Chapter 9
After sending Rolf away, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The late nights working overtime in Ushuaia had become routine. One evening, Stuart suddenly pushed the door open. “Still working this late?”
“Just about done.” I rubbed my sore shoulders, only to feel his large hands settle on them, pressing with just the right amount. of strength.
The unexpected closeness made me tense
- up.
“Relax.” His low voice murmured near my ear, his warm breath grazing the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.
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Just as I was about to say something, the lights in the lab abruptly went out.
In the darkness, his hand accidentally brushed against my collarbone.
I gasped and tried to stand, but he wrapped an arm around my waist.
In the shadows, our breaths mingled, blurring the lines between us.
“Your heart’s racing…” His voice was husky, and yet, he didn’t let go.
Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, and our eyes met. His hand was still on my waist.
The air between us froze.
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“Um… I–I should get back.” Flustered, I pushed him away and rushed out.
I ran all the way back to my dorm, leaning against the door as I caught my breath, my cheeks burning.
Damn it, the way he looked at me just now was way too alluring… I needed a cold shower to calm down.
But fate had other plans–I walked into the wrong bathroom.
As I opened the door, steam drifted out to meet me.
Stuart stood with his back to me,
towel–drying his hair. Water droplets traced down the muscles of his back, following the curve of his toned shoulders…
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“Aah!” I gasped, and he spun around quickly, his towel slipping dangerously low around his waist.
“S–sorry!” I covered my eyes, trying to back away, but stumbled against the doorframe.
He caught me, his damp chest pressing firmly against my back.
“Don’t run.” His voice was husky. “Since you’ve walked in, let’s clear the air.”
My whole body flushed. “Stuart, please don’t…”
“Don’t what?” He turned me around to face him, his gaze piercing.
“Don’t let you see what I feel? Or don’t let you know that every time I catch that orange blossom scent on you, I want to pull you into
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my arms?”
I looked up, trapped in his heated gaze, my breath catching.
He leaned in, his nose grazing my cheek as his warm lips brushed the corner of my mouth.
I trembled, instinctively wanting to push him away.
“Stuart!” A colleague’s voice called out from outside the door. “Ice collapse in the lab–we need backup!”
I took the chance to break free from his hold and fled the room.
But that kiss lingered at the corner of lips, a feeling I couldn’t shake.
my
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For days afterward, we avoided each other, as if by mutual, unspoken agreement.
Until the night of the snowstorm.
“Clarissa! Are you out of your mind?” He grabbed my arm in the howling blizzard. “You’re out here sampling in minus 40 degrees–trying to freeze yourself to death?”
“Let go of me!” I struggled. “This is a rare sample!”
“A sample?” He laughed, though his anger was barely concealed. “Are you that desperate to numb yourself with work? What are you running from?”
“I’m not-”
“Look at me!” He cupped my face in his hands. “What are you afraid of? Being close
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to me? Letting yourself feel something? Or getting hurt again?”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Yes! I’m afraid! I’m terrified it’s all a lie, that your kindness is just pity, that-”
He cut me off with a fierce kiss, his tongue pushing past my lips, claiming me with intensity.
I tried to push him away, but he pressed me against the observation deck, deepening the kiss.
“Mmm…” I whimpered, but he only kissed me harder.
When we finally parted, we were both breathless.
His forehead rested against mine. “Clarissa, I
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love you. This isn’t pity, and it isn’t sympathy. I love your stubbornness, your dedication to your work, and yes, even the way you’re trying to pull away from me right now.”
My eyes filled with warmth. “Stuart…”
He wrapped me tightly in his arms, and in that moment, my heart wavered, breaking free.
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