Bennett chuckled, took her hand, and turned to face her. "Funny, I missed you too.”

He then placed one arm around her waist and gently touched her lips with his other hand.

“Still hurting?"

Claudia, feeling a bit sheepish, replied, "No, it was never painful to begin with.”

“Alright then," Bennett responded, his eyes showing a flicker of emotion while his hand lingered on her lips.

Claudia could feel the coarseness of his fingertips, making her lips feel a tad dry.

Subconsciously, she pursed her lips and moved his hand away. "I need water."

Bennett glanced at her with a meaningful Look and returned shortly with a glass of warm water.

Quite thirsty, Claudia drank more than half of the glass quickly, and then sipped the remaining water more deliberately.

Leaning against the balcony railing, Bennett eyed her and asked, "More water?"

Shaking her head, Claudia set the glass aside and approached him. Looking up at the moon, she said, "The moon tonight is so round.”

Standing next to her, Bennett took a moment before responding. Grasping her waist once more, he drew her close and remarked, “If you're not in pain anymore, a kiss shouldn't hurt, should it?"

Before Claudia could grasp his meaning, his lips were already meeting hers.

He grasped her waist and slowly bent down. His kisses growing more passionate and aggressive.

As the intensity of his kisses rose, time seemingly slipped away. In a trance-like state, she felt her breath becoming scarce between their lips. The sensation of mild suffocation slowed her thoughts.

At that moment, Bennett's kiss transformed from gentle to intense. His grip on her waist firmed, pulling her so close it was as if he was trying to meld her into himself.

Caught off guard, Claudia uttered, "Bennett... He halted, his dark eyes locked onto hers, mingling coldness with a newfound yearning.

Her heart pounding under his gaze, Claudia raised her hand to cover his eyes. "Don't look at me that way," she said, her voice trembling.

The depth of his gaze seemed to swallow her whole.

Pressing her tightly to him, Bennett sighed, “Mrs. Dreskin, you're a puzzle."

Entranced yet asked to look away, he found her baffling yet irresistible.

Ah, she truly knows how to take charge. He thought.

Claudia felt her cheeks grow warm.

Taking a moment to compose herself, she intended to ask about the upcoming competition on the 17th but yawned instead when she opened her mouth.