Husband With Benefits-Chapter 864: Secrets

"You’re so beautiful." Arabelle rolled her eyes at his murmured words and shook her head," And you’re just noting that, your Highness?"

Rafael smiled at the sassy reply and then unable to stop himself, leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck, trapping a water droplet as it slid down her soft skin. She shivered and arched and he felt gratified. Their chemistry really was off the chart.

"Call me Rafe. Like you did when I was inside you." She shivered again and almost moaned his name," Rafe." He smiled in satisfaction. Suddenly he kind of liked his name better.

But then he spoke the words that would no doubt make her sad as well and as much as it made him ache, he said them. "Something’s come up. I need to leave."

Her brow furrowed. "Leave? Now?"

"It’s not safe for me to stay," he said carefully, "And it’s not safe for you if I’m here." Despite knowing the risks, he was hoping that she would ask him to stay. Or offer to come with him.

And her lips parted, as if she wanted to protest, but she seemed to think better of it. Instead, she nodded slowly, her gaze searching his. She didn’t even ask what had been discovered in the bottle. Simply said," Be careful, Rafe."

He was disappointed. He wanted her to ask him to stay the night at least. It was supposed to be a one night stand. This was not that! But she simply turned around and walked into whathe assumed was the dressing room. With a sigh, he walked outside, looking for his clothes.

Once dressed, he sighed. She had yet to come out of the bedroom. Did she want him to leave without even saying goodbye? Was she avoiding the awkward ’morning after’ conversation?"

As Rafael reached for the door handle, the soft sound of her footsteps made him pause. His heart leapt with hope as he turned around, finding her standing there, a faint light casting shadows over her face. She looked hesitant, vulnerable even, and for a fleeting moment, he dared to believe she might ask him to stay.

But her words hit him like a cold slap.

"I’d appreciate it," Arabelle began, her voice steady but tinged with regret, "if we could forget about tonight. Pretend it never happened. Next time we meet, we’ll just be... casual acquaintances. Nothing more."

Rafael’s brows knit together in disbelief. "Forget about tonight?" His voice came out harsher than he intended.

She nodded, avoiding his gaze. "It’s just... easier that way. You and I both know this—" she gestured vaguely between them, "can’t happen again. I don’t want to complicate my life, professionally or personally. And Cai..." She trailed off, inhaling sharply before meeting his eyes. "He’d probably see this as some sort of... betrayal, okay? I’m sure he did not introduce us for this to happen... And you would not want to lose Cai’s friendship just for some se*ual pleasure, right?"

His jaw tightened. That’s all this was to her? Se*ual pleasure? Heat simmered in his chest, equal parts offense and hurt, but he buried it beneath a cold mask. If that is what she wanted, then so be it. He was not one to beg.

Of course," he said curtly, his tone clipped. "Wouldn’t want to inconvenience you." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Her lips parted slightly, as if she might say more, but he didn’t give her the chance. Turning away, Rafael yanked the door open and stepped into the cool night air. He didn’t look back, even as his pulse thundered in his ears and the weight of her words settled like lead in his chest.

It was supposed to be a one-night stand, nothing more. That was the agreement between them just now—a fleeting encounter, intense and thrilling, with no strings attached. That’s what he had told himself when they’d now come together. And that’s what she had reinforced with her parting words. But walking away from her now felt anything but simple. And he did not like that she was not as reluctant as him to see the end of this.

Just a few hours in her company had unraveled something in him. Maybe it was the way she challenged him and even protected him in the face of danger. It was the fact that, for the first time in years, he felt seen—not as the prince, not as the responsibility-laden man everyone relied on, but simply as himself. And she was someone he could rely up on.

Once he reached the bottom of her building, he paused and looked back up. The window to her apartment was dark now.

His lips pressed into a tight line as a flood of emotions surged through him—frustration, longing, and something dangerously close to anger.

She wanted him to forget? To pretend they were nothing more than casual acquaintances? He almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

He’d never been one to follow someone else’s rules, and he certainly wasn’t about to start now.

She thought this could be tucked away, swept under the rug like a harmless mistake. But he knew better. He’d felt the spark between them, the undeniable chemistry that couldn’t be contained by a single night. Arabelle might think she could bury it, but Rafael had no intention of letting that happen.

"Too bad," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and determined. "I don’t follow orders. Just wait for me, Belle."

Just then, Kael stopped in front of him, and he got into the car, moving away without a second glance.

"What are you going to do about it then?" Kael asked and Rafe frowned.

What was he going to do? Of course he was going to approach her and talk to her when he’d calmed down. Make her see sense that they could maybe go out on a couple of dates or something, explore the chemistry that they had.

"Hey! I’m talking to you? What are you going to do to punish whoever is behind this?"

Rafe frowned. Punish? Why would he punish her? And that was when he realized that Kael was talking about the people who had tried to drug him.