Blind date turned proposal (Josie and Dexter)

Dexter was forced to swallow. He took a sip of water, but before Josie could breathe a sigh of relief, his large hand pressed against her head, drawing her closer. Their lips met as the cool water was shared between them. The liquid caught in Josie's throat, making her want to cough.

He pressed her tighter against him, not allowing her to pull away, so she could only release muffled groans.

After about three minutes, the man finally showed mercy and released her.

Josie immediately went into a coughing fit. Pulling out a tissue, she coughed for quite a while before she finally regained her composure. "Dexter, you brute! I almost died, do you even realize that?" Smirking, Dexter said, "The medicine I just took was red sage tablets. You wouldn't die."

Josie paused, only realizing the taste in her mouth after a moment.

"No wonder it's so bitter."

Dexter always wore a somber expression, yet whenever he looked at her, his eyes were always tinged with playful delight.

"How is Mark doing?"

"He's still not awake and probably won't be until tomorrow."

As Josie spoke, she carefully put away the medicine box. "I need to go back now; you should too. There's no need for you to suffer alongside me."

She was clearly touched, yet the words she spoke were not what Dexter wanted to hear.

Dexter's gaze immediately darkened. "What did you say?"

"Well, there truly is no need. We don't really have any connection now."

Once again, she was distancing herself.

Upon seeing Dexter laugh, a sound both light and hoarse, Josie sensed that something was amiss. However, by the time she realized it, it was already too late. Dexter grabbed her wrists, moved them over her head, and pinned her directly against the car door, causing her back to press against the chilly window.

He glared at her, his aura heavy with intensity.

"What are you doing?" Josie sensed danger.

"You think you're quite capable, don't you?"

Josie's brows furrowed deeply as she felt provoked by his words. "To have the decision-maker of Russell Group drop everything and rush to the hospital to spend the night with me - it seems I really am quite capable."

Dexter was on the verge of laughing out of sheer exasperation at how she had the audacity to say that.

"Why then, did you say there was no need?"

When his teeth bit down on her porcelain neck, a paralyzing pleasure surged through her.

Josie looked up in surprise before turning her face away in pain. "Everything is fine now, so naturally, there's no need for you to stay."

To Dexter, she clearly sounded like she wanted to draw boundaries.

"Quit playing innocent. I don't believe a word you say." Dexter leaned in, gripping her chin tightly. "You're saying all this because you believe we shouldn't be involved with each other."

The evening had already been chaotic, so Josie's mind was practically on the brink of shutdown, and she was unable to stop herself from blurting, "Isn't that so?"

Upon hearing these words, both of them were momentarily taken aback.

The dim light within the car cast a shadow of uncertainty between them. Dexter's brows furrowed slightly, his grip loosening as he slowly pulled back his hand. Snapping back to her senses, Josie grabbed the man's wrist, her expression fraught with panic. "That's not what I meant."

So she still knows that she should try to salvage this. Unfortunately, some words, once spoken, can't be taken back.

"Josie." He said mockingly, "In your eyes, I'm the one who made mistakes, so no matter how I try to make amends, you won't fall for me again. Is that it?" The question was straightforward, hitting right where it hurt.

In truth, Josie wanted to say no.

Yet, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Some feelings were too complex to articulate in a fleeting moment, especially when she herself was unsure of her own thoughts.

Her brief silence said it all.

Dexter returned to his original spot, pulling out a tissue to wipe away the bead of her blood that clung to the corner of his mouth. His eyes held a hint of indifference. As he reined in his emotions, he became incredibly aloof.

"Get off. I'm leaving now."

Josie parted her lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, she didn't speak up.