Hearing her resistance, Walker Grant stopped kissing her. His breath lingered over her heart, scorching and searing. He could clearly feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Closing his eyes, he suppressed the intense longing in his gaze and said hoarsely, "Okay."
Though he agreed, he still didn’t let go of her, holding her tightly as they lay down on the bed together. Their bodies were pressed closely against one another, so much so that they could feel every subtle physical reaction in each other.
Chloe Reed felt uncomfortable. She shifted, wanting to roll out of his embrace, but Walker just held her tighter, refusing to let go.
"Chloe, don’t move." His voice was even hoarser than before. His arms tightened around her as if he were terrified she might run away.
Chloe fell silent. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut. "But... this is... uncomfortable."
She was utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically. After everything that had happened last night, her nerves had been stretched taut, and the hand that had held the gun was still trembling slightly. Right now, all she wanted was to relax her mind and body and get a good sleep to replenish her depleted energy. She had repeatedly expressed her fatigue, yet it was as if he couldn’t sense it at all. She couldn’t understand—what exactly did he want?
To Walker, her deep breath seemed like a sign of impatience. His entire body stiffened. Slowly, he let go of her.
The very next second, she rolled out of his arms and lay on the other side of the bed.
His embrace was instantly empty. And his heart felt just as hollow.
Walker’s arm slowly dropped. He pressed his thin lips together, knowing he needed to calm down right now. However, from last night until now—ever since he learned that she had spent the entire night with Preston Vance—calming down had been impossible.
He clenched his hands into fists. Though they were on the same bed, it felt as if they were in entirely different worlds. Chloe wasn’t overthinking things at all, but he felt as though he were enduring one tidal wave after another. His mind and soul had suffered tremendous trauma, leaving him unable to settle down for a long time.
Chloe fell asleep quickly and deeply. As the sound of her even breathing drifted over, Walker lay facing her. He reached out and gently grasped her hand. This time, she didn’t resist or impatiently push him away. Inch by inch, he leaned closer until he was right beside her. Feeling her warmth and breathing in her scent, the anxiety in his heart finally eased a little.
Chloe slept for a full four hours. By the time she woke up, it was already noon.
The room was dim because the curtains were still drawn. She rolled over and suddenly realized someone was holding her hand. Looking up, she saw Walker lying on his side next to her. His face, free of bandages, looked even more strikingly handsome in the hazy light.
She slightly lowered her eyes and slipped her hand out of his, planning to get out of bed and wash up.
"Chloe, don’t go..." he mumbled, but the very next second, he grabbed her hand again, jolting awake.
"I’m hungry..." Chloe said. "I’m going to get something to eat."
Walker’s tense nerves finally relaxed a fraction. "I’ll go with you," he said.
"Okay."
He got up as well. The two of them quickly freshened up together before heading downstairs.
Fiona Linton was sitting in the living room, hugging a throw pillow to her chest. She looked groggy, as if she had just woken up and her mind hadn’t quite caught up yet. Seeing them come downstairs, she asked listlessly, "Did you guys sleep well?"