"No, you're reading too much into it," Ashley said calmly, shaking her head as she unwrapped a disinfectant swab and moved closer to his neck. "Stay still. I need to disinfect this."
Gabriel grunted in acknowledgment, remaining still as the cold disinfectant brushed over the wound. Ashley blew gently on it, hoping to speed up the drying process.
Throughout the procedure, Gabriel's gaze never left her. Just as she finished screwing the cap back on the bottle, he whispered, "Ashley..."
His hand unintentionally rested on her waist as he leaned in. "What perfume are you wearing?"
"It's not perfume. It's just my shampoo," Ashley replied, brushing off his wandering hand.
Once the disinfectant had dried, she carefully placed a bandage over the wound. "All done."
After cleaning up, Ashley st
