Falling for the Goddess

You Don't Have to Be So Careful Around Me

Sara Hart was held securely in Adrian Blake's arms, his strong arm resting across her waist. She could feel the warmth of his body behind her, and the realization that he wasn't wearing a shirt made her face flush instantly.

At some point, Adrian had developed the habit of holding her to sleep. During the day, there wasn't much physical closeness, but at night, their proximity was so intimate it was almost as if they were a deeply in-love couple.

Sara couldn't help but treasure this warmth, though her arm, trapped beneath her, had started to feel numb. She began to wriggle ever so carefully, afraid of disturbing him. Adrian's grip tightened slightly as she was about to free her hand, and his low, husky voice rang out, "Stop moving."

Sara froze instantly. Her face burned red—she had just felt something...

Adrian didn't move any further. Instead, his voice softened, "Go to sleep."

Not daring to move again, Sara lay stiffly in his arms.

Sensing her tension, Adrian lowered his head, his chin brushing gently against her neck. "What's wrong?"

The warmth of his breath tickled her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Finally, she whispered, "My arm... it's numb..."

There was a brief pause before Adrian let out a soft, amused chuckle, his chest vibrating gently behind her.

"Am I that scary?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Sara was caught off guard.

He seemed to recall the night she got drunk and mumbled grievances about him.

"If your arm's numb, why didn't you just say something?"

Sara was embarrassed. She didn't want to disturb him. "I... I didn't want to wake you up."

"Which arm?"

"Left one..."

The moment the words left her lips, Adrian adjusted her position effortlessly, turning her to face him so that they were now lying face-to-face.

"Sara," he murmured, his forehead gently pressing against hers, "you don't need to be so careful around me."

Sara blinked up at him in surprise.

"If you're uncomfortable or if something's wrong, just tell me," Adrian continued, calm but firm. "With me, you don't have to hold back."

His words struck directly at the softest part of her heart.

So, he had noticed her carefulness—her small, cautious movements, her tendency to hold her thoughts back. Did this mean... he cared about her? Even just a little?

Her nose tingled, and she bit her lip as emotions swelled. Without thinking, she reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his chest.

Adrian was momentarily startled but soon responded by tightening his arms around her, holding her closer.

The next morning, Sara woke up to find Adrian already gone.

A small sticky note in Adrian's handwriting on the dining table read: "I've left first. Breakfast is on the table."

Sara carefully folded the note and put it away, feeling a warmth bloom in her chest. After finishing breakfast, she headed straight to the lab.

The moment she walked in, her fellow researchers surrounded her. They had all seen the news online.

"Thank goodness everything's cleared up now. Those people have nothing left to say."