There Is No Paradise Where I Ran Away To (14 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 99

The night deepened helplessly. Vivian, sprawled on the bed, pulled the thick blanket over herself to cover her exposed body. Her gaze slid slowly toward him—naked, tossing another log into the fireplace—and lazily skimmed over his form.

It was a spectacle of wounds, both deep and shallow, old and fresh. The scar on his left arm from a bullet hole looked so vivid it made her own left arm throb in phantom pain. It felt almost miraculous that he, whose body bore countless marks from bullets and blades, still lived and breathed.

She tore her eyes away from the unfamiliar male body. Vivian slowly sat up and picked up her nightgown from the floor.

The beastly hands that had stripped her of this garment had been rough and violent. His blind, desire-driven movements had been far too overwhelming for an innocent lady like her. It was merely an act of raw lust—couldn’t he have just done it like yesterday? That way would have spared her the trouble of dressing again and, more importantly, avoided having to look him in the face, which actually eased her mind somewhat.

Just as Vivian was about to slip her head through the nightgown, she heard his footsteps drawing nearer. The mattress groaned heavily under his weight.

She turned to see Edwin behind her only after her nightgown was snatched away and fluttered back onto the floor. He stood so close that their lips nearly touched. His indifferent eyes slid slowly to Vivian’s mouth.

Before she could even register what was happening, her body tilted. When she came to her senses, she was already lying back on the bed, and Edwin, hovering above her, had buried his face against her neck, his arms tightly encircling her waist. Soft lips traced a slow path just below her collarbone, leaving delicate marks.

The soft strands of his hair tickling her jaw clenched painfully around her heart. When she pushed against his sturdy shoulders, he yielded easily, gazing at her through half-lidded eyes.

“I’m tired now. I want to go back to my room.”

Her voice cracked, dry and hoarse. Propped above her on his arms, he looked down at her with silent, ashen eyes—blatantly, brutally direct. Uncomfortable, Vivian turned her head away, but he showed no intention of letting her go.

He gripped her chin and pressed his lips firmly against hers—plump, soft, and yielding.

“You can’t go.”

His damp breath moistened the edge of her lips.

“Not until I allow it.”

Vivian exhaled slowly and closed her weary eyes. Though she surrendered her body to Edwin’s will, he merely kissed her forehead and lay quietly beside her, pulling her into his arms.

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