Chapter 389

Chapter 389
Ethan chuckled softly against her neck, but didn't pull away. He stayed there, tortured by desire but satisfied to have her in his arms, until her breathing became rhythmic and deep.
When he was sure she was asleep, Ethan gently released her and got up.
He went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower at the coldest temperature possible. It was the only way to extinguish the fire. It was the first time in months that he needed a cold shower, but for her—and for the baby—it was worth it.
Minutes later, dressed in a bathrobe and with a clearer mind, Ethan stepped out onto the balcony. The night was cool.
He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.
He called four times before a hoarse, irritated voice answered.
“What the hell, Ethan Legrand!” Carlos growled on the other end. “Why are you calling at this ungodly hour? Is your wife sick again?”
“Carlos, stop complaining.” Ethan ignored his friend's bad mood, lighting a cigarette he didn't intend to smoke, just hold. “I thought you were a night owl. Where are you?”
“Where am I?” Carlos snorted. “I'm in bed, in the guest room of your mansion! It's two in the morning, you lunatic! What's so urgent that it can't wait until sunrise?”
“Frustrated?” Carlos snorted on the other end of the line. “Don't measure me by your yardstick, Ethan. I'm a surgeon with a full schedule tomorrow. I need to sleep so I don't kill someone on the operating table.”
Ethan ignored his friend's drama. He pressed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.
From the balcony, he gazed at the full moon, but his mind was in the bedroom, on the woman sleeping in his bed. It was two in the morning, and he was a bundle of nerves. The desire to touch her, to possess her, was overwhelming, but the doctor's warning echoed in his head like a fire alarm.
High-risk pregnancy.
Lilian's history haunted him. He couldn't take the risk. Not this time. He would have to be a monk, if necessary, until the obstetrician assured him that everything was safe.
“Ethan!” Carlos' impatient voice cut through his thoughts. “Don't tell me you called me at two in the morning just to hear me breathe? I'm hanging up in ten seconds.” Nine...
“Carlos.” Ethan interrupted the countdown, his voice grave and serious. “How's my brother-in-law?”
Carlos paused, instantly switching into doctor mode.
"Ah... Josh. Well, it wasn't pretty. We had to perform emergency surgery. There was internal bleeding in the chest cavity and we needed to drain it. We inserted a catheter and set the fractures.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Was it that bad?”
“Yes. He'll need three to six weeks of complete recovery. No heavy lifting, no exertion. Basically, he'll have to relearn how to breathe without feeling pain.”
“I see.” Ethan nodded slowly, processing the information.
“Boss... if I may ask...” Carlos hesitated, curiosity overcoming sleepiness. “What kind of accident did he have? Charlie was vague, he told me to ask you. It sounded like he'd been hit by a small truck.”
Ethan let out a short, dry laugh.
“It wasn't a truck. Let's just say my wife... kicked him. Hard.”
The silence on the other end of the line was absolute.
“Lilian?!” Carlos choked. “Lilian, that woman who looks like a porcelain doll? She did that to a man Josh's size?”
“That's right. I underestimated her strength too.” Ethan smiled, feeling a pang of wild pride. “Seems I married a lethal weapon.”
“My God... I'm starting to think my sister-in-law is some kind of superhero in disguise. Remind me never to piss her off.”
“You'd better remember that.” Ethan yawned, feeling the exhaustion finally setting in. “Go to sleep, Carlos. I won't bother you anymore.”
“Wait! I'm not sleepy anymore! Tell me more about...”
BIP.
Ethan hung up on him. He needed to rest, or Lilian would be suspicious of his dark circles the next morning.
Before entering the bedroom, his phone vibrated with a message.
\[Carlos\]: Heartless!
Ethan smiled, put his phone away, and returned to bed, sliding under the sheets carefully so as not to wake his “lethal weapon.”
The next morning.
The gray morning light filtered through the curtains.
Lilian opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Ethan sleeping soundly beside her. His face was relaxed, his nose sharp, and his long eyelashes gave him an almost innocent appearance, very different from the ruthless CEO the world knew.
Her gaze drifted down and she frowned.
He was wearing a thick bathrobe.
Lilian blinked, confused. She remembered perfectly well that the night before, he had gone to bed in silk pajamas. Or was he wearing nothing at all?
“Why is he wearing a bathrobe?” she wondered. “Did he get up to take a shower in the middle of the night? Ethan isn't a sleepwalker...”
She stifled a giggle at the absurd thought of Ethan showering in his sleep.
Curious and a little mischievous, Lilian reached out. Her fingers hovered over the opening of the robe, tempted to touch the defined chest hidden inside.
But before she could make contact, Ethan's large hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
“Where do you think you're going with that little hand, Ms. Legrand?” he murmured, his voice hoarse with sleep, without opening his eyes.
In one swift motion, he pulled her toward him, trapping her in an iron embrace.
“It's too early to get up. Let's stay here a little longer.”
Lilian held her breath. As she was pulled against his body, she felt something hard and unmistakable pressing against her lower abdomen through the fabric of his robe.
Her face flushed instantly.
To cover her embarrassment, Lilian pinched his nose, forcing him to open his eyes.
“Ouch!” he complained, squinting against the light.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She smiled, trying to ignore the sexual tension he exuded. “Ethan... explain something to me. Why are you sleeping in your robe? I'm absolutely certain you didn't go to bed like this yesterday.”
Ethan froze for a millisecond. The image of the cold shower he had to take at two in the morning to control his desire flashed through his mind.
He quickly regained his composure, flashing a lazy, charming smile.
“Huh?” He played dumb. “Why the detective face? Did something happen that I don't know about?”
“Don't try to change the subject!” Lilian laughed, poking him in the chest. “Seriously... are you sleepwalking? Did you get up to take a shower and go back to bed without knowing it?”
Ethan laughed, relieved by her innocent theory. If she knew the truth—that he was avoiding touching her to protect the baby she didn't yet know existed—the conversation would be much more complicated.
“Maybe...” he said, kissing her forehead. “Or maybe I just wanted to look handsome for you first thing in the morning.”