Thea

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I tried to keep my composure with the last of my strength, but under the searching gaze of those bloody eyes, it became more and more difficult to do it. For a second, it even seemed to me that the color of Raphael’s eyes became darker, deeper. It must be all the fault of a trick of the light.

He continued to provoke me with dirty words, and I didn’t know where to go from shame and embarrassment. I was angry at him, but his hands were doing some kind of magic with my body, and it refused to obey my mind. Stupid body, it’s like it’s in cahoots with Raphael, leaving me out. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Each of his touches responded in me with a tremor and a nascent flame. I wanted to be angry, I wanted to hate him, but... I wanted him... even more of his touch. Like last time.

No even more than last time.

I wanted to feel his lips on my skin, and especially on my lips.

My heart was squeezed by the pictures that my imagination and my memories drew.

But there was another important point that still helped me to stay afloat and did not let me rush into this shaky abyss.

Giselle.

And their upcoming wedding.

He takes me for a girl of easy virtue, who is so easy to use and throw away as an unnecessary thing when she fulfills the role assigned to her. The chest seemed to sting, it became unpleasant and painful.

Out of resentment, I myself did not notice how much I pressed my lips together until my mouth was filled with a sour taste of iron, and thin warm trickles of blood began to flow from my lips, paving a path down my neck.

The sharp pain sobered me too quickly, and then Raphael pulled me up. Now I was sitting on his lap, facing him.

He cupped my cheeks with both hands and furrowed his eyebrows, breathing heavily and not taking his gaze off me.

Did he look worried? Or was it my imagination? Or do you want to believe it?

He didn’t say anything, just stroked my cheek with his thumb, tracing the trickle of blood on my neck with his eyes. And swallowed nervously.

I ran my tongue over my lower lip all the way to the corner and back, and when I heard Raphael swear, I felt the softness of his lips on mine.

His hands slid around my waist, squeezing me tighter and pulling me closer to him, leaving almost no space between our bodies. His lips gently, very gently and smoothly glided over mine. It was a strange kiss, it seemed as if he was not kissing, but licking the blood that was oozing from open wounds.

He pulled away from his lips without getting inside with his tongue. I was annoyed because I wanted to taste it again. A smooth tongue began to slide along my chin, interspersed with short kisses, making its way lower, caressing my neck with hot breath.

- Tasty... - he whispered sensually into my neck, without interrupting his kisses. When he finished with the neck, he looked away again and caught up with me. There were traces of my blood on his lips, and he ran his tongue over them, licking off the remnants with a smug smile.

– Sweet. - another compliment came from his lips, caressing my ear.

Hot air accumulated between us in a dense cloud from our breathing. We didn`t take our eyes off each other and this led to another kiss on the lips, but now passionate and withering, after which only a pile of ashes remains.

I didn’t have time to breathe at all while his greedy, hungry mouth devoured me, tortured me, teased me with a cheeky tongue. His hands squeezed my waist possessively, as if wanting to squeeze me into his body and I liked it. Oh, how I liked it, to the point of trembling in my knees, which, by the way, were trembling now.

I was sitting on his lap, completely shameless, without panties, and with my very center of nerve endings, I felt a rock-hard bulge that rubbed me there from below with pressure, forcing me to groan and sigh faintly.

- You’re driving me crazy. – in a strangled voice, mixed with a low moan, he whispered in my ear.

His hands now dropped below the waist and grabbed my hips, pushing my inept modest fidgeting on it. And I gave him what he wanted. I squirmed harder, feeling his manhood grow even stronger. It’s better for me and him.

God, when did I become so depraved?

My fantasy has always been limited to romances and conversations with girlfriends, but now my body seemed to know better than me what it wanted. I no longer controlled him, everything happened at the level of instincts that I succumbed to.

- What about Giselle? - I asked a provocative question, in that brief moment when our lips parted.

He looked at me with fervor and his eyes flashed with... fun?

Bewilderment boiled up in me, and I leaned back a little, pushing away from his chest with my hand and creating a distance between us. So he thinks it’s funny? To mess with my brains, seduce and tease me while he is going to marry another?

Not that I was going to marry him, I never even had such thoughts, but I desperately did not want to be used in palace intrigues, and even more so disgraced and dishonored.

What a torment it is to want and not be able to have what I want.

The laughter in his eyes subsided, and his expression became more restrained. He pinched a lock of my hair between his fingers and twisted it around his finger, prompting me to move closer so as not to experience pain.

- I know it bothers you, but there’s nothing you can do about it. I need this marriage. - he paused, his gaze darted to the side and returned to me. - But I don’t need Giselle.

These words of his stunned me. Eyes wide, I waited for an explanation. What does it all mean? So he’s using both of us? How can he do that?

Although who am I lying to, I didn’t care about Giselle at all. More precisely, it was as if a mountain had fallen from my shoulders from the realization that he had no feelings for her.

And who am I to him? Does he have feelings for me? Or can he and Giselle also play these games, without feelings?

Something led me in the wrong direction, I make myself uncomfortable with these thoughts. Raphael’s fingers on my chin distracted me from my thoughts. He leaned his forehead against mine and rubbed his nose against mine.

- I used to want to get rid of you. If I had caught you under different circumstances, I would have done it unconditionally. But it’s like you’re getting through my defenses and destroying it. I can’t think of anyone or anything but you. I can’t resist you. - his voice was a sensual whisper.

He pulled back a little and jerked his head up, exhaling sharply and deeply. His emotions were barely readable, but right now I noticed how hard it was for him to say these words and how hard it was for him to keep his composure.

Emboldened, I put my hands on his chest, earning his gaze.

- Promise me you won’t hurt me. - I said faintly.

His brows furrowed and his lips curved.

- It’s going to hurt you if you’re around me. It’s inevitable. - his hand rested on my head, stroking and tucking some curls behind my ears.

- Then what do you want from me? – I raised my voice slightly, it was like cats scratching in my soul, I didn’t understand him.

- Just stay close to me. - he kissed me lightly on the tip of my nose.

- And what will I get in return?

- Me. - he spread his hands, indicating his completely immodest greatness.

I carefully got off his lap, grateful to him that he didn’t hold me back. And straightened her dress. A cool breeze caressed my tender folds between my legs. The panties lying on the floor next to the bed were completely torn, could not be repaired. I picked them up and threw them in the trash.

- It’s too ephemeral.

- And what do you want? Raphael asked, sprawled out on my bed.

- I want a more or less normal life in this castle. Without humiliation, insults and assault. Without pain. - I lowered my gaze to the floor, studying the cracks in the parquet pattern.

When I looked up, Raphael was already standing next to me, towering over me like an unshakable mountain.

- I’ll try to think of something. In the meantime... be prepared that we will visit your father in the next few days. An invitation was sent from Riliya to celebrate the birthday of Queen Lilian. It’s a great excuse to be there without backup.

I was looking forward to my appearance there with doubt, but Raphael noticed my confusion.

- You have nothing to worry about. No one will lay a finger on you. - his words inspired confidence. Or so I wanted to think.

***

After he left my room, I was left with some dissatisfaction. I was sitting on the bed with my legs tucked up and my arms wrapped around my knees, and everything was itching inside.

Stupid Raphael. You’ve done it twice already.