Chapter 217 - Captivating!

Mike stared at Althea for like ten minutes swallowing the lump on his throat as the woman was now flaunting her ample assets in front of him.

She was sprawled on the bed, just wearing a flimsy floral skirt and black sleeveless blouse, the skirt exposed a big portion of her thighs below her underwear.

Mike was now feeling the temperature of the room rising hotter...

The more he looked at her face, the more she resembles Caroline!

Dang!

Althea raises the bar of her flirting higher by burying her body in the bed and making sure the skirt was now riding up higher in her hip exposing her black flimsy Victoria Secret lingerie.

"Wow...your bed is so nice...so soft...ahhh...so nice to touch..." she m.o.a.ned.

Mike swallowed the lump in his throat. He was shaking his head, trying to erase the perverted images that were playing indecently in his mind. The little birdie between his legs is getting restless, he already had a boner. He's getting aroused watching a ravishing woman lying in his bed.

Damn! Althea's alluring body was s.e.x.u.a.lly arousing!

He is a guy after all! It's normal to react this way after seeing an enticing woman flirting shamelessly at him.

He was still a married man. No matter how s.e.xy and willing this woman in front of him, he can't allow himself to get led astray by a temptress who happens to look like his beloved wife.

Mike released a deep sigh and coughed a little. "Althea, I think I'm done giving you a tour in my room. Can you please vacate my bed, I'm going to sleep now," he asked politely.

Althea's lips pouted in disappointment. "Oh...that's too sad. Why? Am I not attractive enough for you? I'm clean and I brought my condom. What's wrong? Why can't we get intimate? We're both two consenting a.d.u.l.ts," she grumbled in a disappointed voice.

Mike groaned. "It's not that...there's nothing wrong with you. You are pretty and s.e.xy but I'm not gonna betray my wife this way. I'm still a married guy. I'm sorry, I'm just not interested and desperate to do it with you," he apologized.

Althea smiled at him. "Wow! You're one of a kind, Mike! You're such a gentleman, your wife is so lucky to have you as her husband. Other men wouldn't say not to me. They would just jump in the bed without question," she said and abandoned the bed.

She smothered her skirt down on her legs.

"Althea, I just want to ask...how many men have you offered this way?"

"Only two. My ex-boyfriend and you, no one else," she answered sincerely. "I'm attracted to you the first time I laid my eyes on you. So, I thought it wouldn't be a big deal if I made the first move? Right?"

Mike was shaking his head.

"Be careful...do not do it again with other men. You might accidentally choose someone who will take advantage of you," he warned her.

Althea smiled sweetly at Mike. "Aww. Thanks for your concern. How sweet of you! You are so adorable!" she giggled and walked towards the door. "I'm leaving now. Thanks for showing me your room! See you tomorrow at the pool area, Sir Mike!"

"Bye Althea, good night!" Mike replied, still shaking his head, totally blown away by the woman's aggressiveness.

"Night night, Mikey baby," Althea responded giggling. She opened the door and exited the room.

Mike walked towards the door and locked it from the inside. A smile curled up in his lips after he heard her girly voice calling him, Mikey baby. That was a stupid moniker but came out cute in his ears.

He found himself smiling with amus.e.m.e.nt.

He looked at his bed where Althea was lying provocatively a few minutes earlier.

"Whew! That was close!" he said aloud and congratulated himself for resisting the temptation during the lowest part of his life.

He lies in bed and closed his eyes thinking of his beloved Caroline. Where is she right now? Who's residence she was staying in? Did she think of him? Did she miss him?

Was she lying in someone's arms?

When she will return?

How long does he have to wait?

He wants to know because the waiting is killing him!

He reached for his phone in the pocket of his trouser and placed a call to his brother, he hopes that he's still wide awake at this time.

"Hello..." John spoke.

"Hello, bro...sorry for calling you at this time. I just want to ask if Caroline already contacted her sister?"

"Sorry bro, no news yet. My wife is also waiting for the call," John answered.

"O-okay..." said Mike in a disappointed voice. "Thanks for answering my call bro, I hope I didn't disturb you..." he said apologetically.

