Chapter 280

My heart raced. Oh no, was he planning to go for it again? It's human nature to crave what feels good, and once someone's had a taste, they want more. Even the most composed people can't resist temptation. No wonder those drama characters risk everything for love. Love truly is a significant weakness.

As Hayden's kisses deepened, my mind wandered, caught in a random swirl of thoughts. But when he gently nipped my lip, I snapped back to reality. He'd already laid me down on the bed, his body pressing against mine. His eyes were dark with desire, his Adam's apple bobbing, making my breath catch. His strong arms braced on either side of me, muscles flexing, and my mouth went dry. He was a living, breathing temptation; a tingling warmth spread through me, like a slow, gentle current buzzing under my skin. I knew exactly what this feeling was. I was getting turned on, and I wanted him. Badly.

Desire was powerful—I finally understood that. But a sliver of fear remained. The soreness from last night hadn't fully faded. If we went for round two, I wasn't sure I could handle it. And what if Lena was right? What if I got hurt, or worse, suffered an infection or fertility issues? That would be awful. I had to pull myself together.

As reason battled desire, I searched for a way to slow things down when Hayden leaned in again. His cheek brushed mine; his lips ghosted over my skin, my hair, then my ear. "You've worked so hard, honey," he whispered, his voice husky and low. I knew he was thanking me for helping Yuna. But after his lukewarm reaction earlier, I'd assumed he didn't want the surgery.

"I thought you were upset," I said, pouting and lightly punching his shoulder. I wasn't sure if it hurt him, but his rock-hard muscles made my hand throb.

"I'm happy, and I'm grateful," he said, his lips brushing my ear before gently sucking on it. A shiver ran down my spine, my toes curling.

Hayden felt my reaction. He pressed closer, his kisses moving from my ear to my hairline, down to my cheek, nose, eyes, forehead, and finally, my lips. This slow, deliberate build-up was killing me. And it was chipping away at my self-control. I couldn't help but arch my body toward him, my arms wrapping around his neck. His breath was hot against my ear as his hand slipped under my shirt…

Then, my phone rang loudly in my pocket, making us both jump. The heated moment evaporated. I scrambled for my phone, but it was trapped under him. Hayden helped me fish it out. It was Lindey.

I stared at the screen, torn between answering and hanging up. "Answer it," Hayden said, his voice steady. He stood and left the bedroom.

I let out a shaky breath and answered. "Lindey—"

"Rea, if I die, it'll be because Jace and Tanya pissed me off!" Lindey's opening line hit me like a bomb. I had no idea what happened, so I could only ask, "Calm down. What did they do this time?"

"I just found out why you two broke up. Jace gave your wedding house to that bitch!" Her words tore open a wound I thought I'd sealed shut.