When I feel his firm erection pressing against my center, I experience the kind of pleasure that nothing else can even come close to. I moan loudly with need, wanting him to start rubbing against me, unable to wait.
And then he pulls off abruptly, as if he burned his lips on mine, breathing hard, much heavier than when he was running.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispers, lowering his gaze, guilt all over his face.
He pulls away a little bit more, simply to put me back onto the ground. My legs are shaking, and I can barely stand, so he keeps holding me by the waist to help me.
"I'm sorry, Katie, I shouldn't do this," he says with his eyes closed as if he's so ashamed of his actions that he cannot even look at me.
What is he talking about? Hurting those men? Or does he feel guilty because of the kiss? But why? What if he's married?
The thought crosses my mind, and an unpleasant, bitter feeling covers my body, replacing the pleasure I felt before.
Am I...jealous? But how could I be? We don't even know each other.
"I'll drive you home" is the only thing he says before grabbing me into his arms again, this time bridal style, and walking silently out of the forest.
I put my head on his chest, curling up in his strong arms, so exhausted that I can barely even breathe, much less say anything.
And only when we're almost next to his car do I realize that my ear was pressed to his chest this whole time, but I didn't hear a heartbeat.
Chapter Seven
Katie
Raphael drove me home silently, without even looking at me. Only after I left his car did I realize that he didn't even ask for my home address; he knew it in advance. After such an intense night, I thought I would be tired and fall asleep fast, but I couldn't: Too many different thoughts were rushing through my head.
Who is this man? Is he really what I think he is?Of course, those two questions repeated themselves hundreds of times even though I couldn't answer them, even to myself. And even though I thought most of the night about what happened, I couldn't come to a decision: What was my attitude towards Raphael Darrington?
At three in the morning, I can't lie in bed any longer. I walk to the window to take a look at the night sky. Sometimes I do that and, if I am lucky, the sky isn't as cloudy as usual, and I can see the stars.
But this time I don't even look at the sky, because in a shadow in the distance, I see Raphael's car, parked next to my house as if he is guarding me. I know he is inside, and I know that he sees me standing there. I know that he won't leave. And that's when I go back to my bed and fall asleep, knowing for sure that I am safe.
When I wake up six hours later, I go straight to the window to see if he is still there. The spot under the tree next to the road is empty. Not even a hint that someone has been watching me.
For a second, I find myself thinking that maybe it was all just a dream. But then I see my car parked next to my house. How did he manage to get it here when he was here all night? He didn't even have a key. Did he call a tow truck to bring it? I guess I'll never know.
I go to my sister Marie's bedroom. She isn't there. For the first time in my life, she was the first one to wake up. She left a note that she went to the hospital and didn't want to wake me up because I was sleeping so peacefully when she came to my room.
That's true: I haven't sleep so well in a long time. And usually, if she'd come to my room during the night, I would wake up; I'm a very light sleeper. But this time, I slept deeply and felt really rested when I woke up.
On the kitchen table, I find another message: a letter from my boss Jen. She said she understands the situation and knows that I won't come back for work today, and I don't need to pay the penalty or work two more weeks as I should've according to the contract I signed when she hired me.
But how does Jen already know what happened yesterday? I didn't call her, and the pub is still closed. Did Raphael tell her? Did he pay the penalty? Or did he threaten her? And how did the letter from Jen get to our house? Was Raphael here while I was asleep?
A shiver covers my body from that last thought, and I take a seat at the table. For some reason, the idea of Raphael here, in my house, does not scare me. Goosebumps cover my body from excitement and...pleasure?
He saw me sleeping. I was defenselessly vulnerable in my bed while I wasn't aware that he was there. He could have done anything with me at that moment. And he did nothing; he only watched.
I feel an odd, intense pulsation between my legs, and it becomes stronger with every moment of thinking about that. I squeeze my legs to shut it down, but it only increases more, the arousal building up with a greater force.
I shouldn't think about him like that; he's the wrong man. He's probably not even human, but a creature who can destroy anything in his way. He has probably killed before...
I exhale deeply and close my eyes, trying to calm down, hoping this immense lust will go away soon, but it doesn't. It grows more vigorous, and I lower my hand, placing it between my legs, right on the center.
My nightgown is so thin that I can feel my clit throbbing under the fabric. I squeeze it with my fingers as hard as I can, hoping the pain will stop me from feeling what I feel.
But I can't...My mind remembers every single detail of yesterday's kiss with Raphael. No one had ever kissed me like that before, not even close, or touched me with such an animal desire. The way he made my body feel was entirely new for me.