Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

The part where Roseanne found the tiny pieces of fabric meant to cover her breast downright unacceptable had her exclaiming, "This is ridiculous!" That was too embarrassing.

Roseanne said, "No way. I'm changing.'

"

"Hey!" Leda quickly grabbed her. "What are you doing? You look fabulous, and some girls here are wearing less. Why the shyness?"

Roseanne freaked out. "Leda, give me a break, please... I can't wear this out."

"Aww, come on..." Just then, Leda's phone rang.

Seizing the moment, Roseanne wriggled free. "Leave me be. Go answer your blue-eyed puppy love!"

Reluctantly, Leda turned to take the call outside.

"Sweetheart, does this outfit look okay?"

"Uh-huh." Murray didn't even look up.

Millie picked up another dress. "And this one? Isn't the color too bland?"

"It's fine."

"What about this? Feels sexier..." Millie was posing before the full-length mirror when she realized Murray was on his phone, glancing her way!

Her eyebrows knitted, and her eyes widened in irritation. Just as she was about to lose her temper, something made her soften.

"Babe," She fluttered into his arms like a butterfly, "out of these three, which one should I wear?"

Murray pointed at one without much thought. "That one."

"Ah! That's my favorite, too. It must be fate. So, I'll..." She bit her lower lip, "try it on for you, okay?"

Murray nodded. "Sure."

Millie stood up and began undressing right there. It wasn't until she unclasped her bra that Murray looked up, but the scene before him might as well have been thin air. He even frowned. "What are you doing?"

Millie froze in embarrassment.

Murray added, "Isn't there a walk-in closet?"

Ugh!

"Alright, I'll go change over there." Millie grabbed her dress and booked it out of there.

When she re-emerged, dressed,

Murray had put down his phone and

was massaging his temples, looking weary. He had rushed out on this trip, leaving a pile of work

del

unfinished. Maurice had sent over a summary of urgent matters and had just finished dealing with them.

"Changed?" Murray stood up.

Millie managed. "Yes, ready."

"Let's go then." He walked out first without so much as a glance at her.

Millie's enthusiasm felt doused in cold water. But she quickly adjusted her mood, thinking, 'Huh, men! If he's not looking now, he'll surely feel possessive once we're out and he sees other men looking at me.' With that thought, she tugged the fabric down a bit more. "Babe, wait for me."

...

The beach was bustling. From afar, it was a mix of all different skin colors, bikinis, and swimming trunks.

Millie caught up with Murray but deliberately didn't cling to him, even keeping a slight distance between them. As expected, she garnered quite a few whistles and attempts at flirting along the way. But Murray seemed oblivious, striding ahead.

Millie gritted her teeth in frustration.

Reaching the outdoor beach, Murray lay down, leaving Millie standing awkwardly. Lying down beside him didn't seem right, either. She felt stiff and uncomfortable, her expression awkward. She came there for a vacation and romance, not to chase after a man who couldn't care less.

But then again, that man was Murray, and she felt it was worth it.

"Hey, gorgeous, are you from Faeland?" A buff, good-looking foreign dude walked up, grinning and starting to chat. Millie smiled sweetly back. "Yes, I am."

The two hit it off, chatting away. All the while, Millie kept an eye out for Murray's reaction.