Chapter 7

Eason went to Laura's doctor's office to ask about the results of her checkup. When he returned to the hospital room, Avery was already awake. She was leaning over Laura while tucking the sheets around her.

She turned when she heard Eason enter the room. Her eyes still looked a little bleary. "Mr. Lavigne."

Her voice was soft and gentle. It had the power to make one's heart soften with it. Eason nodded. "Thanks for taking care of my grandmother."

He didn't need to think hard to realize why Avery had stayed at the hospital. Laura wasn't the type to praise anyone easily, so it was easy to see that Avery did have some redeeming qualities.

"You don't need to be so polite; I didn't do anything much. Besides… I did have your chicken soup for lunch," Avery said.

Since she'd taken the chicken soup Eason had prepared for Laura, it was only right for her to help care for Laura.

Eason glanced at her. "How was it?"

"Huh?" She hadn't expected him to ask that. Then, she said a little shyly, "It was pretty nice. A little bland, but still tasty."

Eason didn't get mad at that. He calmly accepted her opinion and explained, "It's better for the elderly to follow a clean diet, so I didn't put too much salt."

Avery was surprised. "You made the soup yourself?"

Before Eason could answer, Laura said, "Yes, he did. Not only can he cook, but he's also good at cleaning and handy with tools. I'll invite you over one day to try his cooking."

Avery turned to see that Laura had woken up. She was looking at Eason and Avery with a bright smile.

Since Laura had sung Eason's praises, Avery went along with her and said, "Mr. Lavigne's very capable."

She'd seen many people who were great at their jobs but were idiots when it came to their daily lives.

Eason evidently wasn't one of them—he looked like the hands-on type and was nothing like other CEOs who didn't lift a finger.

Eason didn't say anything. He opened the lunch box he had brought and placed it before Laura. She waved a hand. "I've already had dinner."

"Really?" Eason was surprised. Laura was pickier than him when it came to food. She rarely ate outside food.

She smiled. "Avery's sister brought her dinner, so I ate with them."

Eason put the food away. "I'll wipe your face, then."

"It's fine; Avery's already done that. I've also already soaked my feet. I don't need you anymore."

Eason was lost for words. Avery picked up her bag. "It's getting late, Mr. Lavigne, so I should go. See you, Grandma Laura."

"Bye now!" Laura waved at her.

Once Avery was gone, Eason smiled and said, "You seem to have taken a liking to her."

"Yes, I have. What about you? Do you like her?" Now that they were alone, Laura decided to take the direct route.

"I've already asked her for you. She and her boyfriend have broken up, so she's single now. If you're interested in her, you'd better get moving."

Eason gave her a helpless look.

…

Avery waited at the hospital's entrance to hail a cab. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew by, bringing with it a smattering of cold rain. She subconsciously held up a hand to block the droplets when someone grabbed it.

Eason's refreshing scent wafted into her nose. She looked at him dazedly. "Mr. Lavigne?"

He held her wrist, finding the skin there to be softer than he'd imagined. For some reason, he found himself wanting to squeeze it.

He suppressed the urge and asked, "Why do you blush every time you see me?"

This only made Avery blush harder. She felt beyond embarrassed. "No, I just… I… I just…"

She couldn't find the words to complete her sentence. Instead of interrupting her, Eason watched her quietly. He was quite amused by the sight of her red face.

Another gust of wind blew, allowing him to smell her scent. He narrowed his eyes at that and pulled her close. She ended up in his arms.

Before she could process the situation, he'd leaned down to sniff her neck.

"Mr. Lavigne!" she cried in surprise as her eyes widened. She felt a chill as Eason's nose brushed against her neck, leaving an amorous sensation behind.

Avery panicked. She shoved Eason away and ran into the rain.

…

40 minutes had passed by the time Avery got back to her dorm. She was soaked through from the rain.

As she dragged herself upstairs and pulled out her key to open the door, she saw the figure standing there. Her legs weakened at the sight. She stopped there, unable to move forward.

Eason stubbed out his cigarette and approached her. The closer he got, the more Avery wanted to flee.

But her legs felt like they'd been filled with lead—she couldn't move. She could only watch as he stopped before her. She said hoarsely, "Mr. Lavigne."

Avery was drenched. The rainwater dripped onto the floor from her clothes; it soon pooled by her feet to form a puddle.

Her eyes were red, and she was trembling. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the cold or her fear, though.

"Why did you run?" Eason's anger dissipated as soon as he opened his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to get mad at Avery when she looked so fragile. All he wanted to do was protect her.

He felt bad when he thought about how his actions at the hospital had probably scared her. "Sorry, I went overboard earlier. I didn't mean anything by it; I just happened to smell your scent… Be honest with me. Was it you that night?"

His eyes seemed to be blazing as he stared at her. They made Avery feel like he could set her on fire even if she was soaked through.

She backed away while shaking her head. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Eason grabbed her wrist and stopped her from going any further. He fixed his gaze on her and asked bluntly, "Were you the one in my tent during the camping trip?"

"No!" Avery denied.

Eason fell silent. His Adam's apple bobbed. Then, he asked, "Would you dare prove it to me?"

She widened her eyes at him. After a moment, she said, "Yes, I would!"

…

The dorm's door shut behind Avery and Eason, shrouding them in darkness. She turned on the lamp on her desk, bringing some light to the room.

Then, she slowly turned away from Eason to undo her buttons.

Meanwhile, Eason stood by the door and stared at her back.

The woman from that night had left several marks on his body—they were a sign of her pleasure. He remembered that he hadn't exactly been gentle, so he must've also left his mark on her.

If it had been Avery that night, she would have marks on her body!