One hand propped on the edge of the bed, the other holding his chin.
Afraid of hurting him—and even more afraid of choking him—she fed him slowly and carefully, never pressing too hard against his lips for fear of breaking the already dry skin.
Within moments, she heard the sound of Calvin swallowing.
That was a good sign. Adriana eased her heart a little and continued feeding him several more mouthfuls in the same careful way. By the time she’d managed to give him almost an entire cup of water, her own lips were numb.
As for the man, the dry skin on his mouth had been softened by the water, taking on a faint flush of color. His sensually thin lips glistened faintly, like two pieces of pale jade—just looking at them made one want to claim them.
He was sick like this, and still damn attractive.
Adriana patted her own face, refusing to let her mind wander down that path. She brushed aside those thoughts that had no busi
She wasn’t very flexible, but she suddenly lifted her long leg and kicked him in the chest.“Get away!”But he caught her foot with one hand, his long fingers wrapping firmly around her ankle. Whether it was because her ankle was too thin or his fingers were too long, even after encircling it once, his index finger still extended beyond the bone. He used that extra length to gently stroke her skin, again and again.“I had my reason for not answering your call. I can’t tell you right now.”Adriana’s legs were stretched between the two seats, separated by the center console—her posture awkward and uncomfortable. “Let go of me first.”Calvin tilted the corner of his mouth, not only refusing to release her but also undoing her shoelaces. He slipped off her shoe and tossed it into the back seat, leaving her clean, bare foot in his hand. “You’re too skinny. It hurts my hand.”In truth, he had noticed the moment he saw her—she had lost weight. She had never been very curvy to begin with, and
He could take Rose to a bar in the middle of the night, but she wasn’t allowed to drink with someone else?Accusing her of planning to get a hotel room—what about him?Don’t tell her that after drinking, they went home separately to sleep in their own beds. That would just be a waste of the condoms he bought, wouldn’t it?Calvin’s deep, abyssal eyes glared down at her, pinning her in place. The strength in his hand tightened so much so that he forgot whether her shoulders could withstand such force.“When did this start? How far have you two gone?”Adriana was trapped in the chair, her whole body aching under his grip, but she stubbornly pulled at the corner of her lips, meeting his brutality with the most elegant smile.“You don’t want to know the answer, and I wouldn’t tell you.”He only wanted to buy a month’s time, but she couldn’t bear the loneliness!“You…” Calvin gripped her cheeks with one hand, squeezing them inward with his thumb and index finger, nearly crushing her delicat
Rose raised her hand to signal the waiter for a lemon soda and a light cocktail. Smiling, she explained, “He’s already had some alcohol today, so he can’t drink more. Do you mind?”Adriana gave an expressionless smile, glancing at Calvin from the corner of her eye. “Miss Rose is truly kind and considerate. Mr. Walker is so lucky.”That must be why Calvin was especially gentle with her—even going so far as to use protection for her.Rose began to explain, “Miss Clarke, you’ve misunderstood—”But Calvin cut her off, allowing the misunderstanding to linger. Just then, a waiter passed by. Calvin waved him over, his long fingers moving with effortless charm.“Brandy.”Rose wanted to stop him but didn’t dare. Instead, she quickly placed the soda water in front of him and whispered, “Brandy is strong. You should drink some water first.”Adriana raised an eyebrow. “Miss Rose and Mr. Walker get along so well. When did you two start?”Rose glanced nervously at Calvin, unwilling to let others mi
“A glass of Hennessy, please.”Sinking into the bar’s sofa, Adriana waved to the waiter.“Beer, please.”Mark sat across from her. The glass coffee table held the bar’s complimentary snacks and fruit. He pushed the fruit platter forward.“Eat something before drinking.”Adriana leaned against the sofa, her arm sloping to support her forehead. In the warm, dim lighting of the bar, her gaze seemed veiled by a faint mist, making Mark’s face appear slightly blurred.She suddenly smiled and tilted her chin. “I want some nuts.”“Sure.”Mark picked up a pistachio, peeled it, and was about to place it in a small dish, but Adriana reached out. “No need to bother.”He peeled one, and she took it, placing it in her mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing.With a sip of alcohol, the warmth slid down her throat, stirring emotions in her stomach—thicker than the night itself.She couldn’t remember how many she had when she looked at the nut in her palm and forced a smile. “Besides my dad and my bro
Ethan sighed. “Hey, once these guys get going, there’s no stopping them. Looks like we’ll have to keep drinking for a while.”“Alright, eat something to settle your stomach. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. If you feel unwell, buy some medicine. Have the maid prepare a hangover soup before bed, or you’ll wake up with a headache in the morning.”Ethan sensed that Adriana’s words were meant more for Calvin than for him.“Why aren’t you asleep yet? Are you still out?”There was the sound of a car engine on the receiver—faint, but clear enough for him to recognize.Adriana held the steering wheel with one hand, her gaze fixed on the streetlight above. “Yeah, I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll be home soon.”“Drive carefully.”“Alright. Bye.”Drunk and unable to answer the phone… Adriana didn’t believe a single word of that excuse.Who was Calvin? Even if he were drugged, he could still maintain composure with his iron will and issue critical administrative orders. Even if he truly h
Calvin looked at the burning cigarette with a lonely expression, the faint red smoke swirling with the sharp scent of nicotine. “I want to know too, but I haven’t had the chance to ask. The people I sent to investigate couldn’t find anything about her past.”“If even your people can’t find her, then the matter must be complicated.”Calvin was thinking the same thing.When Eleanor left, she had been just a girl, not yet twenty. How much power could she possibly have held back then?To evade his surveillance and keep a living person hidden all these years—whoever was behind it was no ordinary individual. And that was what Calvin worried about most.“No matter what happened to her, I must bring her back safely. If I’m not mistaken, she must have been coerced.”Ethan looked out the window, lifting his chin. “What about Adriana? What’s your plan? Are you just going to i