Chapter 9 Let Her Choose

Katherine turned her head and saw a male doctor she didn't recognize.

As was customary to check for introductions, her eyes drifted to the name badge on his chest.

It read: "Domenic."

Domenic handed a document to Katherine. "Miss Gill, this is Vincent's report. He forgot to take it with him. Could you bring it back to him?"

Katherine couldn't help but wonder, with a hint of suspicion, how he knew her identity, but her concern for Vincent overrode her curiosity. She couldn't help but ask," What happened to him?"

Domenic explained," He was in a car accident. He has a mild concussion."

Katherine's eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, she turned to look in the direction Vincent's car had driven off earlier, but it was long gone.

She was taken aback to learn that Vincent had been hospitalized due to a car accident.

Recalling that Vincent's driver had mentioned the car was broken, she quickly pieced things together.

She guessed that Vincent had driven himself to the airport to pick up Katelyn, only to get into an accident on the way.

Turning back, her gaze betrayed her worry. "Dr. Bailey, how is he?"

Domenic smiled. "It's nothing serious. He just needs a couple of days of rest."

Katherine let out a long sigh of relief.

Domenic observed her reaction, and a faint, unreadable smile appeared behind his glasses.

By the time Katherine returned to Maple Villa, the sky had turned completely dark.

She turned on the lights as she entered, and the sight of Vincent, dressed in all black, sitting on the sofa greeted her.

He was leaning back against the sofa, eyes closed, seemingly resting. At the sound of the door opening, his brows furrowed slightly. It was unclear whether it was the light that irritated him or something else entirely.

The sound of the door closing made Vincent open his eyes. His gaze, sharp and intense, fixed on Katherine like a predator sizing up its prey.

"Come here." His voice was low and hoarse, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

During the day, he had showered Katelyn with care and attention, yet now, at night, he was here with her.

What was that supposed to mean?

What did she even mean to him?

Vincent, clearly impatient from waiting, straightened up on the sofa.

His eyes never left Katherine's face, though they now carried a hint of irritation and frustration.

He didn't urge her verbally, but the oppressive aura he exuded was impossible to ignore.

Katherine's hands, hanging at her sides, clenched slightly. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward him.

When she was still a few steps away, his warm hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

He pulled her toward him, positioning her between his long legs.

His hand released her wrist and moved to her thigh.

The warmth of his palm traveled upward, pushing the fabric of her skirt higher and higher until it bunched around her waist.

His hand settled on her slender waist, and with a slight exertion of strength, he lifted her. In an instant, she went from standing in front of him to straddling his lap.

Katherine's heart raced wildly, her body going weak in response.

As his hand cradled the back of her neck, his lips found her skin, leaving warm, lingering kisses along her neck.

Her body trembled, and without realizing it, she clung to him, her fingers threading through his short, bristly hair. The sensation of his hair against her palm jolted her back to reality.

"No!"

Her soft cry accompanied her hands as they pressed against Vincent's shoulders, trying to push him away.

Vincent's breathing was heavy as he looked up at her, his dark eyes filled with displeasure at being interrupted.

He was waiting for her to give him a reason to stop.

Katherine's chest rose and fell as she struggled to steady her breath.

"Dr. Bailey said you need to rest," she blurted out.

At her words, Vincent chuckled.

She didn't see it clearly, because in the next moment, she was pinned against the sofa.

Vincent raised her hands above her head, holding them in place so she couldn't push him away again.

His lips captured hers, silencing any further protests.

It was evident that Vincent had completely disregarded the doctor's advice.

If anything, he was even more intense than before, as if making up for the intimacy they had missed while he was in the hospital.

By the time they were done, Katherine was utterly drained.

In the end, it was Vincent who carried her to the bathroom to clean up, and Vincent who gently dried her hair with a blow dryer after bringing her back to bed.

It felt as though everything had reverted to the way it once was, though the familiarity carried a tinge of melancholy.

The next morning, when Katherine woke up in Vincent's arms, she felt a moment of disorientation.

It had been over six months since Vincent had stayed the night here.

No matter how late it was, he always left after they were done.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his movements.

Katherine turned her head away, subtly evading his kiss.

"We're going to be late for work."

The alarm hadn't gone off yet, and there was still at least an hour before they needed to leave. But knowing Vincent's stamina, they would undoubtedly end up late if they started anything now.

"You can take the day off," Vincent said, leaning in again.

But Katherine dodged him once more.

Her gaze was clear as she looked at him. "Why?

Why do you want me to take the day off?"

In the past, he had initiated intimacy in the mornings too.

But he had never asked her to take a day off because of it.

Taking a deep breath, Katherine finally voiced the suspicion that had been eating away at her. "Are you afraid I'll cross Miss Todd again?"

Vincent didn't answer or move.

He simply propped himself up and looked into her eyes, as if trying to read her thoughts.

After a long moment, a smile appeared on his face.

His tone, laced with amusement, revealed his good mood. "Are you jealous?"

Katherine's breath hitched.

Jealous?

Was she jealous, or was she just unwilling to let Katelyn take him away?

She didn't have time to figure out the answer.

A rapid knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Mr. Murphy? Mr. Murphy?" Carl's voice came from outside.

"Miss Gill! Is Mr. Murphy in there?

Something happened at Miss Todd's hotel! She's been taken to the hospital by ambulance!"

Vincent immediately shifted, preparing to move away from Katherine.

But a pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck.

Under his surprised gaze, Katherine bit her lip, as if making a decision, and wrapped her legs around his waist.