Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3526

On this dark, rain-swept night, the man's eyes mirrored the hidden stars behind the storm clouds, flashing with a brilliant, undeniable light in the shadows. His brow smoothed, his strikingly handsome features relaxing into a soft, easy laugh. "Then I'll take back what I said. You're not stupid at all. In fact, you've got excellent taste."

Marina wanted to laugh at his endless narcissism, but before the sound could escape her lips, a sharp ache seized her chest. She instinctively pressed a hand against it.

Carson instantly tensed. "Does it hurt again?"

"A little."

"Let me rub it."

His palm slid downward, slipping beneath the hem of her shirt.

The medication had caused Marina to break a light sweat. Her skin was cool to the touch and exquisitely smooth, warming instantly beneath his caress.

Caught somewhere between the hazy fog of her fever and a lingering edge of clarity, the girl's instinct was to resist. Pressing her hand over his through the thin fabric of her clothes, she weakly shook her head to stop him.

Carson's gaze turned dark and predatory. He found her lips with unerring precision, capturing them in a kiss as he murmured against her mouth, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

The kiss pulled Marina deeper into a dizzying haze, and her hand fell weakly to her side.

...

The moment her eyes fluttered open the next morning, she saw Carson.

He was leaning over the edge of the bed. He pressed a hand to her forehead and smiled brightly. "Your fever broke."

Looking at his strikingly handsome face hovering so close, bathed in gentle affection, Marina felt entirely off guard. A sudden, scalding flutter rippled through her chest.

Carson leaned in closer, gently pinching her cheek. "Surprised to see me first thing in the morning? You look completely stunned."

A rosy flush, like the first light of dawn, crept across Marina's cheeks. "I haven't even asked you yet," she said, her voice still raspy. "Why are you in my room again?"

Carson looked at her with pure tenderness. "Baby, you had a fever. Don't you remember?"

A furious blush crawled up the girl's fair cheeks.

Carson sat on the edge of the mattress, leaning in until he was looking directly into her eyes. "Marina, do you secretly think about it that much?"

"No!" she instantly denied it, yanking the covers completely over her head in a textbook display of utter mortification.

A sly, triumphant smile tugged at the corner of Carson's mouth. He stood up, grabbing a clean set of pajamas and tossing them onto the bed. "You sweated a lot last night. Go take a shower and come out for breakfast."

A muffled groan drifted out from beneath the blankets.

Only when she heard the bedroom door click shut did Marina finally throw off the covers. She took a massive breath, her face burning crimson—whether from the suffocating heat under the blanket or sheer embarrassment, she couldn't tell. She turned toward the morning sunlight streaming through the window, desperately trying to piece together the previous night.

She had some vague flashes. Carson giving her pills, the two of them talking for a long time. After that, it was a complete blank.

He had to be lying. There was no way she would have initiated something like that, right?