When My Ex's Worst Enemy Became My Sanctuary novel Chapter 61

The easy closeness between them wasn’t enough to put Pauline at ease. She didn’t bother with small talk. “Latham, you’re a good man. I liked you the first time we met. But I just heard something… They say you like men. Is that true? If it is, why marry my Dorothea?”

The room went quiet, the tension thick in the air.

Dorothea stood off to the side, her face pale.

Latham finally understood where all the trouble was coming from today. He gave a low, amused laugh. “Looks like I haven’t been clear enough.”

His hand, which had been resting on Dorothea’s shoulder, drifted up to her cheek. He tipped her chin up gently with his fingers and, before Dorothea could process what was happening, he leaned down and kissed her.

The kiss was intense and left no room for doubt.

Caught off guard, Dorothea instinctively clenched her teeth, trying to shield herself. That only lasted a moment before Latham’s tongue lightly pressed her lips apart, deepening the kiss. A rush of heat swept through her, leaving her senses spinning.

Dorothea stood frozen, eyes fluttering shut, her whole body trembling as his scent wrapped around her.

When the kiss finally broke, Latham only pulled back a little, his thumb brushing over her now burning cheek.

He turned to Pauline, a small, confident smile on his lips. “Grandma, do you still think I like men?”

The last rays of sunset caught his sharp profile, and the silver ring on his finger glinted for a moment in the orange light.

There was a real possessiveness in Latham’s gaze, so intense that Dorothea almost doubted her own reality.

He shook his head, almost teasing. “I’d never blame you, Grandma. If I did, who knows what Dorothea would do to me when we get home.”

At last, between the two of them, they managed to settle Pauline’s nerves.

Dorothea quietly reminded the nurse to keep a close watch on her grandmother that night and to call her right away if anything changed.

Latham sent the nurse a generous tip, and she promised to be extra attentive.

Later, in the car, Dorothea couldn’t bring herself to look at Latham. That had been her first real kiss. Even back when she and Albert were secretly together, they’d never gone that far.

Latham noticed how pink her ears were and leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “So, Dorothea, are you upset because you kissed a supposed gay guy? Or are you just sad it didn’t last longer?”