MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Nathan glared at Crystal through the rearview mirror and said, "From now on, if you need to go somewhere, I will drive you. You will not walk, take a taxi, or ride the bus. Do you understand me?"

Crystal gave Nathan an incredulous look. "How will you hold up your end of the deal?" she asked. "You are a busy man. You can't just drop everything and be available to be my driver 24/7!"

Nathan grunted noncommittally and didn't say anything. When they arrived at the supermarket, when Crystal got out of the car, he followed her. "Hold on!" he shouted. "Do you think you can leave without paying your fare?"

Crystal was stunned. She had not expected him to ask for a payment for the ride. "How much do I owe you?" she asked.

Nathan grinned and puckered his lips.

"The price is not high," he said. "All that I ask is for a kiss."

Crystal looked around her, and she suddenly realized that Nathan's newly acquired fleet of cars had formed a circle around her and him. Outside of the ring, shoppers had gathered to witness the spectacle. "People are watching..." she whined.

Without warning, Nathan dragged her into his arms and forced her to kiss him. Once the kiss was over, Crystal pushed him away. "You…you...cad!"

Nathan shrugged and said, "Fare's fair." Then he grabbed her again and planted a second kiss on her lips, and this one was ten times more passionate than the first.

As he kissed her, she felt her mind go hazy, and her vision blurred. Without thinking, Crystal circled her arms around Nathan's neck, and they kissed until they were both breathless. Finally, they parted, and Nathan went inside with her to buy groceries.

When they got back home, the first thing Crystal did was gather the things she would need to clean Nathan's wound. She filled a tub with warm water, grabbed the First Aid Kit, and headed into the living room.

Meanwhile, Nathan had made himself comfortable on the couch, and he was playing on his Smartphone. When Crystal came into the room, he looked up, and when he saw what was in her arms, he frowned. "Leave those things on the coffee table," he said. "I'll do it myself."

Crystal: "Don't be silly. You can't do it by yourself."

"Then I'll have Vic do it," Nathan said. He called Vic's name, and the man materialized as if from thin air. "Come and dress my wound," he ordered.

Crystal' facial expression changed subtly. Admittedly, she had little experience dressing wounds, but she had seen enough of Grey's Anatomy to know how to do such a simple procedure. Why doesn't he trust me? - she wondered.

When Vic saw the troubled expression on her face, he said, "Don't take it personally. The young master is just afraid that the sight of the wound will make you woozy."

Crystal was stunned. How deep is the wound? - she wondered. The realization that he had been hurt much worse than he'd let on nearly broke her heart. "Rest assured," she said, "that I am not timid."

As she spoke, she reached out to unbutton his shirt so that she could see the wound. There was some gauze on it, but the blood had soaked through it, clotted, and the crusty surface was brown, green, and yellow.

The first thing Crystal did was soak the gauze with the warm water. Then she cut around the wound with the surgical scissors from the First Aid Kit and gently pulled it away from his tender flesh. She had not realized how severe the damage actually was, and even though it didn't make her woozy, she couldn't help but gasp.

When Nathan saw the expression on her face change, he sighed and said, "Why don't you just let Vic do it."

Crystal rolled her eyes and said, "I can handle it!"

What a stubborn woman! -thought Nathan.

"You shouldn't have come between me and the sword," Crystal said. "I was wearing protective clothing, so the sword wouldn't have hurt me."

Nathan: "If I can't protect you, then I'm not qualified to be with you."

Crystal laughed as she washed out the wound. "Men are so silly," she said as she pulled away the rest of the gauze. "Everything is about being macho to you guys, but most girls don't even care about stuff like that..."

Crystal had stray hair hanging in front of her face, and Nathan tucked it behind her ear. He knew she was right, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of admitting that he'd been wrong.

Without warning him, Crystal applied Hydrogen Peroxide to the wound, and he flinched.

"You okay?" Crystal asked.

Nathan nodded but said nothing.

"The worst is over." Crystal reassured him as she applied Polysporin to the wound, and then she said, "That will help with the infection. Now all that's left is to wrap the wound."

"Do you know anything about aftercare?"

Nathan asked Vic.

Vic nodded and said, "The wound cannot get wet, so be careful when you take a shower."

"How can he keep it dry in the shower?" Crystal asked. "That doesn't make sense..." 

Vic: "You will have to help him, of course. And while he recovers, you will need to do everything you can to keep him comfortable and happy."

Crystal: "How will I do that?"

Vic: "Just do whatever he asks without hesitation. If you do that, he is sure to have a speedy recovery."

When Nathan heard that, he couldn't help but smile.

Crystal didn't know if she understood Vic's directions, but the implications of what he'd said made her uncomfortable. She looked at him and said, "Vic, maybe you had better be responsible for Nathan's recovery. I fear that I am under-qualified."

Nathan glared at Crystal. "What's the problem?" he growled. "Don't you want to help me take my showers?!?!"

Crystal frowned. She didn't want to help him have his showers. She thought it would be better if a man did that, but she felt uncomfortable saying so.. Not knowing what else to do, she stood up and said, "I have to go get the potatoes cooking!" And then she ran into the kitchen.