Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Kael’s POV

 

I carried Clara into the suite and placed her on the large bed. She still did not wake up.

 

I intended to pull my arm out from beneath her, but after holding her for so long, it had already gone a little numb. When I tried to pull away, I lost my balance and fell onto the bed beside her.

 

Caught off guard, only a few inches separated us.

 

Clara continued sleeping peacefully, her warm breath brushing against my face.

 

Then the scent reached me—faint, but familiar, so familiar that my body went rigid in that instant.

 

If my memory was not wrong, this scent was the same as the woman I had a one-night stand with years ago.

 

My thoughts fell into chaos at that moment.

 

Just then, Clara turned over in her sleep. One arm draped over my waist, and then her leg followed, pinning me in place in an enticing posture.

 

I froze there without moving.

 

She nuzzled her face against my chest as if she found the spot comfortable, then shifted even closer to me. The sensation of that soft warmth pressed against me stirred something I could not fully control.

 

I tried to free myself, but she held on like an octopus, trapping me tightly.

 

Then she murmured in her sleep, her voice lazy and drowsy. “Nice body. Come here, let me hold you.”

 

I stared at the ceiling, feeling as though I had just been flirted with by a sleeping woman.

 

How pathetic was I that even this could make my heart race?

 

But the thing she revealed unconsciously did, in fact, please me a little. As if possessed, I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her a bit closer.

 

I usually suffered from insomnia, but that night, within minutes, a strong wave of drowsiness swallowed me whole.

 

---

 

I did not know how long I had slept before a sharp pain in my leg jolted me awake.

 

I opened my eyes and saw Clara curled up in my arms, her face tight with anger, glaring at me viciously.

 

“You pervert! Let go of me!”

 

Before I could react, she raised her foot and kicked toward my groin.

 

This time I reacted fast and grabbed her ankle.

 

“Clara, are you insane? Are you trying to cripple me?” I restrained her, trying to stop her from attacking again.

 

She had no intention of stopping. She freed one arm and, catching me off guard, slapped me hard across the face.

 

It was a solid hit. I let go of her leg, and she seized the chance to kick me hard in the side, sending me straight off the bed.

 

Clutching my groin, I struggled to my feet. The pain made anger flare up instantly.

 

“You crazy woman! That’s too far! How dare you—!”

 

“You took advantage of me, and you’re calling me vicious?” she cut in sharply.

 

“When did I take advantage of you? If anything, it was clearly you—” I tried to explain.

 

She would not let me finish. Standing on the bed, she took up a fighting stance and faced me. “I was resting with my eyes closed on a bench at the hospital. Weren’t you the one who brought me to this hotel?”

 

“I was worried it wasn’t safe for you to sleep in the hallway, so I brought you here,” I explained, my expression still twisted from pain. “Instead of thanking me, you attack me? That’s outrageous.”

 

I deeply regretted my good intentions. If I had known this would happen, I never would have interfered.

 

“All right, I appreciate that you brought me to the hotel to rest,” Clara said. Her voice was calm, but the calm carried wariness, and she clutched the collar of her clothes tightly. “But what exactly was your intention in sharing a bed with me? If you wanted to take advantage of me, you could have just said so, Kael. I used to think you only had poor taste, but now I can see a flaw in your character as well.”

 

I froze for a second. “Watch your words. What do you mean by ‘poor taste’ or ‘a flaw in character’?”

 

I removed the hand covering my groin and forced myself to suppress my anger.

 

“I went to a lot of trouble carrying you all the way from the hospital just so you could rest properly, and in the end, you were the one clinging to me for dear life,” I said, looking straight at her. “You’re the one who’s sexually frustrated, yet you call me a pervert? On what grounds?”

 

“And let me suggest you take a good look at yourself—flat-chested, no curves—do you really think I’d be attracted to you? Where exactly does your confidence come from?”

 

She looked down at herself, and that movement made me swallow back a laugh.

 

She looked up and glared at me. “That’s too much. Don’t you think I could—”

 

I could not help letting out a soft laugh.

 

When she was angry, there was something about her that gave me an inexplicable urge to tease her. I moved my hand away, leaned closer to her face, and said it.

 

“I don’t believe you’d dare try to force yourself on me here. Why don’t you go ahead and try?”

 

I spread my arms wide in an exaggerated gesture of invitation.

 

Even I was stunned after saying it—when had I become this shameless?

 

Clara stared at me, the look in her eyes one of speechless shock at what I had just done.

 

She took a deep breath, shoved me aside, turned around, and strode toward the door.

 

I watched her retreating figure, her back straight, her steps carrying that tightly restrained anger and refusal to yield.

 

“Ms. Bennett,” I said, “I’ve already completed my daughter’s admission today. When will the surgery be scheduled?”

 

She paused at the door but did not look back. “You’ll be notified once the surgery is scheduled.”

 

Then she slammed the door shut behind her.

 

I stood there, awkwardly rubbing my nose, replaying that ridiculous inviting gesture from a moment ago.

 

I really had done that.