Chapter 917
Seth’s eyebrows shot up. He gave his answer without a single second of hesitation.
“Yes.”
More than anything.
That half-lit, breathless near-kiss in the hospital ward had been haunting his every waking thought.
Her abrupt question was like tossing a lit match into dry brush-it instantly set his chest ablaze.
A mischievous glint flashed through Noreen’s eyes as she purposely taunted, “But I just ate Durian. It’s your absolute least favorite smell in the world.”
Realizing he was being played, Seth let out a low, dark chuckle.
She had intentionally driven his heart to the edge of a cliff, leaving it dangling there. He absolutely despised the smell of Durian.
But…
So what?
Even if she were covered in the stuff from head to toe, he would still devour her.
Noreen’s smug victory barely lasted two seconds before the predatory intensity storming into the man’s gaze terrified her.
By the time she sensed the danger and tried to bolt, it was far too late.
Like an apex predator locking onto its prey, he struck with blinding speed.
Before Noreen could even flinch away, his hand shot out, wrapping possessively around the back of her head. He crashed his lips against hers in a punishing, bruising kiss.
Noreen instinctively clamped her mouth shut.
But she was no match for his overwhelming strength.
His left hand gripped her jaw, applying just enough pressure to force her mouth open, allowing him to effortlessly invade her senses.
A muffled gasp slipped past Noreen’s lips.
To Seth, that tiny, breathy sound was pure gasoline on the fire.
It completely shattered whatever restraint he had left.
Playing with fire will get you burned.
That was the very last coherent thought to flash through Noreen’s mind before she was entirely consumed.
She was fully enveloped in his powerful embrace, her heart hammering violently against her ribs.
After the initial brutal, stormy assault, the kiss slowly shifted, melting into something agonizingly tender.
Seth captured her lower lip, sucking and tasting her with a slow, lingering devotion.
But the second she tried to pull back, he surged forward, his intensity flaring all over again.
She had completely lost control of the situation.
Seth was no longer satisfied with just a simple kiss.
He wanted to consume her entirely.
His kiss grew wildly aggressive, searingly hot, desperately greedy.
His palm gripped the back of her neck like a vice, continuously pulling her flush against his chest as if trying to absorb her into his very skin.
Noreen was kissed until her cheeks were flushed crimson, her ears burning a bright, furious red.
Her voice broke into tiny, shattered fragments beneath his lips. “Don’t… You can’t…” He knew perfectly well he couldn’t.
But he was completely physically incapable of letting her go.
Suddenly, a noise rattled from the entryway.
The electronic lock beeped happily as the passcode was entered.
The sharp sound sliced straight through the intoxicating tension in the room, yanking Noreen’s sanity violently back to the surface.
As if she had been branded by a hot iron, she shoved him away forcefully, putting as much distance between herself and Seth as physically possible.
The sudden emptiness in Seth’s arms made a fierce wave of reluctance crash over him.
His heavy gaze lingered greedily on her swollen, thoroughly kissed lips for several seconds before he finally forced himself to look away turning his attention to the front door.
Claire burst in like a hurricane. She had completely abandoned her Usual polished celebrity image hair looking like it had been through a wind tunnel.
The second she stepped inside, she lunged toward Noreen. “Sweetheart! I’m here to save you!”
She charged straight for her best friend, fully intending to yank Noreen behind her for protection.
But Seth moved faster, smoothly pulling Noreen to his side.
Claire grabbed empty air. The moment she realized what had happened, she whipped around and glared murderously at Seth.
“Go sanitize yourself first.”
Claire’s eyes went wide with sheer disbelief.
Was she a walking biohazard?
He was making her sanitize?!
Even Noreen thought Seth was being ridiculously paranoid.
Besides, she was the one harboring the actual virus!
If anyone needed to be careful, it was Claire avoiding her.
But Seth didn’t see it that way. His tone dripped with blatant disgust “She’s a patient with a compromised
immune system right now, WHO
knows what kind of filthy germs you just dragged in from outside?”
Claire stood there with a face full of question marks.
This arrogant bastard really thought he was the man of the house, didn’t he?
Noreen quickly shook off Seth’s grip, instantly taking Claire’s side. “Stop yelling at her.”