Chapter 28: You kiss me in your sleep
Anna had barely slipped into sleep when the quiet creak of her door stirred the silence. Footsteps padded across the floor, steady yet faint, and before she could stir awake, the side of her bed dipped.
A strong arm slid around her waist, caging her in.
"Hm... warm," she murmured unconsciously, snuggling closer—until the embrace tightened, almost suffocating, pulling her sharply into awareness.
Her eyes flew open.
What she saw first was the rise and fall of a broad chest, and then—dark eyes staring down at her, intense and unblinking.
Her entire body stiffened. Daniel.
Anna’s instinct screamed to retreat, to scramble away, but before she could move, his arm locked her in place.
"How is it fair," his voice was low, hoarse, but laced with something almost... wounded, "that you kiss me in your sleep, and when I do the same, you slap me?"
Anna froze, mind reeling. ’Kiss him? When did she—’ her thoughts trail off as she looked back at Daniel.
She had braced herself for Daniel’s fury over the slap, over her defiance, but instead of rage, he spoke as though airing a grievance. A soft complaint, almost boyishly petulant. It disarmed her more than his anger ever could.
"Daniel, w-what are you doing here? On my bed? Just get up and go back to your room," she demanded, forcing her tone to stay level, though her pulse thrashed against her ribs.
But he didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. His gaze burned into her, unwavering.
"No. I won’t." His voice dropped lower, weighted with something she couldn’t place. "Not until you tell me why you hate me so much."
Anna faltered. His words weren’t cold—they were desperate. A command wrapped in yearning.
Her brows furrowed, lips parting, when something sharp hit her senses. She leaned closer, hesitant, and drew in a faint whiff.
Her eyes widened. ’Alcohol.’
"Holy freak," she whispered under her breath, darting her gaze back to his face. "Don’t tell me you’re drunk."
Daniel didn’t deny it. Didn’t even care. His face remained unreadable, save for the drowsy intensity in his eyes that seemed to strip her bare.
Panic twisted inside her chest. She couldn’t risk this. She couldn’t risk being close to him—not when one memory from her past still festered like poison, reminding her of what it felt like to be discarded, to be treated as if she were nothing.
"Daniel, get up. Let me take you back to your room," she said quickly, tugging at his arm.
But his hold only grew firmer, pulling her flush against him.
"You didn’t answer me, Anna." His voice rumbled low, more insistent now. "Why do you hate me?"
Her breath stilled.
If only he knew. If only she could tell him the truth—that she had already lived this life once, that in the end, his coldness had crushed her, killed her. That she was reborn only to make things right. But how could she? No one, not even him, would believe it. They’d lock her away in an asylum.
Her lips trembled, her throat tight as she finally whispered the only truth she dared to speak:
"Because your heart... belongs to Kathrine."
Daniel’s body stilled, his grip slackening for the briefest moment. His eyes, clouded with alcohol, searched hers as though trying to grasp the meaning of her words—but the haze won.
And then, inch by inch, he leaned closer.
Anna’s breath caught, panic sparking through her veins. Her knee twitched, ready to send him to the floor again if he dared—
But before she could react, his weight collapsed onto her.
"..."
Daniel went limp, his face burying against the crook of her neck, his arms tightening around her like iron shackles.
Anna froze. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. His warmth seeped into her, the steady rhythm of his breath brushing her skin, and the nearness was unbearable. How in the world had they ended up like this?
A shaky breath slipped past her lips as she mustered every ounce of strength to push him off. But her effort was in vain.
He didn’t move. Not an inch.
Her brows pinched, and frustration curled her lips.
"What does this man even eat?" she muttered under her breath, panting. "Steel? Bricks? Cement?"
She shoved again, but his hold only tightened, dragging her deeper into his chest. It was as though even in unconsciousness, Daniel refused to let her go.
Anna flopped back with a defeated sigh. The fight left her bones, and weariness dragged at her eyes.
Regret flickered—maybe she should have aimed for his groin again—but it was too late.
