“It's my fault. I scared you," Bennett acknowledged, his fingers briefly tousling her hair.

With that, he Let go of her and retreated to the bathroom on the far side of the bed.

Left alone, Claudia stared at the closed bathroom door. She touched her thigh where it still burned, her fingers shaking.

Despite the air conditioner humming softly, her entire body felt aflame.

Recalling the intensity of Bennett's kiss and his penetrating gaze, Claudia felt a mix of heat and thirst surge within her.

She sprawled out on the bed and drew the quilt up to her chin.

After lying there under the quilt for some time, her thirst got the better of her. She rose to fetch a bottle of water from the bedside table.

This time, the cap twisted off without a hitch. She arched her neck back and took long gulps, draining over half the bottle before a sense of relief began to wash over her.

After quenching her thirst, Claudia returned to the bed.

Bennett was still in the bathroom, so she picked up her phone and started scrolling through Twitter. Soon, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted into sleep.

Emerging from the bathroom, Bennett found Claudia already asleep. A smile graced his Lips. He switched off the lights and joined her in bed.

As he settled down, his cool presence stirred Claudia from her half-slumber. She reached out and touched his arm. "You're so cold, Bennett," she muttered.

Bennett felt a pang of helplessness and began to withdraw his arm, but Claudia thwarted his attempt.

She shifted her hand and grasped his arm, pulling herself into his embrace.

“At least let me get warmed up a bit before we cuddle," he mumbled softly.

He had just recently stepped out of a cold shower.

Ignoring his words, Claudia cuddled closer to him, but the warmth she'd come to associate with their closeness was conspicuously absent.

Suddenly, Claudia jolted awake. She squinted in the darkness, her eyes searching for his.

“Why are you so cold?" she asked.

Bennett gently fixed her hair and said, "I told you, I took a cold shower. Now go back to sleep.”

“Why would you take a cold shower?" Her voice tinged with curiosity. Bennett chose not to respond this time, a rare moment of silence for him.

Claudia waited for an answer that never came. In a few seconds, sleep reclaimed her.

Relief washed over Bennett as he felt Claudia's breathing deepen, indicating she was asleep once again.

He had his doubts about maintaining his self-control had she kept questioning him. The irony wasn't lost on him. The woman tempting him was also the one questioning why he had to take a cold shower.