Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 349

"He literally just came from the groomer. He's spotless," Lawrence laughed, scooping the squirming puppy up and placing him on the hardwood. "Go play."

"You can't spoil him. If he learns he can get on the furniture when I'm not looking, it's game over," Bonnie said. Her adrenaline was fading, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her features as she sank back into the pillows.

Crouching in front of her, Lawrence examined her ankle. Thankfully, the swelling wasn't severe, but the ugly purple bruising stood out starkly against her luminous skin.

His jaw tightened. Without a word, he gently slipped off her flats. By the time she realized what was happening, he was already walking back from the entryway with her plush house slippers, carefully sliding them onto her feet.

He grabbed the remote, cranked up the A/C to combat the brutal heat, and checked his watch.

"Let's see what you've got in the fridge. I'll make us dinner," he said, already rolling up his sleeves as he headed for the kitchen. "How does braised ribs and roasted eggplant sound?"

Bonnie clutched a throw pillow to her chest. The cool air washed over the room, instantly making it cozy. She watched his broad shoulders moving around her tiny kitchen, an apron already tied around his waist.

The words, "You should go," died on her tongue.

"Can you do garlic green beans, too? Three dishes is perfect," she murmured.

In the kitchen, Lawrence froze, a handful of vegetables in his grip. He hadn't actually planned on staying. He had intended to cook her a meal and quietly excuse himself.

But she had asked him for something. He would never say no.

Swallowing his massive spike of hope, he kept his voice entirely casual. "Sure. Rest on the couch. I'll call you when it's done."

Turning on the faucet, he dampened a fresh washcloth.

The bathroom was tiny. With him standing right in front of her, she was entirely trapped between his chest and the tiled wall.

The air in the room vanished, replaced entirely by his overwhelming presence and that intoxicating, pine-scented heat.

Bonnie's eyelashes fluttered frantically. She tried to pull her hand back.

"Does it sting? Hold still," Lawrence murmured, his focus entirely on cleaning the grime from her fingers without touching her raw scrapes. Completely oblivious to the crushing romantic tension suffocating her, he kept rambling.

"We'll put some antibiotic ointment on this after we eat. And you need to take a break. The hand you use for your mouse is bright red. No deadline is worth this. I know how to use Archicad, I can draft it for you—"