Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

Chapter 937 35: Sort of a Date

Lia Aiken held the large bouquet of roses given to her by Ivan Horne and noticed Charlotte Lewis smiling at them from a distance. Her pretty face flushed with a hint of shy color, making Ivan's gaze deepen even more, especially when his eyes landed on her pink lips, which made him feel thirsty and eager to taste their softness.

This thought gave Ivan a scare.

Before meeting Lia, he always considered himself a very rational and restrained man with little desire. He had never felt such longing for any woman before, which is why those who tried to use beauty to get close to him always failed.

Turns out, he wasn't a man with few desires—it was just that he hadn't met the right person yet.

Meeting the right person made his emotions develop extremely quickly, so much so that it surprised even him.

Of course, Ivan really wanted to taste Lia's red lips, but not now. The timing wasn't mature enough; Lia hadn't even agreed to be his girlfriend yet.

"Why did you buy me flowers?"

Lia's sweet voice had a hint of shyness, and she couldn't believe she had said those words.

She thought of herself as a woman who didn't understand shyness.

Ivan's eyes crinkled in a smile, his voice magnetic as he responded to her sweetness. "Last time, that bouquet was somewhat meant for another little girl; this one is different."

Lia understood his deeper meaning and looked up to meet his deep black eyes, she smiled, "Thank you."

"May I invite you to dinner?" Ivan, like a gentleman, asked after giving fresh flowers to the beauty.

Lia playfully smiled, "If someone invites me to dinner, I'd naturally be happy to accept."

Ivan liked her playfulness very much. When they first met, she was poised and composed; it was only after spending time together that he got to see her playful side.

As Ivan gazed at her with such heartfelt intention, Lia blushed, but she didn't shy away, boldly meeting his gaze with her large, bright eyes twinkling like stars in the night, illuminating his heart.

"Ahem ahem—"

Charlotte Lewis lightly coughed twice, interrupting their eye contact as she approached with a smile, "Lia, I promised my husband I'd be home for dinner later, so you understand."

"Charlotte,"

With Charlotte teasing her openly, Lia's face immediately turned red.

Ivan, however, remained as composed as ever, though his gaze never strayed from Lia.

His actions and expressions reassured Charlotte.

Charlotte Lewis practically "pushed" the two out the door.

Sitting in Ivan's car, Lia asked him, "Where are we going for dinner?"

She was holding the bouquet, which was so large that it felt a bit cumbersome inside the car. She thought of putting it in the back seat but couldn't bear to part with it, so she ended up keeping it on her lap in the front passenger seat.

Ivan observed her every move, a smile evident in his eyes.

Although she hadn't answered whether she'd be his girlfriend, her actions had already given him his answer.

Ivan knew she wouldn't make him wait long. She was intelligent and straightforward, never dragging things out unnecessarily, which suited him well since he had no time to waste on long pursuits.

Despite thinking he wouldn't have much time for romance, Ivan later always found ways to spend plenty of time with Lia. It was during this time that he truly understood that loving someone means valuing them above all else.

"When I arrived, I asked around. T City has many Gourmet Streets. I'll take you to one tonight, and we can explore another one tomorrow night." Ivan planned to take her to Gourmet Streets, just as they had done the evening before he returned from a business trip, because Lia loved simple, everyday life.

Even if we only ate small snacks, seeing her eat with such enjoyment and satisfaction made Ivan's own appetite grow.

Lia turned to look at him, teasingly saying, "This isn't G City. A lot of people here recognize you. Aren't you worried about being photographed by entertainment reporters and appearing in the gossip news?"

Ivan also turned his gaze to her, looked deeply into her eyes, and then turned back to the road, hinting, "If you're not afraid, why should I be?"

Lia quickly understood what he meant.

As if worried that Lia might overthink, Ivan said, "Lia, rest assured, I'm clean and haven't been emotionally stirred by anyone else but you."