating than nakedness.

“I’m thinking…” I began, trying to sort out my thoughts. “I’m thinking that sometimes it feels like the only thing we really know how to do together is this.” I made a vague gesture, encompassing our tangled bodies.

His expression grew serious.

“You think we’re just… sex?”

“Not just,” I corrected quickly. “But it’s so much easier, isn’t it? When we’re like this, everything makes sense. It’s when we get out of bed that we turn into awkward strangers who can barely talk on the phone.”

Christian was silent for a moment, considering my words carefully.

“I think we’re still learning how to navigate this,” he said at last. “A whirlwind wedding, an intense honeymoon, and then… reality. It’s natural there’d be some adjustments.”

“Adjustments. That’s a polite way of putting it.”

He smiled, that crooked half-smile that always made my heart jump.

“Would you rather I say we’re completely lost?”

“That would be more honest.”

Christian laughed, a low, rich sound that seemed to vibrate between us.

“Maybe we are.” He touched my face gently. “But at least we’re lost together, aren’t we?”

There was a vulnerability in his eyes that caught me off guard.

“It’s just that…” I searched for the right words. “I don’t even know if we’re compatible outside the bedroom. You’re sophisticated, you speak multiple languages, you know rare wines and art and… I don’t know, international politics. And I’m just—”

“Smart,” he cut in, his tone firm. “Perceptive. Brave. Loyal. Funny, even when you don’t mean to be. Stubbornly determined. Genuine, in a world full of fakes.

I blinked, startled by the vehemence in his voice.

“You really think that?”

“I think that and so much more.” He took my hand, intertwining our fingers. “You underestimate yourself, Zoey. You always do. You see yourself as the ordinary girl who doesn’t belong in my world. But have you ever considered that maybe that’s exactly what I value most about you? That you’re not like everyone else in ‘my world’?”

A knot formed in my throat.

“You always had a way with words,” I managed, trying to disguise how deeply his words affected me.

“I’m not trying to be charming.” He sat up, pulling me with him until we were face to face. “I’m being honest. It’s not just sexual chemistry between us, Zoey. It’s much more. We just need time to figure out exactly what.”

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