Chapter 6 You Actually Went And Got Married

Colton hesitated for a beat, a restless urge to wash the day off prickling beneath his skin.

Yet the way Adelina stiffened made it clear she'd misread his intent.

With deliberate ease, he continued loosening the buttons of his shirt, each movement laced with a teasing sort of arrogance.

Step by step, he closed the distance between them, the warm glow of the lamp tracing the sharp lines of his body as the fabric fell away to reveal smooth muscle. His long, steady fingers only heightened the pull of his quiet magnetism.

The sight of him stripping down so casually sent Adelina's thoughts spinning. Heat crept up her cheeks, and her pulse thudded against her ribs. She stood frozen, mind clouded by the sudden intimacy, too flustered to speak.

Colton leaned in until his breath skimmed the shell of her ear, his voice low and unhurried. "You're my wife," he murmured, a wicked edge lacing his tone. "What do you think I'm about to do... hmm?"

The slow warmth of his breath skimmed across her skin, leaving her earlobe flushed a soft pink.

Her pulse kicked into overdrive, though she forced her voice to stay steady. "Just because we're married doesn't mean we're there yet. We barely know each other-so don't get any ideas."

A crooked grin curved across Colton's mouth. He was clearly entertained by her flustered tone.

Deciding to toy with her a little, he ignored the warning in her words and leaned closer, letting the tension stretch thin between them.

Adelina's heart thudded against her ribs, every inch of her convinced he was about to claim her mouth. Her lashes fluttered shut before she could stop herself.

Then his voice-unhurried, lazy, and maddeningly calm-broke through the silence. "Relax. I'm just going to take a shower."

The pressure in the air unraveled at once.

Adelina blinked as Colton disappeared through the doorway, a shaky breath escaping her lungs.

What on earth had she been thinking just now?

...

In the bathroom, warm steam coiled through the air while water cascaded down Colton's broad shoulders.

His breaths came heavier, the dim light glinting off the droplets sliding over his skin. What had started as playful teasing had backfired-stirring a hunger he hadn't meant to indulge.

When he finally twisted the faucet off, silence pressed in for a beat before his phone suddenly buzzed on the counter.

Colton swiped it up, voice still rough. "Hello?"

A nervous pause stretched on the other end. "Uh... Mr. Clark," Jorge stammered.

The voice he heard almost daily sounded... different now.

There was a heat in Colton's tone today-something low and dangerous that made Jorge's skin crawl.

Jorge jerked out of his daze and hurried through his report. "Mr. Clark, I've looked into the Shaw family's core members like you asked. They currently have five members-an elderly grandmother in the hospital, the father, the mother, and two young women: the elder, Adelina, and the younger one, Lainey."

He hesitated for a beat before adding more quietly, "Also... Adelina isn't the Shaw couple's biological daughter. The younger one they just reunited with is."

Colton gave a low, unreadable hum in response.

Something about that sound made the hair on the back of Jorge's neck prickle. Colton rarely showed interest in anything unrelated to business.

A suspicion crept up on him. Could it be that Colton was... actually interested in some girl?

The memory of their earlier conversation flashed in his mind-his boss casually mentioning he already had someone in mind to marry and ordering this investigation immediately after. Jorge blurted out, "Mr. Clark, wait-don't tell me... you actually went and got married? Is your wife one of the Shaw ladies? Are you together right now? Should I... uh... send over some condoms?"

Colton let out a slow, controlled breath and pressed his fingers against his temple. "Shut up."

The call ended with a sharp click. He leaned back against the cool tiles, his chest rising and falling with each steadying breath, fists unconsciously tightening at his sides.

After some time, he stepped out of the bathroom in a crisp white bathrobe, the careless arrogance he usually wore now fully restored.

Crossing the quiet living room, he found Adelina fast asleep on the sofa, her lashes casting faint shadows across her cheeks.

She had curled into herself, arms wrapped around her body, as if exhaustion had finally dragged her under without a fight.

The pale pink dress she wore clung delicately to her figure, its sheer fabric brushing against smooth skin, cinching at the waist to trace the soft lines of her body in a way that was both graceful and quietly seductive.

Colton's gaze lingered, a sharp heat rolling through him as he swallowed hard. That restless desire he'd tried to bury earlier stirred again, coiling low and dangerous.

He forced himself to rein it in, telling himself he'd only wake her and offer her the bed.

But the moment his fingertips brushed her shoulder, her hand shot out in her sleep, catching his wrist with surprising strength.

A small, broken whisper escaped her lips. "Please... don't... I don't want to marry. Don't stop paying for Grandma's treatment, please..."

His breath caught. What on earth was she talking about?

She didn't want to marry? Grandma's treatment?