"Does it hurt a lot?” Serena asked, noticing how his body grew more tense. "Relax. The more you tense up, the more it's going to hurt."
Of course, Nicholas couldn't admit that his reaction was a chain response to the girl's touch. He just gave a vague "Mhm."
Suddenly, the girl leaned down slightly. Her long hair, like a waterfall, fell beside her cheek. Then she leaned in, her warm breath ghosting over the raw skin of his back, a faint, soothing caress against the heat of the wound.
Nicholas's body went rigid. Was Serena... blowing on his wound to soothe it?!
"This ointment needs to be rubbed in to be absorbed properly. It might hurt," Serena said, her voice soft, her warm breath washing over him.
Her hand rested on the area around his wound, massaging it in slow, gentle circles. The warmth and softness of her palm, combined with the gentle breeze from her breath...
Nicholas's body was so tense he couldn't relax at all.
At such a close distance, he could even smell the faint, cool, and crisp fragrance on her, mixed with the scent of herbs.
This kind of touch was far more distracting and arousing than any deliberate flirtation.
Serena's own heart was now beating a little uncontrollably. She didn't know what had possessed her to do such a thing-to blow on a man's back while applying medicine, just hoping it would ease his pain.
Beneath her palm was his firm, powerful skin. His breath had grown ragged, each heavy exhale vibrating against the silence of the room—a raw, carnal sound that sent a pulse of unwanted heat through her.
In this position, the crisp scent of cedar wafting from the man seemed to completely envelop her.
17.
Her fingers, applying the ointment, trembled slightly. As if to break the charged, ambiguous atmosphere, Serena spoke. "I thought with your personality... you would have used your injury to play the victim in front of me."
Probably because of the intense pain, Nicholas's voice was extremely hoarse. "Well,
it's not too late for me to start now..."
He tilted his head slightly, meeting Serena's gaze. A smile touched his lips. "It seems... Serena really has a soft spot for that."
Their eyes met. The man's deep, charming eyes seemed to ripple with emotion— dazzling, elegant, and filled with a profound affection.
Serena's heart felt a little chaotic. She abruptly straightened up. “Done.”
She pulled her hand back and took out a wet wipe to clean the ointment off her fingers.
"Your injury is quite serious. I'll help you change the dressing for the next couple of days." Serena efficiently bandaged his wound. "I'll be staying here for about two more days. Ineed to coordinate with the Department of Defense to clean up all the remaining forces from Siphon and Kurobara Shroud before I go back to the Lancaster estate."
Nicholas slowly sat up, carefully moving his arms. Unlike before, when any movement sent pain through his whole body, now there was only a faint stinging. It was a testament to how miraculous Serena's ointment was.
He watched the girl's profile as she packed up the first-aid kit, a lock of hair falling against her cheek. It reminded him of just a moment ago... the warm sensation of her breath as she blew on his wound.
His eyes darkened slightly, a smile playing on his lips, his gaze practically overflowing with charm. “The roles are reversed. It should have been me watching over you and treating your hands."
Serena held up her own hands, which were already almost completely healed. "Instead of worrying about my hands, you should worry about whether you can recover to your former condition."
"You're the Ghost Doctor. With you treating me, I could come back from the dead,” Nicholas chuckled, leaning closer to Serena. "What's this? Worried about me?"
His captivating eyes crinkled, shining with a hint of expectation. "So... my heroic rescue of the damsel in distress... did it move you, even just a little?”