Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband

Chapter 1516: Sleep in My Arms

Celeste Linden opened her eyes and found herself lying on a strange large bed. Where was she?

Frightened, she sat up swiftly as her memory returned—someone had sneaked into her room and knocked her unconscious.

Had she been kidnapped?

Celeste looked around; it seemed to be a hotel’s presidential suite. At that moment, the door suddenly opened with a click, and someone entered.

Her heart tightened instantly, and she looked over. It was... Ethan Barnes!

Why was it him?

Celeste’s previously tense and uneasy heart finally relaxed. "Ethan Barnes, why is it you? Why did you bring me here?"

Ethan approached and sat on the bed’s edge, raising his wicked eyebrows, "Don’t be nervous, stay with me tonight. I’ll have someone send you back tomorrow morning—no one will know."

"..."

Did he really think of such a way to bring her here? Shameless!

Celeste couldn’t afford to fall out with him right now, so she lowered her long lashes, "Isn’t this bad...?"

"What’s bad about it?" Ethan leaned over, attempting to kiss her face.

Celeste quickly blocked his thin lips with her hand, "No, remember I’m still pregnant. The doctor said no intercourse in the first three months."

Ethan frowned unhappily; he had been abstinent for so long and finally got her here, and now he couldn’t do anything?

"Why is pregnancy so troublesome?" he complained.

Celeste feared he’d go crazy again, forcing her to take abortion pills. She endured the discomfort and placed his large hand gently on her still flat belly, "Don’t talk about the baby like that. It’s a small, sentient life; it can hear everything you say. You’re the baby’s father; this is your child too."

Ethan touched her belly; he still didn’t feel like a father. He only kept the baby because she wanted it.

"Really? So, everything we do, the baby can feel too?" Saying this, Ethan’s hand moved up, reaching into her clothes.

Celeste’s body stiffened; thinking of him sleeping in Carlotta’s bed last night and now bringing her here, it disgusted her.

"Ethan, don’t do this, you’re hurting me." Celeste pushed him forcefully.

But Ethan remained unmoving, pulling her into his embrace, "What are you doing, huh?"

He narrowed his dangerous eyes, looking at her with dissatisfaction, demanding what he wanted with domineering force.

Celeste’s face turned pale.

Then, Ethan picked her up horizontally and headed straight for the bathroom.

"I’ve already bathed; put me down."

Ethan: "We’ll bathe together."

"No."

"Celeste Linden, are you disobedient again, trying to provoke me?"

"..."

...

She didn’t know how long had passed, but Celeste was carried back to bed; she lay weakly in the covers, not wanting to move at all.

Ethan looked at her, "Get up, dry your hair; your ends are wet. Sleeping like this easily causes a cold."

Celeste no longer wanted to pay him any mind. If it wasn’t for him insisting on the bathtub earlier, would her hair be wet now? Hypocritical.

"Don’t worry about me. Wet or cold, whatever. I’m tired and want to sleep." Celeste said with closed eyes.

Ethan watched her exhausted state and got out of bed.

Did he leave?

Great.

Celeste wanted to drift into dreamland. Then, the bed beside her dipped, and the sound of a hairdryer started; Ethan had brought one to dry her hair.

Celeste’s lashes trembled; she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

At this moment, Ethan was kneeling on the bed, wearing only black pants, his bare upper body tall and well-built, full of wicked energy, yet holding a hairdryer, drying her damp ends.

Noticing her gaze, Ethan glanced at her, "What? Touched?"

Celeste shook her head, "No."

Ethan rolled his eyes; he really felt like leaving her there, "Damn it, I’ve never served a woman like this before. You’re the first, ungrateful woman!"

He said as he picked up a cigarette, holding it between his lips, intending to smoke.

Celeste wanted to test his limits, so she reached out and took the cigarette from his lips, fierce, "I’m pregnant now; can’t inhale secondhand smoke. So, from now on, you can’t smoke in front of me. If you want to smoke, go outside."

"..." Ethan raised his hand, almost wanting to hit her. Smoking a bit, and she even wanted to nitpick—absolutely asking for it!

"Celeste Linden, who the hell gave you the guts to control me?"

Celeste: "If you’re unhappy, you can toss me out."

Ethan: "..."

At this point, Celeste stopped bothering with him and closed her eyes to sleep.

Ethan was utterly stunned; fine, very fine, she had grown too bold—she’d probably be riding over his head in a few days. Yet, he truly had no way to deal with her; he couldn’t possibly throw her out.

Ethan put down the hairdryer angrily, then lay beside her, extending his strong arm, and ordered, "Turn your body around, sleep in my arms."

Celeste didn’t move, as if she hadn’t heard him.

Ethan was furious to the extreme. He could only pull Celeste over to him, just about to snap at her when he realized she was already asleep.

She had fallen asleep.

Ethan felt like his punch had landed on cotton, utterly powerless; it was a terrible feeling.

But what could he do? Seeing her peacefully asleep, he couldn’t bear to wake her.

Ethan lay down, tightly holding her in his arms, and closed his eyes.

He slept for a long, long time, and when Celeste opened her eyes, she found herself back in her own room. She had returned.

Presumably, Ethan sent her back while she slept. She buried herself in her blankets, not wanting to get up.

She slept till noon; Carlotta noticed Celeste hadn’t emerged and curiously asked the maid, "Has Miss Linden not gotten up yet?"

"Yes, Miss Carlotta, Miss Linden is particularly tired today and hasn’t woken up."

At this moment, the door opened, and Ethan returned.

Ethan strode back in, his sturdy figure fully present. Carlotta immediately greeted him with enthusiasm, "Brother Ethan, you’re back?"

Ethan nodded, "What were you talking about just now?"

"Oh, cousin hasn’t gotten up until now; she’s said to be particularly tired. I wonder what she did to be so tired?" Carlotta wondered.

Ethan knew exactly what Celeste had been up to. He glanced at the closed bedroom door upstairs, "Let her sleep without disturbance and prepare a meal for her when she wakes."