Chapter 161

Adrian stood bare-chested in the doorway, his damp white shirt clinging to every defined muscle like liquid silk. A single raised eyebrow accentuated his sharp features as his voice cut through the humid air. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Before the tension could thicken, Ethan materialized in the frame, his broad shoulders nearly filling the space. "Mrs. Hartley, Mr. Blackwood sustained injuries from a falling tree branch and requires medical attention."

Vivian's eyes darted to the streaks of dried mud staining Adrian's shoulder, her lips thinning into a disapproving line. Without speaking, she pivoted sharply toward the bathroom cabinet, her heels clicking against the hardwood with military precision. Adrian followed uninvited, his presence expanding to fill her private space.

She hesitated mid-step when she sensed him crossing the threshold. Protesting now would be pointless - the damage was done. All she wanted was to treat his wounds and send him packing.

"I'll retrieve the documents from Mr. Holloway," Ethan announced from the doorway. Adrian acknowledged with a barely perceptible tilt of his chin. Turning to Vivian, Ethan added, "Please see to Mr. Blackwood's injuries," before shutting the door with finality, effectively silencing any objections.

Adrian made himself at home on the edge of her bed, his sprawling posture radiating entitlement. His long legs stretched casually, as if claiming territory in her sanctuary. Vivian refused to indulge his arrogance.

With calculated precision, she lobbed the ointment toward him. "Your arms appear functional enough," she remarked coolly. Dragging a chair to the far side of the room, she immersed herself in script revisions, pointedly ignoring his existence. The pages became her shield, her gaze never wavering from the typed lines.

A shadow of displeasure darkened Adrian's striking features. His piercing gaze remained fixed on her as he began undoing his shirt buttons with deliberate slowness - each movement a provocation, each unfastened button a challenge. Shrugging out of the garment, he applied the salve himself, his jaw tightening with barely restrained frustration.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vivian caught glimpses of his sculpted shoulders and the tantalizing V of muscles leading downward. She jerked her attention back to the script, mentally scolding herself. The world overflowed with attractive men, she reminded herself sharply.

Falling for her soon-to-be ex-husband's charms would be the height of foolishness. Whether from the relentless storm or Adrian's oppressive presence, irritation prickled beneath her skin. She'd left Seabreeze Villa to sever complicated ties, yet here she stood, entangled once more.

"I can't reach my back," Adrian declared abruptly, shattering the silence. His challenging stare dared her to refuse.

Her gaze flickered to the angry red marks trailing down his shoulder blades. The wound, caked with mud and haphazardly applied ointment, looked ripe for infection.

"You didn't clean it first?" she snapped. "With debris like that, you're inviting sepsis, not healing."

He opened his mouth, likely to argue, but she was already moving. The water dispenser gurgled as she filled a bowl, her every movement radiating irritation. The only sounds were the rain's relentless patter and her clipped footsteps.

Kneeling beside the bed, Vivian worked with clinical efficiency, dabbing at his injuries with sterile gauze. Her touch was featherlight yet left trails of warmth wherever it traveled.