Chapter 135

Evelyn’s POV
I simultaneously pushed his hand away and sat up, straightening my clothes around my waist while giving him a stern look. Then I lifted Alexis and moved to the sofa. Rowan immediately leaned in, concerned. “Mom, are you okay?”
Rhys ran to crouch beside Calvin, trying hard to help him up. “Dad, did you hurt yourself when you fell?”
Calvin stood with Rhys’s assistance, his left leg slightly bent with his arm resting on it. The green blindfold still hung across his face, covering one eye. He sat down on the adjacent sofa with Rhys’s help and ruffled his son’s hair. “Dad’s fine.”
Seeing my blindfold still on his face made me uncomfortable. Though it wasn’t exactly an intimate item, it felt strange. “You can take that off now,” I said pointedly.
Calvin fingered the soft, smooth silk blindfold, likely recognizing it matched the deep green sleepwear I once wore. He held it out to me. “Here you go.”
I pressed my lips together. “Just throw it away. I don’t want it anymore.”
Calvin nodded. “Then I’ll keep it. I haven’t been sleeping well lately and could use a sleep mask.” He tucked the blindfold into his pocket.
I stared at him, speechless.
Calvin walked to the entryway cabinet and pulled out gift bags his security detail had brought in. “I brought back some specialties and gifts from my trip abroad.”
For Rowan, he’d gotten the sequel to a foreign novel he loved. The author, having heard at a reception that Calvin’s son was a fan, had given him an advance copy of the manuscript with a personal note. Rowan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Dad!”
For his toy-loving younger son, he’d brought the newest Transformers and other limited-edition figurines. Rhys clutched them lovingly. “Wow! I love them! Thanks, Dad!”
For Alexis, there was a custom-made pink diamond fox figurine that sparkled brilliantly under the lights. Alexis’s eyes widened, and she hugged him, blurting out: “Thank you, Daddy!”
Calvin froze at being called “Daddy.” He watched with a penetrating gaze as I quickly pulled Alexis away to correct her, something deep and calculating forming in his eyes.
I carried Alexis to the side and whispered, “Alex, you can’t call him Daddy anymore.”
Alexis blinked up at me, looking conflicted as she held up the diamond fox. “But what about the little fox
Knowing how much she loved it, I didn’t make her return it. I kissed her soft cheek. “You can keep it if you like it. Mommy can pay the gentleman for it.”
Alexis’s eyes brightened. She nodded happily before running off with her brothers to the playroom.
“How much was the fox figurine? I’ll transfer the money to you,” I said to Calvin.
“That’s not necessary.”
“It’s too expensive. If you won’t tell me, I’ll estimate the price myself.”
I looked down at my phone to make the payment, but Calvin snatched it from my hand, his tone annoyed. “Do you plan to pay me back for every gift I give Alex? Like I’m trying to launder money through you or something?”
I glared up at him. “Give me back my phone.”
Calvin simply raised his arm high, using his six-foot-three height and long reach to keep it well out of my grasp.
Determined not to be defeated, I kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the sofa, jumping to grab the phone. Calvin leaned back to avoid me. The overhead light cast shadows across his brow bone, making it look like he was wearing eyeshadow.
“Calvin!”
I gripped his shoulder with one hand to prevent him from leaning further back, while stretching with my other hand to reach for his arm holding the phone. The leather sofa was slippery, and suddenly my ankle twisted, sending me falling toward the coffee table.
Calvin pulled me back into his arms in one swift motion, his strong arms wrapping tightly around my slender waist. My chin collided with his shoulder, and I forgot about the phone, both hands pushing against his shoulders instead.
“Be careful,” Calvin whispered, his voice deep and steady as his gaze locked onto mine.
I instinctively leaned away from him, my pulse quickening. His arms were still wrapped around my waist, the heat from his body seeping through my clothes. My mind raced through possible reactions—should I slap him? Push him away? The tension between us was electric and dangerous.
Before I could decide, three simultaneous “Oops!” interrupted my thoughts.
Calvin and I turned our heads in unison to find Alexis, Rowan, and Rhys sprawled on the floor by the doorway. Their guilty expressions said everything as they avoided making eye contact with us.
“I—I didn’t see anything,” Rowan quickly declared, his cheeks flushing.
“Me neither!” Rhys chimed in, nodding emphatically.
The brothers worked in perfect synchrony, one grabbing Alexis under her arms while the other took her legs, as they efficiently carried her back toward the playroom.
Alexis giggled as they swung her between them like a hammock. When she noticed Calvin and me watching, she immediately covered her eyes with her tiny hands. “Didn’t see, didn’t see!” she sang out.
I sighed in exasperation. This was exactly the kind of misunderstanding I wanted to avoid.
Calvin’s lips curved upward into a self-satisfied smile as he returned his attention to me, still cradled in his arms.His eyes gleamed with mischief.
“The children get along so well, Evelyn. Perhaps we could take a lesson from them?” His voice dropped to a seductive murmur that made my skin tingle despite myself.
I flashed him a false smile that didn’t reach my eyes. Without hesitation, I drove my knee upward toward his groin.
“In your dreams!” I hissed.
Though Calvin must have anticipated my move, his hand quickly moved to block my knee—he wasn’t quite fast enough. He let out a muffled groan, his expression tightening as he fought to maintain his composure.
His deep eyes bored into mine. “You really never… pull your punches, do you?”
“Obviously not,” I snapped. “Backing down won’t make things better—it’ll just encourage you to push boundaries even further.”
I seized my opportunity, shoving hard against his shoulders and successfully breaking free from his embrace. I quickly put distance between us, straightening my clothes.
“Try to touch me like that again,” I warned, my voice low and deadly serious, “and next time I won’t miss.”
I reached for my phone that had fallen on the couch during our struggle. “I’m setting boundaries, Calvin. And I expect you to respect them.”