Chapter 623


    Karen bit down hard on his chest, her agitation bubbling like a pot about to boil over.


    The more she bit, the harder he held her. What began as an intimate tangle turned into a full-blown


    wrestling match.


    In the end, Karen had to admit defeat, her energy gging as she pleaded with him in a softer tone


    to just hurry up.


    If they kept this up, her parents would be back any minute.


    After what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped, leaving only the sound of their staggered


    breathing.


    Jeffrey tried to reach for a cigarette before remembering he was at Karen''s ce.


    "Want a cigarette?" Karen asked.


    "Nah, I''ll quit if you don''t like it. No more bad habits." He chuckled.


    "I don''t care what you do," Karen said, turning away and reaching for her clothes, her arms


    trembling.


    Just as Jeffrey was about to speak, he sneezed several times in a row.


    She handed him a tissue, frowning slightly, "You''ve got a cold, haven''t you?"


    "Maybe," Jeffrey replied, using the tissue and then heading back to the bathroom for a hot shower.


    "How about we skip shopping today? I''ll check when my parents are getting back, and we can all go


    out for dinner instead."


    Karen hadn''t really nned on moving things forward this quickly. After all, she and Jeffrey didn''t


    truly know much about each other.


    But he''d been pushing, and she''d been stalling the meeting of their parents. It was already causing


    some tension. If she kept her own parents from him, it would seem like she wasn''t serious.


    Plus, her parents had their doubts about Jeffrey''s family background and were wary of asking too


    much. A face-to-face meeting could dispel those concerns, making future dates and meet-ups more


    natural.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    And most importantly, she could finally stop the relentless pressure from her parents to find a


    boyfriend.


    "I''m all ears for you," Jeffrey said in high spirits. He was so cheerful he''d agree to n their wedding


    right then and there if she asked.


    With a sigh, Karen got up to find her phone.


    She''d barely dialed when the ringtone sounded from just outside the door.


    Oh no! Her parents were back!


    Karen froze, her grip on the phone slipping.


    Had they returned earlier? The noise they''d made in the bedroom would have been unmistakable if


    her parents had been home.


    In the bathroom, an oblivious Jeffrey hummed along to a tune.


    Karen''s heart sunk further as her mother didn''t answer the call.


    She walked to the bathroom door and knocked, "Jeffrey?"


    "Yeah? I''m here."


    "My parents... they might be right outside."


    Jeffrey''s humming stopped abruptly, and the bathroom door flew open.


    There he stood in the buff, a mix of shock and bewilderment on his face.


    "When did they get back?"


    "How should I know?" Karen''s face was a mask of despair. "What do we do now?"


    Jeffrey was at a loss. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, sure, but not engaged yet. Being caught in


    his girlfriend''s room under such circumstances by her parents was hair-raising, to say the least.


    Seeing Karen close to tears, Jeffrey quickly grabbed her hand. His expression was serious, "Don''t


    cry, okay? It''s fine! I''ll call my parents right now toe over for a formal meeting. You just tell your


    parents that we''ve already discussed marriage. That''s why we... you know, got ahead of ourselves."