"It’s nothing," Xavier responded, gripping his shoulders.
Anastasia stood up from his lap, her eyes on his shirt.
"Let see," she requested. It was obvious he was in pain. She reached for his shirt and pulled it to the aside, revealing his broad shoulder that had a brown bandage covered with blood covering a spot. "What happened to you, Xavier?" She asked him, worry etched on her expression.
When Xavier and his n had battled with the kidnappers, he missed a bullet by a millisecond, which led to the sharp tal grazing his shoulder. But he couldn’t tell Anastasia that. He needed to cook up an excuse quickly.
"At the gym room, one of the pieces of equipnt fell on my shoulder, which led to this cut," he lied, hoping that Anastasia believed him.
Anastasia stared at him, confusion written all over her face. She had never worked out before so she had no idea what kind of equipnt he was talking about, so she decided to believe him.
"We need to get it cleaned up, you are bleeding so much," she said, urging him out of his seat. "Where’s the first aid kit?" She asked him.
"In my room," Xavier lied. There was a first aid kit right inside the kitchen he had kept for the servants. But he wanted to spend more ti with Anastasia even though it was already getting so late at night.
"Then let’s go and get this cleaned up," said Anastasia.
Together, they left for Xavier’s room. Anastasia assisted him as if he couldn’t walk on his own, while Xavier could only stare at her in amusent.
They got to the room and Xavier sat on the bed.
"Where’s it?" She asked.
Xavier pointed at his closet where the first aid kit was. She fetched it out and quickly started opening it, picking out the items she needed before she took a seat as well.
When she was done, she looked up at Xavier, ready to take out the bloody drenched bandage but imdiately gasped in shock when she saw him half naked.
She quickly shut her eyes as she gave him her back.
"Where’s your shirt?" She questioned, a rosy hue spreading on her cheeks and ears.
"I needed to take off my shirt so that you can apply the treatnts," Xavier simply replied as if Anastasia had just asked a stupid question. "If I don’t take it off, you won’t be able to put the treatnt on," he repeated, unable to contain the smile that spread on his lips as he stared at her back.
"Can you at least cover yourself with sothing?" She asked, refusing to look back at him while he was stark half naked.
"Ana, are you shy?"
Anastasia’s face turned even a deeper shade of red at his question.
"I’m not," she lied. "I-it’s all a-about c-common decency," she stuttered.
"Hmm, I see," a low voice rumbled in his throat.
Xavier took his shirt and covered his body with it, leaving only his broad shoulders bare.
He could tell she was shy but he didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. He still wanted to spend so more ti with her before she went to bed. And if he declined her request, she might change her mind about helping him dress his wound.
"I’m no longer half naked," he inford.
It took Anastasia a few seconds before she turned around, sighing in relief when she saw that he had already covered himself up.
"I will start by removing this one," she went back to business, her cheeks still red. She nearly admired his body but quickly snapped out of it.
Xavier didn’t say anything, he simply let her do what she wanted.
But the silence was too loud for both of them. They could almost hear their heart beating in their chests. Ana wanted to forget what had happened earlier at the dining table, but the image lived rent-free in her mind.
On the other hand, Xavier wanted to ask her how her day was. He wanted to start a conversation that would loosen the tension between them.
’How am I supposed to start this?’ He wondered, making a ntal note to ask Kace for help. But then he rembered his youngest brother was only going to tease him, accusing him of falling in love with Anastasia.
"How was the shoot today?" He asked her when his mind finally found words he could say.
Ana’s hands paused for a second before they resud putting on a new bandage.
"I slapped Michelle."
A smirk appeared on Xavier’s lips.
"The slap wasn’t part of the script from the movie but I still gave her one. Thankfully, director Jeunes found it iconic and approved of it," she added, pressing the bandage down slightly before she got off the bed.
"You did a good job," he responded.
Anastasia nodded. "I’m done," she said, about to head back to the closet to drop the first aid kit, where she found it. But Xavier grabbed her arm, making her halt.
"Ana," he called.
Anastasia faced him with a smile on her lips. "I won’t forget to tell a maid to make you sothing to eat later," she said. Her eyes lowered to her hand that he held protectively, his big palm covering her slender ones completely.
She was starting to get comfortable around Xavier but in a situation like this, she didn’t know if she wished it happened or not.
Xavier was her husband, the man who saved her when her family wanted to get rid of her permanently. She wasn’t sure if the feelings that brewed in her heart were because he saved her or sothing more. Either way, she was still thankful to him.
Xavier cupped her cheeks, leaning in to kiss her but was interrupted by the sound of his ringtone.
Xavier nearly snapped. This was the second ti in one day he tried to kiss her but sothing always interrupted.
Anastasia imdiately took the chance to bolt from his room, wishing him a good night.
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