Chapter 543
Christina quickly pushed herself up, a frown creasing her brow as she called out, “Dylan? Dylan!” Right now, his well-being was her top priority. There was no time to dwell on their accidental kiss.
When Dylan stayed unresponsive, worry overtook her and she hurriedly checked to see if he was okay. Only after making sure he was fine did she finally let out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank heavens, he only passed out,” she whispered as relief washed over her. Without another word, she focused on changing Dylan’s clothes.
Meanwhile, Dylan wondered why Christina was so certain he was fine. Shouldn’t she call for a doctor or at least a nurse to check on him? Then it dawned on him—Christina was a veterinarian. She had always insisted that animal doctors were just as capable as any other doctor. Perhaps she figured she could handle things herself. After all, people were just another kind of animal, right?
As Christina unbuttoned Dylan’s crisp white shirt, his sculpted torso and flawless eight-pack abs came into view. The sun-kissed hue of his skin made him look even more irresistible.
Unable to resist, Christina smoothly rested her hands on his firm abs. The contrast between her delicate touch and the hard lines of his muscles was almost too much to ignore.
She gave Dylan’s abs a subtle squeeze, unable to contain herself. “Seriously, these abs are on another level,” she murmured to herself.
A tiny, satisfied smirk tugged at Dylan’s lips as he lay quietly. Christina had just given him another compliment. All those hours he spent working out hadn’t been wasted—today, his efforts were finally paying off. Ralph’s old advice echoed in his mind: sometimes, a little physical charm could tip the scales in romance.
Dylan toyed with the idea of applying this trick, unsure if it was worth the risk. What if it backfired and made Christina uncomfortable? After mulling it over, he decided now wasn’t the moment. With things so tentative between them, the stakes felt too high to gamble on seduction.
Meanwhile, Christina gently slipped off his white shirt, swapping it for the standard-issue hospital gown. “All right, the top’s done. Next up, let’s get these pants changed,” she announced, lifting the blanket with careful hands. She started to lean in and help Dylan with his pants, but then stopped short, hesitating mid-motion.
Flat on his back, Dylan forced himself to keep still, pretending to be out cold. But Christina’s words made every muscle in his body tense. A spike of nervousness hit him, his breathing stuttered, and his heart hammered in his chest.
To Christina, his unconscious state meant there was no reason to feel embarrassed. She figured it was safe to undress him completely, so she got to work unbuckling his belt, though her fingers fumbled slightly and brushed against his private parts more than once.
Each accidental touch nearly broke Dylan’s resolve to keep up the charade. The way she moved—so gentle yet awkward—sent a spark through him and turned him on. He battled to stay still, knowing that waking up now would be mortifying. Then again, if he waited too long, things could get even worse, especially if she noticed his erection. Panic set in at the thought. What would Christina think if she realized he could get aroused even while supposedly unconscious?
Dylan refused to let the closeness he had worked so hard to build slip away just like that. He also couldn’t stand the thought of all the positive feelings Christina had for him vanishing the moment his pants were undone and his erection became evident.
“Water…” With a strained look, Dylan pretended to slowly regain consciousness. Christina’s hands were on his waistband, about to undo his pants, when she suddenly heard him mutter.