No Strings Attached novel (Clara and Ian) novel Chapter 477

When was that, exactly?

Wasn't their first encounter in that alley?

When Ian saw that she was finally asleep, he didn't disturb her tranquility. Instead, he tucked away his confusion deep within his heart.

The next morning, as Clara fluttered her eyelids open, the first sight that greeted her was Ian's scruffy, bearded face, shadowed with dark circles under his eyes.

A pang of sympathy struck her, and she gently caressed the stubble. Her voice sounded raspy from sleep. "Honey, it's time for a shave."

Ian looked down and kissed her forehead softly, asking in a whisper, "Would you stop loving me if I had a beard?"

Clara chuckled, "No, it's just... I'm not used to it."

"I'll shave in a bit. Does your wound still hurt?"

"It's much better. Have you been up all night?"

Ian stroked her hair tenderly and murmured, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. As long as you and the baby are safe, that's all that matters to me."

He attempted to sit up but realized his arm had been pinned under Clara all night and had gone completely numb, refusing to budge.

He leaned over and ended up collapsing back onto the bed, inadvertently pinning Clara beneath him. Thankfully, his other arm braced their fall, sparing her wound from the impact. The position, however, was undeniably intimate.

Just at that moment, the hospital room door swung open.

Chase, clad in a pristine white coat, stood at the threshold, his gaze unblinkingly fixated on the scene.

"Damn, Ian! Clara's not just pregnant but also injured, and here you are, all hot and heavy?"

Ian slowly rose, shooting Chase a glare.