Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 65

Oscar's got a thing for me, I can tell. Maybe young boys were more impressionable, more easily smitten.

Suddenly I felt a pang of guilt. What if Oscar's feelings for me deepen? What would I do then? I asked myself. I didn't fancy his pursuit, nor could I reciprocate the way he wanted. I just wanted to use his attention to balance my inner chaos. If he was willing to play this game with me, killing time together, I might consider it. But if he got truly emotionally invested, I'd be totally out of it.

I was deep in thought, my mind a chaotic mess, when Neil came back from his shower. He was in a black bathrobe, exposing some muscular contours, looking quite tempting.

I withdrew my gaze, tucked my phone under my pillow, and pretended to sleep.

After a while, I felt the mattress sink a bit. Neil had lain down beside me. He smelled of a mix of shower gel and shampoo, a scent I found appealing.

"Why don't you sleep in the guest room?" I asked him, my back turned to him, sounding as if I didn't care.

"I own half of the master bedroom too," Neil responded coldly.

"Why did you use my bathroom then? And my shower gel and shampoo?" I turned around to face him. "I thought you said you didn't like the scent?"

Once a woman started doubting, her questions became sharper.

Neil's face was close to mine. His expression as flawless as ever, he turned to look at me. "Irene, do you even know what you're talking about?"

We stared at each other for a while. I felt somewhat powerless and turned around to sleep. "Forget it. I won't fuss about it."

The next second, he grabbed my shoulder and forcefully turned me around. I let out a cry of pain.

"Ouch! Neil, what the hell are you doing?!" I shrieked, tears welling in my eyes.

Desire filled Neil's eyes as he looked at my face, his gaze stopping at my lips. Just as I realized something was off, he harshly kissed me, silencing my outcry. He kissed me until I was almost out of breath. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my lips, and then Neil let go of me. There was a trace of blood on his lips, which he carelessly wiped off.

"Neil, have you gone mad?!" I also touched my painful lips, and sure enough, there was blood. I immediately got angry and tried to slap him.

But he caught my hand, rendering me immobile.

Neil moved in to kiss my injured lips again. Just as I was about to curse him, he shut me up again. We tussled in the bed. I tried resisting him, but his dominant teasing left me breathless. He tried to be gentle but grew angry and forceful every time I fought back.

In the end, I was dripping with sweat and Neil's bathrobe was gone, his back glistening with sweat. He got up from the bed, glanced at the mess of sheets and pillows, then went out to the balcony shirtless and lit a cigarette in the falling snow.