Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 375

Kira was speechless.

What

kind of infantile tit-for-tat game:

me was t

this?

She had a legitimate reason to be mad-more than one, actually.

He had none!

Austyn left without another

er word and headed into the bathroom.

Kira shook a fist at his back.

Kira sat on the sofa, eyes on the 'A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication' textbook but her mind was miles away.

She could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom.

Her skin felt clammy.

She wanted to take a shower, too.

But Austyn was hogging the bathroom

There was a bathroom in the study.

Why couldn't he have used that one?

Kira flipped the pages,

A leaflet slipped out

She picked it up from the floor.

It was a book promotion.

"Now You're Speaking My Language: Honest Communication and Deeper Intimacy for a Stronger Marriage"

Twenty per CFTH

She read the blurb.

The bestselling author encouraged husbands and wives to offer steadfast loyalty, forgiveness, empathy and commitment to resolving conflict.

He stressed that communication was the key to building a strong and lasting marriage.

Kira wondered if she should get a copy.

Then she shook her head.

She was going to divorce Austyn sooner or later.

Besides, she had no trouble with communication.

He was the one who probably needed to buy the book.

Kira stuffed the leaflet back into the book.

The bathroom door opened.

She looked up.

Austyn came out

He was bare-chested, with only a thick white towel wrapped around his waist.

His short hair was dripping wet.

Beads of water glistened on his firm and well-defined pecs.

He had a light tan, the colour of wheat in the sun.

Not the pasty colour common among businessmen who spent all their time indoors.

Kira looked away, wondering absent-mindedly where he got the tan from.

Her cheeks were feeling hot.

They'd slept together many times, but she still couldn't help but blush at the sight of the half-naked man less than three metres av She could smell the scent of his shampoo. Lavender oil and rosemary.

away.

The scent moved

She looked up.

then drifted away.

Austyn

was walking towards the bedroom door.

He was leaving?

Where was he going, shoeless and in a state of undress?

tore Kira knew what she was thinking, she'd already sprung up from the sofa. 'Stop right there!"

and jumped onto his path

Sloth Or Koala

Austyn paused inid-stride, looking a question at her. 'What?"

'I have something to ask you."

""What is it?"

She was about to ask if he was still mad, but the words that came out were, "When did you get back?! "Noon!

"I was sleeping on the sofa downstairs, but I woke up in the bedroom. Did you carry me up here?"

'You sleepwalked."

"Then why were you next to in

me in bed when I woke up?"

She remembered getting rudely roused out of sleep by a hard pinch from the man.

Austyn shrugged. 'I was walking past the sofa when you stood up in your sleep and hung on to me like a sloth to a tree. I couldn't prise you off. I came upstairs to take a shower, but you refused to let go." Kira puffed out her cheeks, offended.

If

he had to use an analogy, couldn't he have said she looked like a koala?

They were so much cuter than sloths!

'Did you stop me just to ask these inane questions?"

Um

If there's nothing else, get out of my way.

Austyn stepped around her..

Staring at his naked back, Kira blurted, 'Are you still mad?'

If it was about the divorce, she just mentioned it once.

How could a man be so petty?

Austyn whirled around. 'You don't know why I'm mad?'

'I don'L'

He took a long stride towards her. 'One, you got close to Llam Cane behind him Three-

Austyn moved into her personal space. on the spot."

my back. Two, you went out on a date and had dinner with

you kissed him right in front of my eyes. If you were a thing, I would have tossed you away

He hurled those charges at her one after another.

Kira was knocked back on her heels,

She didn't have time to process the accusations, so incensed that she couldn't think straight.

""You..I'm not...I'm not a thing!"

Austyn smirked.

Realising what she said, Kira backtracked. 'Tim not a thing. I'm a person!

She pointed a finger at the man's nose, hopping mad. 'These are all trumped-up charges! I'm innocent!" She stomped her feet.

If she were taller, she would've grabbed the ridiculous man's shoulders and shaken some sense into him

'How many times must we go over this? He kissed me. I didn't kiss him back. Instead, I fought back! And it wasn't a date, I didn't share

a meal with him. All had was a glass of water! Besides, when I met him, I had no idea he's your brother!"

Kira was red in the face with the effort of shouting

The man was being beyond unreasonable!

