CHAPTER 74: WHEN TOMORROW COMES

There was a chance that the intruder was simply a thief looking for something valuable. It wasn’t like there was anything worth stealing inside of my bedroom, but if I pretended to be asleep, he might leave when he was done getting what he came for. That beacon of hope evaporated in an instant when I felt something soft and warm brushing against the side of my face.

"Are you really sleeping so soundly?" a familiar voice asked me in a low whisper. I could no longer feign sleep at the sound of that voice, and my eyes immediately snapped open.

"I figured you might have trouble falling asleep tonight, and I guess that I wasn’t wrong," the voice said knowingly as his hand moved to stroke the side of my face in a slow, tantalizing motion that brought goosebumps to my skin.

Why is he here? What is he doing here?

The mattress of the bed shifted under his weight as he climbed into bed with me. I felt the heat of his caress along my arm, and it took all the effort inside of me to suppress my moan.

"Are you still going to pretend that you’re asleep?" he whispered close to my ear, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was clear that my act did not fool him at all.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" I asked in a shaky voice as I sat up in bed and turned to face him. Since it was no use pretending to be asleep, I thought it would be better to face him head-on. Laying down on the bed clearly put me at a disadvantageous position, so I thought that sitting up would somehow raise my guard against him.

"I thought you might be waiting for me," he said as he came closer.

"That’s nonsense. Why would I be waiting for you?" I asked as I shrunk back. Raphael leaned towards me, and my entire body stiffened. Just when I thought that he would pull me into his embrace, his hand reached past me to switch on the lamp on my bedside table. Warm orange light flooded the room from where the lamp stood, and I could see him much more clearly than before.

"Why are you here?" I repeated my question once again as I folded my arms protectively across my chest.

"I thought that you might have trouble sleeping tonight," he said as he placed his hands on my shoulders and his eyes seemed to scan my face.

I had no idea why he thought that I would have trouble sleeping that night, but I had to admit that he was spot-on correct. Raphael probably did not know anything about what Rosabella had said to me regarding the secret of his family business, but that truly wasn’t the only thing that was weighing on my mind.

"I think I was sleeping just fine," I told him, although I did not sound at all confident.

"My engagement to Rosabella is tomorrow," Raphael said so passively as if he was talking about someone else.

"I know that already," I said, hating how bitter I sounded.

"Do you have anything that you wish to tell me?" he asked as if he was baiting me.

"I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I don’t think I have anything to tell you," I said as I felt myself getting both stubborn and also slightly embarrassed. I had no idea why he was asking me these things because no matter what I had to say, the outcome would still be the same. When dawn arrived along with tomorrow, Raphael would get officially engaged to Rosabella, and I told myself that that was the best outcome for everyone.

"You should return to your room. Your engagement is tomorrow, and you’ll need to wake up very early," I reminded him coldly.

"I’m more interested in you than anything else right now," he said as he stroked his hands slowly down my arms. I could feel his eyes on my face, but I was too scared of what might happen if I met his gaze.

"You should leave," I repeated as I tried to get further away from him. There clearly wasn’t enough space on the bed for me to evade him, but just when I was about to get out of bed, Raphael pulled on my arm and yanked me back. I landed backwards against something hard as his arms tightened around my waist. I let out a small cry of surprise as he pulled me back against his muscular body.

I could feel my heart racing in my chest as our bodies pressed against each other, and I could feel both his body heat and his warm breath tickling the back of my earlobe. The short satin nightgown that I had on proved to be too thin to shield my body from his. I could feel his hard and well-formed muscles against my back as his large, manly hands began caressing my waist through the thin fabric of my nightgown. Struggling against him only made me appear to be more excited as his hands continued to roam over my body in seductive motions.

"Raphael, please," I pleaded before everything would get out of control.

"I want to hear you moan sweetly for me,’" Raphael whispered seductively into my ear. I could hear the desire in his low and deep whisper. Before I could deny him, his hands moved up to cup my breasts.

"Ahhh..." I let out a moan of pure pleasure despite my efforts to hold it in.

It had become so clear why he had visited me so late at night. Perhaps I knew the moment that I heard the soft knocks on my door that Raphael was here to take me, but I had been ignoring the possibility for my own convenience.

"Please stop, tomorrow..." I protested softly before trailing off.

"Let’s worry about tomorrow when the time comes. Right now, I want you to focus on me and tonight," he whispered so seductively that my core quivered as heat burned deep inside of me.

–To be continued...