From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 175

Laurinda got up from the table, ready to head upstairs, but Adolphus gently caught her wrist. His voice was soft, almost teasing. “Finish your milk before you go rest.”

She picked up the glass, took a few sips, but only managed to drink half before putting it back on the table. “I can’t drink any more. You eat, I’ll go up first.”

“Okay.”

He let go without insisting, knowing she always struggled to fall asleep. The sooner she got to bed, the better. Adolphus finished a few bites of barbecue, polished off the rest of her milk, then headed upstairs. After showering and changing into pajamas, he stood outside Laurinda’s door, listening. He was worried she might have another restless night or wake up from a nightmare.

He waited there a long time, but everything was quiet. Just as he turned to leave, her door opened. He looked back, and their eyes met in the hall.

Laurinda looked a little embarrassed. “Um… I can’t sleep. Do you have any sleeping pills? Just half, that’s enough.”

“I don’t, but I could give you a massage. Want to try that instead?”

Adolphus saw the tired red in her eyes and felt a wave of concern. Before she could answer, he scooped her up and carried her inside.

“I’ll press a few spots that help with sleep. See if it helps, okay?”

He laid her down gently, made sure she was comfortable, then started to massage a few acupressure points. It was quiet for a while, the only sound was Laurinda’s breathing, which eventually grew slow and steady.

When she finally drifted off, Adolphus pulled his hands away. He watched her for a moment, his gaze soft, then stood up and left the room. Back in his own room, he grabbed his phone and made a call.

It took three tries before someone answered, sounding half-awake. “Adolphus? Why are you calling so late?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in town. Did something happen?”

The next morning, Laurinda woke up in his arms. She blinked at his pale collarbone, a little confused about how he’d ended up in her bed again.

With temptation right in front of her, Laurinda couldn’t resist. Her hand slipped under his shirt, fingers tracing over his toned abs.

Adolphus froze, his whole body going tense. Laurinda looked up, her face a little guilty, and met his dark eyes, sharp and intense, watching her like she was something he wanted to devour.

She tried to give him an innocent smile and started to pull her hand away, but he caught her wrist, pressing her palm firmly against his stomach.

“So? Do you like what you feel?” he asked, his voice low.

She giggled. “Yeah… I like it… Uh, it’s getting late, I should…”