<h4>Chapter 166: For Self</h4>


    "What are you doing?"


    Adam’s voice echoed lightly as he stepped into her office that evening, only to be met with silence. He stopped short, raised a brow as he saw herpletely absorbed in reading something on her screen—something about furniture made from rice husk, if the heading was anything to go by. She hadn’t even noticed his arrival, let alone his question. He grinned.


    Shaking his head, he crossed the room without another word. And then, without warning, he swept her right off her chair, lifted her easily into his arms.


    Mnie let out a startled squeal, as she clutched the papers in her hand and caught him around the neck. "Adam!" Grinning, he plopped down onto her chair, settled her on hisp as if it were the most natural thing in the world and then smacked a kiss on her lips.


    She blinked at him, her heart still racing. With one hand pressed to her chest and the other swatting at his shoulder, she narrowed her eyes and red at him. "Adam Collins! Are you trying to kill me? My heart almost stopped because of you."


    Adam chuckled, clearly pleased with himself as he stole another kiss. "That is an unfair usation, sweet melon. You were the one who almost killed me by ignoring me. I was in so much pain. If I were trying to kill you, you wouldn’t even see iting. It would be totally painless."


    Mnie scoffed, and sat up in hisp. "Please. You only keep grabbing me all the time and are now using the exuse of me ignoring you! I was simply busy. As of killing you, I’d do a far better job. You’d probably thank me for it by the end."


    There was a beat of silence as Adam grinned Then a faint cough.


    They both turned to find Ben standing frozen in the doorway, holding a folder and looking thoroughly scandalized.


    His eyes darted from Adam to Mnie and back, his expression suggesting that he had, very unfortunately, entered just in time to hear Mnie’s line—butpletely out of context.


    "I... I’lle back," Ben mumbled, backing out of the room as if he feared bing coteral damage or an aplice.


    Mnie groaned and buried her face in Adam’s shoulder. "Great. Now he thinks I’m plotting to murder you."


    Adam, however, wasn’tughing. He was still staring at the door, his brows drawn together in thought.


    Mnie pulled back slightly and studied his face. "What is it?"


    "I don’t like him," Adam said tly.


    Mnie let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes. You’ve made that quite known to me. Repeatedly."


    Adam scowled, his gaze distant. "I don’t know why, but his face... it looks familiar. As if I’ve seen him somewhere before."


    "Alright, Sherlock," Mnie muttered, and knocked gently on his forehead. "Think hard about where you’ve seen him and let me get back to work."


    "Melon," Adam said, ignoring her and pulling her closer, "we’re newly married, you know."


    "Hmmm." She didn’t sound very moved.


    "So technically, we shouldn’t be able to keep our hands off each other."


    Mnie arched a brow and gesturedzily. "Your hands are on me."


    "Yes, but you’re not doing anything about it," heined.


    "That’s because you kidnapped me from my chair mid-sentence." She gave him a look. "Some of us have jobs."


    Adam grinned. "I have a job too. I’m in charge of making sure you remember you’re married to me."


    "That’s not a real job."


    Adam tilted his head and smirked. "Learning about rice husk... is possibly the most important job and most interesting of course, I’ve ever walked in on."


    Mnie gave him a look. One of those long, t, unimpressed stares that managed to say a lot without a single word. "It’s called research. For the new eco-conscious furniture line I’m nning to pitch next quarter."


    He raised his eyebrows as if impressed, then reached over and plucked the file from her hand before she could protest. "Fascinating. But still not romantic. Also, working hours are officially over, Mrs. Collins."


    She made a noise of protest, reached for the folder again, but Adam simply pushed the chair back, taking her with it, and leaned backward so that they were against the wall.


    Mnie scowled and he grinned.


    "Adam—" she began, but he was already there.


    His mouth found hers with the ease of someone who knew exactly how she liked to be kissed—slow at first, then deeper, hungrier, until her hands slipped up to his shoulders and her lips parted against his.


    Her breath caught, a small sound rising from her throat as he angled his head and kissed her again. One hand syed across her back, the other tangled into her hair as he pulled her closer, as if she weren’t already draped over him.


    The kiss deepened and so did their need for more. When Adam finally broke the kiss and leaned in to pepper kisses over her her face and neck, Mnie could barely remember any reason for avoiding him earlier.


    But as he bit her over the neck, everything seemed to be clear at once and she stiffened. He sensed the immediate change in her and raised his head to stare at her. She looked away and tried to get off hisp but he held her still with his hands around her waist. After a moment’s pause, she looked away and muttered," I really do have to work."


    Adam didn’t move. "You’re hiding something."


    Mnie stilled.


    His voice was quiet now as he narrowed his eyes and he was no longer teasing her. "What! You think you are the only one who can read me and guess things, hmm? You’ve had something on your mind for a couple of days now, and you’re not telling me."


    She turned her face to him, and then hurriedly look away," It’s nothing, Adam. I’m just too busy."


    Adam shrugged," If you don’t want to tell me, we can wait here, forever, Melon."


    Mnie scowled at that and turned her head away, unsure of what to say.