Words failed Rachel for a second upon hearing what Hiram said. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
She lay on the backseat, exhausted, after an intense love-making. 'His needs haven't been satisfied?' she thought to herself, not without a sting, while gripping the suit jacket. Her fingers dug into the material, crumpling its once smooth folds.
She was confused about what happened. Everything went so fast and without warning. It had been a while. She had prevented him from touching her for a time as revenge for him tricking her deliberately.
But to her surprise, they made love today.
Rachel racked her brains, her confusion growing. Her thoughts were a tangle as she tried to find an explanation on how things happened, but she got no answer. She couldn't even remember exactly when she walked into Hiram's trap.
The car slowed to a stop, and Rachel was shaken out of her thoughts by the slight start from it. She sat up and wrapped herself tightly in Hiram's jacket. He had opened the door for her.
"I can walk by myself..." she said, but held his hand as she got off the car. She looked around, and her heart missed a beat when she saw where they were.
RaR Castle?
Servants had already opened the gate at the sound of their car pulling over the driveway. They stood in two perfectly straight lines, bowed once, and said simultaneously,"Sir, madam, welcome!
"We have cleaned up the room upstairs for you." "Sir, madam, would you like a midnight snack?" the butler asked.
"Yes!" Rachel replied almost too quickly. Hiram looked at her, cocking one eyebrow.
She didn't eat much in Flora's house, and she had been hungry after all the "working out" that she and Hiram did.
"Go and prepare it. When dinner is ready, send it to our room," Hiram said. As he spoke, Rachel was surprised to feel his arms going around her. Before she could protest, he had carried her in his arms to the direction of the elevator. She glanced at him, her face wearing a silent question. "You're too slow," Hiram said, as if carrying her was the most normal thing to do.
Rachel let him. She had been in the castle only twice, and her curiosity about the place was growing with every step. When they entered their room, she jumped down from Hiram's arm and ran straight to the French windows, opening the curtain and taking in the beautiful scenery outside. The sky was very dark, but there were lights that illuminated the whole city.
"It's very late. Why did you suddenly take me here? I might not be able to sleep in such an unfamiliar place." she said, turning to him.
"Who says you can go to sleep?" Hiram held her gaze for a moment, and then walked into the bathroom.
Rachel's eyes widened at his answer. She was in a daze for a few seconds. 'What does he mean by that?' she thought. She could feel her pulse quickening and took deep breaths before
following him to the bathroom. She gasped. It was large and elegantly furnished. A round, spacious bathtub lay in the gleaming tiles. Her eyes traced the polished surface or the porcelain as it shone under the light. "What a beautiful bathtub!" she cried out.
Everything in the RaR Castle was designed in a romantic style. It was very different from Tulip Palace in both aesthetic and purpose. While it was their home, RaR Castle, on the other hand, was like a dreamy, luxurious space just for two of them.
Hiram's voice filled the bathroom. "I'll fill it first, and then we'll bathe later," he said, giving her a meaningful look. Rachel could feel her cheeks warm at the look he was giving her, but she put on a fa?ade of not understanding. She looked away and walked towards a big round mirror on the other side of the bathroom, trying to focus on the sound of running water to calm her pounding chest.
After the meal and the bath, she felt tired and couldn't resist the pull of her eyelids closing. She drifted off to a deep sleep, every muscle in her body aching.
That shameless man didn't stop until it was almost dawn.
Rachel wasn't aware of how long she had been sleeping when she was woken up with Hiram's light touch.
"Wake up. Marlon is going to leave H City today. He wants you to see him off. Are you going?" he asked in a quiet voice, as if taking care not to startle her from her sleeping stupor.
Hiram shook her shoulder gently to wake her up after receiving a phone call from him.
He could have just sent anyone to see him off. It was easier and more convenient, but after all, Marlon had helped Rachel before, so he had to at least let her decide for this matter.
Still not yet fully recovered from last night, Rachel felt as if her eyelids were made of heavy plaster. She tried hard to open them, but only managed to form narrow slits. Looking at him drowsily, she said,"Who… Marlon? When will he leave?"
"His flight is at three o'clock this afternoon."
"What time is it now..."
"Ten o'clock in the morning." Hiram answered her questions with great patience, slightly amused at the sight before him. Rachel's hair was mussed and her eyes were barely open.
She yawned and pulled the quilt over her head. It was still early, so she could go back to sleep.
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