Inside, Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling heard a noise at the door. After listening carefully and hearing Leah Sinclair's voice, their inner gossips took over, and they crept to the door to eavesdrop. Ethan even put his eye to the peephole to watch what was happening outside.
"What are you doing here?" Chester Hale asked, somewhat surprised.
"I... I live here now." Leah Sinclair was a little embarrassed. She hadn't expected to run into someone she knew here, especially not her grandmother's attending physician.
Chester Hale glanced at the apartment across the hall. He had lived here for a long time but had never seen anyone living in that unit. Occasionally, someone would come to clean, but to this day, he still didn't know who owned the place.
"Leah, are you... in some kind of trouble?"
Chester Hale frowned slightly. He had interacted with Leah Sinclair quite a lot at the hospital, so they were reasonably familiar with each other.
Previously at the hospital, he had casually asked her about the surgery fees. Leah had explained that she'd actually borrowed the money from a friend but had told Grandma Sinclair it was an advance from her company so she wouldn't feel pressured. At the time, he hadn't thought much more of it.
But running into her here today, he had a faint feeling that something was amiss.
If she had only borrowed money from a friend, there was no way Leah Sinclair could afford to rent an apartment in Europa Gardens while being so deeply in debt. The rent here was not something a recent graduate could afford.
"No... Dr. Hale, nothing's wrong."
Leah Sinclair lowered her head. She couldn't let anyone know why she was here.
"If you're really in some kind of trouble and need help, I can..."
Chester Hale clearly didn't believe her, but before he could finish his sentence, the door across the hall suddenly opened. He looked over and saw only Asher Keating's cold, indifferent face.
"There's no need, Dr. Hale. I'm... I'm doing fine. Thank you for your concern. I'm going back inside now," Leah Sinclair said hurriedly, then quickly slipped through the door.
Asher Keating glanced at Chester Hale, then closed the door without a word. He had walked over while Ethan and Riley were whispering to each other.
Ethan had given him the spot at the peephole, but he had just opened the door directly. Both Ethan and Riley were speechless. 'Why couldn't he have let us listen a little longer? We might have heard some good gossip!'
Chester Hale watched the door close, let out a soft sigh, and went into his own apartment.
Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling watched Leah Sinclair with leisurely, expectant looks. She glanced at Asher Keating, whose face remained expressionless. She couldn't help but feel like she'd just been caught red-handed.
She hesitantly explained, "He... he's my grandma's attending physician."
"A doctor living here? Are hospital benefits really that good these days? But... why do I feel like he looks a little familiar?" Ethan Shaw thought for a moment but couldn't place him.
"You two can leave now," Asher Keating said flatly.
"Alrighty then. We won't disturb you two's romantic evening."
Ethan Shaw grinned at Leah Sinclair, but at that moment, she wished they wouldn't go. With Asher looking the way he did, she was starting to panic.
After Ethan and Riley left, Asher Keating was silent for a while, and Leah Sinclair grew a little nervous.
In the end, all Asher Keating said was, "Sean Yates will be dropping off my clothes later. Remember to open the door for him. I'm going to take a shower."
"Oh, okay."
Leah Sinclair hurried to the balcony to get the bath towel, then fetched him his slippers. As Asher Keating went in to shower, Leah breathed a small sigh of relief.
She then made the bed, and was in the middle of putting on the duvet cover when she heard a knock. Opening the door, she saw a man holding a bag.
"Miss Sinclair, these are President Keating's clothes. Thank you for your trouble."
"It's no trouble. Would you like to come in and sit for a bit?"
"No, thank you. I'll be going now."
Sean Yates was also an expressionless person. He left as soon as he finished speaking. Leah Sinclair took the bag back to the room. She took a quick look inside and saw a set of clothes, probably for Asher Keating to wear tomorrow, and a bathrobe.
She went to knock on the bathroom door. "Asher, should I bring your bathrobe in?"
The sound of the water inside stopped. "No need."
"Oh."
Leah Sinclair put the bathrobe back on the bed and continued with the duvet cover. Just as she finished fluffing the quilt, Asher Keating came out, drying his hair. The invisible dust she'd shaken loose made her sneeze twice in a row. Asher just leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
Leah heard the movement and turned to see Asher Keating standing there with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist. A solid eight-pack, two faint V-lines... all on full display right in front of her. She couldn't help but swallow. 'His body really is amazing.'
Asher Keating slowly walked over. A nervous Leah took a step back, but her heel caught the edge of the bed, and she stumbled backward. With a long reach, Asher caught her by the waist.
"So eager?"
Leah Sinclair's face flushed crimson. "...I'm going to take a shower first."
Asher Keating didn't let go. He held her and kissed her for a while before releasing her. Like a rabbit, she grabbed her nightgown and bolted for the bathroom.
Asher Keating watched her retreat with a smile, then leaned lazily against the headboard and took out his phone to quickly make some arrangements. Although Morgan Sterling had said he would back off the Southwood land deal, he still needed to act fast.
Before anything was formally signed, there were too many variables. He couldn't give Morgan Sterling another chance to interfere.
While drying her hair after her shower, Leah Sinclair saw the red marks on her neck and collarbone in the mirror. She felt conflicted. 'I have to talk to him about this,' she thought, 'and ask if he can not leave marks on my neck.'
After all, she had to go to work, and the weather wasn't that cold yet. She didn't have many clothes that could cover them up, and she didn't want people staring at her neck.
Finally, she sighed and trudged out of the bathroom. Asher Keating heard the door open and looked over. She was wearing her own nightgown, a simple, solid, light-blue dress.
Fresh from the shower, her skin was slightly flushed from the steam and looked dewy and supple. On her delicate face, a pair of large, glistening eyes watched him, seeming a little shy.
Her pale lips were pressed together lightly. She looked completely docile, yet the red marks on her neck and collarbone were so conspicuous, creating a look that was both pure and provocative.
Asher Keating's Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously. Leah Sinclair had just managed to inch her way to the side of the bed when he pulled her over, pinning her underneath him and kissing her.
At first, Leah was still nervous, but after he kissed her for a while, she slowly began to relax, even wrapping her arms around his neck.
Asher felt her relax and was about to move to the next step when he remembered he hadn't bought any condoms. He let go of Leah, buried his head in the crook of her neck, and muttered a quiet curse.
Leah was still dazed from the kiss and didn't immediately register it when she heard him curse by her ear.
It wasn't until she saw him about to get up and get dressed that she realized what was happening. Kneeling on the bed, she grabbed his arm. "Um... I bought some."
As she spoke, her face became impossibly red. Asher Keating froze for a second, then smiled as he realized what she meant. He pulled her close. "How thoughtful of you."
Leah felt extremely embarrassed by his comment, her voice low. "I just thought... you might need them."
"Then let's continue," Asher said, giving her no more time to react before kissing her again.
"Asher, can you... go a little easy on me tonight? I have work tomorrow."
The moment his lips moved away, Leah quickly stole a kiss to curry favor, pleading. Otherwise, at his pace, she wouldn't be getting to sleep before dawn.
"We'll see how you perform tonight."