When they were together, even the simplest meal tasted better. After being apart for so long, they didn’t want to be separated, even for a moment. But after dinner, Ashley hesitated. "It’s late. I should head back to my dorm." Even though she had a single dorm and could technically bring Arthur inside, having him stay overnight wasn’t appropriate. She didn’t want people to gossip about him. Even though she knew she’d see him again tomorrow—he had already said he would stay for two days—she still felt reluctant to part. Newly reunited lovers always felt this way. Even if they did nothing, just having each other nearby was enough to bring peace of mind. Just as she turned to leave, Arthur grabbed her wrist. How could he let her go? He had finally made the trip here, after so long apart. There was still so much he wanted to say, and he had no intention of spending the night alone in a cold, empty hotel room. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, voice low and enticing, "Ashley, you’re really going to leave me all alone out here?" Then, with an exaggerated shudder, he added, "I’ll be scared." Ashley looked up at him in disbelief. This man—nearly six foot three, strong and athletic—said he was scared? Before she could call him out, Arthur leaned in even closer, his warm breath tickling her ear. The slight graze of his stubble against her skin made her shiver involuntarily. She instinctively took a step back, but before she could escape, his arm had already wrapped tightly around her waist. Firm and unyielding. Arthur’s deep voice carried a persuasive charm that was impossible to resist. "Ashley… stay with me tonight. Just for a little while."At those words, Ashley’s entire body stiffened. Without thinking, she pressed her legs together. … She quickly shook herself out of it. "No!" she blurted, her voice firm. She had thought that with such a clear rejection, Arthur would back off. After all, he had always been considerate of her boundaries. But she had underestimated just how shameless he could be. Before she knew it, this six-foot-three grown man bent down slightly, grabbed her arm, and started pouting. His grip on her wrist tightened just a bit as he gently swayed her arm back and forth. "Ashley… I don’t want to be all alone in a hotel room. Stay with me, just for tonight, okay?" His voice was soft, laced with a hint of grievance and pleading. Combined with his ridiculously handsome face and pitiful expression— Ashley felt like she was going to lose her mind. She refused to look at him directly. If she did, she might actually give in. But she couldn’t! If she stayed out tonight, she couldn’t even imagine the kind of rumors that would spread tomorrow. Arthur might not know how relentless these girls were when it came to gossip, but Ashley did. The fact that they had spent the entire afternoon in her dorm was already bad enough. She didn’t even want to know what stories were floating around campus right now. She needed to escape. Taking a deep breath, she made a run for it—But Arthur’s grip, though seemingly gentle, was firm as iron. No way was she getting away. Ashley, now both flustered and frustrated, tried to pry his fingers off. "Let me go!" Arthur, however, had no intention of letting go. Instead, he went all in on his shameless act. "I won’t!" he declared, clutching her wrist even tighter. "You—!" Ashley was caught between laughter and exasperation. Fine. If brute force didn’t work, she would reason with him. Softening her tone, she patiently explained, "Look, we’re not married yet. We’re barely even out of our teenage years. I still live on campus. And after what happened yesterday, people are already watching us closely.If I stay with you overnight, the rumors will get even worse. I don’t even want to imagine what people will say." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, her face turning red. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about earlier that afternoon—and the more she thought about it, the hotter her face became. So that’s why she was hesitating. Arthur immediately caught on to her thoughts. His lips curled into a knowing smirk. But instead of teasing her, he put on a serious expression. "Ashley," he said solemnly, "We’re engaged. The only thing we haven’t done is sign a piece of paper. We’re both adults. And I came all this way to see you. What’s so strange about us staying together?" Ashley hesitated, falling into deep thought.