Chapter 2 What Are You Staring At

Stepping out of the consultation room, Melinda collected her prescribed medication and made her way briskly toward the hospital exit.

The memory of a male physician instructing her to remove her trousers for the examination replayed in her mind, and the recollection alone caused heat to surge into her cheeks.

Should anyone ever learn about what had happened inside that room, she was certain she would not have the courage to face them.

From that day forward, she silently vowed to seek out only female doctors and never again allow an unfamiliar man to conduct such an intimate examination.

At that exact moment, a sleek black Bentley rolled to a gentle stop in front of her.

Assuming it must be the ride she had ordered, Melinda leaned slightly to glance through the tinted window, and her breath caught when she saw a sharply defined and a remarkably handsome face framed behind the glass.

For a fleeting instant, their gazes locked, and an odd sense of familiarity stirred within her.

Recognition dawned as she focused on his eyes.

Without a doubt, he was the very same doctor who had examined her just minutes earlier.

Air seemed to leave her lungs as Melinda instinctively held her breath.

A flush bloomed across her face once more, betraying the turmoil rising inside her.

Never had she imagined that she would encounter him again within minutes of leaving the hospital, and certainly not right at the entrance.

Lowering the car window slightly, Lorenzo spoke in a calm but firm tone. "Get in. I will take you home."

Startled by the offer, Melinda waved her hands lightly and shook her head. "That will not be necessary. Thank you."

They were practically strangers. Accepting such a favor felt unbearably awkward to her.

More than that, the memory of lying on the examination table while he conducted such an intimate check still lingered in her mind, and he was honestly the last person she wished to face again so soon.

It would be far easier if they acted like strangers should they ever cross paths again.

A subtle shift darkened Lorenzo's gaze, and the slight arch of his brow carried a quiet yet unmistakable authority.

Until this moment, no woman had ever declined him so directly.

"I appreciate the offer, but there is no need. My husband is on his way to pick me up." Melinda added the words quickly as she sensed the change in his expression.

Deliberately stressing that single word, she hoped the reminder of her marital status would draw a clear boundary between them.

Silence was Lorenzo's only response.

At the corner of his mouth, a faint and distant smile appeared, carrying a trace of chill.

Without another glance in her direction, he instructed the driver to pull away.

Relief washed over her as she stood there watching the black Bentley disappear into traffic, and only then did Melinda release the breath she had been holding.

The doctor's earlier words drifted back into her thoughts, especially his remark that her condition stemmed from prolonged abstinence.

According to him, the medication would merely manage the symptoms rather than solve the root cause.

And true recovery required a healthy and active marital relationship.

Kevan was scheduled to return from his business trip that very evening.

Determination slowly replaced her embarrassment, and she decided she would not let this chance slip away.

With renewed purpose, she headed straight to a nearby mall and selected an elegant yet enticing nightgown that matched her husband's taste, along with a subtle but captivating fragrance.

Once she arrived home, she retrieved a bottle of aged red wine that she had carefully preserved for years.

A plan formed in her mind to share a few glasses with Kevan, allow the atmosphere to soften naturally, and then gently rekindle the intimacy that had long been missing from their marriage.

As a germaphobe, Kevan had never touched her.

Throughout the year since their wedding, every attempt she made to draw closer to him had been gently but firmly refused.

Repeated rejection had weighed heavily on her, and the strain had seeped into both her body and her emotions.

Because of the diagnosis she had received earlier that day, she felt compelled to take matters into her own hands and follow through with her carefully crafted plan.

Although the room was arranged exactly as she intended, a sudden wave of nerves caught her off guard.

Never before in their marriage had she tried to entice her husband with such a deliberate purpose in mind.

Inside her chest, her heartbeat drummed loudly and refused to slow.

To steady herself, she lifted a glass of red wine and took a measured sip, hoping the alcohol would ease her tension.

...

By eight o'clock that night, the sound of the front door signaled Kevan's return from his trip.

With a crisp click, he pressed the switch on the wall, and light immediately flooded the once dark bedroom.

Lying beneath the covers and pretending to be asleep, Melinda flinched at the sudden brightness and felt her body tremble faintly.

Slowly, she lifted her lashes and let her gaze settle on the tall silhouette framed by the doorway.

"You are finally home."

A bright smile spread across her face as she threw aside the blanket and hurried toward him.

