I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 47

Remembering her injuries, Hayden completely lost the urge.

He forcefully managed to feed her some of the tea, then reached out and pulled her up.

"Zoe, go sleep in your own room."

He was never used to sharing a bed with anyone.

During those ruthless, blood-soaked days fighting for survival in Southeast Asia, he had learned to trust absolutely no one.

He would never allow anyone to sleep peacefully by his side.

But the dizzy woman simply collapsed back against his chest, refusing to get up.

Hayden lightly patted Zoe's cheek, but she remained completely motionless.

As far back as he could remember, Hayden had never coaxed anyone.

Nor had anyone ever coaxed him.

Sienna had a gentle temperament, but as an aggressively dominant male, his overwhelming wealth and power were enough to make any woman with an attitude submit effortlessly.

When Sienna was his girlfriend, she had been highly tactful. She never caused trouble, never got angry, and never defied his wishes.

Unlike Zoe.

Five years ago, she had schemed her way into his bed. For five years, she constantly fought for his attention.

She feared him, respected him, loved him desperately, and clung to him relentlessly.

She constantly threw passive-aggressive confessions at him, threw jealous fits, threw tantrums, and then compromised so pathetically it infuriated him.

Now that she realized none of that worked, she was playing hard to get, staging a tactical retreat.

He had to admit, she had genuinely managed to mess with his head over the past few days.

"Zoe, whatever game you're playing, it's not going to work."

He reached out and gripped the back of her delicate neck. The woman's long, silky hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

The threats Hayden had prepared instantly vanished from his mind. His dark eyes locked onto her sleeping face as the dark fire flared wildly in his veins.

Her neck arched back helplessly under his grip, two spots of bright blush blooming on her cheeks, her lips as vivid as crimson fire.

"Mmph..."

Perhaps uncomfortable with the position, she squirmed slightly.

The more she moved, the more her stunning curves pressed against him. If she hadn't been injured, there was no way Hayden could have held back.

His face darkening, he released his grip. The woman slumped right back into his chest. Feeling the chill of the air, she blindly patted around until she found the warm expanse of his bare chest, soaking in his body heat.

Zoe nuzzled into his embrace comfortably.

Unfortunately, the woman in his arms had completely passed out and didn't hear a single word.

When Zoe finally sobered up, it was already the next day.

The bedroom curtains were still drawn, and she couldn't tell if it was day or night.

Through a gap by the floor-to-ceiling window, bright daylight streamed in.

Hayden was leaning casually against the glass. The brilliant sunlight caught his sharp profile, highlighting his straight nose and firmly pressed lips.

He was dressed casually in a black dress shirt and dark trousers. The shirt was loosely unbuttoned, exposing a broad expanse of his chest—effortlessly rugged and wildly attractive.

A cigarette hung loosely from his lips, the thin curls of smoke giving him an almost ethereal, dangerous aura.

Zoe sat up in bed, her head still spinning.

The faint scent of nicotine lingered in the air. It smelled surprisingly good.

The sheet draped over her shoulder suddenly slipped down, exposing half her bare chest. Hayden stood there quietly, watching her.

Zoe gasped loudly, nearly rolling right off the bed.

"Hay... Hayden, what are you doing here?"

She didn't know what to call him. He hated it when she called him 'brother-in-law,' and she didn't know how to address him anymore.