Female Novel
Chapter 2086
Norah pulled up to the roadside barbecue restaurant, the tires of her car crunching on gravel, heralding her arrival. Sincegraduating and entering the workforce, she'd mastered the art of driving, navigating the complexities of office politics, and somuch more. But despite her newfound skills, nothing could overshadow the nostalgia she felt for the days spent working at thebustling barbecue restaurant, where exhaustion intermingled with pure joy.
As she entered, the smoky aroma of grilled meats welcomed her. The place was just starting to fill up, with a couple of tablesalready occupied by eager patrons seeking comfort in the form of hearty meals.
Damian, spotting her, bounded over with a grin that reached his eyes. "Norah!" he exclaimed, the surprise evident in his voice.With a playful arch of her brows, Norah responded, "Busy night ahead?"
"Could be worse!" Damian chuckled, wiping his hands on his apron. "Here to see my boss?"
Damian's boss, Xavier, had just returned the previous night, and Norah's timely visit left little doubt that she was here for him.
A blush crept over Norah's cheeks as she quickly sought an excuse. "I heard Mr. Flemmings got hurt. Just wanted to check on
him.
"Ms. Macclain did call, told us to take good care of Xavier. Xavier's playing tough, though—won't even let us peek at his wound,"Damian said, furrowing his brow in concern.
"That's not okay," Norah protested, her voice laced with urgency. "Where is he?"
"Came back last night, had a small bite and crashed again. We didn't dare disturb him," Damian explained, gesturing toward thestairs.
"I'll go check on him," declared Norah, her concern trumping any worry about propriety as she hurried upstairs.
The upper floor was quiet, the sounds from the dining area a distant hum. Norah made her way to the living room and thendirectly to Xavier's room. She gently nudged the door open, her eyes immediately finding Xavier, still lost in sleep.
He must have been utterly spent. His shirt was half-buttoned, a testament to his exhaustion. The blanket lay tossed aside,revealing the rugged lines of his collarbone and the rise of his Adam's apple. Even in slumber, Xavier exuded an air of raw powerand an untamed masculine presence.
Biting her lip, Norah approached the bed and sat down. She studied his chiseled jaw and the stubble that dusted his chin, feelinga sudden warmth flood her cheeks.
She reached out, intent on checking his wounds, and started to unbutton his shirt. After Norah loosened the third button andgingerly lifted the fabric, Xavier's hand shot out and grasped hers, his eyes snapping open with a mixture of alertness and frostydefense. Yet, as his gaze settled on Norah, the guarded look melted into confusion.
Norah froze, her face turning a deeper shade of red, as if she'd been caught in a guilty act. Their eyes locked, and her handremained enveloped in his much larger one. The contrast between his bronzed skin and her porcelain complexion was striking.
"Norah?" Xavier's voice was naturally husky, even more so with the grogginess of sleep, setting Norah's heart racing.She pursed her lips, nervous and flustered, as she attempted to explain, "I—I was just checking on your injury."
As Xavier's mind cleared, he releasedher hand and slowly propped hi Ifup. The open butegnsclitis Shi nowreygalad altexpanse of his muscledchest, an image so intimate it couldmake anyone's cheeks burn. Pleaseread the original content atNovelDrama.Org.
Norah averted her gaze to hisshoulder, Sees scespig yqu Wete bbuly hurt. She wasworried about you." Please read theoriginal content at NovelDrama.Org.novelbin
"It's nothing serious now," Xavier reassured her, reaching for a pack of cigarettes on the nightstand.
Without a second thought, Norahsnatched the cigarettes from hisgrasp and flung themig dhe dat heremierrassinent trning toindignation. "Smoking while you'reinjured? If you don't care about yourown health, how can you expectothers to?" Please read the originalcontent at NovelDrama.Org.