How was she supposed to know Liam was his brother?

They had different last names, for heaven's sake!

Must she run it by him every time she made a new friend?

Besides, he and Liam looked nothing alike.

If he was so disgusted by the fact that Liam kissed her, why didn't he just agree to the divorce and be rid of her?

"Who told you Liam and I are brothers? Austyn scowled.

Kira crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. 'Kai told me. Elsie told me. Are you going to deny it?".

If he had been more forthcoming and told her this himself, none of this would have happened.

Austyn pursed his lips.

So there were traitors within his own ranks.

It never crossed his mind to tell Kira about Liam.

In his view, Liam Cane was not family.

After he ran Liam out of Stamford, he dismissed the man from his

Liam Cane was simply irrelevant.

He had not expected Liam would come back, even less that he would make a move on Kira.

Kira took several deep breaths and tried to get a hold of herself.

She didn't like to lose control of her emotions.

'I did not know you and Liam are brothers,' she repeated in an even voice. 'If I had known he betrayed you and stole Deborah from you, I would not have touched him with a barge pole. Austyn stepped forward and gripped her left shoulder. 'Who told you about Deborah?"

His reaction startled Kira.

So did the intense look in his eyes.

After all these years, he was still carrying a torch for Deborah?

He couldn't even stand it when others mentioned her name?

If he loved Deborah so much, why did he marry her?

'Speak!" Austyn shook her shoulder.

Kira flinched. 'Elsie'

Seeing the dark look on his face, she added in a hurry, 'It's not her fault. I forced it out of her. I was just curious to know why you hate Liam so much. I made Elsie tell me. Please don't be mad at her."

Kira didn't want to get the housekeeper in trouble.

Austyn fixed his gaze on her face.

After a long while, he removed his arm and turned to leave.

Kira stood rooted to the spot.

She came to her senses when her legs started to hurt.

Instead of making peace with the man, she seemed to have made things worse.

Kira shook off her thoughts and headed into the bathroom.

A long, hot bath was what she needed at the moment. Afterwards, she got dressed and came out of the bedroom She walked past the study, paused and stole a glance.

The door was open.

The room was empty.

There was no sign of the man downstairs, either.

Kira plopped herself down on the sofa.

Elsie came into the living room. 'Where is Young Master?"

Kira hugged a throw pillow. He went out."

Did he? I didn't notice'

"You must be busy with work'

Elsie stood in front of Kira. 'Young Madam, what's wrong?

"What? Nothing

"But you look upset.

Kira's hand went to her face

She thought she'd hidden her feelings well.

The keen-eyed housekeeper sat down next to her. "Come on, you can tell me anything' Brabesitated.

It's A Small World

Fisie parted her hand in a motherly gesture.

Her voice was gentle.

tle. 'You can unload on me. I may not be able to help much, but at least I can lend an ear

Her kindness brought tears to Kira's eyes.

Kira was going to miss the housekeeper when the time came for the divorce and for her to leave the villa.

She held back her tears. 'Austyn is really mad at me now."

'What happened?"

'I mentioned Deborah'

Elsie was confused. 'But I thought you said Young Master told you everything about Miss Connelly."

"I lied. He didn't tell me anything. I heard about Deborah's death from my colleagues.'

'What?' Elsie's eyes widened

Kira grasped the housekeeper's hand. 'What should I do?'

Elsie gave her a one-arm hug. 'It's okay. Don't worry. Tell me everything."

Kira recounted what happened upstairs.

The housekeeper mulled it over.

Then she said, 'I don't think Young Master is angry."

'But he stomped out of the room.

'Maybe he just doesn't like to hear about Deborah and Liam. After all, it's a matter of pride'

No man could stand being cuckolded

'Really?' Kira wasn't convinced

It wasn't because he'd enshrined the memory of Deborah in his heart and to hear anyone else mention her name was

was sacrilege?

Elsie nodded. 'Young Master took it pretty hard when the affair between Miss Connelly and Liam came to light. He was already engaged to Miss Connelly. Not only did she cheat on him, she did it with his brother, a man she knew full well Young Master detested. It was such a thorough, wicked act of betrayal

She looked at Kira. "If you were Young Master, would you want to ever hear their names again?'

Kira pondered the question and decided that Elsie was right.