the contract marriage

CHAPTER 4

After my shower in Aiden’s office, I felt even more exhausted. The heat from the water had drained me, and as I slumped at my desk, my eyelids grew heavy.

I tapped my cheeks gently and muttered, “Don’t fall asleep, Emily.” I needed coffee—lots of it. I’d even consider eating it if I had to, though I doubted it would taste good.

At least I didn’t have to go to the club tonight. I had the night off, and I could finally catch up on some much-needed sleep. If I kept this up, I’d need an entire week to recover.

“Just a couple more weeks,” I reassured myself as I stood and made my way to the small kitchen on this level. Normally, I’d only put one spoon of coffee in my cup, but tonight, I opted for two.

As I poured hot water into both mine and Aiden’s cups, fatigue weighed down my eyelids again. I swayed slightly on my feet, and the scalding water hitting my hand jolted me awake.

“Ah!” I yelped, tears springing to my eyes. Rushing to the sink, I held my hand under warm water, the skin around my thumb and the back of my hand turning red. I hoped it wouldn’t blister.

With my hand under the water, I heard Aiden’s deep voice behind me. “What happened? Are you alright?”

I shut off the water and turned to face him. “I’m fine. Just burned my hand, that’s all.”

He approached, concern etched in his features, and gently grasped my hand to examine it. “It’s really not that bad,” I insisted, though butterflies danced in my stomach at his touch.

It was a lie. My skin felt like fire, and he must have sensed my discomfort because he guided me to a round table in the middle of the room and pulled out a chair for me.

“Sit,” he said, and I obeyed, grateful for the support. He retrieved a first aid kit from the wall, setting it on the table and rummaging through it. He pulled out a tube of ointment and a bandage.

“You don’t need to do this, Mr. Davis. I’m honestly okay,” I protested.

He shushed me, taking the lid off the ointment and applying it to the back of my hand. I watched his face as he worked, then he carefully wrapped the bandage around my hand.

When he finished, he met my gaze. “You need to be more careful, Emily. Take this,” he said, handing me the ointment. “It will help with the burning.”

My heart swelled. No one had ever looked after me like this. “Thank you.”

He nodded and asked, “What were you doing to burn yourself?”

I laughed sheepishly. “I was falling asleep while making coffee for both of us.”

His intense gaze locked onto mine. “How are you getting home? The subway?”

I nodded, standing to finish adding creamer to the drinks. Suddenly, the room spun, and I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself. “Wow, easy. Have you eaten today?” he asked, his hand gripping my arm.

The truth was I hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. I managed a guilty smile. “Not since yesterday.”

His eyes narrowed as he exhaled sharply. “My office. Now.”

I grabbed the cups and walked to his office, Aiden trailing behind, muttering something I couldn’t catch.

He headed straight to the couch, pulling something from the side that transformed the back into a bed. “What are you doing?” I asked, confusion washing over me.

“You’re going to eat, then you’ll sleep. I’ll take you home tonight. You’re not going on the train while you’re this tired.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “You won’t tell me what’s going on, so let me take care of you. Eat and then get some sleep. That’s all I need from you right now.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you, Mr. Davis?”

He shook his head, pulling out his phone. “What do you want to eat?”

“Anything, as long as it’s not too expensive. I can’t afford the same luxuries you can.”

“It’s on me. I’ll order from the pasta bar. Is that alright?”

I nodded and sank onto the couch, unable to resist its comfort.

As we waited, he sat beside me, looking down at me. I smiled and snuggled deeper into the cushions. “Thank you for taking care of my hand. I’m so clumsy when I’m tired.”

He placed his hand on my thigh, heat radiating from his touch. I locked eyes with him as he leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Will you tell me…” His breath sent shivers down my spine.

Breathless, I whispered, “Tell you what?”

He kissed my neck, goosebumps erupting across my skin. What was happening? Why was I allowing him to touch me like this? “What do you need, Emily?”

I tilted my head back, giving him better access to my neck. He pressed his lips to my sensitive skin, igniting a fire within me. I let out a soft moan.

He looked up, his gaze fierce. “Tell me to stop.”

I didn’t want to. I desperately needed this connection. “No, please don’t.”