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Chapter 199
Chapter 199
Marina met Daron’s cold, deep eyes and suddenly had the weirdest feeling. If I deny, I would be strangled to death by him on the spot, she thought.
She bit her lip lightly, just wanting to get her shoes and car keys back from Daron.
But Daron only tightened his grip on the shoelace, clearly not planning to let go.
She looked up at him, finding him watching her with remarkable patience, like he was waiting for her answer.
Marina gave an awkward smile, forcing herself to keep up the cheerful act as she replied, “Of course I will. Who else am I supposed to call but you?”
After she said that, Marina gave her shoe a gentle tug, and Daron finally let go and handed it back to her.
Marina managed to get her shoe back, but when she reached for her car keys, Daron held them up out of her reach.
He was already way taller than her. And with the keys held up like that, there was no way she could grab them.
Daron looked down at her, one eyebrow raised, a subtle, challenging smile tugging at his lips, as if daring her to make a
move.
Marina braced herself and tried to jump for the keys.
Not realizing she was in slippers, she landed, and her foot slipped. Her whole left foot slid right into the slipper’s opening
Her slipper was now dangling awkwardly from her ankle.
Daron saw her slip and quickly reached out to steady her by the waist, making sure she didn’t fall.
He gave an amused laugh and said, “You’re so clumsy.”
Marina looked totally awkward.
Seeing her awkward expression, Daron started to lean down, clearly about to check her foot.
The ground was scattered with sharp gravel. He was worried she’d slip and end up hurting her foot on one of those jagged
stones.
Marina shot her hand up and covered his eyes before he could look.
“No peeking!” she blurted.
“This is so embarrassing!‘ she thought, her face burning with humiliation.
But she was just a second too slow. Daron glanced down and instantly caught sight of her embarrassing predicament.
He froze for a moment, then, seeing her foot was perfectly fine, his chest shook with a quiet, suppressed laugh.
Somehow, it sounded oddly pleasant to Marina’s ears.
She couldn’t help but glance up at him. The sharpness in his deep eyes was gone, replaced by a soft, almost playful glimmer
that made her want to look closer.
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Chapter 199
His hand was still on her waist, the warmth from his palm bleeding right through her thin shirt and straight into her skin.
Her heart felt a sudden rush of heat, and her cars grew hot.
She’d always thought Daron was born without the ability to smile like that.
When he dropped his usual cold front, that smile of his was totally charming.
Marina let out a heavy sigh, trying to calm the rush in her chest, then gave in and bent down to yank the slipper off her ankle.
Daron kept a steady hand on her, making sure she stayed balanced while she tried to wrestle the slipper free.
He couldn’t hide how relaxed he looked, and his handsome face lit up with a smile.
Marina kept trying to yank the slipper off her ankle, but it just wouldn’t budge.
Daron watched her with an amused smile, then crouched down and reached for her foot.
“Let me help you,” he said.
Marina shot him a glare and slapped his hand away with a sharp smack.
Dark finger marks instantly showed up on the back of his hand.
“I don’t need your help,” Marina hissed through gritted teeth.
Daron raised an eyebrow, glanced at the dark marks on his hand, and the smirk on his lips didn’t budge.
“You’re never getting it off like that. Why not wait till you’re home and use a little shower gel to loosen it up? It’ll slip right off,” he said, still teasing.
Right now, all Marina wanted was to yank that slipper off her ankle as quickly as possible.
She put every ounce of strength she had into it, gave it a final, all–out yank, but the slipper still wouldn’t budge.
Instead, the momentum sent her stumbling backward.
Daron pulled her into his arms and let out a chuckle.
“I’ve never seen anyone as stubborn as you,” he teased.
Marina took a deep breath, gave a little huff, and muttered, “This is all your fault!”
‘If you hadn’t held the keys way up there, I wouldn’t have tried to grab them, and my slipper wouldn’t be stuck like this, she thought.
She was exhausted and starving, feeling totally wiped out.
She’d been staking out this place ever since she got off work, finally waiting until it was late and quiet enough to climb over the wall. She’d burned through her energy.
She didn’t like exercising to begin with, and now she was so wiped out that all she wanted to do was just lie down and not
move.
After all that, driving herself home was the last thing on Marina’s mind.
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Chapter 199
Daron wasn’t going to give her the keys, anyway.
20 you burn
Marina took a deep breath and gave Daron a pitiful look. She mumbled, barely having any energy left, “Let’s just go home. Where’s your car?”
Marina stood up from Daron’s embrace.
Daron pointed to a spot not far away.
Marina turned around and walked toward where his car was parked.
It was only a short walk. But with one foot unprotected, every step on the gravel felt like she was walking on tiny needles. Sharp, tingling pain kept shooting up her foot, making her hobble in a weird, awkward way.
Daron watched her from behind, couldn’t help but smile, then walked over and gently took her by the wrist.
“What…” Marina blurted out, confusion flashing in her eyes.
Before she could react, Daron grabbed her and snatched the high heels from her hand. He bent down and slipped her arm over his shoulder. In one smooth motion, he lifted her effortlessly.
He held her high heels in one hand, hooked his other arm under her knees, and gave her a playful little lift.
How strong he was!
Panic flickered in Marina’s eyes, and she instinctively reached up and held onto his neck.
“You… I…” she stammered, totally flustered.
He held her up single–handed.
Marina had never been held like this before.
She was so flustered, she couldn’t even get a full sentence out.
Her heart was pounding crazily.
Daron lowered his gaze, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips.
“Hold on tight. If you fall, don’t make a fuss and want to let me take responsibility,” he teased.
Marina stared at Daron’s handsome, cool face and mumbled under her breath, “You wouldn’t take responsibility anyway, so why would I even bother making a fuss?”
Daron just raised an eyebrow at her.
“How do you know I wouldn’t take responsibility?” he asked.
Marina didn’t answer. She just dropped her gaze, refusing to meet his intense stare.
Making a scene took guts. She just didn’t have it in her.
Only a rich girl who was spoiled all her life, and whose family had never seen a hint of trouble, would dare make a fuss in
front of Daron.
The Finley family was too fragile for any more drama.
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Chapter 199
She couldn’t risk everything on hoping Daron would always feel that spark for her.
How long does his special attention ever really last, anyway? Marina wondered.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
