Chapter 678

The hotel towel was ridiculously short. The one around Alexander's waist barely covered his essentials, leaving his toned abdomen completely exposed.

Even though they'd once been intimate, Evelyn felt unbearably awkward now.

The romantic hotel setting made it worse.

Memories of that night in the capital flooded her mind uncontrollably.

"You..." She turned her face away. "Aren't you cold?"

"Just took a hot shower." His Adam's apple bobbed. "I'm burning up."

Evelyn brushed past him quickly, leaving a trail of floral perfume. "I'm going to shower. Put some clothes on."

The bathroom was steamy.

As Evelyn undressed, she noticed how slippery the floor was. Barefoot on the tiles, she'd just applied shampoo when—

"Ah!"

Her feet slid out from under her. She fell backward.

The expected pain never came.

A strong arm caught her waist firmly.

The shower still poured down, drenching them both instantly. Water droplets rolled off Alexander's collarbone onto her bare shoulder.

"You okay?" His voice was rough.

Only then did Evelyn realize how dangerous their position was.

"Let go!" She shoved him away. In the chaos, someone's fingers grazed skin, sending shivers down spines.

Alexander fled like his life depended on it.

When the door closed, their panicked eyes met again.

This time, Evelyn reacted faster—slamming the door with a bang.

The running water drowned out her pounding heart.

She lingered in the bathroom for nearly an hour.

"Evelyn." A light knock.

"Hmm?"

"The floor's slippery." His voice was muffled through the door. "Use my clothes to step on."

His tall silhouette showed through the frosted glass.

Evelyn bit her lip, staring at the pile of clothes on the floor.

Reason eventually overcame shame.

"...Toss them in."

When the door cracked open, she caught a glimpse of his reddened ears.

By the time Evelyn emerged, Alexander was standing by the window, letting cold air blow on him.

Her sneeze made him shut it immediately.

Then the world spun—

He scooped her up bridal-style and gently placed her on the bed.

"The clothes fit well." An awkward subject change.

Evelyn finally noticed how good that cheap sweatshirt looked on him. With his broad shoulders and narrow waist, even bargain-bin clothing seemed tailor-made.

"Yeah." She studied her toes.

Suddenly, Alexander knelt on one knee and grasped her ankle.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

Evelyn tried to pull away. "Just a minor sprain."

His fingertips were scalding.

"It's swollen." His brow furrowed. "From yesterday?"

"When I was playing with Lotus..."

"Wait here."

He grabbed his jacket and bolted out. When he returned half an hour later with ointment, sweat still gleamed at his temples.