Chapter 117 Caught Between Care and Desire
[
BONUS
Chapter for reaching 200 PS! Thank you all! 🤍]
[
WARNING
! Smut content ahead!]
Smut Content
– slight rated content
Mature Content
– heavy mature content
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
=== 🤍 ===
[COLE]
When Cole realized the depth of his feelings for Eve, it was as if a weight lifted, and the world softened around him.
For the first time, he felt truly in sync, a peaceful sense of purpose filling his chest. Everything seemed to align, as if the universe itself had finally settled into its rightful place.
In that quiet moment, Cole felt an unshakable calm, a serenity he'd never known. He was certain that even if the world ended, as long as he was by Eve's side, nothing else would matter.
However, his reverie shattered when he noticed Eve's breathing grow heavier, her skin flushed and drenched in sweat.
Alarm spiked through him, and he leaned closer, his voice filled with worry. "Eve . . . what's wrong?" Panic laced his words, his heart twisting painfully at the sight of her in distress.
He'd never cared for a sick person before, and seeing Eve like this—vulnerable and in pain—was agonizing.
His mind raced with the sudden urge to call a doctor, to do something, anything, to make her good again.
Just as he reached for his phone, it buzzed with an incoming call from Lina.
He answered in irritation. "I'm kind of busy right now," he said, glancing anxiously back at Eve.
"Is Eve sick?" Lina's voice was steady, direct. "Are you there with her now?"
Cole stilled, his mind immediately flashing to Zen.
That guy has no idea how to keep things secret,
he thought, suppressing a groan.
"Yes. I was just about to call a doctor for her," he replied, tapping his fingers anxiously.
He heard a soft slap on the head on the other end, followed by Estelle's voice chiming in. "See? I told you your brother would be so clueless about this."
Cole's brow furrowed. "What are you doing with my sister? Trying to plant strange ideas in her head again?" he asked, a twinge of irritation in his tone.
"Stop being ridiculous, Cole," Estelle shot back. "And what do you mean by '
strange
ideas'
? I'm not that crazy, you know. Anyway, listen up—this is a rare chance for you to be alone with Eve. She's vulnerable right now, and anything you do to her . . . well, she won't have the strength to resist or . . . remember it later."
Cole's jaw clenched as he ground out, "Estelle, I'm not that kind of person. I would never take advantage of her while she's sick."
Estelle sighed in exasperation. "You're completely missing the point, you blockhead. I don't mean that. What I'm saying is, you don't need to call a doctor. You're trained for situations like this, aren't you?"
Cole's breath stilled, her words hitting closer than he wanted to admit. His combat and field training had, indeed, included basic medical knowledge.
"Take this chance to care for her," Estelle continued. "Take her temperature, make sure she's comfortable, help her cool down. Sometimes, all someone needs is to feel looked after. And maybe . . ." she hesitated, her voice dropping, "just maybe, show her that she has someone who genuinely cares."
For a moment, Cole was moved by his cousin's words. But then Estelle's tone turned mischievous. "Who knows? You might even have to administer the medicine . . . mouth to mouth."
Before she could say another word, Cole hung up abruptly, a hot flush creeping up his neck.
She's always stirring trouble,
he thought with exasperation, fighting to keep his heart steady.
He took a deep breath, his gaze settling back on Eve. He decided he'd stay with her, to take care of her himself—not because of anything Estelle suggested, but because he wanted to.
Because she mattered to him, and right now, she needed him.
=== 🤍 ===
Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Estelle was laughing so hard that she had to clutch her side, while Lina glanced at her phone, her face lined with concern.
"Oh, your brother is so naïve—it's almost cute! He's acting like he's never been alone with a girl before!" Estelle said, still chuckling.
Lina gave her a wary look. "Well . . . he's never had a girlfriend, and he's never shown much interest in women, not until now."
Estelle's eyes went wide. "No way! What a waste!"
"Hey, shut up," Lina muttered, crossing her arms. "It's not like you're not a virgin, too."
Estelle grinned. "Only technically," she said with a wink. "In my mind, I'm not."
And she laughed even more, clearly enjoying the flustered expression on Lina's face.
=== 🤍 ===
Back in Eve's apartment, Estelle's words lingered in Cole's mind, no matter how much he tried to shove them away.
His cousin had planted ideas that were hard to ignore, no matter how much he wanted to stay focused on caring for Eve, his thoughts went back to her last words.
This isn't taking advantage . . .n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
he told himself, trying to ease his conscience.
I'm just helping her, that's all.
But as he looked at Eve, her flushed face soft in the dim light, her breaths coming quick and shallow, Cole's nerves were tested in ways he hadn't expected.
She looked so delicate, her skin dewy and warm, her damp clothes clinging to her form. His heart thundered as he carefully reached for her shirt, his hands slightly trembling. His breath caught as he eased it off her shoulders, revealing her smooth, porcelain skin.
When his gaze drifted down, he felt a shiver go through him. Her collarbone, so delicate, gave way to the graceful curve of her breasts.
For a petite woman, she have huge breasts that were almost slipping off the confines of her bra.
Despite himself, Cole's eyes lingered on the rise and fall of her breath, his heart pounding as he noticed her bra clinging damply against her skin, nearly translucent. Her pinkish tips erect and he could almost see them.
Cole drew in a sharp breath, forcing his gaze away.
Control yourself,
he thought, trying to calm his racing mind. He was here to help her, nothing more.
Being this close to her, witnessing her so vulnerable, was pushing his self-control to its limits, threatening to break entirely.