Inside the room, Rachel felt anxious, but Kingsly showed no unusual behavior. He even asked if she needed anything. When she shook her head, he went to his computer.
Perhaps he had unfinished business; she saw him on a video call, and his expression was serious and focused.
She picked up a magazine and began flipping through it on the sofa with nothing else to do.
Not long after, he approached with two glasses of red wine.
She accepted the wine, and he sat beside her, clinking glasses before taking a sip, "A little wine before bed helps with sleep."
She wasn't a big drinker but had an inexplicable liking for red wine, so she took a small sip.
His hand rested on the back of the sofa, "Is it good?"
She frowned, covering her mouth, "Is this red wine? It's awful!"
He laughed loudly, "An '86 vintage DRC, and you say it's awful."
Embarrassed, she set the glass down, "Sorry, I don't know wine. I thought all red wine tasted the same; I didn't know it could taste like this."
He chuckled again, watching her face turn red, "Looks like you can't handle alcohol well; just a little, and your face is this red."
She touched her flushed face.
"Go wash your face. If you're tired, go to bed early."
She nodded and got up to go to the bathroom. At the door, she turned and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
He smiled, "You're really drunk. I haven't officially convened a board meeting yet, and Noah is still in debt!"
His words infuriated Rachel, making her teeth chatter. He knew she'd come to him first, so he waited, mocking her past claim that she'd never sell herself for money.
"Shameless!"
He laughed, "It's the first time I've been called that outside of bed."
Her anger and embarrassment got the best of her as she turned to open the bathroom door, only to find his hand already on the handle.
She hadn't noticed him move; infuriated, she tried to push him away, "Move." It didn't matter that he was now the benefactor she had to please.
He blocked the door, lifting her determined face, "I just realized you look beautiful when you're angry."
She turned away, not caring anymore in her anger.
He gripped her chin, forcing her face back to him.
She couldn't break free this time, reluctantly meeting his unfathomable gaze.
His eyes studied her delicate features as if examining them closely.
She feared his deep, inscrutable gaze, her lashes trembling and her eyes flickering with fear.
Thankfully...
He spoke softly, "Why do I feel such a strong sense of familiarity whenever I see you? Did we really not know each other before?"
He was determined to torment her, keeping her trapped in past memories.
Her body trembled, his gaze casting a shadow of fear over her. She finally understood why his gaze frightened her; those dark eyes always felt like daggers, making any disguise before him seem pointless. She wondered, if he hadn't forgotten the past, would he let her go now?
Seeing the growing fear in her eyes and her face turning pale, he suddenly laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her forehead. "Why do you look scared when I say such sweet words? When I say this to other women, they smile and snuggle into my arms, saying they hate it."
That's how it is with people; when you feel guilty toward someone, you're always uneasy in their presence.
She lowered her pale face, trying to sound lighthearted to hide her fear, "I don't want to know someone like you."
He laughed louder, lifting her face, "Do you usually bathe before bed?"
She hesitated, realizing what he meant. Her face flushed, her voice barely audible: "Whatever." She had no experience in this, and heaven knows how nervous she was, her hands tightly clutching her clothes.
"That's good..."
Before the words were finished, he scooped her up by the waist.
She gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, her face red as a cooked shrimp.
At the bed, he set her down.
She immediately let go, keeping her head down, not daring to look at him.
"If you're not used to taking the initiative, I'll lead tonight."
Does such a thing need someone to lead? She wondered internally.
Seeing her at a loss, he chuckled, pulling her into his embrace, noticing how her entire body trembled with nerves. "Scared?"
She nodded, then shook her head. Of course, she was scared; this was her first time, but she didn't want to show her fear in front of him, and she didn't want him to feel triumphant.
Her shy innocence drew him in, and he laid her on the bed, removing her dress.
"I like your scent; use this perfume from now on."
"..." Did this mean she wouldn't even be free to choose her perfume?
Kingsly wasted no time, brushing aside her hair to kiss her small earlobe.
