No Strings Attached

When was that, exactly?

Wasn't their first encounter in that alley?

When lan saw that she was finally asleep, he didn't disturb her tranquility. Instead, he tucked away his confusion deep within his heart.

The next morning, as Clara fluttered her eyelids open, the first sight that greeted her was lan's scruffy, bearded face, shadowed with dark circles under his eyes.

A pang of sympathy struck her, and she gently caressed the stubble. Her voice sounded raspy from sleep. "Honey, it's time for a shave."

lan looked down and kissed her forehead softly, asking in a whisper, "Would you stop loving me if I had a beard?"

Clara chuckled, "No, it's just... I'm not used to it."

"I'll shave in a bit. Does your wound still hurt?"

night?" sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of

hair tenderly and murmured, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. As long as you and the baby are

realized his arm had been pinned under Clara all night and had

collapsing back onto the bed, inadvertently pinning Clara beneath him. Thankfully, his other arm braced their fall,

at that moment, the hospital room door swung

at the

also injured, and here you

slowly rose, shooting

even doctors should

roguish grin. "I was just concerned about Clara's pain and wanted to check on her. Plus, Sasha tasked me

and hitting record, he addressed Clara, "Sasha, can you see? Clara's looking better. I even caught them making out just now, so her wound can't be that bad, right?" Clara's cheeks flushed as she looked at him. "Ian just lost balance because his arm was numb

lan was letting his animal instincts take over. If that were the case, Sasha,

from behind, "Since when did Sasha get the

she's feisty, like lighting a match to gunpowder. If she's not like a firecracker, then what is she? The girl even snaps at me, yet she

when did you two start nesting together? Last I remembered, you were just a 'contract