"I am not fine," Jeremy confessed.
He opened his eyes, the crimson-tinted gaze fixated on Madeline. His voice, gravelly and menacing, declared, "But your presence here makes it even more agonizing. Madeline, I'm a man. If you linger, I don't promise to restrain myself."
Madeline could only turn away.
She lay on the bed, but sleep eluded her. Her entire focus was on Jeremy. Every nuance of sound from inside the bathroom was under her vigilant scrutiny. Thirty minutes passed, and the water in the bathtub had been changed three times.
He must be sweltering, feeling uncomfortably hot, prompting the constant switch to cold water.
Contemplating his recent struggle, eyes ablaze and body scorching, Madeline's eyes welled up, mirroring his distress.
In the bathroom, during the fou
