Chapter 84: Under his control

May pressed her back tight against the doorframe, looking up at him.

Theo’s bare chest rose and fell right before her eyes with every breath, his tightly defined muscles pulled taut. The hot steam had flushed his pale, porcelain skin with a faint, burning pink.

"Theo... I really didn’t mean to..." May’s voice quivered beyond control.

Theo offered no immediate response. Reaching out, his long, slender fingers gently pinched her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

"Didn’t mean to?" Theo let out a low chuckle, though the humor failed to reach his eyes. "Then tell me, Sister-in-law, how long were you peeking through that slit in the door just now?"

"I... I wasn’t peeking!"

"Wasn’t peeking?"

Ace glided over from behind, water still dripping off his shoulders. Leaning against the wall right beside Theo, he casually twirled a body wash bottle between his fingers. "Your face is burning red, Sister-in-law—don’t tell me you got that from looking away?"

Guiltily, May squeezed her eyes shut. "My eyes were closed the whole time!"

"Closed, yet you managed to crash straight through the door?" Theo’s voice dropped even lower, a raspy whisper close to her ear. "Besides... the sound of you swallowing your saliva earlier was rather hard to miss."

This is beyond humiliating!

Theo’s fingers trailed slowly down her chin, halting right at her collar.

"Since you’ve already had a look," he murmured, locking eyes with her as he delivered every word deliberately, "if you haven’t seen enough, why not come over and touch as well?"

"T-Touch?!"

Panicking completely, May practically scrambled out of the bathroom on all fours. She stumbled over to the pharmacy’s entrance, slamming her back against the cold iron door, gasping heavily for air as her face burned like a cooked lobster.

Behind her, the rushing sound of water ceased.

Moments later, the bathroom door creaked open once more.

Reflexively lifting her head, May froze solid on the spot.

Theo and Ace stepped out one after the other.

Both men wore nothing save for white towels slung dangerously low around their hips, the upper edges barely clinging to the sharp V-lines of their pelvises.

The view that had been obscured by steam moments ago was now laid bare under the harsh, white fluorescent lights above. Water droplets cascaded down their sculpted chests and defined abdominal walls, disappearing beneath the towels.

One pale-skinned, the other a warm bronze tone.

Holy shit... Did I save the entire galaxy in my past life to get blessed like this?

Feeling her nose throb again, May hastily lowered her head, clutching her face with both hands. 𝙛𝓇ⅇ

Without a word, Theo stepped up to her, leaning down to retrieve a fresh pack of medical cotton swabs from a half-open cabinet.

Ace casually leaned against the opposite side, picking up a pill bottle to feign interest in its label.

Flanking her on both sides, completely unbothered by their lack of attire, they boxed her in entirely.

The cool, clinical scent of disinfectant blended with body wash on Theo, mixed with Ace’s far more aggressive, woody fragrance, wrapping around her like an inescapable web.

May felt as though she were about to suffocate. Peeking through the gaps in her fingers, she was terrified of meeting their amused, predatory gazes.

"What’s wrong, Sister-in-law?" Ace’s voice drifted from her right, laced with a gentle smirk. "Got dust in your eyes?"

"No..." May whimpered in a muffled voice. "It’s just that you two are far too... blinding. It hurts my eyes."

"Blinding?"

Theo let out a low laugh on her left, his tone brushing intimately against her ear. "Which part is blinding? Let me see."

As he spoke, he actually leaned in close, his warm breath fanning across the back of her hand.

Shivering from the contact, May yanked her hands away—only to find Theo’s handsome face barely ten centimeters from her own. Reflected clearly behind his gold-rimmed lenses were her wide, guilt-ridden eyes.

Oh man, I can’t look anymore...

May squeezed her eyes shut in total resignation.

At that exact moment, Theo suddenly seized her wrist. His fingers were cool from the water, his grip firm and unyielding.

"Theo, what are you doing!" May gasped, startled.

"Shh."

Theo brought a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet. Then, without giving her a chance to resist, he pulled her straight toward the bathroom.

"Hey—!"

Ace snapped to attention, reaching out to intervene, but his fingers caught only empty air.

BANG!

The frosted glass door slammed shut right in front of Ace, followed immediately by the distinct click of the lock engaging.

The smile froze completely on Ace’s face.

He lunged forward, slamming a heavy fist against the glass, making the panel vibrate with a dull thud.

"Theo! You sneaky bastard!"

From inside, Theo’s voice carried through the glass, slow, measured, and dripping with smug amusement.

"Don’t lose your temper, Ace."

Pressing May gently against the wall, he turned the showerhead back on without a hint of rush. Warm water cascaded down over them, drenching both of them from head to toe in an instant.

"Weren’t your legs feeling weak earlier? As the team medic, I suspect it’s low blood sugar causing a chill throughout her body."

Theo’s voice pressed close against her ear, his warm breath mingling with the steam as it drifted into her ear canal. "It is my professional duty to provide you with an emergency thermal treatment."

"You’re full of shit!" Outside, Ace’s voice cracked with fury. "You call that treatment? You’re taking advantage of her!"

"Why tarnish my professional integrity, Ace?" Theo chuckled softly. Reaching up, he brushed May’s wet hair behind her ear, his fingertips deliberately grazing her earlobe. "I’m merely giving Sister-in-law a gentle scrub to improve her blood circulation. As for you, Ace, stop pounding on the door."

He paused, lowering his tone into a dark, triumphant drawl.

"The glass in this hospital isn’t of the highest quality. If it shatters and flying shards end up scratching May’s delicate skin..."

"...do you really want to see her hurt?"

That final line struck right at Ace’s weak spot.

The pounding on the door stopped abruptly.

Ace stared intently at the two blurred, intertwined silhouettes silhouetted against the frosted glass. For the very first time, raw, unadulterated violence and lethal intent surged within his almond eyes.

He watched as the tall figure leaned down, completely overshadowing the delicate girl, while the steam grew thicker and thicker until everything turned into an indistinct haze.

Ace drove his fingernails deep into his palms.

Inside the bathroom.

Swept by the warm cascade of water, May’s strength completely dissolved, leaving her leaning limp against the wall.

Theo braced one hand against the tiles, trapping her between his frame and the wall, while his other hand retrieved a fresh sponge, working up a rich, velvety lather with the body wash.

"Don’t be afraid," he whispered, dipping his head until the tip of his nose almost touched hers. "Close your eyes. Let me wash you."

Looking at his face so close to hers, and into those impossibly deep eyes behind his lenses, May realized the more she tried to resist, the tighter the web spun around her.

What could she even do? It was a completely hopeless situation!

A ridiculously handsome guy, completely bare, using the most professional tone to deliver the most shameless lines, insisting on personally giving her a bath.

Refuse? She’d have to be out of her mind!

Drool... my drool...

May felt as though she were about to drown in her own drool.

Watching her stand there dazed and flustered, on the verge of drooling, the warmth deep within Theo’s eyes intensified. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing her completely under his control, captivated and immersed in the atmosphere he had constructed.

The soft lather coated her shoulders, her collarbones, her arms...

Theo’s movements were exceptionally gentle, executed with the precision and patience of a delicate surgical operation.

Yet his gaze systematically inspected every inch of his territory, drinking in every tiny shiver and delicate flush across her skin.

The rush of water, their quiet breathing, and the heavy thrum of heartbeats mingled together into a seamless rhythm.