Chapter 7 We Just Sleep Tonight

Poppi saw it best to turn in early for the night, however, even as her head hit the pillow, she felt wide awake. The thought of having to get up early tomorrow to deal with the interview issue made a mess of her emotions and she found herself unable to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

Click!

After a long while of her tossing and turning, the door to the room opened and the lights turned on. Poppy quietly opened her eyes and saw Malcolm who simply glanced at her before heading to the bathroom.

Without really thinking about it too much, Poppi simply turned over and tried to go to sleep.

She was already a bit drowsy when the door opened. "Get down. You sleep on the floor," she heard Malcolm tell her in a cold voice.

Poppi groaned. "Don't want to. The floor is too hard."

"Are you sure you don't want to move?" Malcolm asked in a threatening tone.

His words shocked her back awake and Poppi quickly turned over to find him already closing in on her. She gulped and quickly made space for him. "I'll give you half the bed."

"I want the entire bed," he said before promptly lying down beside her.

"Fine, I'll go sleep outside then," Poppi grumbled with a pout. However, just as she was about to get out, Malcolm suddenly reached out to grab her and Poppi found herself fall back into the sheets.

He crawled on top so that he pressed down on her body. "Do you want to make Grandma angry again? Sleeping outside? How could you?"

The sight of this man on top of her made Poppi heave. Just the smell of the bath soap on his body made her heart beat faster for some unknown reason. Meanwhile, all Malcolm could see was her sweet yet seductive eyes that seemed to be reeling him in. He too, found it hard to breathe as they remained motionless in the heat of the moment.

The night was tranquil and not a sound could be heard within their room, only their hot, labored breathing as the seconds passed.

"I'm on my period. I can't sleep on the cold floor," Poppi suddenly told him, breaking the moment. "How about just sleeping in the same bed?"

Malcolm frowned. "Are you sure?"

Poppi turned her head away. "Are you going to force me?"

"Poppi..." Malcolm gritted his teeth as he uttered her name. After a few seconds, he quietly got off her and lay down on his side of the bed. "Just go to sleep."

Poppi couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her. She quickly pulled the quilt over her head and turned over. "We'll just sleep tonight."

Nighttime was for sleeping anyway, right? It wasn't the first time they spent a night together. This time though, it was less embarrassing because they both knew nothing was going to happen between them since they were both sober.

Besides, there was Celine.

Squeak!

In the mountain, numerous insects always chirped all throughout the day and even during the night. The ambiance these chirps provided complemented the bright moonlit sky and the feel of the summer breeze that blew all over the mountain. It was truly a romantic and mysterious night.

Malcolm was just about to fall asleep when he suddenly felt Poppi move beside him. He quietly opened his eyes and turned his head towards her for some reason. Poppi's head popped out from the quilt. Her eyes were closed but there was a sincere smile on her lips.

As he stared at her like this, Malcolm couldn't help but notice how delicate her features were and how it thoroughly fascinated him. What was more unbelievable was the sincere happiness she radiated as she slept.

"Malcolm..."

she muttered before suddenly opening her eyes and turning her head towards him. To her utter surprise, Malcolm stared right back at her.

They were so close and the way they looked at each other with such tenderness made their hearts beat faster.

"What is it?" Malcolm asked in a low, sexy tone that sent shivers down Poppi's back.

It made her want to drink a glass of mellow wine while she stared at his face for hours and hours.

"Well..." Just as she was about to continue, Poppi stared into his eyes and suddenly found her entire world spinning.

"What is it?" he asked as a bit of hope rose in his heart.

"Oh, right!" Poppi suddenly exclaimed, patting her own head. "I think that the light is way too bright. We should turn it off so we can go to sleep! It's on your side of the bed so please turn it off!"

Displeased, Malcolm simply frowned at her. "Do it yourself."

Poppi scoffed and rolled her eyes at him but proceeded to get up to turn off the light herself. Only the slivers of moonlight that shone through their window served as the source of light within their room. As Poppi walked back to their bed, Malcolm couldn't help but compare her to a fairy that had descended from the moon.

Unbothered by his stare, Poppi simply slid back into the quilt and turned her back to Malcolm. She snorted and decided that she was going to sleep for real this time. "Why were you smiling just now?" Malcolm asked.

"What? When did I smile?" she asked in confusion.

"Before you turned off the light."

"Before I turned off the light?" Poppi pulled the quilt off her and turned to face him. "Did I laugh?"

The expression on her face made Malcolm want to sneer. This was Poppi. She was someone who always pretended to be innocent in order to deceive others. He had to always remember that.

Seeing Malcolm's face harden, Poppi figured that she said something wrong. Just as he was about to turn away from her, an idea struck Poppi. "Mr. Malcolm, would you be willing to accept an interview?"

"Who wants to interview me?" he asked.

"Me!"

"You? No way!" Malcolm snorted as he closed his eyes.

"Hey, just think it over first. We're here for business and I'll completely treat you as a stranger. What do you think?"

A stranger? The idea made Malcolm frown.

"Mr. Malcolm? Come on! What do you say?" Poppi continued to pester.

"I don't need to think it over. You also don't need to treat me as a stranger because we are strangers. The only place where we're not is in my house and in my grandma's house."

His words rendered her speechless. All Poppi could do was pout as she glared at his figure in the darkness. "We're married but I can't even interview you. It makes me so sad..."

"You..." Malcolm was about to rain down a fierce scolding upon Poppi but she interrupted him before he even got the chance. "It's so late!" she exclaimed. "Go to sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow to go down the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Malcolm decided to let it go and repressed his anger. He should just sleep instead of bothering to talk to her.

Unbeknownst to him, Poppi was smiling. She didn't really hold that much hope for the interview but she still had a Plan B.