ith only a loosely buttoned white shirt, drenched by the rain and clinging tightly to his slender yet sturdy physique.
Raphael''s lips braced as he muttered under his breath,"I had suspected this all along; Quenet won''t let me off. Merely daring to hope for your pity is an unforgivable sin in his eyes!"
Edith sensed that the killing just now and the sight of blood had plunged Raphael into a dark state of mind. Worriedly, she reached out and caressed his hand.
Suddenly, he turned his face towards her, a smile of determination spreading across his face."But what do I have to fear anymore? You have chosen to come with me. I have triumphed over Andre Quenet. I have won over him forever."
As the early hours approached, the air around them grew increasingly frigid, but they dared not venture outside. Edith hadn''t eaten anything in a long time, and the freezing cold sent shivers down her entire body.
Raphael embraced her tightly, his gaze fixed as he whispered in her ear, "We can''t make a fire; the light would attract pursuers."
She nodded silently, feeling his body trembling slightly, but it was feverish and provided her with some warmth.
Suddenly, Raphael pushed her down onto the layers of leaves on the damp earth, pressing her beneath him, panting heavily as he exclaimed, "It seems we''ll have to warm each other this way!"
Before she could react, he unleashed a frenzy of caresses upon her, his fingers and tongue wandering over her body, igniting sparks of desire wherever they touched.
"Let go of me, Raphael!" she cried out in panic, struggling to free herself.
Raphael lifted his head from between her legs and lunged forward, passionately kissing her lips. This kiss was filled with more desperation than the one they shared in the candlelit room—it was a kiss of despair. He kept caressing the hair at the back of her head, his teeth occasionally grazing against hers. She felt a hot and rigid object pressing firmly at the entrance of her garden.
"Raphael!" When he finally released her, she called out with a tearful voice.
"Have mercy, have mercy on me, dear Edith! Don''t you forgive a man who''s on the brink of death!" Raphael cried out with deep affection and sincerity,