Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Get On Top

The hospital corridor was almost deserted, with the sharp smell of disinfectant lingering in the air. Carol sat on a cold bench, waiting.

The surgeon had just checked her hand-nothing serious. But Edward insisted on a scan, just to rule out any fractures.

He walked over with a bag, pulled her up from the bench, and started taking her coat off.

Carol jumped, startled. "We're in a hospital hallway! And my hand's hurt, remember?"

Edward let out a chuckle, half amused, half exasperated, giving her forehead a light flick. "Seriously, what's with your brain? Always spinning stories. You really think I'm that kind of guy?"

Carol mumbled under her breath, "If you're not that guy, then who is?"

"What was that? Come again?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything."

Edward pulled out a white cashmere coat from the bag and took off the one she had on. "That jacket's no good. I had someone bring you this instead."

It was a one-of-a-kind, top-of-the-line custom design. As soon as it draped over her shoulders, warmth spread across her whole body-definitely better than the last one.

Carol lowered her gaze, silent, as Edward casually tossed her previous coat into the trash.

He took a seat beside her and dug a thermos from the bag, offering it to her.

"What's this?"

"Try using those eyes of yours."

Carol shot him a look before taking it. Inside the cup was a steaming blend of ginger and chamomile - soothing and warm.

She glanced his way. Edward leaned back like a king, arms crossed, messy hair partly covering his eyes.

"That Nathaniel guy seriously... I asked for a coat and he hands over ginger tea instead? Don't tell me he's got a thing for you?"

Carol huffed, "Would you stop overthinking every little thing?"

"Am I? So he can give you stuff, but I can't even question it?"

It was chilly. The tea came at just the right time.

Carol drank more than half, feeling significantly warmer.

They hadn't talked much since an argument the night before Edward's business trip. Now, silence filled the corridor, broken only by the occasional chime of a nurse's call button.

Edward was about to say something when the surgeon approached with her scan report.

"Mr. Dawson, here's the report. Miss Bright's hand is neither fractured nor cracked. She's totally fine."

"I'm not worried about her, I just don't want her hand injury to mess up her work." Edward yanked the medical report straight from the surgeon without waiting for him to finish. "Cut the crap. Just tell me how to treat it."

The surgeon adjusted his glasses, glanced at Carol with a bit of awkwardness, and replied, "Cold compress for the first twenty-four hours, then switch to warm compress. If there's bruising, she can take some medication to help with circulation. She needs to rest and avoid using the hand too much. Just to be safe, she can come back for a recheck in a week."

"Thanks, doctor."

As soon as they left the hospital, Edward brought an ice pack over and started pressing it on Carol's hand. "Try not to get yourself hurt again. Stop dragging me into your mess."

"I can go to the hospital on my own, take care of myself, and get home just fine. You chose to come along. Don't blame me for it."

Edward was already on edge. He was the one running around getting her an ice pack, and now she acted like it was a burden. "You think I wanted to be here? If Jessica hadn't asked me to come with you, do you think I'd have even shown up?"

Carol looked genuinely caught off guard. She had at least thought he cared a little. Never expected he was just doing Jessica a favor.

On the ride back to the apartment, the car sped past streets blurred slightly by a thin mist on the windows. Everything outside looked like it was viewed through a foggy filter.

Out of the blue, Edward asked, "Don't you have something you want to ask me?"

Ask him what? About Jessica?

How would she even phrase that? What was she to him that gave her the right to ask?

"It's funny-I really believed you were on a business trip. Turns out you were just picking up Miss Green."

The sarcasm didn't go unnoticed. Edward turned to her with a smirk, his eyes gleaming mischief despite their usual chill. "Jealous?"

Carol turned her head and looked at him seriously. "What do you think?"

He was used to her brushing things off, pretending not to care, but seeing her so straightforward for once threw him off.

His teasing grin faded fast.

"As if you'd be jealous. If you're gonna be jealous, it sure wouldn't be over me."

He had a habit of throwing out these random lines that made no sense, always keeping her guessing.

Carol changed the subject. "I heard the person in charge of the acquisition is being replaced?"

Edward's fingers froze on the steering wheel. "Who told you that?"

She didn't even hesitate. "Michael."

Edward ran his hand through his hair and gave a low laugh. "Carol, I know you. If it were only Michael, you wouldn't be asking."

There was no way she'd mention Christopher. The feud between Edward and Christopher wasn't exactly news.

But she'd underestimated Edward's sharp instincts.

"After I left for the trip," he said, "I heard Christopher dropped by the office-and stayed in my office chatting with you for quite a while."

Carol suddenly felt ridiculously naïve. Of course Edward would have people watching everything in the company. How could she have missed that?

"Carol, do you even get what that means to me?"

Edward's eyes were sharp and cold, like he'd bottled up a storm. "You and Christopher in my office? That's the same as me being in your bed with some other woman."

Carol's heart jumped. She forced herself to stay calm. "Don't try to drag me down to your level."

"Oh, really?" Edward narrowed his eyes, then suddenly smirked.

That smirk of his changed everything. One second he looked like he was gonna lose it, the next, all charm and confidence. It threw her off a bit.

The light turned green. Without warning, Edward slammed on the gas.

Quick turn of the wheel, then a sudden brake to the side of the road. The jolt sent Carol lunging forward before slamming back into her seat.

She broke out in cold sweat.

Then Edward pulled out a few pictures and tossed them right onto her. His eyes were sharp as blades. "Explain. What is this?"

Totally confused, Carol grabbed the photos. And her eyes went wide.

They were pics of her and Christopher outside the sushi place. In one of them, she was tripping into his arms. From the angle, though, it looked incredibly intimate-like they were kissing.

"You were spying on me?"

"Spying? Nah, I don't need to stoop to that."

So Edward didn't take the pictures. Then who did?

He jabbed a finger at them. "Don't care who snapped these. Honestly, I should thank them. Otherwise, I'd never know what you and Christopher were up to behind my back. I walk out and you run right into his arms. Seriously, Carol, are you that desperate?"

Carol stared at him, stunned beyond words.

"I'll make sure you remember exactly who you belong to."

Edward's lips curved into something between a grin and a threat as he started unbuttoning his shirt, moving like a predator eyeing its prey.

Carol felt her chest tighten. "What are you doing?"

He snorted, voice low and cold. "Come on, don't act so clueless. Don't pretend we haven't done it before."

Before she could react, the seat beneath her reclined fast.

Her seatbelt came undone. Then Edward was on top of her, tearing at her clothes, not holding back at all. That snapped her out of it.

"Edward! Stop it!"

He held her down with one hand, the other yanking his tie off. "Didn't we talk about this? Next time we'd try the tie."

He tied her hands over her head, careful not to touch her injured arm, locking her there. "Or maybe you can ride and show me yourself?"