?Chapter 201:


    He wasn’t wrong about it.


    So, she didn’t dare move.


    A faint smirk tugged at Eric’s lips. His hand eased to her waist.


    “Let me handle the zipper for you, okay?”


    “Alright,” Hadley mumbled, her gaze falling as she gave a small nod. “Thank you.”


    How had things ended up like this?


    Where was N? Right now, the only person she could turn to was Eric.


    “Alright, let’s see.” Eric’s fingers traced along her waist, searching.


    “Where’s the zipper?”


    He searched for a moment,ing up empty.


    Heat rushed to Hadley’s face. “It’s right there! How are you not—”


    “Finding it?”


    “I really can’t see it.” His confusion was genuine. “I’ve never worn a dress before, you know.”


    “It’s… there…” Hadley trailed off, frustration creeping into her voice. Words weren’t getting through. With a quiet sigh, she reached back and guided his hand.


    The second their skin touched, a spark shot through her—a soft, buzzing warmth that sent a shiver down her spine.


    Eric tensed for a split second, caught off guard by the unexpected sensation.


    It wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it was… nice.


    Hadley, unaware of his reaction, guided his hand to the zipper pull.


    “Here. Feel it now?”


    “Yeah.”


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    Eric swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple shifting. His throat felt dry, almost scratchy, like he couldn’t quite get the motion right.


    “Yeah, got it.”


    “Then hurry up,” Hadley huffed. “Zip it already!”


    “Yeah, yeah.”


    Eric braced one hand on her waist while the other tugged the zipper upward. Yet, his gaze betrayed him, trailing the path of the closing fabric, lingering on the soft, unbroken line of her back.


    Such a beautiful, wless back… unlike his own…


    He squeezed his eyes shut, but the darkness behind his lids wasn’t empty. Blood-streaked memories surged forward—gunfire, chaos, a sharp, searing pain. His back throbbed, a phantom ache settling deep in his muscles.


    “Are you finished?” Hadley’s impatient voice snapped him back to reality. What was taking him so long?


    “All set.”


    Eric snapped back to reality and zipped up thest inch. The zipper stopped just below her shoulder des, leaving the elegant curve of her back exposed.


    His throat tightened, heat creeping up his neck. He quickly averted his gaze.


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