Chapter 28:
“Linsey!” Collin gritted his teeth, his voice sharp with frustration. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he struck the back of her neck with a swift, controlled blow.
Already intoxicated, she had no resistance against his strength. The next moment, her body slackened, and she began to collapse toward the floor.
With a cold, unreadable expression, Collin pushed himself up from his wheelchair, catching her effortlessly before she could hit the floor. Without hesitation, he carried her to her bedroom, his steps steady and sure.
She had been staying in this room for almost a month, and the moment he stepped inside, a soft, lingering fragrance wrapped around him.
He paused, glancing down at the woman in his arms. Linsey was deep in sleep, her breaths even and slow.
She was drunk, her clothes slightly askew, her flushed cheeks tinted with a delicate shade of pink.
Collin exhaled quietly, then gently laid her down on the bed.
As he withdrew his hands from beneath her, she suddenly murmured in her sleep and reached out, wrapping her arms around him sluggishly.
He froze. The warmth of her body pressed against him, her soft curves unmistakable beneath the thin fabric of her shirt.
Linsey, completely unaware of what she was doing, nuzzled her heated face against his chest, the coolness of his shirt offering her relief.
The material of his shirt was luxurious, tailored to perfection, yet at this moment, he realized even the finest fabric couldn’t compare to the softness of her skin.
Collin remained still, forced to sit stiffly at the edge of the bed. His gaze drifted to her face, and despite himself, he found his focus lingering.
He had to admit—she was breathtaking. Her features were delicate and lively, effortlessly beautiful, even without a trace of makeup.
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․c𝓸𝗆 brings imagination alive
Linsey continued clinging to him, her lips slightly parted, the tip of her tongue barely visible.
As she shifted in her sleep, the distance between them disappeared, and he caught the faint, intoxicating scent of her breath—a mix of sweetness and wine.
His eyes darkened slightly. She was right. They were married.
There was no reason to push her away.
In fact, they could be even closer, just like this.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned in, his gaze locked onto her lips, hovering just above them.
As Collin’s lips hovered just inches from Linsey’s, his fingers clenched the bedsheets with an intensity that betrayed his inner turmoil. He inhaled sharply, a desperate attempt to gather his waning self-control, and abruptly sat up.
Linsey, still lost in the depths of her dreams, shifted slightly in response. Her hands, which had been resting on Collin’s arm, fell away as she turned to her other side in a soft rustle of sheets.
Collin seized this moment to gently disengage his hand and perched silently on the bed’s edge, his breaths quick and uneven.
The air was thick with her unique perfume, a seductive blend that tugged at his resolve like a siren’s song.
Collin wrestled with his self-discipline, which seemed to crumble in her mere presence. Was her allure so profound?
He had no idea what was happening, but staying wasn’t an option. He had to go before he lost himself. He had to go, and he had to go now.
With a resolve as brittle as ice, he stood, his movements brisk and silent. He left the room swiftly, leaving Linsey in her serene slumber, oblivious to the emotional tempest he had barely contained.
Back in the sanctuary of his own room, he strode into the bathroom. The shower’s cold blast was immediate, the water cascading over him, a chilling torrent meant to quench the fire that her proximity had ignited, its streams pooling and swirling down the drain.
