Chapter 120: **Soaked on Purpose

"Lucas, your phone's dead, isn't it?" Claire asked suddenly as Lucas drove her home, the city lights reflecting off the windshield. 

"Huh? Is it?" He pulled out his phone and noticed the screen was black. "Looks like it. I hadn't noticed. Did you try calling me?" 

"Yeah, when I got to the hospital, I wanted to know where exactly you were." 

Lucas arched a brow. "How did you find the room, then? The hospital's massive—you could have gotten completely lost." 

"Blaine helped me. He's amazing. Found it instantly," Claire said earnestly, oblivious to the sudden tension in Lucas's face. 

"He seems… very helpful to you," Lucas remarked casually, though his knuckles tightened around the steering wheel until they turned white. 

Claire nodded, lost in thought. "Yeah, he is. If it weren't for him this afternoon, I really wouldn't have known what to do." 

Lucas's voice dropped a note. "Do you… like him?" His tone was calm, too calm. The kind of quiet that masked tightly wound emotions. Claire didn't pick up on it. 

"He's different every time I meet him," she mused. "A bit moody, sometimes hard to deal with. But deep down, I think he's kind-hearted. Otherwise, why would he keep helping me?" 

Lucas's grip tightened further. "Three meetings, and you already know him better than me?" His voice was clipped. 

Claire blinked, sensing the shift. "No, I didn't mean—" 

"I can't help but feel he has ulterior motives," Lucas cut in. His jaw clenched. 

"He doesn't. He just wants me to be his assistant." 

Lucas let out a derisive laugh. "And you think you're up for that?" 

Claire hesitated. "He said he'd teach me. Be patient." 

"I'm patient too. Never seen you this eager to learn from me," Lucas shot back. 

"Blaine said the job's easy." 

"Can you stop saying his name like that?" Lucas growled. "It's like he's some sort of god to you." 

Claire's lips twitched, suppressing a laugh. "Lucas…" 

"What?" He didn't take his eyes off the road. 

"Can I work with him?" she asked cautiously. 

Lucas exhaled sharply, casting her a sidelong glance. "If I say no?" He sighed. "Fine. Go. But if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll kill him." 

Claire's eyes widened. "He won't." 

Lucas grunted, clearly unconvinced. "You're too trusting. Men can be…" He trailed off, shaking his head. 

"You're the same," Claire quipped. 

Lucas snorted, pulling into the driveway of his family's estate without another word. 

---

After changing his phone's battery, Lucas headed upstairs for a shower. Claire, knowing he planned to return to the hospital, had already laid out his clothes on the bed. 

"Claire, bring me a towel," Lucas called from the bathroom. 

Claire frowned. She'd already handed him one. Her gaze swept the room and landed on the forgotten towel sitting right in the middle of the bed. 

She knocked on the bathroom door. 

"It's open. Come in," Lucas's voice echoed. 

The bathroom was a cloud of steam, obscuring everything. Claire hesitated. "Where are you?" 

No response. She stepped further inside. "Lucas?" 

Before she could call out again, warm lips captured hers in a sudden, searing kiss. His strong arms pulled her flush against him, the damp heat of the room intensifying the moment. 

Claire gasped, trying to steady herself, only to realize her hands were now covered in soap suds. "You're still covered in bubbles?" she sputtered. 

Lucas smirked, not letting go. "I never said I was done." 

Claire glared up at him. "You tricked me!" 

"What did I lie about?" he teased, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. 

"This!" She shoved a handful of suds in his face, making him laugh. 

"I need the towel to dry off after I rinse," he explained, still chuckling. 

"I thought you were done!" 

"Well, now I'm not," Lucas whispered, leaning in again. 

Claire pushed at his chest. "Let me go!" 

"You're soaked." He tilted his head, examining her wet clothes clinging to her. 

"That's your fault!" she huffed. 

Lucas shrugged, eyes glinting mischievously. "Want me to help you out of them?" Before she could protest, he'd already unbuttoned her top. 

"Lucas!" 

He grinned, pressing her back gently against the cool tiles. "You feel that?" he whispered against her ear. 

Claire shivered, blushing furiously. "I—" 

"I want you," he murmured, lips trailing down her neck as he pulled her closer. 

Caught between the warmth of his body and the cool tiles, Claire felt her heart race, knowing she was utterly at his mercy.