She never knew her earlobes were so sensitive. His warm and tickling kisses made her want to push him away, but reason wouldn't allow it, leaving her frozen, staring at the ceiling.
"Relax." Perhaps only by possessing her at this moment could he find solace for the wounds he'd been nursing all these years.
"I... I can't relax..." She was genuinely terrified.
Kingsly's tongue lingered on her earlobe, softly teasing and sucking, moving her long hair to the side.
He then trailed kisses from her earlobe to her cheek, planting light kisses on her face, finally landing on her lips.
Rachel shut her eyes tightly, telling herself not to fear it would end soon.
"Don't be nervous..." Kingsly soothed softly by her ear.
He gently caressed her lips before kissing her deeply.
He shouldn't have been so gentle with her, but seeing her nervous and frightened face, he couldn't help but be harsh.
He loved the sweetness of her mouth, drawing him to want more.
His kiss was like a storm, forcefully invading her mouth, tangling with her tongue.
"Mm..."
Perhaps his kiss distracted her, and her body gradually relaxed, no longer stiff, even letting out a soft moan under his lead.
Her skin was silkier than he had imagined, the sensation making it hard to suppress his body's desire. He quickly removed the last layer of her clothing.
"No..."
The cool air made her instinctively tighten her legs.
"Be good, relax..." He whispered like a lover by her ear, gently coaxing her.
She had to admit that she felt like she was floating on clouds, her whole body light and airy. Under his gentle coaxing, she gradually relaxed, and at that moment, without warning, his body suddenly entered...
She didn't have time to react; her mind was filled with one word—pain...
Her sweat-drenched face scrunched in agony as she pushed against him, "It hurts... what are you doing..."
He hadn't anticipated her body being this tight, momentarily making him think she was untouched.
But as he moved forward without encountering the expected barrier, he realized he'd been fooled. So he didn't slow down, removing her hands from his chest, holding her tightly, ignoring her pleas and pain; he began to move vigorously...
Beside her, Kingsly's breathing was steady and calm as he slept. Still, Rachel lay with her back to him, her eyes red and swollen, unable to sleep, tears from earlier still drying on her cheeks.
Is this what a woman's first time is like?
It hurt so much... Even now, she felt like her body had been torn apart.
I finally understand why the heroines in romance movies always stay devoted to their first man: Such pain is unforgettable for a lifetime.
Hiding her head under the blanket, she closed her swollen, tired eyes, letting the darkness envelop her naked body.
The morning light streamed in as Rachel slowly opened her eyes.
After a night, the pain had subsided a lot, but even a tiny movement still hurt.
"What's wrong?"
Kingsly had noticed her awakening but remained silent to see her reaction.
Seeing him awake, Rachel said, "Nothing, I was just spacing out." She couldn't confront him about last night; her only task now was to please him.
He pulled her naked body into his arms, "Was it like this with Jasper too?"
He finally brought it up last night, but not to apologize.
Once, as a child, she fell off a horse at a family gathering, bleeding a lot. Her mother cried while her father comforted her, saying her future husband wouldn't mind.
It wasn't until she was older, chatting with her mother, that she learned that fall had ruptured her hymen.
She'd never cared, thinking that membrane had no real purpose for a person's body.
Now she realized if she'd bled on the bed last night, he might not be asking her this now.
She didn't answer him, not wanting to talk. How he viewed her didn't matter.
"Why aren't you talking?" he asked.
Reluctantly, she replied, "I'm fine."
"Still hurt?" His hand moved to touch her most private area.
She pushed his hand away, trying to sit up, but the weakness in her legs and the pain in her private area made her wince.
Noticing her expression, he turned and held her. "A bath might help. Do you want me to carry you to the bathroom?"
She shook her head, ignoring the pain as she broke free, sitting on the bed's edge.
He sat up with her, the fallen blanket revealing his muscular upper body. "Up so early? It's still early."
"It's not early." She replied, grabbing the hotel robe from the nightstand and putting it on. "It's already ten o'clock."
The white velvet robe covered her smooth back, and he suddenly embraced her as she tied the robe's belt.