Secretly Mine
Chapter 142: A Fateful Encounter (2) [Lucas POV]

Chapter 142: A Fateful Encounter (2) [Lucas POV]

My body moved on its own. I immediately pulled Leslie into my arms, turning her to the side so that the coffee would land on me instead. The next instant, a searing pain spread down my back. The hot coffee completely drenched me, instantly burning my skin on contact.

But instead of the pain, all I could focus on was the softness of her skin and the light scent of her perfume. Though the circumstance wasn’t ideal, holding Leslie in my arms was a new kind of bliss I didn’t think I would ever get to experience.

I would gladly be drenched in hundreds of cups of hot coffee if it meant that I could hold you like this.

Her petite body trembled in my arms. She looked at me with a realization of what had just happened.

"Lucas! Are you okay?" she asked. It looked as if she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

While the burns certainly were painful, I didn’t want to see any tears come rolling down her rosy cheeks. I knew that I should pull away now that the moment of danger had passed, but I couldn’t get myself to do it.

Instead, I squeezed her tighter, getting one final breath of her perfume.

"You smell very nice," I said in a low voice.

I didn’t want this moment to end, but I knew that if I didn’t pull away now, I could risk pushing her away. When I finally took a step back, I could see a faint blush on her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

Seeing her adorable reaction to being in my arms made my heart pound even faster. Blushing was a good sign! It wasn’t hatred or disgust. She didn’t even try to pull away, though that may have been because she was worried about me.

When I finally convinced myself that my time of bliss was up and stepped away, she immediately turned to look at my back.

The woman whose coffee spilled all over me also came by to apologize.

"I’m quite alright. Please don’t worry," I said, politely smiling at the woman. After the woman left, Leslie grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the café.

Her movements were so sudden and unexpected that I couldn’t believe that I was given another chance to touch her. This time it was even better due to it being of her own choice.

My hand was clasped with hers, feeling the warmth and softness of her body. "I’m truly lucky today, having the beautiful Miss Moresi so concerned for me," I said with a bright smile. Leslie’s concern for me was truly heartfelt.

She turned to look at me. "Lucas! I’m not joking, we need to get some medicine!" she scolded, but the tips of her ears were still red. I wanted to tease her more, but knew if I did, she could truly get angry with me.

I let her guide me onto the sidewalk, where we discussed where we should go. She suggested going to the hospital, but I didn’t think the burn was that bad. Instead, I suggested going to a nearby store so that I could buy another shirt and maybe some medicine.

She immediately agreed and pulled me down the sidewalk. She looked so adorable, walking with such resolute determination that I just wanted to scoop her up into my arms.

After a few steps, I couldn’t help but let out a slight chuckle. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but the store is the other way."

This time, her whole face flushed red. She turned around quickly and pulled me in the opposite direction while trying to hide her embarrassment. The store was only a short distance away, and as soon as we arrived, I immediately regretted my decision of choosing to come here.

As soon as we walked inside, she let go of my hand and bolted off to look for burn cream, leaving me feeling empty.

There was another store further down! She’d still be holding my hand if I chose to go there instead.

After my short internal struggle, I laughed it off and went to find a suitable shirt to wear as a replacement. Since this was just a simple convenience store, the clothing here didn’t compare to what I usually wore, but anything was better than a coffee-soaked shirt.

Leslie came running back to me, holding a small tube of medicated burn cream. "Here, I found this. Let me buy it for you," she said before running off to the register, before I could refuse.

You’re too nice for this world, Leslie.

I walked over, watching her pay for the tube of cream. I felt a need to protect her. To shield her from the evils of this world. She was much too pure, and I refused to let her get hurt.

After we both checked out, we walked outside to a nearby bench. I was going to excuse myself to find a restroom where I could change my shirt, but her next words had me change my mind.

"Take off your shirt. I’ll help you apply the cream."

I couldn’t believe my ears. I turned to look at her to make sure she wasn’t just joking with me. Her serious-looking eyes glanced back at me. "Now isn’t the time to be worried about propriety. I consider you my friend, and you need to hurry up and get the medicine applied."

My ears perked up. I was glad to finally be considered a friend.

Hopefully this means she’d be more willing to spend more time with me...

I resisted the urge to rip off my shirt and show her my muscular body that I spend a lot of effort maintaining, and instead, calmly unbuttoned my shirt one button at a time.

As soon as the shirt was completely off, I glanced at her, curious to see what her reaction would be. She tried to avert her gaze, but I could see how her eyes peeked up at me occasionally. Her face flushed slightly, though she wasn’t aware of it herself.

Good, at least she seems to like the view. That’s more than enough motivation to maintain my physique.

She glanced at the wound on my back. The next moment, I felt her soft finger press against my back, catching me off guard. The pain shot through my body, overtaking my happiness of feeling her touch on me.

"I’m sorry!" she apologized.

"It doesn’t hurt that bad, don’t worry," I said, trying to reassure her as much as I could.

I heard her open the tube of cream behind me. "I’m going to apply the cream now. Let me know if it hurts too much," she said softly.

"Thank you, Leslie. I really appreciate your concern," I said as I anticipated her next actions. While I knew she would only be applying the cream to my burns, a part of me wished she would run her hands along my back and shoulders. I wanted to feel the softness of her fingertips all over my body.

Get it together! She isn’t like that! You aren’t like that!

"No, I’m the one who should be thankful. You’re in this state because you protected me. Thank you, Lucas," she said as she applied the first bits of cream to my back. Her voice was soft, like a feather. The gratitude in her voice dripped like honey. All I wanted was to feel her in my embrace again.

I clenched my fists, trying my best to eliminate any impure thoughts, but every time I felt her dainty fingers glide across my back, something feral inside of me awakened.

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