Chapter 60
He was holding some iodine, though Jessica had no idea where he had found it. “I can do it myself,” she said quickly.
Jessica hurried to sit up, but Zachary beat her to it. He leaned forward while in front of her, effectively trapping her between him and the couch.
The heat radiating from him surged, sending a fiery warmth that flowed through her entire body, Even through the two layers of her thin silk top, she could feel the full force of his body heat. It was unbearably hot.
She swallowed hard and instinctively scooted a little closer to the edge, while Zachary shifted in with her, as if sensing that she was making room for him.
“Lie down,” he said indifferently, though it sounded more like a command.
Jessica obeyed on impulse, turning her head toward him. Her perfect swan–like neck was exposed, along with faint scratch marks.
As Zachary lifted the collar to take a closer look, his fingertip accidentally brushed against her delicate skin, sending a jolt of electricity through her.
Jessica’s fingers clenched, gripping the edge of her clothes tightly.
The scratch ran from her neck down to her collarbone. It wasn’t deep, just a red line with faint streaks of blood that stung slightly.
“The flowers are beautiful,” he said softly. “I really like it.”
She replied with a soft hum.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a cool brush of air grazed her collarbone. He unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt with one hand, sliding it down to her shoulder to reveal a black strap and a glimpse of the creamy curve beneath.
He paused, and as his eyes fell on her smooth, pale skin, they darkened with longing. Jessica’s collarbone was perfectly shaped, and her graceful neck was strikingly elegant. She admired it herself, so it was no wonder that any man would, too.
“I’ll do it myself,” she whispered, trembling slightly.
Zachary chuckled, reading her hesitation. “I’m not a beast. I won’t take advantage of you. Don’t worry.”
He refocused, dipped a cotton swab into the iodine solution, then carefully applied it to the
scratch marks.
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“The wintersweet branches,” she started lightly. “I just grabbed them on my way back from dinner. I didn’t go out of my way to get it.”
She spoke up, hoping to ease the tension and make things less awkward, while praying he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
But somehow, the more she spoke, the tenser she felt. She realized she had just drawn even more attention to herself without meaning to.
“Got it.”
The wound was cleaned quickly, but Zachary didn’t budge after he was done. He set the iodine aside, stayed seated, and started trimming the wintersweet branches.
Jessica was still trapped between him and the couch. Every time she tried to move, brought her closer to him. It felt like there was no escape.
it only
She had no choice but to lie still and pull out her phone for backup. She snapped a photo from
this angle and sent it to their group chat.
“How am I supposed to get out of here?”
Jennifer was the first to reply. “Wow, those arms! That chest! Babe, you hit the jackpot!”
Elsa replied next. “Why even think about leaving? Just stay put.”
Shirley jumped in. “What prayers should I say to marry a man this rich and handsome?”
The moment she sent the photo, the chat exploded. The messages were chaotic and full of nonsense. None of it was helpful, but it sure made Jessica laugh.
“I think he just wants to spend more time with you, or maybe he wants to talk,” Elsa said.
Her words suddenly made everything click for Jessica. Come to think of it, they had never really had a proper conversation.
“Zachary,” she called, trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence.
“Yeah,” came his reply.
Crap. She had no idea what to say now that she had started speaking.
Seeing that she hadn’t spoken for a while, Zachary shifted his gaze from the flowers to her, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at her.
She hadn’t moved a muscle, yet the moment their eyes met, her heart began to pound.
There was a mysterious quality to his gaze, concealed behind his glasses, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
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In that instant, Jessica felt her face burn.
She didn’t even realize how beautiful she looked. Lying there, she seemed like an angel who had fallen into the human world.
Her golden hair spilled across the couch, her pale skin seemed to glow, and her face was flawless. Even her simple pajamas looked elegant against her striking beauty.
