Chapter 0169
Chapter 0169
I eagerly stepped in, letting the water wash over my weary body. The tension from the long day melted away as the warmth soothed my muscles and cleared my mind.
It didn’t take long for my mind to wander. Sleeping in the same bed with Alexander shouldn’t have been a big deal, and yet the thought alone was enough to make my heart race. I tried to keep myself focused on the task at hand, scrubbing away the day’s weariness. Once I was done, I turned off the water and myself.
apped a towel around
Stepping out of the shower, I walked over to the medicine cabinet. Glancing in the mirror, I winced at the sight of my hair a tangled disaster. Of course, I hadn’t thought to bring a brush. Hoping to find a comb or something useful, I opened the cabinet.
It was immediately obvious that this was Alexander’s bathroom. Everything was so high up, and given our height difference, I could barely see the top shelf, let alone reach it. Standing on my toes, I reached for a handle poking over the edge, hoping it was what I needed.
My fingertips brushed the handle, and several items toppled out. I let out a startled cry and jumped back as things hit the ground with a sharp clatter. My eyes widened when I realized it wasn’t a comb I had been grabbing–it was a shaving razor.
The blade landed on my foot, and a sharp jolt of pain shot through me.
Watery blood began pooling around my foot, and I stared at it in shock, the pain intensifying with every passing
moment.
“Ella?” Alexander’s voice was laced with concern from the other side of the door. “You shouted–are you okay?”
“No,” I replied, my voice trembling with panic as I stared at the blood. “I’m hurt.”
“I’m coming in,” Alexander said, and before I could respond, he threw the door open.
His gaze immediately dropped to the floor, where the puddle of blood glistened under the harsh bathroom light. Without hesitation, he stepped in, his expression sharpening into focus as he assessed the situation.
He guided me gently to sit on the edge of the tub, then turned to the cabinet and retrieved a first aid kit. I was too embarrassed and startled to say anything, watching him move with an efficiency that left no room for questions.
Kneeling in front of me, he opened the kit and pulled out a few pads of gauze. “This might hurt,” he said softly, pressing the gauze firmly against the wound.
I hissed in pain, but he held steady, the pressure stemming the bleeding. The pain began to dull, replaced by the steady thud of my heart pounding in my chest.
As the initial shock faded, I found myself staring at Alexander. His head was bent in concentration, his fingers steady as he tended to my injury. The towel wrapped around me suddenly felt very thin–far too thin for the closeness between us.
My heart raced for an entirely different reason now, the intimacy of the moment leaving me breathless.
Alexander looked up at me and I heard his breath hitch as our eyes met. He had realized the situation we were in as well. His bright eyes looked stormy and he moved forward slightly, almost unintentionally.
The wild thought that I wanted to kiss him entered my mind, unbidden and undeniable. My gaze lingered on him, his jaw tight with concentration, his hands gentle yet firm as they worked.
But before I could act–or even fully process the thought- loud knock shattered the moment.
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 0169
“I heard a scream,” Diana’s voice called through the door. What’s going on in there?!”
Alexander froze, glancing sharply over his shoulder. A muttered curse slipped from his lips, low enough that I doubted Diana could hear it.
A wave of nerves hit me like a freight train, leaving me momentarily paralyzed. My eyes darted to the door, then back to Alexander. How bad did this look? Me, sitting in nothing but a towel, Alexander kneeling in front of me, blood on the floor–it wasn’t hard to imagine Diana drawing all the wrong conclusions.
What should we do?
