Chloe reached out and let her hand drift slowly up the man's chest. Her fingers brushed over the firm plane of his pectorals, then trailed higher to the prominent line of his Adam's apple. The sensation was undeniably provocative—intense enough to make Eugene swallow hard. Her touch traveled upward, grazing his jaw before gently cupping his cheek. At that, Eugene stiffened, every muscle tightening. For the first time, he felt a want so deep it seemed to settle in his bones—a raw, pullyouunder kind of desire. "You're testing my patience," Eugene muttered, catching her wrist. But he didn't push her away. Chloe arched a brow, unwilling to back down just yet. "You know," she mused, her voice low and playful, "I wonder how much fun it would be... to make a man like you cry." Eugene stayed silent, momentarily thrown. Seizing his hesitation, Chloe slipped her hand free, sidestepped him smoothly, and took off down the hall. She knew the smartest move was to reach her room before he snapped out of it. By the time Eugene shook off the daze, she was already gone. He lifted a hand to his face, fingers lingering where her touch had been—warmth still faint on his skin. A slow, knowing smile touched his lips as he turned to leave. Make me cry? We'll see who makes whom cry. ***** Zachary woke in the hospital two days later. For a long moment, he just stared at the ceiling, mind hazy. "Please tell me my face isn't wrecked," he mumbled weakly. "Relax. A scar or two might actually add to your charm." At the voice, Zachary tried to sit up—only to find himself wrapped like a mummy, pinned flat to the bed. "You've got to be kidding me," he groaned. "Is it really this bad?" Leaning against the wall nearby, Chloe gave a lazy shrug. "You'll live, Zachary. My grandfather flew in. He handled your surgery himself and promised you're not going anywhere." Just then, a calm, low voice cut in. "He's right. You're not dying on us." Melinda's strikingly handsome face moved into Zachary's line of sight. The sudden closeness made Zachary's heart lurch. "Whoa—personal space much?" he stammered, instinctively trying to shift back. Part of him halfexpected her to lean in and kiss him right then. Melinda, oblivious to his nerves, kept her tone matteroffact. "No scars to worry about. My grandfather used the highestgrade treatments available. And I've arranged your rehab—private suite on the top floor, fullservice care. They'll even help with... well, everything, if you need it." Zachary couldn't hold back a pained expression. "Come on, that's way over the top. I'm fine, seriously." He attempted to lift a leg, but the fullbody wrapping held him rigid. Defeated, he sighed. "Just let me fade away in peace." "Don't talk like that," Melinda said firmly. She sat primly on the chair beside his bed, posture perfect. "You'll recover faster than you think. I've made sure of it." Her voice softened. "If you dealt with any longterm issues because of me, I'd never forgive myself." Zachary managed to wiggle one arm free. He almost reached out to pat her shoulder, but instead brought his palm to his own forehead with a light smack. "Ouch—okay, not dreaming. This is really happening." Hearing his groan, Melinda sprang up, alarmed. "Are you in pain? Hold on, I'll get my grandfather to check you." Without waiting for a reply, she hurried out of the room. As she bolted through the door, a young nurse entering with a medication tray nearly collided with her. The nurse flushed bright pink upon seeing Melinda's face. Watching it all unfold, Zachary dropped his hand over his eyes. "Chloe," he said, turning toward Chloe with a strained look, "this is beyond awkward. Melinda's a woman—having her camp out here taking care of me just feels wrong. I jumped in front of that debris on instinct. She shouldn't feel obligated because of it." Chloe pushed off the wall, one eyebrow lifted in amusement. "You don't think this is at least a little entertaining?" "Entertaining?" Zachary's head throbbed. He could already picture the rumors spreading through the hospital—dashing, stylesavvy Zachary, apparently involved with a heartbreakingly goodlooking guy. After all, in the day she'd been here, Melinda's modellevel looks had turned every nurse on the floor into a blushing admirer.