The warmth of his body, the quiet rise and fall of his chest, and the faint, steady beat of his heart lulled her against her will.
Before she knew it, the heaviness in her lids took over.
And slowly against every protest in her mind Anna’s eyes fluttered shut, her body sinking into an uneasy sleep, still trapped in Daniel’s arms.
....
It wasn’t until the morning sun pierced through the curtains that Anna stirred awake. She squirmed beneath the heavy warmth pinning her down, her body slick with sweat.
Her lashes fluttered open, and the hazy blur sharpened into—
A face.
A maddeningly handsome face.
For a heartbeat, the world stilled. Then, like a cruel slap, the memories from last night came flooding back—his drunken ramblings, his weight crushing her, his arms refusing to let go.
Her breath hitched. Her pupils widened.
And then—
"Daniel Clafford, how dare you sleep with me!"
Her voice rang through the room like a war cry as adrenaline surged. Before her brain could process logic, her body acted.
With one violent shove, Anna pushed him—
Thud!
Daniel hit the floor with a groan, half-awake, his hair tousled, shirt half unbuttoned, looking every bit like a fallen Greek god... except one who’d just been rudely evicted from paradise.
"...What the hell, woman?" he rasped, voice thick with sleep as he blinked up at her in disbelief.
Anna shot up in bed, clutching the blanket around her like armor, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Y-You—you sneaky devil! You crawled into my bed last night!"
Daniel ran a hand through his messy hair, his jaw tightening. "Correction. I lost my way to my bed. There’s a difference."
’Lost? What am I even saying’ Daniel exclaimed mentally.
He knew he had too much to drink last night, but he had no clue that he would leave his room and come to her bed to sleep.
"Don’t you dare correct me!" she snapped, her cheeks blazing. "You—you caged me all night like some... some oversized pillow!"
His lips twitched—half in irritation, half in amusement—as his dark eyes finally met hers. "You didn’t exactly push me away either, Anna. In fact..." His gaze sharpened, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I’d say you looked pretty comfortable."
Anna’s jaw dropped. Her face turned red hot. "You...you how can you invade my privacy"
Daniel leaned back on his elbows from the floor, his voice dripping with mockery. "Just like you invaded mine"
Daniel didn’t remembered much but he did remember telling her how she kissed him in his sleep. And much to his amusement Anna got it.
"You—you liar!" Anna sputtered, utterly scandalized.
She had no idea when and now she kissed him, but the utterly devilish look on his face caught her by surprise.
Daniel’s smirk deepened as he stretched leisurely, as though he hadn’t just been hurled off the bed. "You can deny it all you want, but if I recall... you snuggled closer."
"Arghhh! I’ll kill you!" Anna grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him with all her might.
Daniel caught it midair, eyes glinting with infuriating calm. "If this is how every morning starts with you, I might actually get used to it."
Anna’s scream echoed through the mansion, making Mariam drop her tray of tea outside the door.
Leaving Anna behind, Daniel stepped out of the room, his composure barely intact—only to freeze when he found Mariam standing in the corridor.
The old woman’s eyes widened in utter disbelief, as though she had just witnessed a crime scene. Daniel’s faint smile vanished instantly.
He cleared his throat, straightening his collar like nothing had happened. "I’ll be having breakfast with Anna," he said flatly, before striding away without sparing her another glance.
But the moment he entered his own room and shut the door behind him, everything stilled.
The mask of calm slipped.
The fun, the smirks, the teasing—all of it evaporated, leaving behind only the heavy weight of shame pressing against his chest.
His hands clenched into fists as the memory of last night flooded him—his drunken intrusion into her room, the way he clung to her like a desperate man, and refused to let go.
Daniel raked his fingers through his hair, his jaw locking tight.
’Get a grip, Daniel. What the hell is wrong with you?’
He had never lost control before. Never allowed his emotions or worse, his desires to dictate his actions. Yet around Anna, everything slipped.
And for the first time in his life, Daniel Clafford felt something dangerously unfamiliar—
Embarrassment.