Tempting Him to Lose Control

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Of Course I Like You

"Claire Kendall, what are you doing? Hurry and open the door! Ryan and Megan Hale will be here any second!"

On the bed, Claire Kendall struggled against her bound wrists.

Miles Warren leisurely screwed the cap back on the tube of ointment. He looked up, meeting the rare panic in her eyes.

"Your little boyfriend is back. Anxious?"

"Miles," Claire Kendall whispered, "let me go... please."

He didn’t press her further. He took out a key and unlocked the handcuffs.

Claire Kendall’s eyes darted around the bedroom. With a burst of strength, she shoved him onto the bed, sending rose petals scattering.

"Get under there!"

She yanked the comforter over him, then haphazardly piled it up to hide his form.

Once that was done, she rushed to open the door.

Ethan Lynch shot her a dark look. "What the hell took you so long? Damn it. Good thing I was fast enough to get back before the Hales."

He glanced into the suite’s bedroom. The bed was obviously mussed, and on the headboard sat a pair of shiny toy handcuffs.

Ethan Lynch took a couple of steps closer, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a lecherous glint in his eye.

"Well, well. I had no idea you were into such wild stuff on your own. So what’s with the innocent act around me? You won’t even let me touch you."

"Move. I’ll get in bed. That way, when the Hales get here, it’ll look more convincing." Ethan Lynch tossed his suit jacket aside and swaggered toward the large, round bed in the bedroom.

Claire Kendall’s pupils constricted. She shot forward, blocking the bedroom doorway.

"Ethan Lynch, that’s not necessary!"

"Why would we need to put on a show about that? It just makes us look tacky."

Just as Ethan Lynch was hesitating, a knock came from the suite’s door.

They stopped arguing and immediately went to the door.

"So late, I hope we’re not disturbing you?" Megan Hale said, stepping into the suite.

Her eyes landed on Claire Kendall’s flushed face, then casually flickered to the messy, large bed in the bedroom. A hint of a smile touched her eyes.

"Mrs. Hale, Mr. Hale, please, come in," Ethan Lynch said, welcoming them.

Claire Kendall’s eyes shifted nervously, terrified they would come inside. ’Miles is still trapped under the blankets in there!’

"We won’t come in," Megan Hale said with a light chuckle. "Ah, to be young and in love."

"The natural hot springs behind the hotel are open tonight. My husband and I were planning on going for a soak, so we came by to see if you two wanted to join us."

Ethan Lynch nodded eagerly. "We’d love to! Thank you for the gracious invitation, Mrs. Hale. We’ll just get ready and head right over."

"Great. We’ll see you later." Ryan and Megan Hale left together.

The door closed.

The smile on Ethan Lynch’s face vanished instantly. He slumped onto the sofa, his expression sour.

"Claire Kendall, what was with that attitude? You weren’t the least bit welcoming."

"I don’t care what schemes you’re cooking up, but in front of those two, you have to act like we’re a loving couple. If you screw up this deal, you can forget about the Kendall Family’s contract!"

Ethan Lynch shot her a vicious glare, then turned and went into the en-suite bathroom to shower.

The sound of water running came from the bathroom.

Outside, Claire Kendall ripped the comforter off the bed. Her voice was low and urgent. "Hurry up and go."

Miles Warren sat up, his hair disheveled.

"Just go!"

But he was in no hurry. He draped a long arm over the headboard, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a glimpse of firm, tanned muscle.

He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the steamy bathroom before settling on Claire Kendall. His eyes held a dark, appraising light.

"With him... it’s just an act?"

He had heard her whole conversation with Ethan Lynch in the living room.

"Yes."

Her quiet confirmation made Miles’s expression darken.

His jaw tightened. "Why?"

She looked away. "I don’t want Howard Kendall latching onto you. All he sees is money."

Miles’s cool fingertips gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "But money is the one thing I’m not short on."

"Why didn’t you tell me? Was it worth humiliating yourself like this?"

’Easy for him to say.’

The pent-up frustration from the past several days finally broke. Her body moved before her mind could catch up.

Suddenly, Claire raised her hands and shoved him hard on the shoulders.

Caught off guard, Miles fell back onto the large, round bed.

The next second, she was on top of him, straddling his lean waist as her knees sank into the soft mattress.

She held him pinned beneath her in a bold, intimate position.

In the en-suite bathroom, Ethan Lynch was still in the shower.

She stared down at him, her position dominant.

"Howard Kendall is my biological father, a leech I can’t shake off. A doctor-patient relationship, a friendship... those aren’t enough for me to drag you down with me."

Her fingertips traced a line across Miles’s chest as she breathed against his ear.

"But if you were my boyfriend... then you could help me."

"Dr. Warren, will you be with me? If not, then from now on, stay out of my business."

Just as she finished speaking, the water in the bathroom shut off, followed by the rustling of Ethan Lynch getting dressed.

Miles’s hand shot up, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her down.

His lips hovered inches from hers, their breaths mingling. His voice was a low, husky, mocking drawl.

"Are you threatening me with yourself?"

His gaze flicked toward the bathroom.

"Asking me to be your boyfriend in front of your *other* boyfriend? Am I that cheap?"

The bathroom doorknob began to turn.

"You..." Claire was speechless, her bravado faltering.

The instant the bathroom door swung open—

Miles sat up in one smooth motion, pulling her into his arms.

She let out a cry of surprise, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried her out into the living room.

Ethan Lynch’s confused voice echoed from the bedroom. "Where’d everyone go?"

Miles pressed her against the wall.

"You want me to be your boyfriend? Fine. Then let me ask you one question."

"Claire Kendall, do you like me?"

She paused for a beat, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I do. I’m crazy about you."

"Dr. Warren, you’re my absolute favorite person in the whole wide world~"

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