The Unwilling CEO's Love Game novel Chapter 134

If only Jocelyn had known it would come to this, she would've crashed at a hotel for the night, just to keep him from getting too smug about it all.

"So, got anything else to say?" Jocelyn was now facing him with a newfound calm, no longer afraid of whatever chaos he might conjure up.

Melvin shook his head.

With that small movement, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and he closed his eyes again, slowly sliding down against the wall into a crouch.

Jocelyn stepped back, startled. "Hey, cut the act, will you?"

She was sure he had played up his injuries in that scuffle with Harrison just for her sympathy. And now, putting on this show in front of her? It was getting old.

Sitting on the floor with labored breathing, Melvin muttered, "Don't bother with me."

Jocelyn's brows knitted together. Was he ever going to be tired of this retreat-as-advance tactic?

Seeing him sitting there with a furrowed brow and a pale face, she thought his act was becoming a bit too convincing. Defeated, she opened the door, really ignoring him this time, and firmly shut it behind her.

It wasn't that she didn't care. He was the one who told her not to.

Jocelyn felt completely justified, without a shred of sympathy. She took a shower, applied a face mask, and then settled on the couch to watch some TV.

The window was open, letting in a gusty wind and the sound of heavy rain. She felt goosebumps on her skin with every draft. Closing the window, she glanced at the clock on the cabinet. It was half-past eleven.

By all accounts, she should have been getting ready for bed, but there was a nagging feeling of something left undone.

Unable to help herself, she peered through the peephole in the door. No one in sight, but there were his shoes.

Jocelyn's frown deepened. Was he really just lying out there?

It was cold outside, and he was drenched. Even the healthiest body wouldn’t withstand such foolishness.

In the end, Jocelyn opened the door, ready for him to mock her concern.

Surprisingly, Melvin didn't open his eyes to tease her.

"Hey, Melvin?" she called out, but there was no response.

Something felt off. Jocelyn crouched down to feel his forehead.

The moment she touched him, her hand snapped back.

He was burning up.

"Melvin, get up," she said, panic creeping into her voice, afraid he might be seriously ill.

The man stirred groggily, struggling to open his eyes. "Afraid I'd die on your doorstep?"

Sometimes, Jocelyn truly detested his attitude.

"Yes, I'm afraid you'd die right here," she snapped back, itching to kick him. "Are you going to the hospital, or should I call your sister to pick you up?"

"Isn't your place closer?" Melvin's eyes were heavy, his mind foggy, but one clear thought shone through.

Jocelyn was speechless.

They were at an impasse. Unsettled by the way he forced his eyes to stay on her, Jocelyn lost her clarity of thought. She dragged him into the house and dumped him on the sofa, gasping for breath.

Melvin sprawled out on the couch, kicking off his shoes and awkwardly stripping off his jacket and sweater, eventually baring his chest.

His breath was labored and rapid. He clearly felt too warm.

Feeling uncomfortable, he started to unbuckle his belt to remove his pants.

Jocelyn regretted her impulsiveness. She should never have brought him inside on a whim. He had never treated this place as solely her home.

His pants discarded on the floor; he was down to just his underwear, seemingly the last bastion of his modesty.

Jocelyn's frown never wavered. She fetched a blanket from her room and tossed it over him, then went to get him some medicine and brought it to him with a glass of water.

"Take the medicine."

Melvin squinted at her. "It's not poison, is it?"

"Yes," Jocelyn retorted sharply, "Dare to take it?"

He propped himself up enough to take the medicine, his tongue accidentally—or perhaps not—grazing her palm. The sensation was like an electric current surging through her body, making even her toes curl.

She wanted to scold him for his indecency, but he acted as if nothing had happened, reaching for the cup of water she held.