Chapter 296

Seeing the lingering sadness in Isaac's eyes, Verena recalled Luther's counsel: create more chances for Isaac to rise and even run to her. And whenever despair crept in from his inability to walk, she needed to steer him away from self-reproach,to pull him from that pit before it swallowed himn whole.

With that thought, Verena slid lightly onto his lap,leaning close until the tip of her nose brushed his.

Isaac's body stiffened in surprise at the sudden intimacy.

A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, soon giving way to an emotion stirred only by Verena's nearness.

She leaned in, the space between them dwindling to almost nothing.

So close now, their hearts seemed to echo each other -racing,stumbling,and then finding the same rhythm.

Tilting her chin, she drew nearer to his ear, her breath feather-light against him, teasing as a whisper of wind.With a voice soft enough to melt into the air, she murmured,"I want to know... how do you feel here?" Even as she spoke, her hand slipped beneath the fabric of his shirt.

Isaac's gaze deepened, intensity pooling in those eyes fixed on her.

His breathing grew uneven, as though words lodged in his throat,refusing to surface.

The hand on her waist instinctively gripped tighter, as if to anchor this luminous figure and forbid any distance from returning.

He parted his lips, but speech faltered; finally, in a husky rasp, he managed, "Verena, you... what are you ..."

The question trembled, but it was laced less with doubt than with the enchantment she had awakened.

Verena's lips curved with quiet triumph.Her head tilted,her eyes gleaming with playful affection as she whispered again at his ear, "Lost for words?"

Isaac's lips quivered, his breath broken and heavy.

His voice, rough yet charged with desire barely reined in, tumbled out, "Verena, you... you're going to make me..."

He wanted to say she was going to make him lose every shred of control, but before he could finish, she lowered her head.

A burst of light seemed to explode in Isaac's mind, like fireworks scattering across a midnight sky. Every thought collapsed into chaos, and the world narrowed until there was nothing left but Verena's face,dangerously close and irresistibly vivid.

Almost without thought, his arm coiled tightly around her slender waist.

The other hand rose urgently yet tenderly to cradle her head,drawing her in until no gap remained.

Only in such closeness did it feel as though they could become whole.

Yet,the tide of control began to shift.

Verena, swept in the same current, looped her arm around his neck.

Her other hand stirred lightly-then came a crisp sound in the stillness of the study. His belt was unbuckled. The sudden note jolted Isaac, a spark of electricity that cut through the haze, dragging his reason back from the brink.

His breath tore out in gasps, his chest heaving,sweat gathering along his brow.With trembling restraint, he caught her hand mid-motion. "Verena, no..."

Her lips drew back from his, her gaze steady on him.

"Isaac, I want to be closer to you.Is that so wrong?"

Her eyes shimmered like dew, and his heart lurched at the sight.

Any other day, he would never have denied her.

But this was different.

Grinding his teeth, resignation etched across his features, he sighed and lowered his gaze to her swelling belly. His voice, hoarse and torn, said only,"The baby..."

Verena froze for a breath, but the sparkle in her eyes did not fade-it brightened, mischievous and resolute.

Leaning in once more, she cupped his face between her palms.

Her smile carried both pride and teasing warmth."Don't forget,I'm a doctor."

Heat surged through lsaac's chest, threatening to burst out in flames.

He trusted her judgment-she knew the boundaries better than anyone.

But even knowing that, he could not trust himself.