CHAPTER 8 — The CEO In The Buff

~ ISLA ~

I stood rooted to the spot, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he casually undressed right there.

His gaze darkened. “Don’t make me repeat myself, wife.”

Realizing how foolish I must look, I dragged my feet into the bathroom, my cheeks burning.

Gosh, how can I be so muddleheaded!

I turned on the faucet and busied myself with the bath, trying hard to will off the shame I felt.

The sound of running water echoed in the tiled room, but my heart pounded even louder.

By the time I had filled the tub and laid out the towel neatly on the rack, I let out a shaky breath, ready to retreat quickly before he came in.

But just as I was about to step away, the door pushed open.

Alistair strode in without hesitation, his tall frame filling the room. His movements were casual, almost careless, as he began undoing his belt.

My eyes widened.

“W–wait—!”

He ignored me, tugging his pants off with ease, a faint curve of amusement tugging at his lips.

I froze, heat rushing to my face. My gaze darted everywhere except him, but it was too late—images I had no business seeing were already burned into my mind.

“You—You can’t just—” My words came out in a stammer, my hands fumbling to cover my eyes.

Alistair only smirked mischievously, stepping into the tub like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“What’s wrong, wife? Is this your first time seeing a naked man?”

His voice was obviously cold but it still made my throat tightened, and my entire body scorching with mortification.

Before he could say anything else, I spun on my heel and bolted out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.

My cheeks were blazing red, my heart thundering like it might burst out of my chest.

Good heavens!

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone naked, okay? I’m a doctor—I’ve seen all kinds of bodies, worked on injuries, done surgeries.

But just… this feels different. It’s not just skin or a patient on a table. It’s Alistair Montgomery.

And it’s something… personal.

***

The rest of the night had been a blur—I drifted off the moment my body touched the sofa I had been lying on earlier.

I hadn’t thought much of Alistair’s presence in the room; my strength was completely drained.

In the morning, I was woken by the soft, warm light streaming through the tall windows.

I shifted slowly and rubbed my eyes as I yawned. That’s when I felt the soft mattress beneath me.

My eyes snapped open. And then I realized—I was on Alistair’s bed.

Wait. How did I even get here? I clearly remembered sleeping on the sofa!

A thought of him taking advantage of me while I slept crossed my mind. I checked myself almost immediately—but when I found nothing amiss, I let out a shaky sigh of relief.

Still, I couldn’t shake off the thought of him, allowing me to share his bed. Though the bed was ridiculously huge, sharing it with him felt entirely different.

Fortunately, he was already gone; otherwise, I would really die of embarrassment. I still couldn’t shake the humiliating image of him from last night.

Thinking of it, my cheeks heated involuntarily.

I scolded myself as I got up and walked toward the bathroom.

But just as I reached the door, it suddenly opened, and my forehead collided with something hard. I looked up—and froze.

He was there. Inches away. Sharp eyes met mine, cool and intense.

His wet hair was tousled, water still glistening on his bare chest, trailing down the defined lines of his abs.

My heart might’ve stopped for a second. I swallowed hard.

Oh, dear heavens… he’s too hot!

He was a walking sculpture. A living temptation. Every inch of him looked like sin carved into perfection—and he knew it.

He caught my stare and threw me a cold, teasing look.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he commented, unfazed.

I quickly looked away, pretending to be fascinated by a speck of the carpeted floor.

He said nothing more, just sauntered into the walk-in closet as if this was perfectly normal.

I moved to the bathroom faster than lightning and locked myself inside, my chest pounding from my wild heartbeat.

I stared at myself in the mirror, beet-red from head to toe.

Gosh, this was the most awkward moment of my entire life!

‘Get it together, Isla. Just treat him like one of the patients you’ve operated on,’ I convinced myself foolishly.

Yeah, that’s it. I don’t need to feel embarrassed. This is completely normal.

Putting aside my embarrassment, I took a quick bath and tried hard to steady myself.

Once done, I wrapped myself in a robe, a towel on my head, and stepped out—only to stop dead. Alistair was still sitting on the bed.

Gone was the half-naked, post-shower man. Now he looked cold, noble, and powerful in a perfectly tailored suit. Every inch the intimidating CEO the world bowed down to.

He adjusted his wristwatch smoothly before finally looking my way.

“I’ll be waiting downstairs for breakfast,” he said in a cold, commanding tone. “I’ll drop you at the hospital.”

And with that, he walked out, leaving behind only the lingering scent of his cologne..

***

By the time we stepped out of the house, I thought I could finally breathe properly. But that wasn’t how it went.

I didn’t expect riding in the same car with him to be this stressful.

Alistair sat beside me in the backseat, legs crossed, fingers scrolling lazily through something on his phone. His executive assistant was at the wheel, silent and professional.

The atmosphere inside the car?

Thick and intimidating.

We didn’t speak.

I stared out the window, trying to stop replaying that ridiculous scene in my head—him, naked. His smirk. That sexy voice.

Nope. Nope. I was not thinking about that again.

As we approached the hospital gates, I turned to him, gathering my courage.

“You… can drop me here,” I said slowly, nodding to the side of the road. “I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

His brows furrowed slightly, and he lowered his phone.

“Why?” His cold, deep voice resounded.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to seem casual without meeting his eyes.

“It’s just better if people don’t see me getting out of a car like this—to avoid questions or gossip…” I reasoned.

His car was super luxurious and eye-catching. Just one look, and anyone would immediately recognize it as Alistair’s—he was the only person in this world who used a customized vehicle from a renowned luxury brand.

I didn’t want to be the center of gossip first thing in the morning. That’s too scary.

He looked at me for a moment—long enough that I began to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Stop the car,” his commanding voice came again.

Thank God he agreed!

Just as I was about to reach for the handle, his voice stopped me cold.

“You might be forgetting something.”

I blinked and turned slowly, caught off guard. “Huh?”

His eyes glinted, and before I could register what was happening, he leaned in—close enough that I could already see his spotless, insanely handsome face.

The scent of his cologne hit me first—sharp, clean, and way too intoxicating.

I totally messed up. My brain short-circuited from the closeness between us and those sharp gray eyes pinning me in place. My palms started to sweat from nervousness.

After a moment, he finally leaned back, and I was able to breathe again. Whew!

“Your phone,” he handed it to me without looking my way.

Right. How could I forget?

I simply took it and thanked him quickly before scrambling out.

And he just sat there, composed as ever, like he hadn’t just ruined my entire central nervous system.