Chapter 27

*Mature scenes on the first few parts*

The sensation of his lips on hers sent a jolt of electricity through her body. She was now enveloped in his arms, and she unconsciously snaked her arms around his neck, which made him pull her even closer to him. He was so intensely kissing her that she felt he was practically devouring her.

Harold gently kissed when he sensed Rayne's lips were stiff and unyielding. As she had never been passionately kissed in the twenty-six years of her life, she was unsure how to respond. It was when she felt the tip of his tongue on her upper lip that she gasped and opened her mouth in shock.

Rayne felt his tongue enter her mouth, playfully teasing her. She moaned. She thought she was being laid on the couch, and Harold was all over her from there. He kept kissing her lips, but this time she could respond to his kiss as he guided her on how to do so. Her hands now slid down along his back, relishing the feel of his firm muscles under his shirt. She went lower until she got to the hem of his shirt and lifted it so she could touch the warm skin within.

Harold groaned. "Minx." He murmured through her lips as he began kissing and lightly nibbling on her earlobe and then her neck. One of his hands began to wander along her arm until he found the buttons of her sleep shirt. He began to undo them one by one, and he could not help but smile when he found out that they were snap buttons, which made it easier for him to remove her shirt.

Harold pushed the clothing aside, revealing her body. He swallowed hard upon seeing how fair her skin was and how luscious her breasts were. He could not wait to touch and taste them. He cupped his hand to one of her breasts and circled the nipple until it hardened. His smile widened when he heard Rayne making a sound between a moan and a scream.

Harold looked up and saw how her eyes were blazing with passion. This turned him on even more, and he thought of ways to drive her crazy with pleasure.

The thumb caressing her nipple was replaced with his mouth, licking it first, then sucking it gently. This sent Rayne gasping and arching her back as if she was giving him more access to her body. With his other hand, he was caressing her thigh; he found the waistband of her panties and, hooking one side with his thumb, he began to pull it down.

The sound of a mandolin resulted in the pair coming to their senses, and Harold swore that he was hearing the opening theme of the first Silent Hill game. Where was it coming from? He wondered hazily.

Harold found out almost immediately when Rayne pushed him off her and began to look for her phone. He stared at her in disbelief as she frantically searched for her phone despite her sleep shirt being completely unbuttoned and one side of her underwear being crooked. Once she was able to find it, she immediately answered it.

"Hello? Russel1?!" Rayne said breathlessly. "What? Yeah, it was lifted a few months ago. Have you been…? Oh, that's awesome. When? Should I…? Seriously? But…! Fine, fine, I'll wait. Okay, later then."

Rayne sighed after she ended her call and then looked down at her chest. She frowned and then let out a yelp as she hastily buttoned her sleep shirt. She stared at Harold, who was watching her all this time. "What happened? Why am I…?"

Harold slowly stood up, approached her, took her phone, and placed it on the table. He gently buttoned her shirt. "I kissed you, and I'm sorry for doing so. I lost control."

Rayne blinked. "I-I don't know what to say."

"It's fine. After what I did, I'm surprised you didn't kick me by the balls."

"Should I?"

"Up to you."

Rayne frowned, then shook her head. "That won't solve anything. Anyway, what happened, happened so…!"

"Right. I better go. I got work tomorrow." Harold said as he ran a hand along his hair.

"Yeah, it's getting late. Good night."

"Night."

* * *

By the time Harold arrived at his place, he had gone straight to his bedroom and sat at the edge of his bed, his face buried in his hands, groaning in frustration. What possessed him to pounce on Rayne and almost have his way with her? Had he lost hold of his feelings so badly that a simple gesture of removing cheese sauce from his face triggered it?

No, the fact she licked it off sent him off the edge. It was weird but, at the same time, sensual and erotic. It was like she was licking him. The feel of her lips, skin, and body was way better than his fantasies about her. She was not the conventionally attractive woman he had dated in the past, but she was voluptuous, and her body was made for him to touch and kiss. Thanks to his actions, he wanted more.

Harold briefly glanced at his bed and groaned once again.

Ping! It was coming from his phone, which was on top of the nightstand beside his bed. He snatched it and saw there was a message from Agatha. It was a reminder regarding the exam questions they were working on. He and Agatha were joint teaching Molecular Genetics with him handling the lecture portion while Agatha took the laboratory part. He replied to her message and threw his phone on his bed.

Harold lay on the bed face down and screamed on his pillow.

