Chapter 45 Chapter 45
To her surprise, he took a step back and released her. His voice was hoarse. "You're not feeling well. Why tempt me?"
She couldn't answer, just stared at him blankly.
He snorted softly and turned to brush his teeth and wash up. Moments later, as if struck by a thought, his mouth still full of toothpaste foam, he tugged at the corner of his lips, chuckling lightly as he reminded her, "If you call room service now, you might get a dry set of clothes before nine."
She jumped down from the sink immediately. She grabbed the towel around her chest and dashed out.
By the time he finished his routine and emerged, she had already made the call. The small bath towel had been replaced by a large, thin blanket wrapped tightly around her. Kneeling cat-like at the edge of the bed, she looked up at him as he came out. After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked, "Room service said they'd be right over. Could you please ask them to hurry and bring back my dried clothes?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than they heard the doorbell ring. Moments later, Michael knocked on the bedroom door. "Mr. Norman, room service is here."
Benjamin glanced at Grace, who was watching him. Somehow, his resolve softened. He turned and opened the door. Besides Michael, standing outside was a service attendant who said respectfully, "Sir, I'm here to collect the laundry."
Benjamin nodded slightly, gesturing for the attendant to retrieve the clothes from the inner bathroom. "I need them urgently," he added. "Please return them as quickly as possible."
The attendant agreed and collected the laundry from the basket before departing. Michael remained standing in the doorway, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He seemed oblivious to Grace's presence inside. He reminded Benjamin, "Aron has arrived at the hotel. He asked when he could come up. He said there are some matters he needs to finalize with you.”
The forum was opening that afternoon, and Benjamin still had to meet with several business partners before then. His schedule for the day was packed. He paused briefly, then said, "Tell him to come up right away. We can discuss it over breakfast."
Michael nodded and went to make the arrangements.
Only then did Benjamin turn to look at Grace. He noticed that she had moved to the inner side of the bed and was sitting on the floor with her back to the door. She had wrapped herself tightly in the thin blanket; not a single strand of her hair was visible.
He couldn't help but feel amused. He walked over and nudged her gently with his toe. "Hey, why didn't you crawl under the bed?" he asked.
She peeked out, tilting her face up to meet his gaze and ignoring his teasing. She could only respond, "I'm running out of time. The conference organizers require roll call before 8:30. Could you ask Michael to go downstairs and see if any shops are open? Just get me some clothes to wear. I promised my colleague I'd cover for her.”
She was pushing her luck. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Grace, you don't happen to think of me as your lover, do you?"
Her face flushed crimson. She bit her lip and fell silent. Moments later, she stood up resolutely, dragging the bulky blanket behind her as she headed straight for the door. He pulled on his shirt while watching her and asked with a light chuckle, "You planning to go back like that? That blanket belongs to this room. I doubt the staff would let you just wrap it up and take it.”
He had forbidden her from wearing her wet clothes and had coaxed her into calling room service to take them away. Now, he was telling her that she couldn't even take the blanket that covered her body.
Furious, her body trembled slightly. She turned to face him, her voice taut. "Benjamin, you just want to humiliate me, don't you? Fine, I'm not afraid. I came here willingly, so go ahead and humiliate me!"
She forced a smile, then released her grip on the blanket. She allowed it to fall from her body and walked out completely naked. Perhaps due to years of fitness training, her figure was exquisite—slender and tall yet not stick-thin. The parts of her body that should be slim were perfectly defined, and the parts that should be curvy were enticingly rounded.
His gaze darkened involuntarily, not from desire, but from simmering anger. "Stop." he commanded coldly. Seeing her ignore him, he took steps forward, grabbed her wrist, and snapped, "I said stop—"
His voice cut off abruptly when he saw tears welling in her eyes. Yet her expression remained defiant as she asked him coldly, "Mr. Norman, what else do you want?"
For a moment, he didn't know either. He glared at her, then released her wrists. Without a word, he stripped off the half-buttoned shirt he was wearing and flung it over her head. "Put it on!" he ordered.
She froze.
"Don't want it?" He watched her coldly, a mocking smile curling his lips. "If you're so disgusted, then just stay naked!"
"Fine," she muttered under her breath as she fumbled to pull his shirt over her head. Then, she demanded, "And pants!"
Benjamin shot her a glance. Though he didn't remove his own pants, he fetched another pair from the wardrobe and handed them to her. He couldn't resist adding, "With those stubby legs of yours, do you really think they'll fit?"
Her legs weren't short at all—they were actually quite slender—though, of course, they paled in comparison to his. Tears still clung to her lashes, yet her lips curved upward involuntarily. She roughly wiped her eyes with the shirt sleeve as if she were afraid he might change his mind. Without bothering to button the shirt, she scrambled to pull on the trousers.
He stood bare-chested with his arms crossed, leaning against the wardrobe, watching her. As he watched, the anger that had filled his chest dissipated without him noticing. Unconsciously, the corners of his mouth curved upward. She was a clever woman. Even the oversized shirt and long, baggy trousers looked presentable on her. She tied the shirt's hem into a knot at her waist, neatly rolled up the trouser legs to expose her slender, pale ankles, and carefully tucked in the waistband. With just a wide, cinching belt, the outfit had a unique charm.
Still, she didn't dare ask him for the belt. Instead, she tucked the folds of the waistband under with one hand, found her own shoes, and went to retrieve her handbag.
A smile played at the corners of his lips as he watched her bustle about in silence. Only when she was about to step out did he call her back, his gaze lingering suggestively over her chest. With a light chuckle, he remarked, "You're showing a bit too much."
Following his gaze, she glanced down and gasped in shock. Her nipples were clearly visible beneath her white blouse. She hastily covered her chest with her arm, shot him a glare, and hurried out the door without another word.
Grace walked with composed ease, passing several guests along the way. She even crossed paths with two students as she stepped out of the elevator, yet she remained calm, even offering a light nod in greeting. This composure held until she entered her own room. Only after confirming she was alone did she slowly slide down the doorframe with her back pressed against it.
This was the first time she had managed to walk away from Benjamin unscathed. She had abandoned her pride, discarded her dignity, and lowered herself to show weakness before him. Yet she had also provoked him at just the right moments, goading him into anger and feigning ignorance. Every word and gesture had been calculated. Finally, she walked away from him unscathed.
She wanted to laugh, but as the corners of her mouth turned up, tears slid down her cheeks.