"Ah, no need to apologize, bro. How are you? How's your vacation there in Singapore?"

"It's fun...but you know...when your heart is bleeding...it's hard to enjoy the spectacular scenery here. But I met a woman who looks like my wife here, she works here in this hotel and we go swimming together after her work, and we bonded a little bit and she was here inside my suite earlier..."

"Huh!?" John's voice was a bit louder, totally surprised that his brother was mentioning another woman. "Don't tell me you already found another woman to take your wife's place?"

"Ah, I didn't mean that, bro. Althea is just an acquaintance no more and no less. Although she looks like my wife I'm not gonna enter into a new relationship again until I see my wife first," he cleared his brother's confusion and suspicion once and for all.

"That's good to hear from you. Don't worry, I will inform you right away if Caroline will contact my wife. You have my assurance, bro," John said.

"Thank you, bro."

"By the way, how's the construction going in your project in Davao City?"

"I put it on hold for a while. I'm confused if I shall continue it or abort it altogether. I dunno what the future holds for Caroline and I. It's just too blurry right now..." said Mike sadly.

"I understand your situation, bro. Be strong, this is just trials in life that you have to overcome. Everyone will carry a heavy burden on their back once in a while. Just continue hoping and believing that your wife will finally come back to your side sooner...not later," John said.

"Thank you, bro."

"My advice for you regarding that woman you brought inside your hotel suite, stay away from her. It's okay to talk to her outside in public places but don't invite her again in your room. That woman might create trouble later on for you and Caroline, you got me?"

"Oh, okay. Thanks for your advice, brother. I'll follow it," Mike said looking at the door where Althea exited earlier.

"Alright, just enjoy your vacation, stay out of troublesome women, stay clean and your trials will be over soon! Get better don't get worse, okay? Stay away from too much alcohol. Take care of yourself, brother! Good night, bro!"

"Night night, brother!" Mike responded. Their conversation finally ended.

Mike was feeling grateful that he had a conversation with his brother tonight. He put down his phone in the bedside table and rose from the bed going to the bathroom to take a quick shower and then go to sleep.

Back in the Philippines.

Inside the couple's room.

Catherine stared at her husband in confusion. "M-Mike has another woman? A fling? Did I hear you correctly?" she questioned him, she only heard bits of pieces on the brothers' conversation. She wants to hear the whole story. It's not a good habit to jump into a conclusion right away without getting the facts right, first.

"No, you got it wrong. He met a woman who looks like Caroline, but they were not intimate, they were just having a friendly conversation," John explained.

"Ah, okay. That's all I need to know. So, how is he doing in Singapore?"

"He's doing fine. The other day, he told me that he will extend his vacation for a few days. Let's just give the poor guy a break," he said.

Catherine sighed. "I can't believe this is happening...Mike and Caroline look like a perfect couple on their wedding day, they looked so happy and love up together."

"Well my dear, wedding day is always picture-perfect but when trials and problems began pouring on the newlyweds head...expect bumps on the road because there is no perfect marriage only perfect wedding photos!" John grinned.

Catherine smiled and pinch her husband's side playfully. "Yeah, right! I'm just feel saddened that it happened to Mike and Caroline too early in their marriage life," she said in a disheartened tone.

"Me too, just that, not all couples were lucky like us. Not all couple has the same story...therefore we each have a different story. I think we already overcome our most difficult trial as a couple. As for the other couple out there, I just hope that they are strong enough to endure and conquer the tribulations that will come in their marriage life," John said sincerely.

"Yeah, I think we belong to the lucky ones," Catherine hugged her husband tightly, misty-eyed, remembering the psychological and emotional torture she was subjected to while being imprisoned in a house for nearly a year while pregnant with baby Angel. She thought she will never be able to see her husband again.

But Thanks God, she was finally released alive, and back in her husband's side and able to experience the joys of life once again together with her children.

"Alright, let's go to sleep," John said and kissed his wife's forehead lovingly.

The couple goes to sleep, their minds were preoccupied, thinking where is Caroline and what had happened to her?