"Can I come in?"

"Why?" she was confused.

"Uhm, I just want to look at Clark. Would you mind?" she opened the door and walks ahead of him. He sat on the bed beside Clark. He caresses the child's face and planted a small kiss on his forehead.

"Are you done checking on Clark?" Clifford knitted his brows as if he's sensing something was off.

"Who's on the phone a while ago?" he nonchalantly asks.

"Are you checking on me, too?" she blurted out.

"Woah! Why are you so cranky this very early? Is there something wrong?" he slowly stood up and went to where she was standing.

'Oh no! Please don't!' she screamed in her thoughts. To avoid him, she looks for some diversion. 'Ahh, the bathroom!' she then slowly went to the bathroom.

"Look, I really have to change so that I could go home." She opened the bathroom's door and before she could fully went inside her right arm is caught by some big yet slightly rough hands.

She looks at the hands and then up to his face with a questioning glare.

"Are you avoiding me, Ingrid?" his voice sent s.h.i.+vers on her spine and she knew that Clifford could well see it. His eyes were like sucking her soul that she could not dare to move.

"N-no. I was just in a hurry." She felt that his grip loosened a bit.

"I am sorry. I was just not use of us being so cold to each other. As a matter of fact, I've been used in treating you as the close and trusted friend, like a very close family member." She blinks her eyes at what she hears.

'A friend?! What are talking about, man! You could never be friends with the suppose mother of your child!' her thoughts screamed again which made her furious even more. She could not understand why she is acting so immature in front of him.

"We are always civil towards each other, Cliff. It will stay the same unless there are some changes in the near future, for now bear my treatment."

'Cliff...' he never realize how sweet that name is until Ingrid uttered it.

"Say it again?"

"We are always civil –"

"No, not that. The part that you say my name. Say it again, please." Ingrid gulped.

"Are you nuts?!" she protested.

"Please, just once..." there is something with his pleading that she could not help it but follow.

"Cliff..." she almost whispered.

Clifford suddenly pulls her into his arms and kissed her pa.s.sionately. Ingrid tried to wriggle again from his strong clutch, but the hands on her waste are much more powerful. The more she struggled the more he pulled her closer to him. Her heart raced like she was riding on a horse in a race.

"Mr. Briggs..." she gasped.

"Say that again and I will pin you to bed." He said in between the kiss.

"Cliff, please, uhmp,"

"Please what?" Ingrid was little by little lost in the pa.s.sionate kiss he and Clifford shared.

"Ummppp, please let me go. Clark is – " She finally said it.

That hit Clifford and pulled himself gently from her.

"Geez, that was beautiful..." Clifford said hoa.r.s.ely.

"Oh goodness! You are such a dork!"

She shut the bathroom door and slammed it before his face and leaned on it. The thought of him again kissing her this time pa.s.sionately makes her quiver.

'Lord, what is he doing to me? Please give me strength to overcome this temptation.'

She heard Clifford chuckled. "I know you like it much as I do. And I am not sorry for what I did, you are my soon-to-be-wife and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Get the h.e.l.l out of here!" she said from inside the bathroom, her face was so furious.

"Ahh, I love it when you are on you are in a fiery and feisty mood!" he grinned and teased her at the same time.

"Ugghhh!!!!" she screamed and she does not care if Clark will wake up.

But Clifford keeps on laughing. Her blood boils at the sound of his laugh. She no longer understands herself, she loves the smell of him, his kiss and the next thing she knew she was furious of him.