Yet, the gentle tone of his voice and the warmth of the coat enveloping her stirred warmth within her.
Nevertheless, she retorted, âWhy would I be upset?â
Carlow nodded, studying her.
âAh, I see.
Agents usually are thick-skinned.
I assumed you wouldnât be bothered by a couple of jokes from me.
â
Karina was taken aback by his comment, the warmth she felt fleeting as she shot him a cold stare.
She was momentarily speechless.
A flicker of amusement danced in Carlowâs eyes as he looked down at his shirt.
âYou did get my shirt dirty.
Perhaps you should help me clean it, hmm?â he suggested teasingly.
Karina glanced at the water stain on his shirt, her embarrassment resurfacing.
âFine, Iâll clean it when we get back,â she conceded, tossing the coat back to him.
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âAnd another thing, please refrain from unnecessary closeness!â she blurted out, recalling how he had lent her his shoulder in the car.
Couldnât he have just woken her up?
That incident had left her feeling utterly mortified.
Without waiting for a response, Karina turned on her heel and briskly walked towards the apartment building, eager to escape the awkwardness.
As she retreated, Carlow chuckled softly to himself, realizing she was genuinely upset.
It seemed he had pushed the joke too far.
Hurrying after her, he caught sight of Karina stepping into the closing elevator and called out, âHold the elevator!â
Karina stood there, giving Carlow the silent treatment as the elevator doors closed gently.
Noticing her stubbornness, Carlow took a large step forward and pressed the open button just in time, causing the doors to reopen.
Despite Karinaâs tense expression, Carlow couldnât help but chuckle softly as he stepped into the elevator.
âDidnât I ask you to wait? Were you ignoring me on purpose?â
Karina replied with a poker face, âDid you ask me to wait? You simply said, âHold the elevator.
â My hearingâs just fine.
â
Carlow looked at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
âAre you genuinely upset?â
Karina remained silent, refusing to engage.
Sensing her unease, Carlow tone softened.
âIâm sorry, I.
I like to joke around with people I get along with.
I hope you donât mind.
â
He had intended to say he liked to joke with those he was interested in, but he changed his wording, afraid of making her uncomfortable.
Karina remained silent.
Carlow moved closer, gently coaxing, âWhat can I do to make things right?â