My Sweetheart

“One part is mine,” Joseph laughed in the face of Kathy’s expression.

Kathy shrugged. Getting out of bed, the two of them sat at the table. Joseph poured her soup, and added condiments for her, his ministrations precise and gentle. Kathy was at a loss. One day he’d treat another woman like this. The thought wrenched at her.

Impulsively she asked, “Hasn’t Grandfather pushed you to remarry?” She remembered that when she’d become part of their household, Grandfather had been quite nervous about their marriage.

“He hasn’t been around, so no.”

“Oh.”

“You really want me to remarry?” he feigned hurt.

She furrowed her brow. “Not really.”

“Why?”

“No reason,” Kathy replied, and left it at that. The thought of him marrying another woman was torture for her.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t,” he told her seriously.

Hearing this, she looked up, unable to hide her surprise. “It’s your affair, not mine,” she said evenly, concealing her joy.

“Is that so?” Joseph asked, giving her a long hard look.

Kathy felt she could hide nothing from him. “Of course it is. Or else what?” she countered.

He laughed lowly. “I don’t want to hurt my ex-wife.”

“You won’t,” she insisted.

He stayed with her till that evening, to the point where she asked him, “Won’t you go home?”

you be scared here all alone?” The room was VIP, quite large, yet felt cold

“No.”

Then I’ll go.” With that, he

sight of him walking away was torment.

stopped in his tracks,

here,” she forced herself to

will you make it up to me?” he asked,

was enticing her on purpose! Regaining her senses, she said, “I got hurt at your company,

How?”

could finish, a searing kiss had covered her lips, a familiar scent filling her nose. Her eyes went

but the kiss didn’t last long anyway. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to say, “Get away from me.” The closer he got, the greater

look, just

room, yet even so, she gradually drifted to sleep. Joseph watched as her

stopped short. “For you

being here is more appropriate?”

friend, while

never once heard Kathy mention Bertie as a friend. At this, Bertie’s complexion changed, and his hands balled into fists. Authoritatively Joseph said, “I’ll

on an

noise had already woken Kathy, but she didn’t want to open her eyes. Yet with them both there,

you want to stay with you?” Joseph asked, knowing she was awake.

both handsome men, she felt prickles along her scalp. Evenly she said, “Both of

Get some rest.” Joseph stood and

Bertie, his expression determined, did not. Sternly Kathy

to see

contact with him. Once the room was quiet, for some reason she couldn’t fall asleep. All she could think of was Joseph’s kiss, and the infatuation it instilled in

Joseph leaned against the wall, watching Bertie exit. Bertie asked with narrowed eyes, “What, have

interested