As for Rayne, she was staring at the TV screen, which was playing an episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, sitting on the couch with her knees on her chest. She was hardly listening to the anime as her mind ran several kilometers per second, her body still tingling from Harold's kisses and touch.

Sexually, she was very inexperienced, as her dating life was so limited it was almost non-existent. Plus, the idea of actual intercourse did not appeal to her. It was not due to a traumatic experience but her lack of interest. While her friends and colleagues would exchange stories about one-night stands or trysts in the office fire escape, she would listen to them with detachment, even with apathy.

So what was different with Harold? Why did she respond to his kisses, moaning in pleasure upon his touch, and was left wanting more from him? She was attracted to him, but not to the extent that she would like to sleep with or kiss him. Was it because they became close? Right now, she had no idea, and at this rate, she would not be able to find any answer by brooding in front of the TV.

How would she face him? Rayne wondered as she got up from the sofa and turned off the TV. She shuffled towards her bedroom. Bubbles appeared from the kitchen and followed her. She bent down and grabbed the cat, then cradled him in her arms, hugging him hard.

"What's happening to me, Bubbles?" Rayne murmured.

"Meow?" Bubbles laid his head on her shoulder as if comforting her.

Rayne sighed. Sleeping it off would clear her head. It had always helped her whenever something was bothering her.

Once she was on her bed and Bubbles was resting near her head, she looked up at the ceiling of her bedroom, her mind still running a mile a minute. Thankfully, she was on her day off as she did not need the additional stress of her job intruding on her thoughts.

Despite how chaotic she was feeling, Rayne managed to fall asleep.

A week had passed since that incident, and there seemed to be a silent agreement between Harold and Rayne to forget it even happened. Instead, they reverted to their usual selves whenever they ended up meeting or running into each other. The only problem was a particular barrier between them that was never there before.

It was torturing Harold, but there was nothing he could do as he was concerned that Rayne would end up running away from him, shutting him out of her life and ending their friendship. He did not want that to happen, as she had become precious to him. He was not just attracted to her; he was hopelessly in love with her and intended to have her in his life as his girlfriend.

Harold's thoughts drifted to the reservation he had made to Café by the Ruins. He winced. How would he be able to ask Rayne out to dinner and confess his feelings when he ended up pouncing on her like some horny dog? He had to end this awkwardness between them, but how?

Surprisingly, the solution was provided for him when he decided to swim despite the rain. As he was stripping off his shirt, he heard someone calling his name. He threw aside his shirt and towel, then turned where he saw Rayne running towards him, holding an umbrella.

"What in the world are you doing?" She asked as she stopped beside him.

"Going for a swim?" Harold nearly sputtered.

Rayne looked around her and then at him as if he had gone insane. "Okay, that weirdly makes sense. I'll leave you alone after this. I just wanted to talk to you."

Harold blinked. "Sure, why don't we go somewhere away from the rain?" This was good news; Rayne was not being guarded around him. She was back to her usual friendly self, even if she was shy around him.

They ended up seated on a table a few distances from the pool with an umbrella. Harold made sure that Rayne would stay dry from the rain. She had fully recovered from pneumonia, but he did not want to risk her getting sick again.

Harold looked at her expectantly. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Rayne looked away briefly, then sighed. She looked back at him and extended her hands on the table. "About what happened…!"

Harold placed his hands on top of hers and clasped them. "I'm sorry. I am. I didn't mean to lose control like that."

She nodded. "Why did you kiss me?"

Harold felt his face grow hot. Hah, here was the million-dollar question. Why indeed? "I-I don't know." He decided to be honest. At her expression, he grabbed her hands and held them tighter. "Don't get me wrong, and I do want to kiss you, I just wanted to…mmm…make it special."

"Oh, okay," Rayne said, lowering her head.

"Rayne," Harold said as he pulled her hands close to his face and kissed them. "I don't kiss women just for the heck of it. I prefer to kiss women who I like."

Rayne was gaping at him. "Y-you like me?"

Harold nodded. Hell, he might as well admit it. He would modify his dinner plans with her, provided she accepted his invitation.

"Um, wow."

"Yeah. I plan to tell you at a better time, but…!"

"It's fine. I'm shocked that a man likes me."

"Why not? You're a beautiful woman to me."

That remark had made Rayne blush so hard; her face resembled a steamed lobster. Harold found it endearing.

"Thank you?" Rayne was looking at him shyly.

"Have faith in yourself, Rayne." Harold kissed her hands once again. "Why don't we start over again?"

Rayne grinned. "Okay."