Third person's POV
Using his height advantage, Derek reached out and covered the wall switch with his hand, preventing Tabitha from turning on the light.
He really didn't want her to see him in such an embarrassed state.
"Tabitha, trust me, I'm fine. Go be with Ayla," he said, trying to reassure her.
The more he tried to hide the truth, the more concerned Tabitha became.
She was certain he was hurt and just trying to protect her from worrying.
With Derek blocking her from turning on the light, Tabitha reached out to touch him, wanting to find out where he was injured.
Derek, already on edge, felt like he was about to lose control.
"Don't touch me," he managed to suppress his voice.
"Then tell me what's wrong with you," Tabitha insisted.
"I'm fine," he repeated.
But Tabitha didn't believe him. The amount of sweat on his body indicated a serious injury. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in such pain.
But where was the wound?
She fumbled around in the dark, touching and probing.
Unable to resist any longer, Derek suddenly pinned her down on the nearby single bed.
They both fell together, and Tabitha instinctively thought he was too weak from blood loss to stand, not considering anything else.
"Wilmot, where are you hurt? Tell me," she pleaded.
Her anxious voice tickled his ear, making him feel itchy.
Derek lay there, unmoving, panting heavily.
"Please, don't ask," he said.
He struggled to hold back the discomfort in his body, his voice starting to tremble.
Tabitha was extremely worried. "You can't stay like this. I'll take you to a doctor. I won't let anything happen to you."
Derek spoke in a seductive voice, "Do you really want to help me?"
"Of course, you've helped me for so long. If you're in danger, I'll help you too."
Tabitha replied, having come to consider him a friend over the time they'd spent together, despite her initial reluctance to get close to anyone.
"Okay," Derek said, swallowing hard.
Tabitha waited for him to explain what had happened, but the next moment, Derek's hands suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Their bodies pressed tightly together instantly, leaving her no chance to react.
The first thing she felt was the man's hard yet scorching body.
Then, she noticed a strange sensation along the edge of her thigh.
As a married woman and mother, she knew very well what it was.
But she had only ever been with Derek. She had never even held hands with another man, let alone been in such an intimate position.
Tabitha's body froze in response, her mind a whirlwind of confusion, as if a nuclear bomb had detonated in her head.
This, this was...
Derek could clearly feel the woman in his arms stop moving, her body as stiff as a board.
"You..." her voice trembled, realizing why Wilmot didn't want to tell her what had happened. Such a thing was hard to talk about.
Tabitha wished she could slap herself for being so eager to help.
But the words were out, and she didn't know how to take them back.
She asked hesitantly, "How did this happen?"
Derek's body heat wavered, and he gritted his teeth, responding, "I was drugged."
Even he had been drugged. It seemed the ship was indeed full of dangers.
Tabitha stammered, not knowing what to say, as she had no experience dealing with such situations.
"Maybe you should take a cold shower?" she suggested.
The hand on her waist was scorching, and Derek bit his teeth and whispered in her ear, "Help me..."