The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 328

Although Zane had a lot to drink, he wasn't completely incapacitated.

But he had made a promise to Elara, so he simply held her through the night, keeping his hands entirely to himself.

With the blackout curtains drawn tight and the sheer exhaustion of the holiday networking finally catching up to them, they slept deeply. They didn't stir until Zane's phone started buzzing relentlessly on the nightstand.

Zane answered with a groggy, gravelly, "Hello?"

Elara shifted, disturbed by the noise. She was about to speak when Zane quickly pressed a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.

The caller was Vivian.

Zane pulled Elara closer, wrapping her tight against his chest as he asked what she wanted.

Vivian didn't actually have a crisis. She was just fishing for details, desperate to know what Zane and Gideon had discussed the night before.

Her real motive was entirely about the capital injection.

The negotiations were progressing smoothly, but until the ink was dry on the contracts, her anxiety refused to let her rest.

"Mr. Whitaker, did I say anything totally out of line last night?"

"No," Zane lied effortlessly.

Vivian then immediately pivoted to interrogating him about the acquisition.

Zane had absolutely zero patience for this at the crack of dawn. "Vivian, I'm not sitting around with nothing to do. My team is handling the logistics. You just focus on getting ready for your study abroad program."

Vivian had no idea what a billionaire could possibly be so busy with first thing in the morning, but she took the hint. He was the boss holding the purse strings, after all. She politely ended the call.

Tossing the phone aside, Zane's thoughts immediately spiraled into dangerous territory.

The alcohol was completely out of his system, the morning sun was filtering through the cracks in the curtains, and the woman he was obsessed with was warm and pliant in his arms.

"I promise I won't do anything crazy."

"I'll just tease a little. I won't actually go all the way. Okay?"

It was the oldest, most transparent lie in the male playbook. No woman on earth actually believed it.

"Go take a shower first."

"I'm completely serious. I won't go all the way," Zane insisted.

He was practically vibrating with tension, yet still trying to sell her on restraint?

Elara hadn't intended to let things escalate, but they had crossed this line so many times before. With his weight pressing her into the mattress, playing coy now felt utterly pointless.

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