Ivory (Roses Trilogy #1)

Chapter 05

"Good morning."

Reiven greeted me right after I stepped out of my room. I still have my nightgown on and my eyeballs almost fell from its place when I saw him topless and fresh from the shower. It's four in the morning and I got blessed too early. I cleared my throat and flashed a smile to him, trying my best not to look at his naked upper body in front of me.

"Hey," I said in a low voice and guided myself to the kitchen.

I poured water for myself and drank it straight. Reiven entered the kitchen wearing a plain white shirt and gray sweatpants. It looks like he didn't bother to fix his damp hair, letting some of its strands fall on his forehead. He went straight to the refrigerator to look for something to cook.

I raised a brow at him when he suddenly looked at me. "Why?"

He closed the door and leaned his back on it with his hands in his pockets. "We need groceries."

"Should I call Manang Percy?" I asked him. Manang Percy is the most trusted maid in their household. Reiven's mother asked her to look after us as well. Ever since then, she buys our groceries that will last for a few months.

I placed the glass on the countertop. "I'll go get my phone and call her."

"Don't call her." Reiven stopped me. He took the glass I used and poured some water in it. I watched how he brought the glass to his lips and my eyes followed how he swallowed the water.

Reiven didn't take his eyes off of me while he drank. When he put the glass down, he licked his lower lip and glanced at my nightgown. "Get dressed. We're buying groceries."

Oh. I just found myself inside the shower, still surprised that Reiven wanted us to buy our groceries. We have never done that before, and I couldn't believe that he initiated it. I was too much in wonderland that I didn't notice how long I was inside the shower. I haven't washed my hair yet!

My eyes widened when I heard a knock from my bathroom door. I turned the shower off only to hear Reiven's voice from outside.

"You're taking so long. Are you done?" there's a hint of annoyance in his voice. He probably got impatient waiting for me, which I understand. It's my fault! I was not in focus!

I didn't want to lie to him, and I needed at least fifteen minutes more to bathe myself properly. "I'm almost done! Uhm, fifteen minutes or twenty more?"

"What? What the heck are you doing inside, Flora?" he sounds so frustrated. I closed my eyes and stopped myself since I wanted to peek outside and apologize to him.

"Just... just wait for me! I'll make it quick!" I shouted back while scrubbing my body.

I didn't hear him say anything after that, so I turned off the shower again. Did he say something, or did he left already? I sighed and was about to turn the shower on when I heard his voice.

"Make it quick, or I'll go inside to bath you myself."

I felt my face heated after that. I looked at the closed door, trying to imagine him outside with his gorgeous, annoyed face. Since when did he start telling me those kinds of things? He was never like that for the past three years of our marriage.

Thinking he's still outside my bathroom door, I spoke. "You can't just do that."

"Why not?" I heard him say. "I'm your husband."

I looked at the door again and stared at it for a moment. Does he even know that we've never done that? So, how come he's so confident to say he would bathe me himself if we never came to the point of doing it?