He looked away from her hand to meet her beautiful eyes. He swallowed the Lump in his throat in an effort to suppress his desire and replied, “Sure.”

Claudia's cheeks burned, but the desire she was feeling was too intense to ignore. Her grip on his pajama top tightened, and she bit her lower lip in temporary modesty. In the end, though, she gave in to the temptation. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest.

She caught a whiff of the familiar scent of spruce. They were so close that the scent was considerably stronger than it typically was for her. The smell of it enhanced the joy she was feeling in her heart.

“I missed you so much, Bennett," Claudia said as she nuzzled against him.

The woman's voice was sweet and melodious. Bennett's heart felt Lighter and warmer, Like someone had just lightly caressed it.

When he lowered his head again, he found Claudia rubbing against him like a kitten, oblivious to the potential danger she was putting herself into.

Bennett's lips curled into a smile while he repressed the surge of yearning within him. He cradled her closer to him and placed a hand on the back of her neck.

“What a coincidence! I missed you so much, too, Mrs. Dreskin."

Claudia stopped nuzzling against him to look up at him. Her eyes were watering a little as she said, "I mean it."

It was not an attempt to entice him. She really missed him.

She could not understand why she missed him so much, but she did.

She wanted to hug him.

She even wanted to kiss him, too.

Now, Claudia was certain that she really harbored romantic feelings for

Bennett, and she wanted him all to herself.

Her face got even redder at the realization. For a second, she wanted to avert her gaze but fought the urge to do so.

“I meant what I said, too."

Bennett did not merely miss her; he was feeling a lot of things at the moment.

He had never been a passionate person, but usually, he was the one who initiated contact between himself and Claudia. She desired him, but she had no courage to act on it.

At least that was the case at first. On occasion, her bravery surprised even him.

Just like now, they were apart for just a few days, but their intense feelings for each other became stronger than ever. She was basically seducing him without meaning to by just holding him close and telling him how much she missed him.

At the moment, Bennett's overwhelming emotions were compressing his rationality to the point of collapse. He stared unblinkingly at her, his black eyes dripping with undisguised desire.

It was Like a net, slowly but surely closing in on her.

The intensity of his gaze caused Claudia’s heart to start racing. Soon, her breathing became a Little Labored.