Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously-Chapter 198: Teasing game

His towel sat low on his hips, revealing the sharp V of his torso, beads of water sliding down the ridges of his abs. His skin glistened under the glow of the sunlight streaming through the window, every drop tracing a lazy, magnetic path down his chest. His dark hair was tousled, damp strands clinging to his forehead, giving him a rugged, just-roused charm that made Anne’s pulse stumble.

Anne’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as if she were watching him for the first time.

He looked at her with that boyish grin that lit up his face, softening the raw masculinity of his body. The contrast was disarming—hard lines and gentle eyes, strength and softness woven into one.

Muscles flexed subtly beneath his skin as he raked a hand through his damp, tousled hair, sending a few drops scattering. His biceps, strong and well-shaped, tightened with the motion.

Anne’s breath trembled as her eyes traveled from the droplets that kissed his collarbone to the small rivulets streaming down his side. The quiet air between them charged with a sudden intensity, and she could feel the heat blooming beneath her skin again.

Her fingers tightened around the towel, but she didn’t move, captivated by the sight of him. She had seen him a thousand times before, but something about this moment made him feel impossibly new, as if she were seeing Augustine for the very first time. And she couldn’t look away.

Anne’s heart skipped a beat as Augustine’s grin deepened. She blushed as she realized she had been gawking at him for quite a long time. Lowering her head, she turned to walk away.

"Were you trying to run away?" His tone curled around her like silk, coaxing her body to react before her mind could catch up.

Her step came to a halt in her tracks, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she looked back at him.

He moved towards her, one step at a time, his eyes never leaving hers. There was a spark in his eyes—part teasing, part hungry—and it stirred a flutter of excitement deep inside her.

Anne opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her grip on the towel tightened instinctively as he drew nearer, the space between them shrinking with every heartbeat.

He stopped just before her, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off his skin. The air between them was charged with an intimate intent that made her toes curl against the floor. His hand reached up, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her cheek. The back of his knuckles grazed her skin lightly, sending a shiver straight through her spine.

Her body tensed.

"You smell like lavender," he whispered, leaning in, his lips just a breath away from her temple. "Sweet. Soft. Tempting."

Anne’s knees nearly buckled as his fingers found the edge of her towel, tugging it slightly, not enough to expose, but just enough to make her pulse stutter. His thumb traced a path along her collarbone, lingering at the hollow of her throat where her heartbeat thudded visibly.

"Do you know what you do to me, standing there looking like that?" he asked, his voice rougher now with desire.

A soft gasp escaped when he leaned down and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder. The warmth of his lips against her wet skin ignited something deep inside her. His hand, still resting lightly against her towel, slid lower along her waist, fingers brushing the bare skin just beneath the edge.

Anne pressed her lips into a thin line to stifle a moan, heat blooming low in her belly, spreading like wildfire. She clutched at his arms instinctively.

He lifted his gaze again to meet hers, his eyes darker now, smoldering. "Still want to walk away?" he asked, voice husky.

Anne couldn’t speak. She could only think of his closeness and his touch that ignited fire within her.

Augustine’s smile deepened, sensing the tension in her body. He wrapped his arm around her possessively, his palm settling on the small of her back, drawing her gently toward him. Her towel loosened slightly at the pressure, but he made no move to remove it yet. He was savoring the moment, dragging it out teasingly.

His lips hovered above hers, close enough for her to feel his breath. But he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he trailed his mouth to her ear, murmuring, "You are trembling."

Anne’s knees weakened under the pull of his presence. Her fingers gripped his arms for balance, her skin alive with need.

"I haven’t even started," he added, his husky voice making her toes curl again.

His lips grazed her earlobe, then moved down the slope of her neck, placing slow, lingering kisses that made her head tip back, exposing more of her skin to him. His hand slid beneath the towel, fingertips brushing the bare curve of her hip, teasing, testing how far he could push her before she crumbled.

Anne let out a soft, involuntary moan, her eyes fluttering closed as her body melted into his. Heat surged through her veins, and she felt as if she might shatter under his touch, desperate for more, craving the kiss he kept withholding.

Knock-Knock...

A sharp rap on the door shattered the haze.

"Breakfast is ready, sir," came the housekeeper’s voice, muffled through the door. "Should I serve it in the sunroom?"

Augustine stilled. Anne’s eyes flew open, wide and dazed, her breath still coming in uneven gasps.

He exhaled a soft groan, forehead resting against her shoulder. He was frustrated and amused at the same time. "Of all the bloody timing..."

Anne buried her face in his chest, laughing softly with mortification, the aching, breathless desire still coiling inside her, unresolved and teasing her nerves. "It’s all your fault," she complained. "You shouldn’t have started teasing me in the first place."

"My fault?" His brows lifted in mock disbelief as he pulled back just enough to look at her, a glimmer of playfulness dancing in his eyes. "You seduced me."

Anne blinked, caught off guard. "What? I—no." She shook her head defensively, utterly flustered. "You were the one who started all of this. You seduced me."

"Trying to put the blame on me?" he chuckled with amusement, still in the mood to tease her. "You walked out like that..." His hand waved lightly in her direction, eyes raking over the towel that clung to her still-damp body. "Dripping wet. Looking all flushed and irresistible. And then you stared at me like you wanted to devour me on the spot."

He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a sultry murmur. "If that’s not seduction, what is?"

Anne opened her mouth to protest, to argue, but was cut off by another knock and the housekeeper’s persistent voice. "Sir, shall I serve breakfast?"