Chapter 1184

He hadn’t suspected a thing. He had practically sprinted there.

It wasn’t until he heard the unmistakable, breathless sounds slipping from the

bathroom that reality crashed over him. He had been set up.

He didn’t take another step forward. Silently, he backed out of the suite and clicked the door shut. As he turned away, the expression on his face turned deadly.

Jude Wilder came sprinting down the hall, looking surprised when he nearly collided with Dylan. “Dylan? What are you doing here?”

“Just passing by,” Dylan said, his voice absolute ice.

Jude didn’t have the time to question it. He was too frantic to find Seth. Twenty minutes ago, Seth had called saying he’d been drugged and needed to be rushed to the hospital immediately.

Jude had broken every speed limit to get here.

His hand had just grasped the doorknob when Dylan spoke again. “You really don’t want to go in there right now.”

Jude’s hand froze.

He glanced at the dark, thunderous look on Dylan’s face and instantly connected the dots.

He wanted to ask Dylan if he was okay, but Dylan had already stalked off down the corridor.

Jude could only offer three seconds of silent sympathy for the man’s broken heart.

As soon as Dylan exited the hotel, he spotted Crystal Chelsea leaning against his car. She was staring right at him, her eyes practically dancing with malicious glee. Dylan stopped in his tracks, his eyes turning dangerous. Those usually detached eyes were now pitch black, freezing like a bottomless winter lake.

He didn’t say a word. He just stared at her, his jaw tightening incrementally.

Once Crystal felt she had enjoyed the silence long enough, she drawled, “Are you finally going to give up on her?”

Dylan looked at her, his gaze carrying the crushing weight of a midnight storm. “Crystal, I warned you. Don’t ever touch her again.”

His glare was so venomous, so incredibly foreign, that Crystal shivered. This was the man she had been married to for four years. Yet in that moment, she realized she had never truly known him at all.

That terrifying realization made her blood run cold.

Dylan walked right past her, got into his car, and sped away.

…

Jude waited outside the hotel room door for almost an hour before his phone finally buzzed.

“Where are you?” Seth’s voice was significantly rougher than usual.

“Standing right outside your door,” Jude grumbled. “Are you guys finally done? His legs were numb, and his phone battery was clinging to one percent.

“Get us two changes of clothes. Fast.”

Jude: “…”

Things must have gotten absolutely wild in there if both their outfits were destroyed.

Despite his mental complaining, Jude was highly efficient. Ten minutes later, Seth was carrying Noreen downstairs.

Noreen had her face buried

completely in Seth’s chest, too mortified to look at anyone. The. session in the bathroom had sointense that she had actually

twisted her ankle.

Her back wasn’t faring much better, either. She felt like she’d been run over by a freight train.

At least Seth had the decency to show some remorse. The moment it was over, he

had continuously apologized for losing control and being too rough.

Noreen had ignored him. While changing into the fresh clothes, her legs had buckled, and she had slid right onto the floor.

Seth had instantly caught her. “Are you still hurting?”

Noreen had been furious. “This is all your fault! How am I supposed to walk? Carry me!”

Her ankle throbbed. Her back ached. Her thighs burned. Every step felt like pure torture.

“It would be my pleasure,” Seth had whispered back.

For him, getting to carry her was a reward.

Once they were back at her apartment, Seth ran out to buy some soothing ointment, insisting he needed to apply it for her.

Noreen absolutely refused. She

snatched the tube from his hand et

and locked herself in the bathroom.

When she finally emerged, her face was completely flushed.

Seth guided her to the sofa and gently rubbed her sprained ankle.

But the longer he massaged her skin, the darker his eyes became.

By the time Noreen sensed the danger, it was far too late to pull away. Seth leaned

in, pressing a trail of hot kisses all the way up her calf.