Chapter 717 Dion and Natalie sitting On A Tree…
By night, Natalie was moved out of the ICU and into an obscenely expensive private ward, one Dion knew he would never see in his lifetime if their roles were reversed.
And right now, he was fussing over her like a mother hen.
“You sure you’re okay?” Dion asked for the fourth time, already lifting the cup of water again. “Your throat might be dry.”
Natalie gave the look as he carefully held the straw to her lips. “Dion, I promise I won’t evaporate if you stop hovering for five minutes.”
He waited until she’d taken a few sips before lowering the cup. Then, as if he remembered something urgent, he adjusted her pillow, fluffed it once, then gently shifted the blanket higher so it covered her properly.
“That’s really not necessary,” she said, heat creeping into her cheeks.
“I know,” he replied simply. “But I want to.”
That made her pause.
Dion moved to the side of the bed and gently took her foot in his hands. “Your legs were tense earlier. Sometimes massaging helps people relax.”
In a twinkle of an eye, he was massaging her feet. But instead of it helping her relax, Natalie burst into a soft giggle. “Dion, that tickles!”
Except that little movement tugged at her ribs and she hissed faintly.
Instant panic crossed Dion’s face, and he dropped her foot immediately. “Hey—hey—don’t laugh. You’re injured.”
Natalie told him. “How exactly do you expect me not to laugh when something tickles?”
Dion exhaled, half relieved she was okay, and half flustered. “I’ll just stop then.”
He moved closer to her side of the bed instead, resting his hand on the mattress near her arm. “Do you need anything else? Should I call the nurse to check on you?”
Natalie shook her head slowly. “No. I’m good. Really.”
Then silence settled between them. It was not an uncomfortable one, just awkward and underlined with a strange tension.
Their eyes met, and for a moment neither of them looked away. There was something different in the air now, but Dion cleared his throat, ruining the moment.
“You should sleep now. I’ll keep watch,” Dion said to her.
Natalie frowned. “Or rather, you’re the one who needs the rest.”
As expected, he shook his head. “You’re the one in a hospital bed, and I promised I wouldn’t leave your side.”
“You already did more than enough, Dion” she said. “You stayed with me all through the accident, the ambulance, the ICU… Do you have any idea the physical and mental toll that must’ve taken on you?”
“Not when it’s my fault you were in that crash.”
Natalie stared at him. “What?”
“Oh, come on, Dion,” she scoffed weakly. “You’re not seriously blaming yourself for my accident.”
“Isn’t that the truth, though? If I hadn’t appeared in your mirror, you wouldn’t have been distracted. You would’ve seen the car coming from the opposite side.”
“No,” Natalie said firmly. “You might have actually saved my life. For God’s sake, Dion, I was speeding. I wasn’t thinking straight. I was the one who put myself in danger and you’re the one who made me slow down.”
Dion went silent, stunned by her words. For once, he had no argument.
“If anything…” Natalie murmured, her voice dropping. “I should be thanking you with a kiss, my hero.”
Dion froze.
His face turned beet red in seconds, his jaw nearly unhinging. “Y-you don’t need to… ” he stammered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Natalie smiled knowingly. “Yeah, unfortunately, I can’t right now. Every time I move, my lungs scream in protest.”
She paused, then her eyes glinted mischievously.
“…But you can,” she added lightly. “Do the kissing for both of us.”
Her words lingered in the air.
Dion stared at her, completely flustered, his heart pounding like it wanted to burst through his ribs.
“You’re joking, right?”
Natalie lifted a brow. “You’re the one who suggested we ’date for content’ earlier, remember?”
Dion groaned. “I know. That was stupid of me. Moreover, I was only pulling your legs.”
Natalie stood her ground, “Well, whether you meant it or not, right now, this is a thank-you kiss.”
Dion swallowed hard, his pulse thundering in his ears. “A-Are you sure…?”
Natalie’s eyes sharpened, suddenly intense despite the weakness in her body. “Kiss. Me. Now. Dion.”
The command left Dion no room to breathe, much less argue. He hesitated one last second, then leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
It was soft and careful, barely more than a brush. A tentative kiss that lasted only a few seconds before he pulled back, heart racing like he’d just run a mile.
Natalie blinked. That was it?
“Really, Dion?” She was disappointed. “Now I understand why they call you ’single Dion’, you’re even more single than—”
She never finished the sentence because Dion leaned in and kissed her again, cutting off her teasing words as surprise shone in her eyes.
He pressed his lips more firmly against hers this time, and Natalie forgot all about the pain. She didn’t even realize when her hand lifted to slide into his hair, pulling him closer. Dion kissed her slowly, surer now. When she opened up for him, his tongue slipped in.
Natalie moaned as his tongue brushed the roof of her mouth before tangling with hers in tantalizing strokes. Then he withdrew just enough to capture her lower lip and suck hard. He bit down lightly, sending sharp pain through her before soothing it with another deep kiss.
Holy creator of the universe
Natalie knew she was a goner.
Dion kissed her for a while before finally
pulling back, both of them breathing hard.
Natalie stared at him, shocked, something unfamiliar lighting her eyes. What the hell just happened? That had been mind-blowing—and she wanted it again.
Dion asked softly, “Was that good enough?”
For the first time since the accident, Natalie smiled without pain in her eyes.
“Hotter than hell.”
Dion grinned.
Then the door burst open, and the happiness was instantly ripped out of the room.