He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did

Chapter 163 - 149: Scars

Morgan Hayes chuckled.

The next moment, Annabelle was shoving him into the bedroom.

"Who’s showering first?" Morgan Hayes asked.

"Let’s shower together," Annabelle said, practically buzzing with excitement.

"Are you sure?"

"Why not? We’ll have to get naked eventually anyway."

Morgan Hayes was speechless.

"Are you shy?" Annabelle asked, studying Morgan Hayes. "If you are, you can go first."

Morgan Hayes pulled Annabelle into his arms. "If you’re not shy, what does a grown man like me have to be shy about?"

"Then why are you blushing again? You’re hands down the most easily flustered cop I’ve ever..."

Morgan Hayes didn’t let her finish, cutting her off with a kiss.

They kissed as they made their way to the bathroom.

As Morgan Hayes took off his shirt, Annabelle noticed a long, thin scar on his shoulder. It still looked fresh.

"When did you get this?" Annabelle asked.

"The day I went to Veridia."

"How did it happen?"

"I got caught on some steel wire while chasing a fugitive. It’s nothing."

Morgan Hayes had at least six scars of varying sizes on his body. They were the badges of honor from his years of fighting evil.

Her heart ached for him.

In this day and age, every job had its own pressures and difficulties. But Morgan Hayes and his colleagues were different; they truly put their bodies on the line to protect the peace and safety of ordinary citizens.

Annabelle leaned down and kissed each one of his scars.

Her lips were warm and soft, yet Morgan Hayes went rigid, as though frozen by her touch.

As Annabelle’s lips brushed over the bullet wound on his lower right abdomen, Morgan Hayes finally lost control. He pulled her up and crushed his mouth to hers.

Water sprayed from the showerhead, and the passion in the bathroom reached its peak...

After their shower, Morgan Hayes carried Annabelle back to the bed.

Morgan Hayes was a gentle and patient lover, but no matter how tender he was, he couldn’t spare Annabelle the pain.

"Who the hell said this was supposed to bring a couple closer?"

She was in so much pain that the very sight of Morgan Hayes was starting to annoy her. She didn’t want him to touch her ever again.

The first time wasn’t pleasant; it was even a little rushed. But Morgan Hayes wasn’t upset. He pulled Annabelle into his arms, comforting her in a low voice. "Maybe it’s because I’m inexperienced. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. I’ll be gentler next time."

"Next time? There won’t be a next time!"

"And who was it that confidently declared they wanted to go for several rounds in one night?"

"That’s because ignorance is bliss! Anyway, I don’t want a next time!"

--

Annabelle was genuinely traumatized by the experience.

For the next few days, she was a little resistant to the idea of trying again.

But Morgan Hayes didn’t push her.

Their intimacy never went further than kissing.

’While I appreciate that he’s respecting my boundaries,’ Annabelle thought, ’faint alarm bells are still ringing in my mind. I don’t want our relationship to stall like this; I’m worried we might eventually break up over sexual incompatibility.’

She decided to give it another try.

Unfortunately, Morgan Hayes had been working overtime for the past few days. To avoid disturbing her rest, he’d been going straight back to his own apartment after his shifts.

To save him the trouble of going back and forth, Annabelle packed a couple of outfits and quietly went over to his place after she finished work.

Morgan Hayes had given her a spare key a while back, so Annabelle let herself into his apartment without any trouble.

For a man living alone, his apartment was sparse, but everything was neat and tidy.

After ordering takeout for dinner, Annabelle settled in the living room to get some work done.

At ten o’clock that night, Morgan Hayes came home from work. The moment he opened the door, he saw Annabelle curled up on the sofa, legs crossed, answering emails.

"What are you doing here?" Morgan asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Here to sleep with you."

Annabelle set her laptop on the coffee table, sprang up, and threw herself into his arms, kissing him.

The day’s exhaustion melted away under her fiery kiss, and Morgan responded with equal passion.

They tumbled onto the sofa, their breathing growing ragged and uneven.

"Not afraid it’ll hurt anymore?" Morgan paused, brushing a stray strand of hair from her temple. "If you’re not ready, you don’t have to force it."

"I looked it up. It’s not supposed to hurt as much the second time."

"But I don’t have any condoms here."

"I brought some." Annabelle reached into her bag and pulled out the box of condoms she’d bought at the supermarket. "I came fully prepared. Let’s begin."

With her laying it all out like that, Morgan certainly wasn’t going to be coy anymore.

Truth be told, getting that first taste, however rushed, had left a deep impression on Morgan.

Someone who’s had a taste of something craves it differently than someone who never has. He’d had to increase the intensity of his workouts lately just to keep the fire in his veins under control.

Morgan Hayes carried Annabelle into his bedroom. It was sparsely furnished, almost like a military dorm room. But the thing that Annabelle found most unbearable was his hard-as-a-board bed.

"Ow, ow, ow."

The moment he set her down on the bed, the hard surface made her bones ache.

"The sofa, then?"

"The sofa’s not sanitary."

Morgan thought for a moment, then suddenly lifted her and switched their positions, putting her on top.

Annabelle was speechless.

But she had to admit, this position really worked for her. It felt like a whole new world had opened up.

"Let’s use up the whole box tonight," she whispered in his ear.

"How many in a box?"

"Six in total. We used one last time, so that leaves five. What do you say, Captain Hayes? Think you can handle it?"

"Asking a man if he can handle it when you’re in bed?" Morgan pulled her in tighter. "I’d have to, even if I couldn’t."

...

That night, Morgan seemed determined to prove to Annabelle that he was, in fact, more than capable. By the end, Annabelle felt utterly spent. She passed out on his hard-as-a-board bed, sleeping soundly.

Annabelle slept in late. When she woke up, Morgan was already gone.

It was Saturday, so Annabelle didn’t have to go to her studio. But Morgan had mentioned yesterday that he had to work overtime again today.

Annabelle figured he’d already left for work. She lingered in bed for a little while longer before getting dressed. She was just heading into the living room to find her phone when the doorbell rang.

’Who could that be?’

Annabelle tiptoed to the door and peered through the peephole.

There was a woman outside.

Annabelle recognized her at once—it was Morgan’s cousin. Behind her stood two other people. Judging by their clothes, they looked like a middle-aged couple, but they were in the peephole’s blind spot, so she couldn’t see their faces.

’Uh... should I open the door? Or just pretend no one’s home?’