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Before she could hide the dress, Silas noticed what she was holding and leaned forward, his curiosity instantly piqued.

Allison hurriedly tried to stuff it back into the box, but Silas caught hold of the lingerie before she could put it away. She tugged at it, trying to wrestle it out of his hands, but he refused to let go.

“Stop it!” she snapped, pulling harder.

Instead of listening, Silas tightened his grip and gave the garment another tug. After a brief struggle, he finally managed to pull it free from her hands.

He held it up and examined it, his eyebrows rising as he took in the revealing design. The lingerie was so short that it barely covered anything, consisting mostly of thin straps that left very little to the imagination.

Allison stared at him in horror before quickly turning away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She buried her face in her hands, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

Chapter 12 A Thoughtful Gift

When she finally lowered her hands and looked at him again, Silas was still holding up the lingerie, admiring it with a pleased smile that made it clear he was very, very happy with the gift.

“Summer has completely lost her mind!” Allison exclaimed, reaching for the garment. “Put it down!”

Silas lifted it higher, keeping it just beyond her reach, and smiled happily.

“You're going to wear this for me.”

“No, I'm not!” Allison protested, shaking her head at once.

Before she could say anything else, Silas bent down, swept her into his arms, and tossed her over his shoulder. She let out a startled cry and began struggling against him, but he paid no attention to her protests as he carried her toward the bedroom.

“Silas, put me down!”

He continued walking as though he hadn't heard her.

Once inside the bedroom, he set her down on the bed and climbed onto it beside her. The silver box rested nearby, and he still held the lingerie in his hand.

“Your friend has given you such a thoughtful gift,” he said, looking at her with a smile. “It would be a waste not to appreciate it properly.”

Allison glared at him and slapped his shoulder.

“Stop it! I told you I’m not wearing that!”

Silas leaned closer, his expression softening as he looked into her eyes.

“But you're my wife. Who else am I going to ask to wear it?” His voice took on an almost pleading quality as he gazed down at her.

Allison met his eyes, but the desire in his eyes made her nervous. His handsome face remained composed, yet she could tell from the way he looked at her that he had no intention of letting her escape so easily. Just imagining what he had in mind was enough to make her heart race.

‘If I actually wear this, he's not going to let me sleep all night,’ she thought in alarm.

She quickly looked away from him and glanced at the lingerie in his hand, searching for an excuse.

“Does this even look like something a woman is supposed to wear?” she asked, gesturing toward the skimpy garment. “There's barely anything to it! It's obviously a joke. Summer was just joking, don't you think?”

She tried to sound convincing, but the excuses came out so quickly that even she knew how desperate they sounded.

Silas merely smiled. He slipped a hand beneath her chin, tilted her face toward his, and kissed her before she could come up with another excuse. By the time he finally drew back, Allison was breathless. He held her gaze, his expression filled with desire.

“Have you forgotten what you promised me this morning?” he asked. “You said you'd let me have my way tonight. I've already spent so many nights without you, Allison. Are you going to break your promise now?”

Allison struggled to find an answer that would convince him to behave himself.

“Silas, you need to control yourself. Look at you! You know it's not good for a man to be horny all the time.”