Chapter 372 372 I Believe You
Zach tried to explain his reasons for ignoring Diana's feelings but no matter what he said, it was not explanation enough for his actions, especially when he had progressed in his relationship with Christina during that very period.
"What if it was me in her place and she in mine? Would you have ignored her feelings as well? Would you have tried to save me before considering her happiness or yours?" Diana's words were full of indignation as she had truly been wronged by circumstances. She had not only found Zach before all his other women but had also expressed her interest in various settings through different means.
"If the person taken hostage by the royal family had been you instead of Christina, I would still have worked just as hard to get you your freedom as soon as possible. In fact, I did the same when the Hunter family took you hostage. During those times, I hardly did anything else and focused all my attention on figuring out some strategy to get you back safe and sound."
Diana's body went soft at the mention of her kidnapping. She still remembered how haggard he had looked when she first laid eyes on him after she was rescued from the Hunter family. Her heart had ached so much that she had jumped into his arms the moment she was released. Therefore, she didn't doubt his words at all.
"So don't doubt my intentions or my motives for accepting your feelings all of a sudden. After what you did last night, I just felt that it wasn't appropriate to drag the matter any longer when both of us felt the same way for each other and were intent on being with each other for the rest of our lives."
Diana's body was shaking in his embrace but there was no resistance left in her. She let Zach hold her in any way he wanted and managed to squeeze out a few words as well.
"I believe you."
"What? You do?" Zach couldn't bring himself to believe what she had just said. He therefore had to ask her again as if for confirmation.
"Of course, I do. I know what kind of person you are. I have spent so much time with you. I wouldn't be of much use if I couldn't even figure that out in all the time we spent together."
Zach was both surprised and flattered to hear such trusting words about himself.
"Then why do you sound so mad? Is it something I said or did?" asked Zach hesitantly because he genuinely couldn't remember what he had done wrong that earned him her ire.
"Do you know how hard my life has been due to your indecisiveness? Let alone others, even I had grown to be doubtful if you had any interest in me at all."
"Why would you think that? How can anyone not have any interest in you? Have you seen yourself?"n).O-/V//e(-l).B).I-)n
He didn't know what he had done to give off such an impression, but he flattered her as much as possible just to be on the safe side. It would be helpful for him if it turned out that he truly was at fault later on.
Diana blushed profusely at his flattery and her tone of voice turned somewhat coy and soft.
"It's all that stupid Clara's fault."
Zach was startled at the sudden mention of another one of his women. He wondered why it was Clara's fault. When he grew certain that Diana wasn't going to elaborate on the matter, he hesitantly asked her, "Why is it Clara's fault?"
"Because it was her fault that I did 'that'."
"You did what?"
"THAT...I mean...last night...she taunted me that I was a fake wife and hadn't even been with my husband."
Zach finally found out the reason why she had suddenly become so active when all had been going well between the two of them before that. It turned out that she just wanted to become his 'real' wife so she could escape Clara's taunts.
Zach laughed lightly as he thought, "Clara really is at fault then."
Diana shuddered, hearing her laughter as she tried to control the embarrassment from leaking onto her face. Her ears had already gone hotter and had turned blood red in embarrassment. She didn't want the same to happen to her face and neck because it would have truly given away the contents of her thoughts.
She bobbed her head up and down in response to Zach's laughing words as if unaware that he found them amusing.
"When she said that to me, I was not only full of anger and embarrassment but also envy. While Clara had nothing that I would be envious of her for, Christina wasn't the same. I envied her strongly for having such a strong bond with you. Even though she isn't here, you still keep on thinking about her safety and work hard for her sake, even forgetting to rest at times. I can't help but feel envious of her. And to top it all off, she has even...with you..."
Diana couldn't bring herself to say the word that was almost at the tip of her tongue. She was too embarrassed to say it outright in front of Zach.
Zach on the other hand couldn't hide his amusement at her antics. The girl could wear a thin skintight leotard to seduce him but was unable to say the word 'slept' in his presence.
"I mean that she has been with you as well while I can only work hard to attract your attention like a fake wife."
Diana hurriedly tried to shake off her embarrassment so that Zach wouldn't laugh at her.
Zach already had a general idea of all her insecurities that led her to act in such a straightforward manner despite how reserved she usually was. He planned to help her resolve all those insecurities one by one.
"She told you that you were a 'fake wife', and you believed her?" Zach posed her a question for which she couldn't immediately come up with an answer.
She wanted to say 'Yes' but she knew that the answer had a high chance of pissing off Zach. Therefore, she didn't say anything at all and gave him silent treatment.
"Let me tell you something. You were, and you have been my wife from the moment you decided to fight for me. The moment you stood up on my behalf, I accepted you as my wife and life partner for the rest of my life with the heavens and earth as the witness to our union."
Diana was stunned under the covers. She wanted to move but her body wouldn't respond. It was as if the sudden explosion of happiness inside her body had cut apart the entire neural network that was responsible for sending control signals to every part of her body.
After the fit of happiness passed, Diana slowly pulled the sheet cover down and poked her head out slightly at first to ascertain the situation.
Zach was staring at her face despite the fact that it was hidden under the sheet cover.
Their eyes met and for a moment Diana forgot to look away. She was mesmerized by the intensity and the sincerity of his gaze.
"I am sorry I cannot give you the status of being my wife through a wedding in front of the whole world. That is something I will regret for my whole life and something I will be sorry about for the rest of my life because it isn't something I can make up for. I hope you can forgive me."
Diana's eyes turned watery as her tears stopped right at the precipice of falling as if waiting for a single push to flood everything around her.
"I don't want a wedding. I don't even want the status of being a wife as long as you reciprocate my love for you and cherish me for the rest of our lives. I want to be your strength, not your burden that will further weigh you down. So, don't feel sorry for me. I don't need much from you."
Diana moved her head closer to Zach and kissed him on his mouth as if to reassure him that it was really all right and that she had forgiven him.
Their lips pressed against each other, and Zach too began to reciprocate like a beast that had been released from his chains after a long time.
It was slow and awkward at first, but the passion hidden underneath their gazes could dye the whole world the color pink. Their kiss gradually became more intense, and they stuck out their tongues, looking for each other.
As their kiss became more and more passionate, Diana hugged Zach's neck tighter and his hands began to roam around her back freely until they eventually found a soft and jiggly mountain that engulfed his entire hand within it.
Their naked bodies rubbed against each other as if to satiate their desire from the friction of their bodies alone.
After the sensual kiss, his tongue slid into her mouth which made her feel an entirely new kind of sensation. At first, she was unable to respond and let him guide her through the process.
She made some clumsy movements to catch up with his tongue, but it was too elusive as it intruded into every corner of her mouth, licking and splattering saliva throughout her mouth. The feeling made her head go blank as she let go of her inhibitions.