When fate plays its hand
hand 513

Chapter 0513

Zach was flabbergasted. Winter was truly an expert at giving compliments.

“All done,” he said as he turned off the blow dryer.

Winter casually ran her fingers through her hair. It was smooth but not dry. Zach did surprisingly well.

“How is it?” he asked.

For the first time, Winter gave him some credit. “You should open a hair salon. I’d sign up for a membership right away.”

Zach was at a loss for words. Should he be thanking her?

Yawning, Winter walked over to her bed. She plopped down and rolled herself into the blanket like a burrito. “I’m going to sleep. Turn off the light for me and close the door on your way out. Goodnight!” “Am I your butler or something?” Zach complained inwardly. Even so, he obediently turned off the light and quietly shut the bedroom door behind him.

Winter, tipsy from the wine, quickly fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

Meanwhile, Zach, who was now alone, eyed the half–finished wine in the decanter. After a moment

thought, he poured himself another glass.

of

One glass turned into two, then three, until the decanter was completely empty. He could feel the buzz from the wine hitting him hard, leaving him light–headed and pleasantly detached.

It was a great vintage wine, and the alcohol was really getting to him now. He slumped onto the couch, thinking he would rest briefly before heading home. However, that “brief rest” turned into him falling asleep on the couch.

In the middle of the night, Winter woke up thirsty and went to get some water. As she opened her bedroom door, she noticed the living room lights were still on.

Drowsy and half–asleep, she assumed she had just forgotten to turn them off earlier. Without thinking much of it, she turned the lights off on her way to the kitchen.

After drinking a glass of water, she made her way back to her room. But as she walked past the couch, something unexpected happened. Someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Her entire body stiffened, and she was immediately wide awake. On instinct, she lashed out at the dark. figure that had grabbed her.

But before she could land a hit, her arm was intercepted by a warm, strong hand. Now, both of her wrists were restrained.

“Zach?

Just as she was about to unleash her fury, he yanked her forward with surprising force, causing her to stumble and fall straight into his chest.

His warm, muscular chest reeked of alcohol.

+25 BONU:

Chapter 0513

“What the hell are you doing?” she snapped, genuinely angry now.

However, in the next second, Zach’s fingers threaded through her hair, gently grazing her scalp before lightly brushing against her earlobe.

Winter shivered, and her whole body tingled from the sensation. “You-”

Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt the world flip upside down. The next thing she knew, she was pinned beneath him on the couch.

“Zach Graham, what the hell is wrong with you? I told you to leave! Why are you still here, sleeping on my couch?”

“Winter…”

Her anger halted abruptly at the sound of his voice; it sounded soft and intimate in the dark. She was confused now. “You-”

“Winter,” he said again, even softer this time, his tone almost tender. She suddenly realized she hadn’t imagined him calling her name so intimately…

“Zach, let me-”

He pressed his lips to hers, effectively silencing her.

Their lips touched, and Winter thought her brain had exploded. She was completely overwhelmed.

She wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted. It could have been seconds or maybe minutes. Time seemed to blur together. When she finally came to her senses, she mumbled incoherently, trying to push him away.

The sound of Zach chuckling echoed in the dark, “Winter, don’t you want this?”