A faint crease formed between his brows as Kevan studied her.

The deep burgundy slip she had chosen dipped low at the neckline, and against her silky skin, it made her appear luminous while emphasizing the curves of her body.

Paired with her delicate features and that blend of innocence and quiet allure, she presented a vision that many men would have found impossible to ignore.

When she closed the distance between them, a subtle yet intoxicating scent drifted through the air and reached him. For a fleeting second, a natural masculine impulse stirred within him in response.

Objectively, she looked captivating, and her charm was undeniable.

At the same time, the combination of purity and sensuality she embodied felt strikingly vivid.

Despite all that, she did not match the image of a partner he desired.

The brief spark in his eyes dimmed almost instantly and gave way to cool detachment.

Without hesitation, Kevan placed a hand against her shoulder to create distance and said, "I'm exhausted!"

His blunt refusal struck her like a splash of cold water, and much of Melinda's earlier excitement faded at once.

Even so, she forced herself to remain steady because giving up was not an option tonight.

Since the doctor had made it clear that intimacy was essential for her recovery, she knew she had to find a way to bridge the distance between them.

After all, she had carefully prepared her appearance and arranged the atmosphere with such effort.

Stopping halfway would make everything she had done feel pointless.

"Would you like me to help you relax with a massage?" she asked, reaching for his arm and softening her tone.

Revulsion flickered across his face, and Kevan shrugged her off as though her touch had offended him. "No."

Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the bathroom.

As he brushed past her, an unfamiliar fragrance drifted into her senses. The scent carried a polished and refined quality, yet it was certainly not the perfume she had applied earlier.

For a brief moment, she stood completely still. A shadow of doubt crossed her eyes as a troubling thought took root.

Was Kevan having an affair?

Reason quickly followed her rising suspicion, and she reminded herself that his schedule was filled with formal dinners and business gatherings. It was entirely possible that a trace of someone else's fragrance had lingered on him by coincidence and meant nothing at all.

Considering his fear of germs to the point that he rarely even touched her, the idea of him being involved with another woman felt almost contradictory.

Clinging to that reasoning, she quietly worked to calm her restless thoughts.

With renewed determination, she moved toward the table and poured a glass of red wine for him, resolved to carry out her original plan of loosening him up first.

About thirty minutes later, the bathroom door finally opened.

Wrapped in a simple white bathrobe, Kevan stepped out, and the untied belt allowed a glimpse of his well-defined chest.

Under the gentle amber glow of the bedroom lights, his presence seemed effortlessly captivating.

Long, straight legs carried him forward with quiet confidence, and the composed, handsome expression on his face held Melinda's gaze in place.

A sudden dryness crept into her throat, and she became acutely aware of her own breathing.

Whether it was the time they had spent apart or the familiar chill he carried himself with, something about the way he looked at that moment unsettled her composure.

Without meaning to, she swallowed to ease the tightness building inside her.

Before she realized it, her gaze dipped lower, and the glimpse she caught made her pulse quicken.

An undeniable heat began to gather within her, and she sensed her longing intensifying once again.

"What are you staring at?" Kevan's voice cut through the air without warning.

Startled by the sharpness in his tone, Melinda blinked and forced herself back to her senses.

Panic flashed across her face as she shook her head quickly. "Nothing at all."

She feared he might misinterpret her glance and look at her with even greater disdain.

Trying to recover her composure, she reached for the glass resting nearby and offered a tentative smile. "Would you care for some wine, baby?"

She knew he had a habit of taking a drink before going to bed.

Instead of responding at once, Kevan allowed a heavy silence to stretch between them.

Unease crept into her chest, and Melinda wondered if he had already guessed what she was trying to do.

With forced sweetness, she edged closer and called gently, "Baby."

She had intended to coax him into accepting the wine, yet Kevan turned toward her before she could continue and studied her with an unreadable expression. "It's getting late. Should you not be heading to bed?"

Hope flickered across her face as Melinda interpreted his words differently.

Without hesitation, she placed the wine glass onto the nightstand beside the bed.

A spark of anticipation lit her face as she hurried forward. "I will lie down right away."

Hope propelled her steps, and she reached toward him before thinking twice.

In an instant, his fingers closed firmly around her wrist. With a slight lift of his brow and a trace of ridicule in his tone, Kevan looked at her coldly. "Surely you were not under the impression that I intended to have sex with you tonight?"