He reached out and stroked her cheek comfortingly. He used his thumb to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes and gave her a kiss on the forehead before pulling away from her.

Once she had regained her composure, Claudia lifted her head and stared into the depths of his black eyes.

She felt a fluttering in her chest. She averted her eyes, grabbed the blanket, and rolled onto her side.

"Go to sleep first. You don't have to wait for me." After saying that, Bennett made another trip to the bathroom.

Because of what happened last time, Claudia had an idea now of what he would do there.

Claudia's cheeks flushed furiously when her mind flashed images of what Bennett could be doing to himself inside.

She turned her head toward the pillow and let out a muffled scream. She had changed.

She was not innocent anymore.

Claudia was still awake when Bennett exited the bathroom.

When she heard the bathroom door open, she quickly retreated under the blanket.

Bennett glanced in her direction. The woman on the bed looked like a tiny hill topped with a blanket.

He walked up to the bed and gently pulled the blanket back.

"Don't you feel stuffy?"

The sight of the man's face caused Claudia's heart to beat faster in her chest.

“Have you finished your shower?"

She regretted it the moment those words came out of her mouth. Why would she ask that now? "Yes."

Bennett came out of the bathroom after drying his hair, so it was no longer dripping wet.

“Are we going to sleep now?" As he made his way to the switch, he replied, “Yeah." With a click, the lights went out.

Then, there was a dip in the space beside Claudia.

The sound of the man's breathing grew louder and closer.

Claudia loosened her tight grip on the blanket and rolled to her other side so that she was facing Bennett.

His eyes were the only thing she could make out in the darkness.

It was dark in the room, but for some reason, Claudia felt safe. With a sudden burst of courage, she scooted closer to the man and snuggled into his arms.

The urge to raise her hand swirled within her. She wanted to touch his face.