I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

"Grandma!"

Leah Sinclair groaned internally. ’What is even happening?’

Chester Hale smiled, glancing at Leah Sinclair in the rearview mirror. "I don’t have a girlfriend yet. Leah... is a wonderful person."

Leah felt incredibly awkward. She shouldn’t have agreed to bring Chester Hale home for dinner. Wouldn’t it have been better to just treat him to a meal back in Riverfall? Now it felt like she had dug her own grave.

"Well..."

"Grandma, if you say any more, I’m going to get mad. Didn’t I tell you? I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now," Leah said, hugging Grandma Sinclair’s arm and starting to whine playfully.

"Alright, alright. You silly child. Dr. Hale is such a nice man, though, isn’t he?" Grandma Sinclair finally dropped the subject.

When they arrived in town, Leah had Chester Hale pull over so she could buy some groceries. Worried it would be inconvenient for her to go alone, Chester had Grandma Sinclair rest in the car while he accompanied Leah.

Leah said awkwardly, "Dr. Hale, please don’t take what my grandma said to heart."

"It’s fine. She’s an elder, I understand. And you don’t have to keep calling me Dr. Hale. Just call me Chester. Always calling me Dr. Hale feels so formal," Chester Hale said with a smile.

"Oh... alright, Che... Chester. What would you like to eat?"

"I’m a doctor. I’m not a picky eater."

Chester Hale followed behind her, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile as he watched her carefully select her ingredients.

Leah bought a whole pile of groceries. She knew her aunt-in-law rarely bought anything nice, so she decided to buy extra and put it in the fridge. Since she was the one who bought them, her uncle’s family would surely eat the food, which meant her grandma would get to eat it too.

When they got back, First Uncle Sinclair’s family hadn’t returned yet. Leah had no desire to ask when they would be back. With them gone, she could actually enjoy a peaceful meal with Grandma Sinclair and Chester Hale.

While Leah was busy in the kitchen, Chester Hale stayed inside and chatted with Grandma Sinclair. After a while, he excused himself and went out to the yard for a smoke.

He glanced around the house. While it couldn’t exactly be described as having nothing but four bare walls, it certainly wasn’t much better.

The entire living room was smaller than his dining room back home. The yard was tiny. To the left of the living room, there seemed to be two adjoining bedrooms. The kitchen was opposite the living room, with what was likely another bedroom next to it.

Chester Hale suddenly wondered where Leah would sleep at night. On the way over, he had learned that she had an unmarried male cousin who also lived here.

After more than an hour of work, Leah brought the dishes to the table. She looked at Chester Hale apologetically and said, "Chester, I’m so sorry. The house is small, and the table is a bit low."

Although Chester Hale wasn’t as tall as Asher Keating, he was still over 1.8 meters tall. Her family’s table was just a standard low, folding one, and sitting at it, Chester looked a bit cramped.

"It’s fine. At the hospital, when we get busy, we eat wherever we can sit. Stop fussing and come eat with us."

"You and Grandma eat first. I’ll be right there," Leah said before heading back to the kitchen. She still had a braised fish simmering on the stove.

"Dr. Hale, try some of Leah’s cooking. She’s a fantastic cook," Grandma Sinclair urged with a beaming smile.

"Okay. You eat too, Grandma."

Chester Hale picked up some celery with his chopsticks and placed it on Grandma Sinclair’s plate. "Celery can help control blood pressure, and it’s high in fiber."

The more Grandma Sinclair looked at Chester Hale, the more pleased she was. If she weren’t afraid of truly angering Leah, she would have loved to play matchmaker for the two of them.

Now, while Leah was out of the room, she spoke to Chester Hale in a hushed tone. "Dr. Hale, our Leah is all by herself in Riverfall. If it’s not too much trouble, could you help look after her a bit? I really worry about her being alone in such a big city."

"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her."

Chester Hale sighed internally. ’Given Leah’s current relationship with Asher Keating, it’s not like I can just take care of her whenever I want.’ However, if Leah wanted to leave Asher, it wouldn’t be impossible. He just didn’t know what Leah herself was thinking.

Meanwhile, Asher Keating had been brought to a hot spring resort by the brand representatives. The area was famous for its hot springs, and the hotel they had arranged was the most well-known one.

The weather was cold, so a soak in a hot spring sounded incredibly relaxing. Asher was tired from the day’s events, and since he hadn’t had dinner yet, he figured he’d take a dip before eating.

The brand had made excellent arrangements. There was a private spring right next to his room. When he went in, he hung up the "Occupied" sign to let others know not to enter.

Asher Keating took off his bathrobe and stepped into the hot spring. The pool wasn’t very large—it was designed for couples. He closed his eyes, rested his arms on the edge of the pool, and sat comfortably for a moment.

The resort’s environment and facilities were excellent. He found himself thinking about when he could bring Leah Sinclair for a visit. She loved taking baths, so she would probably love it here. Besides, it wasn’t too far from Riverfall; a weekend trip would be perfectly manageable.

As the thought crossed his mind, he picked up his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Leah. "I’ll bring you here next time."

A moment later, Leah replied, "Is that a hot spring? Okay!"

Asher’s lips curved into a smile. "Mhm. It’s spacious. Plenty of room to stretch out."

Leah didn’t reply right away. He could just imagine her blushing on the other end. After a long moment, she finally sent back a message: "But it’s a hot spring... That’s not really appropriate, is it?"

Asher was smiling and about to type a reply when he heard someone enter. He had definitely put the sign on the door. ’Did someone wander in by mistake?’

Just as he was about to stand up, Asher saw Madeline Sterling walk in, wearing a bathrobe.

"Asher? What are you doing here?" Madeline asked, feigning surprise.

"My room is right next door, so it’s normal for me to be here. Your room isn’t on this floor, is it?" Asher said lightly.

"The ones near my room were all occupied. I asked around and someone said this floor would be less crowded, so I came over. When I saw this one was empty, I just came in."

"I put the sign outside."

"Really? I didn’t see it. Maybe a staff member took it by mistake. Anyway, we know each other so well. You don’t mind if I join you, do you, Asher?"

As Madeline spoke, she began to shrug off her bathrobe and descend into the hot spring. She was wearing nothing but a black bikini underneath, which perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure. Once in the water, she moved directly toward Asher.

"Asher."

Madeline reached out a hand to caress Asher’s shoulder, her entire body pressing against him.

"You’re really asking for it, aren’t you?" Asher’s lips curved into a smile.

"I am. I want you to ravish me right here. Care to give it a try, Asher?"

Instead of being offended, Madeline moved even closer. Asher had been soaking in the spring for a while; beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his hair was damp. He wasn’t wearing his glasses.

Under the dim yellow light, his eyes were as deep as dark pools, his thin lips slightly curled. The sight made it difficult for Madeline to contain herself.

Seeing no reaction from Asher, she leaned in, her lips moving toward his Adam’s apple. ’I refuse to believe it,’ she thought. ’After I’ve been so bold and explicit, can he really remain completely unfazed?’

"Heh. You’re the one who said it."

Madeline’s heart leaped with joy. ’I knew it. No man has ever been able to refuse me when I’m like this.’ She pressed herself against Asher as if she had no bones in her body. "Asher, I want you."