Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

He forced himself to look away and asked, "Don't you think Aaron and Simon have been making waves for way too long? But if they disappeared all of a sudden, wouldn't that be tough to explain to Walter?"

It'd be impossible, honestly.

After all, one Lincoln had just died, and the Ferguson family barely had any young blood left. Walter's oldest son didn't even have kids. If those two vanished next, Dylan would be the first person Walter pointed fingers at.

Richard noticed Dylan wasn't saying a word, and couldn't tell if his mind was even on the conversation. He stood up. "Forget it. We'll talk some other time. Looks like you're a little... worked up right now."

Nicholas heard that and couldn't help glancing at a certain part of Dylan, but he caught himself halfway and quickly looked away, getting up too.

Jackson clearly didn't want to stick around either. At the door, he turned and said, "I'll have them seal off this place right away. Take your time."

Dylan's hand paused. He actually said, "Thanks."

Jackson was caught off guard, lips pressed together as if unsure what to say, and just quietly closed the door behind him.

Moonlight's staff moved fast, clearing a path and locking down every exit from this private suite to the back door.

Jackson really meant what he said.

Now there were only two people left in the room. Dylan looked down at her. "Everyone's gone. Still want a kiss?"

Clara's mind was a total haze. She shook her head. "It feels stuffy."

She was still leaning into him, her whole body soft and weak.

He gently pinched her chin, meeting her watery gaze, his voice low and coaxing. "A kiss will fix that."

She frowned, like she was actually weighing if that was true.

But he didn't give her time to decide.

She was half sprawled on the sofa, his hands cradling her face, her head tilted back for him.

No one knew how long it lasted. At some point, Dylan realized she wasn't responding. He glanced down-she'd fallen asleep, just like that.

He let go of her lips, pressing his forehead against hers, his breath a little uneven.

It took him several minutes to pull himself together before he finally scooped her up and walked out.noveldrama

The hallway was oddly quiet, not a soul around, the lights dim overhead.

She nestled in his arms, trying her best to open her eyes, staring up at his jaw.

Dylan held her a little tighter. "What are you looking at?"

"You... you look kind of like my... like my... someone."

Her mind was spinning, and after being kissed breathless, she couldn't remember exactly what she meant.

He stopped walking, actually patient, waiting for her to figure it out.

It took Clara nearly three minutes to remember.

"Boyfriend."

The air went still. You could practically hear a pin drop.

He glanced down at her, then kept walking.

His quiet "Mm❞ just drifted away, almost like it was never there at all.

*

Clara woke up with her head pounding, feeling like it might actually explode.

She forced herself to sit up, the room spinning.

A housekeeper knocked on the bedroom door. “Ma'am, are you awake? We made you some hangover soup."

Clara got up and opened the door.

The housekeeper took one look at her pale face and quickly handed her the mug.

Clara remembered going out last night, but she had no idea how she'd made it back home.

She drank the soup down to the last drop, but something still felt off. Her mouth?

Her lips ached.

The housekeeper saw her licking her lips and couldn't help thinking, Wow, the missus and sir must be getting along really well-her lips are all swollen from kissing.

Clara put the mug down and headed to the bathroom. When she looked in the

mirror, her lips were red and puffy.

"What, am I having an allergic reaction?" she muttered.

Was it those desserts she'd had in Dylan's office yesterday?

She'd eaten a few too many, maybe she was allergic to something in them?

She touched her lips, wincing at the tingly an, and called out to the housekeeper waiting by the

there any allergy medicine

"Is

at home?"

The housekeeper was

Sshe'd assumed the

the

lips were from kissingel

was actually an allergy?

it

Looking a little panicked, she hurried off. "I'll find some right away, ma'am."

Clara nodded and followed her downstairs.