Chapter 7

A muffled groan escaped Vitto's lips, due to the prodding ache she felt, concentrated on her right shoulder. The lingering scent of hand sanitizer mixed with air freshener caused her to scrunch her nose in distaste.

"Mmhm" she moaned, using her left hand to take a feel of her surroundings, and ascertain just where it was she had wounded up.

From what she touched, she was able to deduce that not only was she on a bed, but more importantly, that the bed didn't belong to her.

A satisfied grin planted itself on her face, as the flashes of what happened last night replayed themselves in her head.

Though, the memories weren't so distinct, Vitto could recall the major highlights of what had transpired between herself and Leo.

*Last night*

Although her eyes were shut and she was on the brink of losing consciousness, Vitto felt a pair of arms spooning her into a hard chest.

She could also tell from his fading cologne and the dominant scent of drugs and coffee, that Leo had made it home in time, and had her in his arms.

'If I were to die now, I'd have no regrets.' the woman thought to herself, intentionally allowing her nose to rub against his chest. As she shamelessly took in his scent, and felt his body through his clothes.

"Vitto?!" He called out to her in the most caring, yet frightened tone the woman had ever heard.

His voice almost made her slip up and respond to him, but she was smart enough to refrain from doing so. Hence, she just laid there listlessly, battling the pain of the stab wound on her right shoulder.

What she didn't expect however, was for Leo to carry her in his arms and burst into his home like a lunatic. As though that wasn't enough, he even went as far, as to unfasten the buttons of her red blood soaked shirt, and openly stare at her wound.

Even in her state, she could feel his stare concentrated on the flesh wound, which caused her imagination to run wild.

'What colour of bra do I have on? Shit! I should have dressed sexy tonight.' That was the last string of thought the woman could remember having, right before she passed out on his sofa.

*Present*

But now, she found herself laying on his bed of all places, she peeked underneath the warm blue blanket to notice he had change her clothes also.

"The bastard." Her cheeks reddened like a tomato, as wild thoughts plagued her mind.

She sat up right and decided to take a look around the room, with the intention of burning it into her memory.

"It looks like a regular room." She observed, noticing that there was no distinct feature present in the room. Even the bed seemed ordinary, it was as though Leo didn't even put any effort whatsoever into decorating.

Her brown eyes landed on his black closet, and her interest was piqued. She immediately resolved in her heart to take a peek inside his wardrobe.

However, the second she put one leg on the floor, her ears picked up on some footsteps approaching the door. And almost immediately, she dashed under the sheets and closed her eyes shut.

The door to the room opened slowly to reveal Leo, holding a bowl of warm water and a fresh pair of bandages in his hands. He narrowed his gaze at the sleeping woman and couldn't help but feel something was amiss.

Nonetheless, he pulled himself a chair and placed the bowl and bandages on the nightstand. Next, he reached out to her face and rested his palm on her forehead to take her temperature.

*Gulp*

Vitto felt warm in the cheeks all of a sudden as his skin came in contact with hers. He then placed it on his own forehead to compare her temperature.

"Looks like she has a slight fever, her face is reddened." He noted as he dipped the cloth into the bowl, then squeezed it carefully.

Vitto who was still recovering from the sudden physical contact, had no idea that things were going to get a lot more heated.

"This should help bring it down." He picked up left hand abruptly, and pressed the cloth to it. With a serious glint in his eyes, he gently massaged her arm with the cloth, making sure to be nice and slow.

The moist cloth, coupled with his warm hands on her skin forced Vitto to bite both her cheeks in order to hold back her voice.

'Why are her eyelashes flickering, and her arm is shaky as well? Is she truly unconscious right now?' Leo thought as he proceeded with what he was doing.

Unsure, he decided to try something, just to see her reaction and confirm his suspicions.

'She's out of danger now, so messing around a bit won't cause her any harm.'

With a heavy resolve in his heart, Leo sought to take revenge on this woman, for placing his hospital under siege and grabbing him by the tie the other day.

"This much isn't going to do anything." He announced in an unnatural tone, as he dipped the cloth in the water once more. Only this time, he tossed the blanket aside and climbed unto the bed, using both his knees to cage her in place.

Vitto felt her heart almost leap out of her chest, the moment things took a drastic turn. If there was anything she was sure of, then it was the assumption that a mild mannered man like Leo wouldn't dare to touch her.

"Let's try this spot." Leo said in a wicked tone, and rubbed around her neck area with the moist cloth. Making sure to slowly knead and massage the sides of her neck till she tapped out of her fake slumber.

'The corners of her mouth is twitching, this woman has some nerve, I have to teach her a lesson.' he thought with a hardened resolve drawn all across his face.

He continued in that manner trying his hardest to provoke the sleeping lion, till he himself started to feel a bit awkward in the situation.

"Her ears are red now, that won't do, let's try something else..." As a last desperate attempt, he lifted up the hem of the shirt, with the intention to rile her up.

What he hadn't taken account for, was how strong this female gangster was, and how angry his little game had made her.

Because, in the blink of an eye, she used her left hand to firmly gripped his collar, pulling him down. Then crashed her hard forehead into his, almost fracturing his skull.

"That hurt like hell you..." His words were cut off by Vitto who flipped him making use of one hand and placed herself on top of him in one swift movement.

She clenched her eyes in pain due to the stretch she felt as her wound reopened itself. But despite the agonizing pain, she still managed to focus her attention on the bitter man underneath her.

"Get off me." His angry voice hollered at her, as he found himself actually struggling against a woman, a wounded woman for that matter.

'Just how strong is this monster woman?' Leo questioned himself, angrily knitting his brows against each other.

Vitto tightened her grip on his shirt and lowered her body, till he was face to face with her.

"What are..." His words were cut off miserably.

"Don't you think that you're crossing the line?" She asked in a hard to decipher tone. The stoic expression planted on her face, didn't match the uneasiness in her voice.

To Leo, judging by her eyes, it seemed as though she was mad at him, but then again...

He parted his lips to say something derogatory, but his eyes darted towards the red stain that painted the white T-shirt he had dressed her in.

'No matter how tough she acts, it doesn't change the fact that she's still a woman, what was I thinking looking under her shirt?'

A twinge of guilt overshadowed th anger he harboured towards her for hitting his head. She may have even ended up knocking some common sense into him.

However, just as he was about to apologise to her, Vitto parted her lips to say something first.

"Next time, when you want to wake me up, just do this." Without sparing a second to hesitate, she crashed her lips into his, taking him unaware.

She pulled away and licked her lower lip, savoring his taste in an oh so sinful manner. Her lips flattened into a devilish grin as her mischievous eyes gazed at the perplexed man underneath her.

"Now that we've kissed, what do you say to us getting married?" Vitto asked in a serious tone, her lustful fingers wrapped around his thick neck.