Chapter 86 The Lipstick Stain on His Collar
He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his brow knitting together.
He wiped away her tears with his thumb and comforted her, "I'm sorry. Don't cry. You must have been terrified today."
"When you called, I was pushing Giselle to the bathroom. By the time I came out, my phone had fallen and turned off. I called you back, but no one answered," he explained.
Leaning down, he gently kissed away her tears and whispered, "I'm sorry. It's my fault."
"What a coincidence," Emma said, turning her face away.
He froze.
"Giselle isn't able to move around easily," he added.
Have you ever considered that someone might be deliberately preventing you from reaching me?" She spoke slowly.
"Impossible," he dismissed flatly.
The hope in her heart died instantly.
"Liam," she began, her voice sounding weary. "I'm exhausted today. I want to get some rest."
"All right, let's not talk about it anymore. It's all in the past." He reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
She slowly closed her eyes, turned away, and prepared to sleep.
"Change your clothes. There's lipstick on your shirt collar," she added, tears sliding down her nose and seeping into the pillow.
Liam looked down at his white cashmere sweater, and his expression darkened instantly.
Looking at the red marks on Emma's wrist, he was filled with regret.
He took a deep breath and pondered.
Did my phone really turn off just because Giselle had knocked it to the ground?
As Emma drifted into a deep sleep, he ordered a clean set of clothes to be delivered.
He took off the lipstick-stained cashmere sweater, packed it with his other changed clothes, and tossed the whole lot straight into the trash.
Then, his gaze fell on the cup of hot cocoa on the nightstand.
He picked it up, wanting to throw it away.
But he held back.
——
The next day——
Emma woke up to find she was resting her head on Liam's chest.
She carefully withdrew her hand.
"Stay in bed a little longer."
Warm breath brushed her head, mingling with something savory.
He turned sideways and pulled her close.
His large hand traced her slender waist.
"I want you," he whispered.
"Don't even think about it!" Emma pressed her hand against his chest, trying to create some distance.
Ignoring her resistance, he lowered his head to silence her with a kiss.
His hand on her waist slid downward, and his fingertips easily slipped beneath the fabric.
She stiffened and reached out to push him away, but she failed.
She struggled to break free.
"Let go!" She turned her head away from his kiss.
His breathing grew ragged.
His hand continued to move downward until his fingertips found the spot precisely.
Then, he began to circle and press against her panties slowly.
Emma's body trembled instinctively.
She bit her lip to stifle a sound.
"Liam...no."
Feeling a heat gather in her lower abdomen, she shifted her legs together, only to trap his fingers tighter.
His fingertips began to move in a rhythm.
KNOCK!
There was a knock on the ward door.
Emma froze.
"Get up!" She pushed him away instantly.
Liam's eyes darkened.
He withdrew his hand, zipped up his fly, and finally sat up.
He quickly tucked the edge of the blanket around her.
Then he grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and wiped his fingers carefully.
David pushed the door open and walked in.
His gaze swept between them, then settled on Liam's overly focused wiping motion. He immediately understood what had happened moments ago.
"Good morning," Emma said awkwardly.
"Good morning," David replied calmly.
"Good morning," Liam said, with a hint of obvious smugness in his voice.
David set the takeout bag on the table in front of the sofa.
"I came to visit my grandmother and picked up some oatmeal for you on the way," he said to Emma.
"Thanks," Emma said, forcing a smile.
"You're welcome. But I only brought one portion, so you'll have to go downstairs and buy your own breakfast, Mr. Hayes," David said.
"No problem. Whatever she doesn't finish is mine," Liam smirked.
"This bowl of oatmeal isn't very big. It won't be enough for two people."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's full first," Liam insisted.
"Emma, I'm going to check on my grandmother now," David chuckled.
"Okay, thank you," she said, struggling to keep her smile.
David turned and left the ward.
Liam sits back down beside the bed.
Leaning down, he placed his hands on either side of her body and asked in a low voice, "Are you hungry?"
Blushing, she glared at him.
"Get up and eat something," he chuckled and gently pinched her nose.
Emma dragged her aching body out of bed.
By the time she came out of the bathroom, he was sipping the bowl of oatmeal David had brought.
There was another one on the table.
She walked over to the sofa and sat down beside him.
"Did you buy that?" she asked, picking up the bowl of oatmeal set aside for her.
"Giselle's mother brought her breakfast. She thought I was staying with her, so she brought an extra portion."
"Hmm, well, we should thank her," she replied casually. "Let's go see her in a bit."
"You don't have to go if you don't want to."
"It'd still be better to go."
"It's not necessary. We have to go to my sister's house for a family dinner."
"We're the ones who brought her here, and she lives right next door. Out of courtesy, we should at least stop by and say bye," she insisted.
After finishing his portion, he tossed the empty container into the trash can.
Emma glanced at the trash can and spotted the cup from last night's hot cocoa with the straw still stuck in it.
"Did you drink last night's hot cocoa?" she asked.
"Yeah, I did. It tasted so-so." He stood up and began packing his things.