My CEO wanted me to strip. That was a controversial way to put it, but his shocking words had caused the logic and reasoning section of my brain to shut off. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, and finally uttered a single word, “What?”

Noah bunched his eyebrows together—as if he couldn’t understand why I wasn’t following his command already—and motioned me to hurry. “Get your dress off or you’ll burn yourself!”

I glanced down at the coffee stain on my dress and regained some of my senses. “I’m fine, sir.” And I was, really. The coffee seemed to have cooled off in this short while. 

“No, you’re not.” Noah didn’t relax and pointed towards the bathroom. “Please.”

I’d never seen him look so concerned. Why was he so shaken up by this minor accident? Still, I did as he asked and walked over to the bathroom. Noah followed close behind and ushered me inside. I gave him a small smile and locked the door.

There were some dark patches on the dress where the coffee had spilled. I frowned. Would it stain permanently? Maybe I could try washing it off.

I walked over to the washbasin and caught my reflection in the mirror. I gasped. Could I have looked more chaotic? My lipstick had worn off after gorging on the noodles. There was a strange, comical glint in my eyes—like I had been scandalized too much today. And even my cheeks were burning a bright red from Noah’s words.

Maybe this was why he had panicked so much. I shook my head and turned on the faucet. That was when disaster struck.

Water blasted through the tap, spraying over me, and I yelped. I pulled away from the basin and scrambled to turn it off. It was only a few seconds, but the damage was done. I took in quick, shallow breaths and stared at my drenched dress. It stuck to me like my second skin, highlighting every single curve of my body. I was suddenly glad that there was no one else here to witness my miserable state.

On the upside, the clammy stickiness from the coffee was gone. Though I had no other choice but to take off the dress now.

I shifted my hair to the front and reached for the zipper at the nape of my neck. Biting my lips, I pulled at it. The zip moved down a few inches and then got stuck. I pulled harder, willing it to cross over the bump, but it stayed put. I let out a frustrated cry.

“Ms. Rose?” Noah knocked on the door. “Is everything okay?”

I looked at the wet floor, my grumpy cat look, and my arms trying to do an impossible yoga pose, and squeaked out, “Yes. All okay.”

Whatever happened, I would not ask for his help.

“Let me know if you need something,” he said.

I heard Noah walk away and took a deep breath. Okay, Isla. Let’s do it. I gathered my strength and tried again. My arms strained from the effort, and I fiddled to grip the zip this time. It had moved to the only spot on my back where I couldn’t reach it.

Why? Just why?!

Two minutes and ten rounds of pep talk later, I cracked open the door. “Sir?”

Almost immediately, Noah rushed to my side. “Do you need something?”

This was it. Either I could choose to stay inside the bathroom forever or take his help. I bit the inside of my cheeks and confessed, “I need your help.”

Noah raised his eyebrows in question. Taking a deep breath in, I opened the door fully. There was an audible gasp from him. My ears burned in embarrassment, and I didn’t dare meet his eyes. Cool air prickled my wet skin, and I crossed my arms over my chest. I looked like a mess right now.

“Here.” I turned my back towards him and pointed to the zip. “The zipper is stuck.”

“Oh.”

“Can you please unzip it?” I whispered.

“Sure.” His voice sounded strained. Was he weirded out by me?

Noah stepped inside the bathroom after me. The door closed behind him, and I swallowed. I saw his reflection in the mirror. His jaw was set as he stared at my back. Almost at a snail’s pace, he lifted his hand and touched my skin.

My muscles went taut as his smooth fingers grazed the nape of my neck. I caved in my shoulders at his touch, and he paused. Our eyes met in the mirror. Noah whispered, “Your hair.”

“Sorry.” I pulled them away from my back.

“I’ll unzip it now.”

I nodded. Noah touched the middle of my back. My breath hitched as his knuckles brushed against my skin ever-so-slightly. I watched his reflection in the mirror. His lips parted in concentration, and his hot breath fanned my back. Goosebumps rose over my skin, and I hoped he couldn’t hear my heart hammering inside my chest.

Noah struggled to unzip it, and I reached back to show him the spot. “The zip gets stuck here. You should straighten…”

My voice faded away as my hand tangled with Noah’s. His thumb grazed the back of my hand, and our eyes met in the mirror again. The sounds of our uneven breathing filled the small bathroom, and I quickly pulled my hand back.

Noah didn’t say anything, but he straightened the spot and tried unzipping it again. It worked this time. He unzipped my dress carefully. I curled my toes as his fingers trailed the length of my spine. His warm hand grazed my bare waist for a moment before he pulled away. I held onto the front of my dress and turned my back away from him.

“Thank you for taking it off, sir.” I blushed. Why did it have to sound so suggestive?

Noah’s lips curved into a smile—as if he was privy to my internal joke. “Wait for me.” He exited the bathroom and returned seconds later with a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt.

I frowned as he handed them to me. “For me?”

“Do you have anything else to change into?” he asked. I shook my head. “Then, take it.”

“But—”

“Either this or the bathrobe.”

I took his clothes. “Thank you.”

Noah smiled and walked out. I locked the bathroom and slumped against the door to catch my breath. This was no big deal, right? I was probably the only one who was so flustered. I hurried to take a shower to cool off my body.

Dressed in clothes that smelled tantalizingly like him, I finally opened the bathroom door.

To my surprise, Noah was waiting for me. His gaze swept over my body, lingering on the oversized shirt dwarfing the shorts, and a strange look crossed over his face. I licked my suddenly dry lips and whispered, “Mr. Jung?”

Noah met my eyes and said, “Follow me.”