Midnight Bride The CEO’s Temptation

From his bed in the next room, Nathan could hear every word that Eric and Crystal had said, and from what he heard, he was able to glean the truth: Eric had planned to torture him, but the plan had backfired, and Eric had gone from being the bully to being the victim.

Nathan let out a laugh so deep that it caused his chest to vibrate. He had not laughed so heartily in a long time. His laugh was so loud that it echoed off the castle walls, and each gale was like an ice pick in Eric's ears.

"Nathan!" Eric shouted. "Get your chuckles in while you can because I will have the last laugh. You may have won this battle, but I will win the war!"

"You are hilarious." Nathan smirked and said, "The war is over, and I am the victor."

"You're the victor?" Eric scoffed. "I have won. She has married me, and now she is my wife. Are you such an idiot that you cannot see that?"

"I am no idiot," Nathan replied. But maybe you are blind. Surely, you realize that Crystal can divorce you whenever it pleases her to do so. Personally, I think that day is just around the corner. Then it will be just her and me like it was before. Besides, with all the spunk I dumped inside her last night, she might already be pregnant with my child."

Crystal watched silently as the two men argued. They were acting like children, and it was a struggle to keep from laughing. She felt very dirty, and she did not want to get pulled into their little squabble. She wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Finally, she was sure that they were not paying attention to her. She made her way to the bathroom, closed the door behind her, and quickly took off her soiled clothing.

Once she was in the bathtub and the water was running, she allowed herself to relax. She did not know what would happen next, but from this safe place, she was able to gather her thoughts without having a panic attack.

After everything that Eric had done, she thought he deserved what he got and more, so she decided that she would not allow him to retaliate against Nathan. It hadn't even been Nathan's fault. The dr*gs had come from Eric and Paul, but she knew that her new husband would not willingly accept responsibility for his actions.

She did not know if Paul was home. She thought - If he is, I must figure out a way to drive him out as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he will release Eric. If that happens, I will be the one in trouble...

Her thoughts returned to Eric and Nathan, and she giggled. They were both subdued and helpless, yet they sounded like powerful overlords from the way they argued. It was all false-bravado, and it was hilarious.

Crystal waited until they quit fighting before getting out of the tub. She dried off and dressed in the bathroom, and when she came out, Eric looked at her and said, "Darling, you've finished bathing. I can smell your peach-scented shower gel. Come over and let me get a better whiff of your beautiful hair."

"Thanks, but no thanks!" Crystal grimaced.

"You owe me some rewards." He smiled and said, "You should let me go..."

"What do you know about what I should and shouldn't do?" Crystal asked. She raised her eyebrows. "I think I should do what I want, and what I want right now is to keep you chained to that bed."

Eric's ire began to rise. His face turned red from anger, and he said, "You are making a mistake. Trust me, you do not want to make me angry."

"Is that so?" Crystal asked. "And why is that? I don't care if you get angry. Especially now. So, go ahead and do your worst!"

There was a special incense in Nathan's room, and Crystal brought it into Eric's room, and when he saw it, his eyes went wide. It had the power to make people weak and light-headed.

"Please..." Eric whined. "Mrs. Bush, why are you treating me this way?"

"Revenge," Crystal replied. "This will do what you did to me. Don't you know that turnabout is fair play?"

Nathan resumed his laughter in the next room, and they both turned their heads. "How does it feel to be victimized by your own wife?" Nathan wondered.

"It feels so great!" Eric snarled. "This is what couples do for fun. I am not surprised by your ignorance."

"Nice try." It had been a long time since Nathan had this much fun teasing someone. "Now," he continued. "Why don't you send your wife over so that she can clean my body."

"No way!" Eric turned to Crystal and said, "Darling, I'm hungry. Can you fix something for me to eat?"

"I don't think so," Crystal replied. "Get some sleep, and I'll bring some food later." After speaking, she went into Nathan's room and closed the door behind her.

Nathan's eyes brightened when he saw her. "C-C-Crystal..." he happily stuttered. "You cho cho-choose me!"

Crystal sighed. "Don't get your hopes up. I didn't cho-cho-chose either of you." She checked to see what he needed, and as she walked to the door that led to the hallway, she said, "Have a good rest. I will send a servant to bathe you and care for your wounds. Someone else will come with some food."

Nathan frowned and said, "I will only allow you to touch my body."

Crystal looked to the sky and addressed God. "Why must all men be so irrational?" she asked. She waited a moment to see if He would reply, and then she opened the door and walked out.

Nathan felt his energy slip away as he watched Crystal leave. At the last moment, he said that he loved her, but she did not hear him. A servant closed the door behind her, and he was left alone with his thoughts.

His brow furrowed, and he closed his eyes.

He had not realized how tired he was, and as he slipped into a deep sleep, a voice in his head said, "We've got to find our way back into her good graces and then to her heart."

And in his dreams, all was well.