“No.”

Hadn't he fallen asleep?

Then Bennett must have known what she'd just done?

This realization filled Claudia with the urge to flee, but she found herself unable to.

The man's grip on her wrist tightened as she tried to pull away, but he held her fast.

The next second, a deep voice resonated from Bennett.

“What were you doing just now, Miss Marshall?"

Facing the question from the one she had just "violated", Claudia was utterly taken aback. She stared at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I... I think I'm drunk, Mr. Dreskin."

Yes, that was it!

She was drunk.

She was intoxicated and not in control of herself.

She hadn't meant to do it!

Bennett, looking at her with raised eyebrows, asked incredulously, "Really?"

To validate her claim of being drunk, Claudia took his hand and placed it on her cheek. "Feel it. It's hot."

His hand on her cheek, Bennett brushed her skin with his thumb, acknowledging, "Yes, it does feel a bit hot."

With a sigh of relief, Claudia stuttered, “I, I'm drunk and tend to touch people at random. It's nothing against you, Mr. Dreskin!”

“Really? How do you touch people randomly?”

As he said this, he took her hand and placed it beside his lips, just as she'd done earlier. "Show me!"

Had Bennett developed some odd fascination? Why did he want to be touched at random?

Claudia's hand was held captive, her face flushing even deeper.

He continued to stare at her, as though he wouldn't believe her words unless she touched him.

Regretting her rash behavior, Claudia felt like a helpless lamb roasting over burning fire, her wool burning away. If she didn't do something, she'd be charred completely.

Just a touch and it wouldn't hurt, right? It wasn't like she hadn't touched him before!

She tried to convince herself, but as her trembling index finger touched his lips, she withdrew it as if shocked. "That's it. That's it."