Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 208

Daphne’s POV

The morning light wasn’t the harsh, demanding glare I expected.

Instead, it was a soft, pale gold that crept across the navy carpets of the suite, illuminating the salt-crusted glass of the balcony doors.

04

I stirred, my body feeling heavy and uncharacteristically warm. Every muscle held a dull, pleasant ache, a physical map of everywhere David had touched me.

I felt a ghost of a touch against my shoulder blade.

Then, a slow, lingering kiss pressed into the small of my back. I shivered, the sensation sending a fresh spark through my nervous system.

His hand, large and familiar, slid around my waist, pulling me backward until there wasn’t a sliver of air between us.

‘David,” I whispered, my voice sounding like it had been dragged through sand. I wondered for a second if the effect of the wine was still lingering in his system. “You’re awake.”

‘Hard not to be,” he murmured against my skin, his breath a warm contrast to the slightly chilled morning air.

I tried to turn around, wanting to see his face, to see if the man from last night, the one who had looked at me with such unfiltered hunger was still there. But he held me firmly, his chin resting on my shoulder.

‘Don’t,” he said, his voice a low command. “Just stay like this for a minute. Let’s just… be.”

So we stayed. Two people who were supposed to be playing a game, tangled together in a mess of white sheets and ruined defenses.

I watched the sun climb higher, the light catching the tiny details of the room, but my focus was entirely on the weight of his arm across me and the steady, calm beat of his heart against my back.

Suddenly, a thud broke the silence.

Hey, lovebirds!” Aaron’s voice muffled through the heavy oak door, dripping with far too much amusement.

‘Breakfast is ready on the main deck. But, judging by the silence, I’m guessing you two are… occupied. I’ll have someone oring a tray up. Don’t exert yourselves too much.”.

I felt the heat climb into my cheeks, turning my skin a shade of red that probably matched the sunrise.

I buried my face in the pillow, letting out a stifled groan of pure mortification. David, however, didn’t seem bothered. He just tightened his grip for a second before finally letting go.

“He’s never going to let us live this down,” I mumbled into the fabric.

“Let him talk,” David said, sitting up and stretching.

The movement was fluid, effortless, and entirely too distracting. He looked down at me, his eyes dark and unreadable

“Go ahead and use the bathroom first. I’ll be out here.”

I scrambled out of bed, clutching a discarded shirt to my chest, and practically bolted for the bathroom.

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Chapter 208

I needed space. I needed to wash the scent of him off my skin so I could think clearly again.

I stepped into the shower, letting the water run hot. As the steam filled the glass enclosure, my mind betrayed me.

I wasn’t thinking about the fact our relationship was supposed to be fake and the fact we’d crossed a huge line.

I was thinking about the way David’s hands had felt on my hips. I was thinking about the sound he made when I’d finally stopped acting and started feeling.

The memory was so vivid it felt like a physical presence. I leaned my head against the cool tile, the water drumming against my back.

My hand wandered, almost of its own accord, tracing the lines he had claimed the night before. I felt a familiar, insistent pull in my lower stomach.

I knew I was losing it. Maybe the drink was still in my blood, or maybe I was just far more gone for him than I wanted to admit.

I let my eyes drift shut, my fingers working with a desperate, mounting pressure.

I let out a soft sound, a muffled cry that I thought the rush of the water and the distant roar of the ocean would swallow.

I pictured his eyes-that deep, stormy blue-watching me. I pictured his mouth, the way he’d worshipped my body as if I were something holy.

The heat intensified, a tightening coil that made my breath come in short, jagged gasps.

“Yes. Go ahead. Come for me, Daphne.”

I gasped, my eyes snapping open. At first, I thought I’d conjured his voice out of the steam.

But then I felt it, the solid, heavy heat of a large palm grabbing my hip.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, my heart leaping into my throat. I tried to pull away, to cover myself, but David didn’t let

He stepped into the stream of water, his body a wall of heat that pinned me against the tiles.

The water spluttered against us, turning his skin into a slick, shimmering landscape.

“I… I thought you were in the room,” I stammered, my face burning hotter than the water.

I heard you,” he whispered, his voice a rough growl near my car. He grabbed a handful of my wet hair, gently tilting my head back so I had to look at him.

“Why stop? I want to see you shatter properly.”

“David, please,” I begged, but the word held no conviction,

“Touch yourself,” he commanded, his eyes boring into mine with a terrifying intensity.

“Moan my name. I want to hear it.”

I was caught between shame and a desire so sharp it felt like a bruise. Under his unyielding gaze, I did as he asked. The cold tiles against my back and the hot water over my front created a sensory overload that pushed me right to the edge.

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11:17 am P P P P

Chapter 208

I called his name, my voice breaking, until I couldn’t stand the distance anymore.

Just

as the world started to spin, he moved. He took my hand, pulling it away, and turned me around.

He bent me forward, my palms pressing against the tiles for support.

I felt him slide into me in one fluid, powerful motion. The breath left my lungs in a single, long sigh.

The sex was different than the night before: more urgent, more territorial, and more intense.

The water washed over us, but it did nothing to cool the fire. When it was over, my legs felt like they were made of water.

I leaned against him, trembling, my forehead resting against the wet tile.

“I can’t walk,” I grumbled, though there was no real heat in the complaint.

David let out a low chuckle, a sound of pure, masculine satisfaction. “I noticed.”

He didn’t wait for me to recover. He stepped out, grabbed a towel to dry himself briefly, and then wrapped another around

Before I could protest, he scooped me up in a bridal carry, taking me back into the bedroom.

He helped me into a simple silk slip and a robe, his movements surprisingly gentle for a man who had just pinned me to a wall.

By the time we sat down for brunch, the morning had long since passed.

The tray Aaron had sent was waiting on the small table by the balcony. It was filled with fruits, pastries, and strong black coffee.

We ate in a heavy, pointed silence. I was intentionally slow, cutting my fruit into tiny, identical pieces, terrified that if I inished eating, we’d have to talk about what this was.

My mind was a mess of “what ifs.” Was this just the aphrodisiac? Was he going to regret this the moment we hit dry land?

David finally let out a dry chuckle, the sound making me jump.

‘You’re going to turn that melon into mush, Daphne.”

Jooked up, my cheeks heating. “I’m just… not very hungry.”

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