TEST DRIVE: A Night of Forbidden Desire

Vonda’s face turned even redder at Max’s comment. She could not believe how Max had managed to say something that made her feel so embarrassed and her face flushed with shame. She glared at him.

“You are so careless with your words. Do you want me to fry you?”

Max burst out laughing. “Hahaha, you’re something else. Just admit it, why don’t you? You’re even considering the more embarrassing option.”

Vonda huffed with a pouty expression. “You’re impossible!”

“Hahaha. Seriously, was that really hair? Because if it wasn’t hair, I’d be worried about getting itchy hands. Hahaha. Can you imagine me going to the doctor and being asked, ‘What is the cause of your itching, Sir?’ Hahaha! What would I say?”

“Are you sure you want me to fry you?” Vonda asked, picking up a pair of tweezers. “Do you?”

“Hahaha. Mercy, mercy, My Lady.”

Fighting back the laughter that threatened to burst out again, Max tried to focus his mind. He looked back at the contents of the frying pan.

“Um… it smells delicious. Did you make mozarella?”

At first Vonda did not want to answer the question, still embarrassed by the sink incident. She often washed her hair in the sink when she was pressed for time.

But as Vonda thought about Max’s personality, she realized that he wasn’t really trying to embarrass her. Besides, they were used to teasing each other, right? Although there was no need to go so far as to bring up the subject.

Taking a quick breath, Vonda replied, “I’m making mozarella stick. Um… something just occurred to me. Do you eat mozarella?”

“What do you mean?” Max asked. “Of course, I eat mozarella. What kind of people doesn’t eat mozarella?”

“It’s not like that. You might have an allergy. I’m just taking precautions.”

“If I have an allergy, I make sure it’s not a mozzarella allergy.”

Max grinned. He stood up to get a glass of cold water from the refrigerator, as if he was completely at home there, and then walked away.

“Could you take it up front? I want to eat and watch at the same time.”

Vonda was momentarily surprised by Max’s departure, leaving her alone in the kitchen, and then she burst out laughing.

“Sure thing, Sir!”

In fact, when Max came into the kitchen, Vonda was frying the last batch of mozarella stick. So, it did not take her long to finish.

When she finished frying, Vonda joined Max, who was already relaxing in front of the TV. She carried a tray with two plates of food, two small plates, a bottle of sauce, and a set of glasses filled with water.

Vonda shook her head in disbelief when she saw how relaxed Max was.

“Wow, wow, wow!”

Max straightened up from his relaxed position, his eyes shining as he greeted the tray that landed on the table. Without a word, Max immediately washed his hands, poured sauce onto a small plate, and grabbed a piece of mozarella stick.

“Mozarella sticks are usually enjoyed with marinara sauce instead of bottled tomato sauce.”

Picking up a chicken roll, Vonda grinned. “You’re already eating and still complaining.”

“Hahaha!”

A mozarella stick disappeared into Max’s mouth and he reached for a chicken roll. As he chewed, his eyes shifted to the news program on the television. Vonda clicked her tongue.

“Tsk! Life is already complicated and now you’re adding the news to it.”

Max grinned. “That’s why I watch the news. So, I can see that there are a lot of people whose lives are more complicated than mine.”

“Hahaha! That’s true, I guess.”

“Well, of course.”

“You know?” Vonda asked without waiting for Max to answer. “Actually, that’s why I watch horror movies.”

Max stopped chewing. His look seemed to change.

“So, I can see that there are a lot of people whose lives are scarier than mine. Hahaha!”

Max wiped his hands with a tissue before reaching for his drink and quenching his thirst.

“Stress.”

“But you already know I’m stressed.”

“Hahaha. That’s true, I guess.”

“All right. Instead of watching the news, let’s watch something else.”

Max, who was about to take another piece of mozarella stick, stopped immediately. He saw Vonda reaching for the remote control.

“What movie do you want to watch?”

At first, Vonda thought about suggesting a sci-fi movie to Max, but when he asked, she suddenly got a mischievous idea. That’s why her gaze changed and she stared at Max with a sinister aura.

“How about watching The Conjuring?”

Oh well, Max was stunned.

“You really have no manners, do you? I willingly helped you and this is how you repay me?”

“Hahaha. Yes! Let’s watch The Conjuring. Hahaha!”

Max was not going to let Vonda play that scary horror movie. He did not want to be paranoid every time he looked in his closet at night.

“Vonda!”

Just as Vonda was about to stand up, Max reached out and grabbed Vonda’s wrist.

“Huh? I was going to change the movie. Hahaha!”

Max held on to Vonda’s hand and gave her a stern look. “Don’t think I’m going to let you play that movie.”

“Hahaha!”

Laughing, Vonda tried to free her hand from Max’s tight grip. But she could not. She decided to pull her hand away, but Max held on even tighter.

“I won’t let go.”

Again, Vonda tried to free her hand and Max did the same. Then, in an instant, Max became even more frustrated by Vonda’s mocking laughter.

Without hesitation, Max increased his strength, and as a result, not only was Vonda’s hand pulled toward him, but her entire body was pulled toward him. Vonda did not know what was happening until a moment later when she realized that she had landed on Max’s body. She was completely on top of him, and one of her hands was on his chest, just above a small bulge under the thin fabric of his white shirt.

Vonda lowered her gaze and her eyes widened as they landed on Max’s nipple, the one she had touched. Her hand immediately felt as if it had been burned by hot charcoal.

Vonda immediately lifted her hand away. She held her breath as the sensation of Max’s nipple on her palm sent a jolt that made her heart race.

“Max.”

The weight of Vonda’s body he felt made Max blink. His hand, which held Vonda’s, suddenly felt weak. In addition, Vonda’s touch to his nipple made him swallow hard. It was a touch that seemed designed to make his body instantly tense.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Vonda.”

Their eyes locked. Without words to follow, there was only a silence that enveloped them. For a few moments, they remained in that position, as if they both agreed to maintain it. Vonda on top of Max, causing him to half-recline on the soft sofa.

A minute passed. Just their eyes searching each other. Then, in the next minute, it’s unclear who initiated or who moved first, but two pairs of lips met.

*