Chapter 111
Chapter 111
It was late at night.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, thunder rumbled through the sky, as if splitting the world in half.
With a loud clang, Catalina, who had been sleeping in bed, jolted awake and quickly scrambled off the bed.
Throwing open her blanket without hesitation, Catalina slipped off her slippers and ran outside.
Catalina was afraid of thunder.
At that moment, the thunderous sound startled the log cabin.
"Boom, boom..."
The sound of thunder echoed in her ears.
Catalina curled up under her blanket while covering her ears, and trembled with fear.
The weather forecast had actually said there wouldn't be rain tonight!
She should have listened to Bennett's advice.
Catalina had initially attempted to escape from the log cabin to the villa, but her timid nature stopped her from doing so.
She could only hug her blanket and curled up in a corner, while praying for the storm to stop soon.
"Catalina!"
Suddenly, amidst the thunder, an urgent voice called out from under the tree.
Bennett?
Catalina was taken aback.
She wanted to peek, but a flash of lightning scared her back.
She must have misheard!
Bennett had definitely gone to bed long ago.
"Catalina!"
Bennett's voice grew clearer.
Before Catalina could react, Bennett was already inside the cabin. He looked as sturdy as a mountain as he approached Catalina.
Catalina almost felt like she was dreaming.
Just then, a startling clap of thunder struck, and it caused Catalina to scream out loud. Without caring about their status, Catalina instinctively flung herself into the arms of Bennett, who was in front of her. She clung to his chest, and trembled like a frightened wildcat.
The unexpected softness against his chest made Bennett's heart skip a beat.
In his amber eyes, a hint of shimmer appeared.
His alluring Adam's apple quivered.
Sensing Catalina's fear, he extended his arm, and securely wrapped it around her delicate waist.
He gently pulled Catalina into his embrace, and pressed her close against his strong frame. He tried to convey all the warmth and reassurance in his chest to her.
"Don't worry, everything is fine now."
His warm and soothing voice came from above.
Surprisingly, his words managed to calm Catalina's fearful heart in an instant.
Outside the log cabin, thunder roared without respite.
Yet Catalina's emotions had visibly eased.
"Why are you here?"
She tilted her head to look at him.
And her cheeks flushed.
She wanted to pull away from his embrace, but she didn't dare to do so. Nor did she want to.
She simply let him hold her. As long as he didn't loosen his grip, she wouldn't retreat.
Their breath was slightly labored.
Bennett lowered his gaze to look at her.
Catalina was embarrassed, and hurriedly averted her eyes. Her face turned red as if it were on fire.
Bennett gazed at her crimson cheeks, and his eyes turned deep and profound.
In a casual tone, he said, "I happened to be awake, so I came up to check. Didn't I mention it to you before dinner? There'd be rain tonight."
"But I checked the weather forecast, and it did mention there'd be no rain."
"Which weather forecast did you check? The one for Sayton?"
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Thanks to Bennett's reminder, Catalina suddenly realized the extent of her mistake.
She scolded herself, and tapped her forehead, "I'm really beyond foolish!"
"At least you have some self-awareness."
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In the midst of their conversation, another thunderclap struck, as if it had exploded right beneath the tree.
Catalina flinched and scooted closer into Bennett's embrace.
Where was her dignity?
And where was her restraint?
Were her dignity and restraint all gone tonight?
Catalina timidly looked up at Bennett, "What should I do? I'm scared of going outside now."
"Then let's just stay inside."
Bennett held her close and sat down on the floor.
The scent of her body wash filled the air around his nose. It faintly carried the fragrance of acacia blossoms.
It washed over his senses, and filled his chest that had just felt so empty moments ago.
The cabin was small, even a bit run-down, and not necessarily the cleanest. But at this moment, Bennett found himself falling in love with it.
It seemed like a wise decision to have the place tidied up before coming.
"We're not going out? You mean... we're sleeping here?" Catalina looked up at Bennett.
Her cheeks were rosy, like two ripe peaches.
Bennett's lips tightened, "Are you having a problem with that?"
"This place is so small, and sleeping with two people would be cramped. Besides, aren't we even less safe up in the tree? Lightning can easily strike tall branches." Catalina shivered at the thought.
Bennett released his embrace on Catalina and lay down on the cushion as he said, "Right above your head is a lightning rod. Do you think high-tech is just for show?" Catalina sighed in relief upon hearing this.
"I'm tired. We'll sleep here tonight."
With that, Bennett lifted the blanket and covered himself. Then, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Catalina was speechless.
At this point, it was impossible for Bennett to leave.
So, should she leave?
This was even more impossible!
Catalina didn't dare lie down either, as the cabin was too small. It could barely accommodate one person, let alone two.
If she were to lie down...
While Catalina was thinking, a deafening clap of thunder suddenly sounded and startled her.
Catalina screamed and covered her ears.
But she realized that Bennett, who had closed his eyes, had now opened them without her noticing.
He reached out both his arms towards her, "Come here!"
He was surprisingly generous.
Catalina covered her ears, and looked at him with wide eyes.
Her heart fluttered slightly...
She wanted to move closer, but...
She bit her lip in shyness.
Bennett frowned in annoyance, "Count on three..."
"Three, two, one..."
"Boom!"
Another clap of thunder echoed.
Catalina was so frightened that she disheveledly rushed into Bennett's embrace, and timidly nestled against his chest. "Okay, stop counting, I give up..."
Good girl!
Bennett was satisfied.
A small grin tugged at his lips as he pulled the blanket over both of them.
With one hand behind his head, while the other held onto her waist tightly, Bennett closed his eyes. "Let's sleep!"
Catalina snuggled against him like a little cat, with her hands pressing against his chest. Her face alternated between blushing and paling, with a mix of shyness and fear. "...I can't sleep, I'm a little scared. I fee like this little cabin is quite dangerous."
Bennett opened his eyes and looked at her.
His gaze was warm, with a hint of blush.
In the next moment, he caught her hands that were pressed against his chest and placed them around his waist.
His palm rested on her lower back, keeping her soft body firmly against his chest. "If you don't let me sleep, this cabin will become even more dangerous!"
At the moment, his voice was husky.
Catalina was speechless at his words.
She was totally embarrassed and her face turned red.
Her heart thumped.
Her ears were burning.
She could vaguely understand his words.
And under her, Bennett's well-built body felt scorching.
His heat ignited her skin through their silk pajamas...
It was setting her ablaze.
Catalina was going crazy!
How was she supposed to fall asleep like this?!
If she managed to fall asleep, that would be a miracle!
Outside the cabin, at some point, the rain had stopped, and the thunder had faded...
A cool night breeze swept through, lifting the golden acacia blossoms off the ground.
The air was filled with a delightful floral scent...
This night was destined for sweet dreams!
In her dream, there were acacia trees, floral fragrances, and that guy who was chewing on a twig.