Not Behaving in His Sleep Again

At that moment, Ruby Sterling, who was staying up late at the Sterling family home reading a novel, sneezed several times in a row. She sniffled and muttered to herself, "Weird. It's obviously really hot, so why am I sneezing? Could it be my honey misses me?"

The next morning, Claire opened her eyes.

The instant she did, she saw Julian Sterling's handsome face enlarged right in front of her. Her pupils contracted, all the blood in her body seemed to rush backward, and her heartbeat sped up.

Oh my God, how did they end up sleeping together?

Julian Sterling didn't behave in his sleep. Right now his hands and feet were all draped over her, as if he were using her as a body pillow!

Her good hand was pinned under him, and the one still in a cast couldn't be lifted at all. It was absolutely awful.

Thank goodness Julian Sterling was a "sister," or else all her advantage would have been taken, but he was still a man, and this really wasn't appropriate.

Claire felt like crying but had no tears. Unable to move, she could only speak up to wake the man pressing down on her. "Julian Sterling, wake up. You're crushing me."

Julian Sterling opened his eyes. Feeling the soft, delicate body beneath him, he found it extremely pleasant, and it instantly awakened a man's primal urges in him.

His brows knitted tightly. He was already worked up from just waking up, and now the fire was burning even hotter. His breathing grew heavier.

He didn't know when it had started, but his feelings toward Claire Bennett had become different.

He rested against Claire's shoulder, trying to steady his turmoil.

Claire could feel his warm breath brushing her neck, light and a little ticklish. At this moment, they were pressed tightly together with no space between them.

Her mind was a complete mess. Why wasn't he getting up? Was he playing some kind of stacking game?

She reminded him again, "Are you awake? My hand is pinned under you."

"Not yet." The man's hoarse voice came through.

"..."

He was obviously already awake, yet he was still pretending. Could he be doing this on purpose?

Claire felt half her body going a little numb. She shifted sideways, trying to get out from under him.

Unexpectedly, the moment she started to move, the man grabbed her by the waist.

"Don't move. Are you trying to seduce me?" His voice had gone even huskier, carrying restrained impatience.

Claire's whole body stiffened, and her mind went blank.

He... what did he just say?

Claire was a little dazed and instinctively asked, "Y-you don't like men?"

"Women!" Julian Sterling's voice came through gritted teeth.

He didn't know why his usually strong self-control fell apart completely in front of Claire Bennett. This woman had pushed him to the brink of losing control many times.

She was obviously just a spur-of-the-moment flash-marriage partner meant to help him deal with his grandfather.

At the hospital, when he found out she wasn't pregnant, he'd been happy, and she'd also said she didn't like Ethan Sterling anymore.

The more Julian Sterling thought about it, the more overheated he felt all over. He had no choice but to shove the messy thoughts in his head aside.

After Julian Sterling said the word "women" just now, Claire had already been frightened silly. She looked completely dumbfounded, like she'd been put under a spell and didn't dare move at all.

She thought it over carefully in her head and only then realized that from beginning to end, Julian Sterling had never once said that he liked men.

It had all been her own assumption.

Thinking about how she'd even sworn she would help him keep up the cover, Claire wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it.

Neither of them spoke again. The air was quiet and awkward.

A moment later, Julian Sterling finally got up. As soon as he did, he went straight into the bathroom. Claire watched him close the door and felt her whole body relax.

But why did he look a little like he was fleeing in defeat?

When Julian Sterling came out of the bathroom again, he had returned to his cold, restrained, abstinent look, as if the person who'd lost control that morning hadn't been him.

Claire was already up making breakfast.

Even though one hand was unusable, simply heating up some bread and frying an egg was still no problem.

After Julian Sterling came out, he saw Claire waving the spatula around, her movements much clumsier than usual.

He silently cursed her as an idiot, then strode over on his long legs, took the spatula from her hand, and said in a low voice, "I'll do it."

"Can you?"

Seeing Claire's doubtful look, Julian Sterling remembered the time he'd broken a bowl last time.

His handsome face looked a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly, set down the spatula in his hand, and said, "Then let's order takeout."

"But..."

"You don't want your hand to heal faster?"

Claire's gaze fell on her hand. It really was a little inconvenient like this. She should still try to get better as soon as possible, or she'd be laughed at when she went to the engagement banquet.

She didn't say anything more.

Julian Sterling called Marcus Reed and told him to arrange for takeout to be delivered.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Claire walked over and opened the door. She saw Marcus Reed standing outside, carrying a huge insulated bag and wearing a takeout brand uniform.

Marcus Reed had a friendly smile on his face as he respectfully said, "Miss Bennett, the takeout you and Mr. Sterling ordered has arrived."

"Oh, come in." Claire opened the door wider, completely failing to notice why this delivery guy knew both her surname and Julian Sterling's.

As she watched the three of them file in one after another, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Was takeout service that good now?

"Please enjoy." Marcus Reed respectfully withdrew.

After the door closed, Claire finally dared to complain, "That delivery person was so enthusiastic. Usually when I order food, they just drop it off and leave. I didn't expect there'd actually be people who deliver it right into your home."