Chapter 18
"Grace," Damian called out, his deep voice rough with barely contained emotion.
Instead of letting go, Damian tightened his grip on Grace's arm and yanked her closer with sudden force.
The small distance between them disappeared instantly. Her body pressed fully against his, soft against hard, warm against cool.
Grace could feel his chest heaving violently, the heat from his body searing through the thin fabric of his shirt, making her skin burn.
His breath became heavy and hot, blowing against her forehead.
Grace was forced to tilt her head back, meeting his intense gaze.
"I'm here," Grace responded, looking up at Damian, her voice soft and sweet, almost making one's body feel weak just hearing it.
As she spoke, her lips moved, and Damian's eyes locked onto her face, finally settling on her slightly parted, rosy, and glistening lips.
Grace licked her lips and, summoning all her courage, stood on her tiptoes.
She licked her lips again, her red tongue sliding over her full lips, leaving them shiny.
Even on her tiptoes, she couldn't quite reach him because Damian was too tall.
He looked down at her, his lips just inches away. He pressed his lips together tightly, his gaze dark and intense.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked, his voice rough and strained, like the calm before a storm.
Grace couldn't reach him even on her tiptoes, so she gave up.
As soon as she stood back down, she saw Damian's terrifying gaze fixed on her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She let out a small "hmm" and turned to leave.
She had come this far, but Damian remained unmoved, even looking at her with such a frightening expression. Grace didn't dare to continue.
"Just woke up, feeling a bit groggy. Sorry, Damian, I'm going to rest now," Grace said, turning to leave.
Damian's gaze at that moment truly scared her.
As she turned, Damian grabbed her arm and yanked her back forcefully!
Grace gasped in pain, "Damian, you're hurting me!"
"Hurting?" Damian stared at her, a cold smile on his lips. "Now you want to run?"
Grace opened her mouth to say something, but Damian's eyes were fixed on her open mouth.
The next moment, he lowered his head and, with a punishing and uncontrollable force, captured her lips in a fierce kiss!
The kiss came out of nowhere, like a long-awaited volcanic eruption.
Grace was stunned, frozen in place!
His lips were hot and unyielding, pressing against her soft lips with an irresistible force, invading her space.
It wasn't a gentle touch but a forceful, angry, possessive kiss. He sucked hard, even biting, his teeth grazing her lips, causing sharp pain.
Grace couldn't react in time, letting out a small whimper of pain.
The intimate sensation stirred a deep desire in Damian. He tangled his fingers in her hair, holding her tightly, deepening the kiss.
Grace's dazed mind slowly cleared during the deep kiss. She was kissed so intensely that she could hardly breathe. Instinctively, she wanted to push Damian away.
But then she remembered her goal and stopped resisting, even trying to respond clumsily.
She slightly parted her teeth, allowing his hot tongue to invade, tangling with hers.
In the midst of the deep kiss, Grace let out soft, muffled whimpers, her hands no longer pushing him away but clutching his shirt.
The living room was filled with the sound of heavy, chaotic breathing and the intense, intimate sounds of their kiss.
However, just as Grace tried to respond more deeply, Damian's body suddenly stiffened! It was as if he was shocked by his own loss of control.
A mix of shame and anger surged through him. Using all his strength, he pushed Grace away!
"Ugh!" Grace cried out in pain, stumbling backward and landing heavily on the wide sofa, the impact making a dull thud.
Grace was startled by the sudden change, her back tingling from the impact, looking at Damian in fear.
Damian stood up straight, his chest heaving as if he had just fought a life-and-death battle. He was breathing heavily.
Under the light, his face was hard and sharp, his eyes filled with dark, turbulent emotions.
There was unspent desire, strong regret for his loss of control, and a cold, bone-chilling anger at being completely offended!
He stared at the disheveled, swollen-lipped Grace on the sofa.
He raised his hand, roughly wiping his own lips, as if trying to erase something dirty.
"Grace," his voice was harsh, like sandpaper scraping against rough stone, carrying a freezing coldness, "stop using these cheap tricks."
His gaze swept over her disheveled clothes and swollen lips. "If it happens again," he paused, his voice threatening, "get out immediately."
With that, he didn't look at her again and turned to leave.
The heavy wooden door slammed shut with a loud bang, like a thunderclap, echoing through the silent villa, making the air hum.
The loud echo reverberated in the empty living room.
Grace was left alone in the living room, sitting on the sofa, her head slightly bowed, her long hair covering most of her face.
She covered her swollen, numb lips, her heart pounding.
A small cut near the corner of her lip was bleeding, the blood already forming a dark red spot.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on the closed dark wooden door on the second floor.
Why was he so angry?
If he didn't want to kiss, he didn't have to. Why was he being so harsh to her?
The scene just now had frightened Grace. For the first time, she realized how dangerous Damian could be.
It was terrifying.
Going abroad would be great with Damian's help. But without him, she could still manage, though it would be much harder.
Facing Damian's unpredictable moods, Grace had her first thoughts of retreat.
Grace sat in the living room for a while, then got up and went to her room, changed her clothes, and quickly left the villa.
Dragging her still-recovering body, Grace soon disappeared into the night.