Chapter 25 Wave of Worries

The two had their dinner with just as Asher had in mind. Bianca was not allowed to walk around, but she could tell Asher what to do next after every other step. She had some food prepared for the weekend, and he only needed to heat them, so it wasn't as tricky as cooking the whole meal from scratch. That night they shared an early dinner with frolicsomeness.

"Honey, please have the first bite," Asher spooned the braised beef short ribs. It was a Korean recipe Bianca introduced to Asher as Galbi jjim. But this dish is a bit spicy. "And tell me how my skills do," he proudly added.

"Oh, so do we rate your skills for heating the food now?" Bianca replied with a playful shocked face. Then she placed a spoon for Asher as well. "You should try how it tastes first. You might be bragging about something you yourself may not like to eat," Bianca subtly warned him.

"I am very proud of my heating skills, no worries," he did not let her win. Noticing Bianca wasn't going to taste before he did, he assured her with his answer. "Besides, I am equally confident with every food you have prepared, this one would only be better and never even bit less." Then he fed her a spoon of meat after he removed the ribs in it.

Bianca's tummy grumbled when her nostrils met the smell from the thin stream of smoke from the food right in front of her mouth.

"See? Come on, say ahhhh..." Bianca was holding a set of chopsticks in her right while a spoon was on her left hand. She skillfully used her chopsticks to pin a slice of meat without a bone in it and gave him a bite the same time she took the flesh he was feeding her. They were like newlyweds feeding each other with a cake, only this time. They were feeding each other a bite of meat.

"Hmmmm... not bad," Bianca uttered in between her chews. "Your heating skill is not bad after all," she had to cover her mouth as she laughed.

"I told you so..." Asher bashfully replied, smiling widely at their lively and playful dinner.

They finished dinner and wrapped things up in the kitchen with Asher doing the dishes, wiping the places Bianca would command him to, and soon he was done.

"We should head early to bed," Asher suggested when he saw Bianca yawn.

She was really bored doing nothing but telling him to do this and that. She didn't mean to show him about her yawning, but he still noticed.

"I guess you're right. I really need to get my tired me some good sleep," her voice has even turned weak from a long yawn.

Asher gave her a piggyback ride back to her bedroom. Then helped her lie on the bed. But she tried to get up again.

"I need to go to the bathroom," she softly uttered. She was looking too tired, so Asher did not wait for her to say anything. He lifted her up in his arms and brought her to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and answered nature calls before she came out. Asher was just next to the door and lifted her again to the bed.

"I still need to rub something on my hand and face," Bianca complained as she was actually thinking about going to her dresser table before she went to her bed.

"Just tell me what you need, and you can lie in bed while I rub them for you," Asher argued. He really likes attending to her personal needs. It makes him feel like he is indeed her husband. A dutiful one. A caring and loving husband.

Bianca could no longer retort his idea as she was already sleepy and in bed. She might even fall asleep when she lays flat and receives his gentle rub on her hands and face.

And she did. Asher applied the skin lotion on her face first. Gently, soothingly, careful not to wake her up if she was already asleep, as he couldn't really tell because she had her eyes closed. Then her hands. His touch lingered on her left hand, especially on her ring finger. He was checking her ring size. He just hopes his estimation would be as sharp as how he does in his job. He wants to buy her a customized ring to present to her on his proposal. So he needs to have an idea about her size. He lightly kissed her forehead goodnight before he left to head to his bedroom, but Bianca grabbed one of his hands.

"Would you like to sleep here?" she asked sleepily. She wasn't perfectly sure, but she saw how he could handle himself, even his lust, when it involved her well-being. She was somehow confident he would not do anything that would worsen her current state or soreness.

"Is it okay?" he wanted to. He was just unsure she would agree.

Instead of saying anything, Bianca moved over to give him space to lie down beside her.

"Just don't tease me, or we might not make it to meet your dad tomorrow, and you would be on blind dates non-stop, may I remind you," she murmured her warning.

Asher laughed at her words. She is too tempting to punish, but she has the bulls-eye of a point. It won't be fun even for him if he knows she is hurting. And aside from meeting his dad, they are also going to meet her parents. He is aroused to sleep beside her, but he is more nervous about meeting her parents. He is very confident his old man will absolutely love Bianca, and he will have nothing to worry about with his dad. But it's totally different when it comes to her parents. Bearing in mind that he is there to ask for their blessing to be their son-in-law, not a mere visit of a foreigner to a foreign land, he is wrecking nervous. He can never be confident. He brings sincerity, but would he be clear enough to deliver it despite being tensed with mixed emotions?

With his wary mind, Asher found peace with Bianca in his arms. Had he been alone in his bed, he might wake up with an ugly-looking, sleep-deprived face. Not a very good idea to attend a wedding and not very nice to meet his dad with such a face. With Bianca next to him, her presence, her scent, and everything about her lulled his raging worries and drifted off to sleep.

The two, having had a very adventurous and wild fun the other night, with their tummy full and with each other in arms, dozed off to a serene slumber that their bodies' had to regain. Bianca likes the feeling of being scooped in Asher's arms as she turned to her left side with Asher's left arm under her neck's side below the pillow, so her head weight wouldn't be on his arm totally, while his right arm was on top of her's above her tummy. Bianca must have been too cautious not to move too much in her sleep that she seemed to have stayed in the same position till dawn the following day.