Falling into Her Trap: Don't Cross the Line, Mr. President-Chapter 56: Temperature Rising

Claire was pushed into the wardrobe, and before she had time to get her bearings, she noticed a tote bag full of clothes inside. Her waist pressed against it, hard yet soft.

In the cramped, suffocating space, the warmth and intimacy escalated together.

"Don’t do this." Claire begged in a low voice.

She knew full well that since her period hadn’t ended, the man couldn’t possibly do anything outrageous, but Mia could come in at any moment.

Letting big-mouthed Mia know would be like announcing to the whole world that she and Ethan Blackwood were tangled together.

Claire’s body temperature was on the lower side, and the room was quite chilly. When he lifted her shirt, the cool air made goosebumps rise on her skin.

Immediately, his hot hand came into contact with her, and when their skin met, Claire shivered, her face tinged with a faint pink.

She reached out to push him away, her palm pressing against his damp chest, the thin fabric barely covering his perfectly defined muscles.

That scorching temperature so different from her own made her withdraw her hand quickly, only to be caught by Ethan.

Sweaty and exuding a strong male pheromone, Ethan stood silhouetted against the dim light. Claire saw his Adam’s apple move, exceptionally clear.

"Ms. Shaw, your constant resistance makes me doubt if I have ever truly made you happy in bed."

Claire’s face flushed crimson, "Mr. Blackwood, I’ve never resisted your body, but your identity, you..."

Mia’s interrupting voice came through: "Claire, where did you put the lemon slices?"

"I’ll get them." Claire quickly pushed Ethan away and ran out in a fluster.

Claire correctly picked out a jar of lemon slices for water from amidst a pile of packages, "Mr. Jacobs, my place is a mess today, I can’t host you two. Let’s just grab something to eat nearby tonight, what do you guys feel like having?"

Sean replied with ease, "Why be so formal with the ’Mr. Jacobs’? Just call me by my name, and as for what to eat? That’ll be decided by my darling."

Mia, arm in arm with Sean, looked extremely sweet, "Why don’t we have barbecue? We haven’t had that in ages."

"As long as you like it."

Seeing the couple so sweet, Claire’s lips curled up slightly, "I know a nearby barbecue place with great reviews."

Ethan coolly interjected, "Let’s have hotpot."

"Hotpot’s good too." Mia, the foodie, didn’t care as long as it tasted good.

Claire was a bit surprised, someone like him liking hotpot? Quite the strong taste.

They found an authentic old hotpot place, and the staff enthusiastically recommended their nine-section pot.

Ethan immediately interrupted, "We want a split pot."

Sean, while ordering, muttered, "Weren’t you the one who could handle spicy food? What’s with the split pot, that’s disrespecting hotpot!"

Mia pinched his arm, "You and I might handle spicy, but Claire can’t. But Mr. Blackwood, how did you know Claire doesn’t eat spicy?"

Claire almost choked on her lemon water, a guilty look on her face, dreading any link to Ethan.

"Just guessed. There’s always someone who can’t handle spicy." Ethan left an ambiguous remark.

Absent-minded Sean glanced back and forth between Ethan and Claire, as if he had guessed something.

As the food arrived, Ethan started by putting some vegetables into the clear soup pot.

Sean deliberately teased, "Brother Ethan, starting to eat greens? Can flowers and grass fill you up?"

Ethan shot him a look, "What do you know? Vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system."

He quoted Claire’s exact words, while Claire stayed silent, her ears quietly turning red.

The atmosphere at the table was lively, Mia enthusiastically invited Claire, "Claire, shall we go camping next weekend?"

"No, I’m afraid of the cold, the sun, and creepy crawlies." Claire calmly declined, disinclined to join that group.

"Oh come on, staying home all year is so dull. Don’t you want to get close to nature?"

Claire impassively refused, "I’m allergic to nature."

"You really are an antique."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Mia: "..."

After the meal, Ethan left first, claiming he had something to attend to. When Claire went to pay the bill, she discovered it was already taken care of.

Sean and Mia dropped her off at her apartment building, "Claire, are you sure you don’t want us to help you tidy up?"

"I can manage on my own. You guys enjoy some alone time."

Claire bid them farewell before taking the elevator.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors opened, and who else could the man leaning against the wall, smoking, be but Ethan?

Claire felt a headache coming on, "Mr. Blackwood."

Ethan extinguished his cigarette and approached her, his tone carrying an undeniable assertiveness: "Open the door."

The door opened.

Inside, everything was a mess. Without a word, he went to the kitchen, tidying up the pots and pans, washing dishes, his movements neat and quick, faster than hers.

"Have you done this before?" Claire felt she didn’t understand the man before her at all.

"Yes, I have." Ethan didn’t stop his work, "Ms. Shaw, you don’t need to feel any burden. Just treat me like an ordinary friend, or if that’s too hard, just think of me as a kind neighbor."

Claire leaned against the kitchen door with a smile, her eyes gleaming with allure, exuding charm.

"Where in the world are there so many overly eager nice guys?"

"Aren’t I one of them?"

Claire wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her voice sultry: "Good brother, are you trying to seduce me?"

Even knowing she was teasing him, Ethan’s back tensed, "Be good, don’t tease me these days."

Claire pressed her cheek against his back, her voice silky: "Good brother, don’t flirt with me, it won’t end well."

Before Ethan could reply, she headed back to the bedroom to make the bed.

Ethan’s craving for a smoke surged, but he didn’t want to light up in Claire’s home, so he bit down on the cigarette, leaving it unlit, as he answered Sean’s call.

Sean mysteriously lowered his voice, "You’ve been plotting after Ms. Shaw for a long time, haven’t you?"

"Brought your brains with you today?" Ethan didn’t deny it.

Sean’s tone turned sardonic, "The whole ’saving the damsel in distress’ act was your setup, wasn’t it? To circle around and approach Ms. Shaw, even selling out your buddy. Ms. Shaw doesn’t know your true nature, does she?"

Biting on the cigarette, Ethan’s gaze fell on the small woman bending over to make the bed in the bedroom.

Under the light, Claire exuded a deep tenderness, looking like a little wife.

If she had a child in the future, she’d also be a gentle mother.

The cigarette was bitten out of shape in his mouth, Ethan unveiled a cold smile, his tone carrying a blatant threat: "So, watch your mouth, little brother."

Ending the call, Ethan embraced Claire from behind, the sweaty man pressing against her with a hot body, his deep voice tinged with laziness: "Is the bed ready? Do you want to sleep together tonight?"