Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love novel Chapter 23

In no time, the chit-chat outside came to a halt, leaving Rosemary puzzled. She stepped out only to find Maxwell puffing away at a cigarette by the sink, and she froze, taking a moment before asking, "What are you doing here?"

With his stern face, he looked at her, a sly smirk playing on his lips, oozing with sarcasm, "Disappointed to see me? Who were you hoping for then?"

Rolling her eyes, Rosemary shot back, "This is the ladies' room. Who the heck do you think I'd be expecting? Have you lost your marbles?"

She moved to wash her hands, her mood easing a bit, but she was still pale as a ghost. Suddenly, Maxwell grabbed her chin, forcibly turning her face toward him, "It's just a watch. You're gonna lose it over that?"

His words said it all - it was all his doing.

Rosemary glared at him, "You did that on purpose?"

His half-smile was mocking, "It's just a watch. If you hadn't attached some sort of sentimental value to it, it'd be nothing but a trinket. Instead of grilling me about whether I did it deliberately, why don't you ask yourself if you're still hung up on him?"

It was like a reminder when he slowly enunciated the name, "Mrs. Templeton."

Frowning, Rosemary was sick of hearing those words; they felt like shackles that sometimes made it hard for her to breathe.

She tried to push his hand away, but his dominance was inescapable.

"Rosemary, are you regretting that you ever got into bed with me?"

She retorted, "If it wasn't for that watch, I would've never slept with you."

And he knew it better than anyone! Maxwell sneered, and the next second, he pulled her into his embrace, his masculine scent enveloping her.

"Seems about right. You were so resistant after seeing my face that time. If the guy in bed with you had been Martin, your first time would've been pleasurable instead of painful, right?"

"Maxwell, do you really want me to loathe you this much?"

Loathe?

Maxwell's laugh was cold and thin, "After all the compromises, he's back and you can't wait to divorce me and run into his arms. Do you really think he'd want a woman who's been married before?"

Rosemary thought she was immune to his emotional manipulation by now, but she had underestimated how vile Maxwell could be!

Right now, her heart felt like it was tangled in a tight knot, barely able to catch her breath! She blinked, trying to mask the bitterness welling up inside her, "Think whatever you want, but I'll be waiting for you at City Hall tomorrow. We must get a d…"

She never got to finish the last word as Maxwell's sudden kiss devoured it.

Rosemary nearly suffocated in his fierce kiss, tasting the familiar mint of his cigarettes, her mind foggy until she realized she was struggling too late - he had lifted her onto the washing station behind them.

Her skirt blocked her legs, which were now wrapped around his waist, creating an erotic tableau.

Footsteps approached, someone hurriedly pushed open the restroom door.

The disturbance brought out a dangerous edge in Maxwell's already stern features. His shirt buttons had come undone, revealing the sharp contours of his muscles.