"You… how did you get back? Does the hospital know? How's your injury?"
Sophia buried her head in his chest. She hadn't intended to ask anything, just seeing him standing there, alive and well, filled her with gratitude. It was as if the heavens had heard her wishes and sent him back. But she couldn't help herself—concern for his health made her ask.
"I was afraid you'd run off, so I came back to keep an eye on you," Capone replied softly. His voice, though gentle, had regained its strength, just like before. He pressed a kiss to her soft hair.
"I promised I'd wait for you to recover, didn't I? Don't you trust me?" Sophia looked up at him, pouting with indignation.
Capone shook his head. How could he explain it? It wasn't that he didn't trust her—it was more that he didn't fully trust himself to be able to win her over, to make her willingly stay by his side.
He pulled up the hood of her jacket to keep her warm, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and sat with her on the steps, watching the fading fireworks. Even though the display was nearly over, the feeling of having someone by his side made all the difference. It felt like they could sit there forever, even without the fireworks. Just the two of them—time could stretch into eternity.
"Are you cold?"
Sophia shook her head. "I'm not cold. I'm wearing a really thick jacket today, and a wool sweater too. Look..." She tugged at her collar to show him.
Capone glanced at her and nodded. "Yeah, but it'll be a hassle to take all that off later."
Realizing what he meant, Sophia's face turned bright red. "You… all you ever think about is taking advantage of me! You're not even fully recovered yet!"
"So, when I am recovered, I can think about it and act on it too?"
Sophia, at a loss for words, pouted and ignored him. Capone pulled her back into his arms. "How come you never ask if I'm cold?"
"Do I even need to ask? You'd just say you're not cold, not in pain, and that you're fine... all those things." She mumbled, feeling awkward about expressing such concerns out loud, especially with him so fully awake.
Capone gazed at her and kissed her forehead.
In truth, he was just like anyone else—he got cold, he felt pain. But he was so used to no one caring, it didn't make much difference whether he said it or not.
"Are you cold? Does your wound still hurt?" After a pause, Sophia looked up at him, placing her hand on his chest to check. "Why are you wearing so little?"
"If you keep touching me, I'll think you're trying to seduce me," he teased, grabbing her small hand, which was cold. He brought it to his lips, kissed it, and blew warm air on it to warm her up.
Sophia felt her heart warm as well. She rested her head on his shoulder and said, "You're just like my brother. When I was little and my hands were cold, he would warm them up for me like this."
Capone's hand paused for a moment. "I'm not your brother. Don't compare me to those two guys!"
"What's wrong with that? They're great too, and they care about me a lot!"
"I don't care about you enough? You're really so eager to go home, back to them?"
Sophia's face fell slightly as she mumbled softly, "I haven't been home in over half a year. They're probably really worried! Besides, you don't care about me at all. You just like to bully me!"
Capone lifted her chin and locked eyes with her. "What did you just say? Say it again."
"Nothing!" Sophia quickly replied, but before she could react, Capone suddenly scooped her up into his arms. Startled, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to protest. "Don't! Your hand is still injured!"
"As long as you don't struggle, my wound will be fine. I'm not even using that much strength with this hand," Capone reassured her.
Hearing that, Sophia stopped squirming and let him carry her obediently back to the room.
The room was warm, the curtains drawn, and the only sound was the gentle lapping of the sea outside. Capone set her down on the bed and sat beside her, carefully removing her thick coat and tossing it aside.
Sophia's cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue—whether from the cold outside or the warmth inside, it was hard to tell. Her wide eyes stared up at him, filled with a mixture of reproach and shyness.
"And you still say you're not bullying me?"
Capone chuckled, pulling the down comforter over her before slipping into the bed himself. "I never said I was going to do anything. You're the one overthinking it."
"You!" Sophia puffed her cheeks, but before she could continue, Capone interrupted.
"I'm exhausted. Let me sleep for a bit."
He pulled her close, resting his head in the curve of her shoulder, both of them reclining half-sitting against the headboard. Inhaling the faint, sweet scent on her skin, he murmured, "That night on the boat… I slept just like this, didn't I?"
"You remember?" Sophia was surprised. She thought his mind had been foggy from the fever.
"I remember your scent. I couldn't forget it."
Sophia blushed. With him nestled beside her, speaking softly, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and security.
"I… I want to see your wound," she said hesitantly.
Capone didn't refuse. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto the floor, revealing his tanned skin. The stark white bandage on his arm stood out sharply against it.
"Does it still hurt?" Sophia asked, her hand gently touching him, careful not to cause any pain, yet eager to unwrap the bandage and take a look.
Capone pressed her hand down. "I just changed the dressing; it's too early to take a look now, and it doesn't hurt much!"
"Oh!" Sophia withdrew her hand. She still remembered the feeling of the knife slicing through flesh to extract the bullet. If only her skills had been better, would he have avoided the infection and high fever?
"The doctor said... the wound was treated well, and the bullet was removed in time!"
Capone seemed to sense her thoughts; as he spoke, he pulled her hand to his chest, guiding her unwittingly.
When Sophia felt the heat of his skin beneath her palm, she suddenly wanted to pull away, but found she couldn't move.
"Isn't it a bit late to be shy now?" Capone teased, looking at her flushed cheeks.
Sophia stole a glance at his muscular torso; the wild contours and deep, dark skin made her cheeks burn. The white wolf tattoo on his chest came alive in her mind.
He leaned closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his body heat penetrating the fabric of her clothes, enveloping her completely in a scent she was familiar with.
"Aren't you going to sleep? It's late; oh, it's already past midnight!" she said.
"Yeah, happy New Year!"
He kissed her earlobe, lovingly capturing it, gently licking with his tongue. His voice was rich like wine, deeply enticing Sophia. She turned to look at him, her rosy lips brushing against his eyelashes.
"What's wrong? You look incredulous!"
Sophia shook her head, wanting to laugh a little. "It's nothing... just that I'm not used to you being so polite and gentle!"
He actually wished her a happy New Year first!
"Only for you; I haven't said it to anyone else!"
Sophia felt tickled by his warm, moist breath. Turning seriously, she said, "What about Christmas? You didn't wish me a Merry Christmas that day!"
"Why take foreign holidays so seriously?"
"You've lived in America for quite some time, haven't you? Didn't you celebrate Christmas or eat Christmas pie?"
Capone furrowed his brow. "Back then, we didn't have it so comfortable and easy. Every holiday came with tasks and training because that's when people are most prone to relax. We were taught from a young age not to let our guard down; instead, we could use that opportunity to strike against our opponents!"
"How heartless... I wasn't talking about you! Now that no one is forcing you, can't you celebrate the holidays?"
"Yeah!" Capone replied vaguely, holding her close.
He couldn't tell her that once they chose this path, the grudges and debts weren't something that could be resolved in a year or two. No matter whether his harsh father was still alive, he couldn't afford to slow down.
"Happy New Year, and Merry Christmas! This is a belated blessing!"
Sophia's sweet voice brought him back to reality. Yes, at least he still had her...
"Is that all? Nothing else?" He leaned in to kiss her lips, his body rubbing against hers, making her feel just how much he desired her.
"You're a grown man now; do you still want a gift?"
"My demands aren't high; I can reluctantly accept this gift!"
"You said you were going to sleep!"
"I take it back; I want to open my gift first!"