Summer Thorne looked away, only to meet his gaze.
In that instant, she remembered the last time. When her mind was a fog, she had held a hand.
The next day, she had asked the hotel butler when Timothy York left.
The butler had told her that Timothy York left right after bringing her to the hotel and calling for a doctor.
But Summer Thorne knew that wasn't true.
She knew that hand had been his.
He had been the one to unfasten her dress, helping her cool down before the doctor arrived...
"However Mr. York helped my fever last time..." Summer Thorne heard her own voice, slightly hoarse. "I can do the same for you."
Having said her piece, she met his intense gaze and reached for the front of his coat.
Timothy York didn't move. Summer Thorne simply removed the cashmere coat he'd just put on. When she reached for the next layer, however, she paused, unsure how to remove the cashmere sweater.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to hand the initiative back to him.
"Take off your sweater. I'll go get a towel."
She started to get up to head for the bathroom, but the cashmere coat she'd just removed tripped her. Summer Thorne lost her balance and stumbled right into his arms—
His body was burning hot.
A searing heat.
Summer Thorne froze for a moment, and when she looked up, her eyes met his once more.
His eyes were too deep, too still. From the moment they met until now, Summer Thorne had never been able to decipher what was hidden within them.
Timothy York didn't move.
But his mind couldn't help but wander.
'He could smell her scent. He even knew which bathroom she'd showered in; the shower gel had the same fragrance as the one he'd used before...'
As their eyes locked, a strange silence fell over them.
And what was even more baffling was that Summer Thorne was still sitting on his lap...
Summer Thorne's gaze fell to his lips.
'He had almost perfect lips. Perhaps it was due to the fever, but they held a flush of vibrant red. They looked... very kissable.'
'She only had to lean in a little to close the distance between them...'
But she didn't move.
'She couldn't move.'
"There wasn't any medicine at the hotel last time, either..." After a long pause, Summer Thorne finally spoke again in a low voice. "Before the doctor arrived, how did you help me cool down, Mr. York? Could I... do the same?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
Timothy York finally spoke, a subtle rasp already in his voice.
It was unclear if it was from the fever or for some other reason...
He watched her, his gaze as deep and unreadable as ever.
It was an emotion Summer Thorne could not easily decipher, yet she remained on his lap, his hand still a searing presence on the small of her back...
"I have to know," she said, "so I can take care of you."
She kept her voice as soft as possible, her body and breath controlled and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing something...
Yet in that "softness," Timothy York's breathing seemed to be infinitely amplified.
His breath grew as hot as his body...
Summer Thorne was reluctant to make a sudden move, but faced with a man like this, her mind uncontrollably blurred for a moment.
Sometimes, a person just can't control themselves.
Neither their mind nor their body.
Man or woman.
"BEEP—BEEP—"
Suddenly, two blasts from a car horn sounded from a distance, shattering the charged atmosphere in the room.
The moment reason returned to her, Summer Thorne felt Timothy York's tense, searing breath right by her lips.
It was as if she'd been bewitched, just moments from kissing him...
And Timothy York hadn't pushed her away.
Even though they'd been startled by the sudden honks, their breaths still intertwined, not yet pulling apart.
But the next moment, another honk sounded from outside—
This time, it was right outside the house.
At the same time, Summer Thorne heard a man's voice call out—
"Excuse me, is anyone in there?"
'Gale Fawley!'
Summer Thorne stiffened. She glanced toward the door, then looked at Timothy York in surprise.
'Why would Gale Fawley be here at this hour?'
'Does he know Timothy York is here? Did he come looking for him?'
The next moment, a knock on the door was accompanied by a different man's voice. "Hello, is anyone in there?"
'Jude Eustace!'
'They actually came together.'
"Mr. Fawley, she doesn't have a car or a horse. There's no way she could have walked all the way here, right?"
"We still have to ask."
Summer Thorne understood in an instant—
'They were looking for her.'
She glanced at Timothy York and reacted instantly. First, she scrambled off his lap, then she pulled him to his feet and, with unexpected speed, shoved him into the bathroom.
"They can't know you're with me. You stay here, I'll go get rid of them."
She said this hurriedly before closing the bathroom door and turning to leave.
Timothy York's gaze fell on the door she had just shut. He slowly closed his eyes.
When Summer Thorne opened the front door and appeared before them, the two men outside were completely dumbfounded.
But she just looked at them calmly. "Mr. Fawley, Mr. Eustace."
Gale Fawley was the first to recover, letting out a long sigh of relief. "Mrs. Crawford, it's such a relief to see you."
Jude Eustace reacted a moment later, also breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank God, you're okay. That's wonderful... How did you end up here?"
Summer Thorne didn't answer, asking instead, "Why... are you two here?"
Gale Fawley was clearly far more composed than Jude Eustace. He crossed his arms, his gaze drifting to the house behind Summer Thorne as he replied, "You went riding. The horse came back, but you didn't. Your car is still at the resort, and your phone's unreachable. As the host here, how could I not come looking for you?"
Upon hearing this, Jude Eustace launched into a frantic explanation. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Crawford, Hazel can be so thoughtless... If she hadn't gotten into an argument with me and let it slip, I never would have known she left you alone in the snow... The moment I found out, I rallied everyone to come look for you. I was so worried something might have happened to you... Thank goodness you're safe..."
As he spoke, he pulled a phone from his pocket and handed it to Summer Thorne. "Your phone. I got it back from her..."
Summer Thorne took the ice-cold phone. Before she could even glance at her unread messages, she heard Gale Fawley ask, "How did you end up here? This house is..."
"I got lucky. I was just wandering and stumbled upon this house," Summer Thorne finally answered. "No one was home, but I was freezing. To keep from freezing to death out there, I had no choice but to break in... Now that you're here, it's all good."
After hearing her explanation, Gale Fawley asked with some uncertainty, "You walked here all by yourself? From the direction of Sombren Forest?"
"Yes," Summer Thorne replied firmly. "When you're desperate, what other choice is there?"
Hearing this, Jude Eustace was overcome with even more guilt and began bowing and apologizing to Summer Thorne all over again.
Summer Thorne quietly watched his flustered state. "She is her own person, and you are yours. I still have to thank you for coming out to look for me at a time like this."
"Then come back to the resort with us. You can get some proper rest. Tomorrow, I'll have Hazel apologize to you in person..."
Summer Thorne paused, then said, "Wait here for a moment. I used their house, so I should probably leave a note for the owner..."
With that, she closed the front door in their faces.
The action was incredibly suspicious, practically an admission of guilt.
Gale Fawley raised a single eyebrow, but since Jude Eustace beside him was too busy thanking his lucky stars, he didn't say anything.
Summer Thorne turned, went back into the house, and reopened the bathroom door.
Timothy York was leaning against the wall. He slowly opened his eyes at the sound, his gaze falling on a frantic-looking Summer Thorne.
"I'm going back to the resort with them first. They're sure to have medicine there. You go upstairs and lie down. I'll get the medicine and come right back. Don't move and don't go anywhere. Wait for me."
After speaking, she leaned forward and, as if to reassure herself, pressed her hand to his forehead one more time. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
She finished in a rush, gave him one last look, and finally turned to leave.
Timothy York stood motionless, listening to the sounds of the lights being switched off and the door closing outside, listening to the car engine start and drive away. He didn't move an inch.
Lifting his gaze, he saw his reflection in the mirror.
A pale face. Deep, dark eyes. A heart he tried so hard to hide. A desire with nowhere to go.
'Like a demon.'