Chapter 23

 Dawn woke up later in the evening with a deep yawn, she had slept all day, so she didn’t know why she still felt sleepy, was she just weak from the painkillers. She tried to raise her head to scan the room but it came with excruciating pain, instead she looked to her side when she felt something on her hand.

She saw Stephan’s head lying next to her, while his hand were on her hand, even in his sleep he was keeping a close eye on her. Dawn wanted to laugh at the thought of it, did he also dream of her? 

She watched him sleep, his face looked more calm and peaceful this way. She noticed his face was really smooth and without blemish, such a fine man.

His eyebrows were thick and well sharped, some men were lucky or was it all men, her brows were thin and she had to do lots of make up to make them look thick and full while Olivia who had full ones would shave them up just to draw a new one, it was hilarious the things women did to look beautiful.

She wondered which skin care routine he was using because he was glowing right now. No wonder, women were drooling over him, he was a well-groomed man. 

She stretched her hands to feel his face, she didn’t know why but the more she looked, the more she wanted to feel it. 

She didn’t want to wake him up, so she lightly brushed her hand over his face and his eyebrows, it was cold like him, but she loved it. She extended her hand into his hair.

“If you keep staring I might kiss you,” Stephan said with his eyes still closed. He had woken up some minutes ago but he felt weak from doing nothing for the past two days, he needed proper rest not just sleeping on the couch or titling his head on the side of the hospital bed.

Sarah had offered to bring in another bed for his comfort but he didn’t want that, plus his upcoming event were already stirring up some trouble from really dangerous people. He wanted Dawn to heal up just right before he took her to his house.

When Dawn had woken up, he had felt her in the room from her soft sigh, he felt she would sleep back a little, instead he felt her hand on his face. He couldn’t tell what she was up to until he felt her staring at him. He wondered what she was thinking of that would make her want to touch him on the face. 

Dawn was startled when she heard Stephan’s voice, she tried to remove her hand in time but felt Stephan’s hand putting it back on his head. He slowly opened his eyes staring at her.

“Do you want to pee?”

Dawn didn’t want to use the toilet, but now that Stephan mentioned it she suddenly felt the urge to, she nodded her head as he instantly rose to his feet like some programmed robot. He carried her gently bridal style and took her into the bathroom.

Dawn noticed Olivia fast asleep on the couch, when Stephan had carried her into the bathroom. She wasn’t dreaming after all, she wondered where Damien was. She remember seeing their faces but she couldn’t tell if it was real or a dream. She remembered her little misunderstanding with Olivia before the incident and how Olivia had not answered her phone when Red called her, she wondered why.

Stephan slowly dropped her on the toilet seat, he had thought this through but with Dawn biting on her bottom lips and looking lost, he knew she had figured this one out. He smirked at her.

“I don’t feel like using the toilet anymore.”

“Why? Are you worried I will have to assist you in pulling off your panties?”

This man! Couldn’t he ever twist his words. Dawn couldn’t reach down and drag her pant, her hands were still sore and her waist wasn’t even going to allow it.

“Where is Sarah?”

“Let me help you, I will be gentle.”

“Is there a gentle way for a man to remove a woman’s pant?”

“No.” Stephan replied sharply. “But don’t you think it will be awkward if I do anything crazy to you in here even thou I would love to rip that pant off your ass and bend you over and I know you want me to.”

Dawn gulped at his words and for some reason she felt turned on by it, why? 

“Keep your eyes on me,” she concluded. She knew even if she asked for Sarah, he wouldn't agree to it.

“Very well,” Stephan smiled he squatted down and placed his hands on her thigh as he slowly placed it in, he kept his eyes on Dawn who had a blank expression like she was trying to suppress how she was feeling.

He finally reach her hips and held on to the sides of the pant, he felt Dawn shiver at his touch.

“Close your eyes.” Dawn ordered.

Stephan chuckled at the sound of that, what was she scared of he had seen a lot of pants before, even this one he was pulling off he had requested for it personally, he wanted to see how it looked on her.

He kept staring at her instead and he could swear she was cursing him right now in her head.

“You are wet,” Stephan said when he finally pulled the pants off her feet. She wasn’t wet but he felt the need to tease her just a little.

“Get out,” Dawn ordered looking away from him.

Stephan smiled and walked out with the panties still in his hand, when he stepped out he saw Olivia was already up, she stared at him and smile. 

He hadn’t spoken to her since she got here, he didn’t want to, it wasn’t in his nature to pretend to like someone when he clearly didn’t like them. Right now he just wanted to call the police on her and let her rot in jail forever, but he wanted Dawn to at least see her before he did what was on his mind.

He walked to the fridge and placed the panties into his pocket, he took out a sandwich and orange juice, he busied himself with arranging some stuffs on the tray for Dawn to feast on when she came out.

