Husband With Benefits-Chapter 862: Uh oh

"There’s lust, and then there’s... this," Rafe murmured, his voice hoarse as he reluctantly lifted his head from her shoulder. His breath was still uneven, his chest rising and falling against hers, but the rawness in his tone betrayed the depth of what he was feeling.

Beneath his hands, he felt her tense, her body suddenly stiffening against his. His frown was immediate, concern flickering in his dark eyes. Had he said something wrong? A pang of doubt crept in as he studied her expression. And then she pressed her hands against his shoulders, her movements urgent but not panicked.

"Arabelle?" he asked, his voice soft but questioning, as he began to ease away from her. Untangling himself from her was no simple feat and the unmistakable evidence of their passion lingered between them. The sheer intimacy of the moment made stepping back almost unbearable, but he did it anyway.

Once he managed to put a small distance between them, he finally got a good look at her face. Instead of the blissful satisfaction he had expected, he saw something else entirely—panic.

"What is it?" he asked again, sharper this time, his brows knitting in concern as he straightened up. Did she feel forced? Had he ended up doing something against her will?

Arabelle didn’t respond immediately. Instead, her hands reached up to cup his face. Her fingers trembled slightly as they tilted his head, her worried gaze searching his eyes as he pulled the skin under his eyes.

"Arabelle?" he pressed, his confusion deepening.

She ignored him for a moment longer, her lips pressing into a thin line as her scrutiny continued. Finally, she spoke, her voice laced with worry. "You’re not under the effect of the drug, are you?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

For a moment, Rafe simply stared at her, dumbfounded. And then, as her words sank in, a slow grin spread across his face, wide and almost boyish. She thinks this is because of the drug? Well, understandable. He’d have been doubtful too if not for the fact that he’d wanted her even before he knew her name.

"The only drug I’m under the effect of," he said smoothly, pulling her hands down from his face and threading his fingers through hers, "is you, Miss Arabelle."

Her lips parted, and for a heartbeat, she just blinked at him, as if caught off guard by his words. Then, a soft giggle escaped her lips, the sound airy and light, carrying just a hint of lingering nerves.

It was such a pretty sound from her, one that seemed to tug at something deep in his chest. But before he could fully process the effect it had on him, something else stirred—quite literally.

Arabelle felt it too. Her giggles came to an abrupt halt as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait..." Her gaze darted downward, then back up to his face, her voice rising with incredulity. "Isn’t this too soon?"

Rafe’s grin turned wolfish, his grip on her hands tightening slightly as he pulled her closer. His tone dropped an octave, low and teasing, as he leaned in just enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath against her ear.

"Too soon?" he repeated, his voice a silken challenge. "I don’t think so. After all, you’ve given me only tonight.

Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly pulled her hands from his, jumping off the counter back to put some much-needed distance between them. But the effect was minimal at best, especially with the way his gaze followed her every movement, dark and hungry. Since her dress had been torn off, literally (What a beast!), she felt even more vulnerable.

"You’re insatiable," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest in an effort to reclaim some semblance of composure as she hurried away from him

"And whose fault is that?" he shot back, his smirk unapologetic as he watched her try and fail miserably to cover herself.

Her mouth opened, a retort clearly on the tip of her tongue, but she shut it again just as quickly, her cheeks puffing out in frustration. She turned on her heel instead, muttering something under her breath that he couldn’t quite catch.

But Rafe wasn’t about to let her escape so easily. Taking a step toward her, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her retreat.

"Hey," he said softly, his tone shifting, losing the teasing edge. When she hesitated, he tugged her lightly, pulling her just close enough that their foreheads touched. "Arabelle, I’m serious. Nothing about this is because of a drug. It’s all you. Only you."

She stilled, her breath catching at his words. Instead of answering him, she looked at him for a moment and then gave a single nod of acknowledgement. And then, when she’d taken a few steps, turned to him and asked with a smile," Since we are short on time, why don’t you join me in the shower."

Rafe grinned and happily followed her. Of course, he would join her in the shower or anywhere else for that matter.

The warm steam from the bath clung to Rafe’s skin as he stepped out, a towel slung low around his hips. He ran a hand through his damp hair, water dripping down his chest in lazy rivulets. Opting for the bathtub instead of the shower had been an excellent decision—it had allowed him to stretch out with Arabelle wrapped against him, her laughter bubbling over the rim as they splashed and talked about nothing and everything. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so at peace over a one night stand.

Usually, with other women, once they had done the deed, he would be in a hurry to escape, forget about going in for a second round. But here, he could not get enough of her...

As he reached for the bath robe draped over the chair, the shrill ring of his phone shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Rafe frowned, picked it up and glanced at the screen.

Kael.