Chapter 285: Extra: Disabled but Strong-willed

Leah didn’t believe him and grabbed his hand. Asher Keating went rigid, refusing to let her see it, but he deflated under her glare. She lifted his hand and sniffed—a faint scent of tobacco.

Seeing Leah’s expression darken, Riley Sterling quickly spoke up. “You know, I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll get going.”

“Same here,” Ethan Shaw added, already pulling Sheila Hughes toward the door. “I’ve got to go wash my dog.”

“Dog? What dog? You…” Sheila Hughes started to protest, but Ethan Shaw clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her out.

Asher Keating watched Leah’s stormy expression and took her hand. He was feeling quite guilty. When Leah glanced up at him, he curved his lips into a smile, trying to use his good looks to charm his way out of it. Leah just snorted, ignored him, and turned to walk back into the hospital room.

“Leah.”

Mr. Keating called out weakly from behind her. Leah acted as if she hadn’t heard. Asher Keating rubbed his nose sheepishly and followed her. Back in the room, Leah set down the insulated thermos she was carrying and began arranging a pile of nutritional supplements sent by visitors, pointedly ignoring the man behind her.

Asher Keating watched her bustle around, completely ignoring him. ‘Tsk,’ he thought. He turned, shut the door, and slid the lock into place. Walking back to her, he pulled her firmly into his embrace. “Don’t be angry.”

Still angry, Leah tried to push him away, but her hand landed right on his wound. Asher Keating grunted in pain. She froze, a wave of panic washing over her. “Did I hurt you? Does it hurt? Let me see.”

She immediately reached for the buttons on his hospital gown to check the wound, but Asher Keating caught her hand, chuckling softly. “I’m fine.”

“Let me see!”

Asher Keating let go. Leah undid the buttons and checked, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the wound hadn’t reopened. As she began to fasten the buttons again, Asher took the opportunity to catch her hand, pulling her back into his arms. “Leah, I was wrong. Stop being angry, okay?”

Not daring to push him again, Leah just huffed softly. “You’re not even fully healed, and you’re already smoking. Couldn’t you have held out a little longer?”

“Okay, I’ll hold out.”

Asher Keating agreed meekly. Only then did Leah wrap her arms around his waist, nuzzling into his chest. His gown was still partially unbuttoned, and her hair brushed against his exposed skin. The sensation tugged at Asher’s heartstrings. He bent down, tilted her chin up, and kissed her.

‘Come to think of it,’ he mused, ‘it had been a while. Since the accident—no, even before that. He had been planning to take Leah on a small pre-honeymoon for their engagement, which meant that even after Morgan Sterling’s arrest, he’d been swamped with work. The two of them hadn’t had a truly intimate moment in almost a month.’

‘He had only meant to give her a proper kiss, but once he started, he found it hard to stop.’

Leah snapped back to her senses when she felt a cool draft on her shoulder. She was wearing a blouse and hastily pulled the fabric together at her chest. “Asher, stop… You haven’t recovered yet. And we’re in a hospital!”

Asher Keating knew. He just couldn’t help himself. Hearing her, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her before letting out a deep sigh. “I know.”

He adjusted Leah’s blouse to cover her shoulder, then rolled onto his back on the bed, taking a deep, calming breath. He couldn’t smoke now, which made the heat coiling inside him especially difficult to suppress.

Leah nestled against him, her breathing soft and shallow. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his side. Asher caught her hand, his voice low and strained. “Don’t you dare tease me.”

“I wasn’t…”

Leah started to object.

Her face flushed red. Biting her lip, she sat up, got out of bed, and pulled him to his feet.

Asher Keating raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Come with me…”

Leah’s face was so red it could have dripped blood. She led a bemused Asher Keating into the bathroom and closed the door. After washing her hands, she slowly reached down.

Her hands were cool. Asher Keating felt a jolt, like a current running straight to his brain, and he let out a soft hiss. He pulled her closer, his low chuckle vibrating by her ear. “Are you trying to be the death of me?”

The woman in his arms blushed and stammered, “I…”

Asher Keating lifted her onto the bathroom counter, then covered her hand with his own. He gave her a light peck on the lips. “Just like this.”

Then he captured her lips in a deep kiss. Leah melted into it, letting Asher lead, and bit by bit, her body went pliant in his arms.

Asher Keating undid a button of her blouse with his teeth, trailing kisses from her neck to her collarbone and shoulder. She bit her lip, trying to suppress the small whimpers that escaped her, but it was a losing battle.

He pulled her even closer, his dark eyes glued to her, and Leah felt as if she might be sucked into their depths. A cool sensation spread from below, and she instinctively tried to shrink away.

“Don’t move.”

Asher Keating’s voice was deep and husky. Leah felt the last thread of her composure snap. In that tiny space, the only sound was the soft whisper of their breathing growing heavier and heavier.

As her body shuddered, the strength drained from her hand. Asher Keating covered it with his own, resuming the rhythm. “I’m not finished yet,” he murmured.

His low, husky laughter washed over her. His palm was slick, and Leah felt as if she were in a steam pot, completely at his mercy as he guided her.

The back of her hand felt searingly hot. Asher’s kisses were still consuming her, and she could feel a fine sheen of sweat break out across her back. Then, with a low groan, he finally stopped.

They stayed frozen in that position. Only when his ragged breaths began to even out did Leah finally withdraw her hand.

After they cleaned up, Leah rushed back into the hospital room to rummage through her purse. She was immensely grateful she’d brought perfume. She took it back into the bathroom, sprayed it liberally everywhere, and switched on the exhaust fan.

She took a deep breath of the newly scented air, only for the strong fragrance to make her sneeze several times. Asher Keating watched her with amusement, his eyes on her red-tipped nose. He couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. “Trying to cover your tracks, are you? It’s a little conspicuous.”

“No, it’s not,” Leah said, unconvinced.

That afternoon, Nathan Grant and Chester Hale came to visit. Nathan, who was heavily pregnant, came out of the bathroom after washing his hands and gave the couple a knowing, suggestive look. “Third Master Keating, I gotta say… you have an indomitable spirit. Even in your condition…”

“…We didn’t.”

Leah stared at him, dumbfounded. She had done a smell check herself; there was no odor left. How could Nathan Grant possibly know?

“That perfume is so strong you could pickle something in it,” Nathan said. “Who sprays perfume in a hospital bathroom for no good reason? Next time, use the disinfectant.” He shot her a look that screamed, ‘Oh, honey, you’ve still got so much to learn.’

Now it was Leah and Asher Keating’s turn to shoot Nathan Grant and Chester Hale a suggestive look.

Chester Hale rubbed Nathan Grant’s belly and cleared his throat. “Let’s be mindful of the prenatal education.”

Knowing Leah was easily embarrassed, Asher Keating changed the subject. “Have we heard anything from the Peyton Family?”

They hadn’t inquired about Phoebe Peyton’s situation since Liam Peyton had taken her back to Kingsford. But now that Morgan Sterling’s fate was sealed, it was time for the Peyton Family to deliver their verdict.

Nathan Grant snorted. “She dared to scheme against Liam Peyton. What kind of happy ending did you expect for her?”