He had made his findings about what she liked and what she didn’t like, it was lovely to find out that she was a food monger and didn’t care about what she was given as long as it was food.

Olivia had noticed Stephan holding a panties in his hand, did he and Dawn do it in the bathroom. Was Dawn so foolish she couldn’t wait to heal up first? She didn’t like the way Stephan was behaving with Dawn, she was irritated by it.

“I am sorry,” Olivia finally spoke she didn’t know why Stephan was acting this way to her.

“Sorry for what?”

“Wearing the lingerie you bought for Dawn, I didn’t mean to offend you. It seems you are still mad at me for that.” Olivia explained but got no reply from Stephan. “I know I was acting crazy but you can’t blame me, I really love you and….”

“You are a very foolish woman Olivia,” Stephan said, adjusting the food on the tray he took it to the table next to Dawn’s bed and placed it there.

This was the second time someone was calling her foolish and Olivia didn’t like the sound of it on Stephan’s mouth, she decided to keep quiet. She didn’t want him to say anything mean to her.

“Stephan.” She heard Dawn call out in the bathroom as Stephan left her and went into the bathroom.

“Where is the panties?” Dawn asked when Stephan entered, she had managed to flush the toilet but wasn’t yet able to stand up.

“You really enjoyed me pulling it off, didn’t you?”

“No! Don’t worry about the panties.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Dawn didn’t want Stephan to have to help her pull her panties all the time, she could go without it for some hours till when Sarah was around. 

“Alright, let’s wash those little hands of yours.” Stephan stood her upright facing the washing hand basin, he stood behind her for support and placed both his hands on her hand and motioned the hands to pick the soap, he rubbed it on her hand placed it back to the side then turned on the water and placed her hands in as he washed it off leaning in from behind.

Dawn wasn’t tall enough, her head was just resting below his chest. She smelled of him, and she seemed to be looking more at her hand. He noticed she had been refusing to look at herself in the mirror since yesterday.

“You are so beautiful, I can’t even look at the mirror.”

“What?” was this man high? She looked like shit, look at her. She looked into the mirror and stared directly at Stephan’s eyes. 

“You are beautiful Dawn,” he said again and she looked away blushing. She had heard that word before but the way Stephan had said it and looked at her gave her goosebumps. He praised her even in this state, she didn’t know if he was blind or just being nice.

“Thank you,” Dawn muttered. Stephan took the rag and cleaned her hand dry, she realized she smelled of him, Sarah had sprayed his perfume on her. At first she thought it was meant for her but now that she stood close to him, she knew it was for him.

Now that she was this close to him, his body felt warm next to hers. She felt Stephan turn her around slowly and placed her head on his chest. He hugged her and gently placed his hand on her back and head.

“Is something the matter?” Dawn asked surprised by the hug.

“You talk too much, there are other things that mouth can be used for instead of talking.”

This shameless man!

“You need to go home and sleep proper,” she muttered over his chest.

“Are you now worried about me?”

“…”

“I worry about you too Dawn,” Stephan confessed, it wasn’t Olivia that bothered him but some other things related to his underground works. 

“Me?” Dawn was shocked by his confession, even if Stephan hadn’t said it once, she knew he had already claimed her as his woman. The way he had been for the past two days was evident. It worried her a bit, she wasn’t use to this much attention. 

When she was with Damien he hardly had time for her, she felt that was how things worked with couples but the way Stephan was with her, it was different. At first she wanted to reject his help but at the same time she wanted to experience it, his touch, his smile, his little laughs, his blank stares. It was something new to her, to see this side of him. 

Even now that he was hugging her, he was being gentle with her, treating her like an egg.

“Is something the matter?”

“Yes, I want you to come and stay with me.” Stephan said.

“Is this about the contract?” Dawn asked raising her head to look him in the eyes, he smirked at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“We will talk about this later,” Stephan replied and carried her bridal style into the room. Dawn didn’t protest, she was already used to him being this way with her, she relaxed her muscles this time and Stephan noticed. He gently placed her on the bed as Olivia rushed to her side.

“I was so worried about you,” Olivia said giving her a side hug sobbing as tears fell from her eyes.

If Stephan was a film maker, he would definitely nominate her for the best actress. 

“Olivia,” Dawn muttered as she felt Olivia hand on hers, Dawn stared at Stephan with a please look.

“Five minutes,” Stephan said and left the both of them alone in the room.

“I called you Olivia,” Dawn finally spoke when Stephan had gone.

“I know but I didn’t know, I had gone to the police station that day to report the case and forgot my phone at home.” Olivia cried genuinely, or it sounded that way, she didn’t cry because she was sorry but because she didn’t want to go to jail. She had to convince Dawn to help her.