Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3068

Norah didn't ask a single question. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand—since that was the only thing she had brought—and followed him.

As they navigated the dark, creaky staircase, Norah instinctively reached out and grabbed Xavier's hand.

This time, he didn't pull away.

Emboldened, Norah slowly tightened her grip until her fingers were fully laced with his.

His hand was large and firm, the skin roughened by years of calluses. Yet, she didn't find it abrasive at all; if anything, she held on even tighter.

In the pitch-black silence of the stairwell, Norah could hear the frantic pounding of her own heart. Thump, thump. It was a chaotic mix of anxiety, embarrassment, and undeniable elation.

Leaving the B&B behind, Xavier drove them down the treacherous mountain road back toward the city.

He tossed his jacket over her lap. In the shadowy interior of the car, his sharp, chiseled profile looked even more stoic and unapproachable. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."

But the sheer thrill of a midnight escape left Norah buzzing with adrenaline. She wasn't tired in the slightest. Her eyes were wide open, locked onto the road ahead as she chatted away with him.

"Those sticky traps were totally useless. The mouse just stared right at me from the windowsill."

The mice up there were ridiculously bold. They weren't afraid of humans at all.

Xavier glanced at her. "Then why didn't you call me again?"

Norah turned to face him. "I literally covered my own mouth!"

She had been so worried that he was finally asleep. He had driven for hours and had to be exhausted. She had planned to just sit frozen under her blanket for the rest of the night.

But then she heard the aggressive noises coming from the other room. She had been so mortified she seriously considered jumping out the window with the mouse.

Thank God Xavier had come to her rescue.

The moment he knocked on her door, she had been flooded with overwhelming relief. Somehow, her intuition had known it was him.

Xavier felt a dull ache in his chest picturing her terrified and trapped in that room, but he kept his silence.

An hour later, they pulled into the city limits. Xavier found a high-end villa-style hotel, but when they walked up to the reception desk, the clerk delivered bad news: they only had one room left. It was a double-bed suite.

She had desperately wanted a proper shower, too.

Reading the absolute panic on her face, Xavier grabbed his jacket. "I'm going outside to smoke. Go take your shower."

Norah dropped her gaze and nodded.

Xavier immediately stepped outside, walking to the far edge of the pool deck and turning his back to the glass before lighting a cigarette.

Norah practically sprinted into the bathroom.

She knew Xavier couldn't see her from out there, and she knew he was the type of man who would never look anyway. But standing completely bare in a glass box still sent a bizarre, thrilling shiver down her spine.

She showered in record time, wrapped herself in a plush hotel robe, and dove under the covers before finally calling out to him.

Xavier crushed his cigarette beneath his heel, stepped back inside, and immediately lay down on his own bed.

Norah offered a sly smile. "You can go shower. I promise I won't peek."