CHAPTER 112: DISTRACTING EMBRACE

I cast my eyes downwards in silence as I admitted to myself that perhaps Raphael was right, I wasn’t at all ready to know the truth or to bear its consequences. After closing my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out to clear my head. Whatever the truth was, it wasn’t clean and simple. However, one thing was clear to me, and that was I needed to protect my mother above all costs.

Suddenly, Raphael leaned in closer, his eyes searching mine as if looking for an answer.

"I advise that you stop torturing yourself endlessly with these questions that you’re not ready for the answer to. Right now, the only thing you need to worry about is to get enough rest," Raphael said before he placed his large and warm hand on the top of my head. Before I could respond, his hand slipped down to cup the side of my cheek, and I found myself staring upwards into his eyes.

"Rapha..." I murmured his name, but I couldn’t complete it.

His lips suddenly captured mine, and it felt like all was lost. The kiss was soft at first, serving as a gentle distraction from the storm that was raging in my head. I felt myself surrendering without any hesitation as his hand slid to the back of my neck to hold me close. All I could think of was him, and all I could feel was him, his lips moving gently against mine with a tenderness that made my chest ache.

In that moment, everything melted away completely. All the questions, the confusion, and all the fear no longer mattered or had a place in my mind. I just wanted to be with him, and perhaps that was the only truth that I needed. Our kiss quickly grew hungry, as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. When he finally pulled back, I was left breathless and yearning for more.

"You are safe with me, and that is all that matters tonight," Raphael said before he leaned in to kiss me once again.

Raphael pressed his lips gently against mine with a tenderness that made my core quiver and my heart ache. The way he handled me was so full of care, as if he feared that I might shatter under his touch. However, it didn’t take long for our kiss to deepen, showcasing our desire for each other. The restraint that he had placed on himself started to slip as his fingers slipped to the back of my neck to pull me closer. I felt myself melting into him, letting his warmth seep into me and chase away all of the lingering coldness and fear that I felt.

Every passionate touch of his lips, every brush of his hand against the curves of my body, felt like he was trying to tell me something that even words could not convey. I clung to him desperately, my hands gripping the front of his shirt before I threw my arms around his neck and ran my fingers into his hair as I kissed him back with wild abandon. Our tongues entwined in a wild dance as we lost ourselves in the heat of our passion.

"Gail, you’re a very strong girl. You’re very brave, and you should never think otherwise," Raphael whispered huskily against my lips, his voice thick with emotions.

I wanted to believe that that was true, but there were times when I couldn’t help but feel so small and so helpless. I did fail to notice that at times like those, I always thought of Raphael.

"I don’t know what I’d do without you," I whispered honestly as my voice trembled.

"Stay with me and you’ll never have to find out," Raphael replied with a teasing smirk on his lips.

In one swift movement, Raphael climbed into the bed with me and straddled me. His gray eyes, as he looked down at me, captivated all of my attention until all I could see and think about was him. I felt an intense need for him to be close to me. I opened my arms to welcome him as he lay down and crushed his lips against mine again. The kiss was much deeper this time, filled with intense emotions, some of them I couldn’t comprehend. His hands roamed around the curves of my body, sliding down from my chest all the way to my waist, while the other cradled my face with care. His tongue slipped between my lips, and I welcomed it gladly with my own. I twirled my tongue against his as I enjoyed the pleasure of feeling the weight of his body on top of mine.

"Where did he touch you?" Raphael asked in a voice so tender that my core quivered.

The caring look that he had in his eyes made me unsure of how to react. On one hand, I didn’t want to talk about it or recall what Daniel had done to me; however, on the other hand, I wanted Raphael to touch me and kiss me all over.

"Raphael, I don’t want to..." I began protesting, but he placed his index finger against my lips.

"I’ll take it all away. I’ll erase it all. I’ll erase the traces of him and all the pain that you feel," he said like a promise, and I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop him.

Raphael took my hand and kissed the back of it tenderly before trailing kisses slowly along my arm. I felt goosebumps form on my skin as each brush of his lips seemed to set my skin on fire. It took a lot of effort for me not to moan out loud from the pleasure. Raphael’s eyes watched my every reaction as I slowly unraveled beneath his touch. He suddenly leaned in and kissed the nape of my neck, and I felt like I was ready to lose all control. I arched my neck to the side to grant him easier access to my soft and tender skin. Raphael willingly accepted my invitation as he began trailing kisses along the side of my neck.

–To be continued...