Chapter 100
My head was spinning, and I instinctively tried to push him away. But Tom’s fingers laced tightly with mine, locking me firmly in place. Meanwhile, his other hand gently cradled the back of my neck.
The faint scent of alcohol lingered in his breath, sharp and overwhelming. I struggled to free myself, but he held me securely in his embrace. It was like a floodgate had opened–everything spiraled out of control.
When I was on the verge of being completely out of breath, Tom’s lips slowly trailed down to my neck. Panic set in, and I called out hesitantly, “Tom He stilled at the sound of my voice. He buried his face against my neck, and his warm breath scalded my sin.
1 froze, not daring to move a muscle until I heard his deep and steady breathing. After confirming he was asleep, I eased him down onto the couch and stood up with my shaky legs.
Reflexively, I touched my lips which were still tingling from the kiss moments before. I couldn’t fathom how things had escalated to this point.
A drunken kiss? I couldn’t very well argue with someone who wasn’t even sober. I then decided to chalk it up to bad luck and pretend it never happened. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Tom, who was clearly too far gone to wake up again tonight. He was tall and broad–shouldered. There was no way I could drag him to his bedroom on my own.
Instead, I fetched a blanket to cover him. Worried he might wake up with a stiff neck, I grabbed a pillow and slid it under his head.
By the time I was done, I was drenched in sweat. But I had to admit that Tom was an unusually composed drunk. He did what he wanted, then promptly passed out, sleeping sweetly and peacefully.
Before I realized it, I’d been staring at his face for far too long. Embarrassed, I quickly averted my gaze.
Just as I was about to leave, it occurred to me to tidy up. I went back to clean the spilled soup before heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Only after making sure there was no evidence left did I tiptoe back to my room.
Perhaps it was because of that drunken kiss that I couldn’t avoid dreaming again that night. It was the same recurring dream–set at the banquet. Except this time, Tom had taken Gavin’s place as the lead in the story.
In the dream, Tom was even more domineering and intense, as if he intended to devour me whole.
When I woke up, I shook my groggy head, feeling utterly exasperated. Was I losing my mind? Why was I repeatedly having this kind of dream?
Once was bad enough, but twice? It had to be last night’s drunken kiss messing with my head
Throwing off the covers, I climbed out of bed. After a quick washing up, I poured myself some cereal for breakfast.
Once I finished eating, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door. But as soon as I opened it, I heard the door across the hall open simultaneously. I instinctively wanted to retreat.
“Good morning, Grace,” Tom greeted.
Frozen in place, I forced a stiff smile and greeted him, “Good morning.”
Tom raised a hand to massage his temples, still looking a bit hungover. Once he lowered it, he turned his gaze vaguely remember you coming to see me?”
ze to me. “I drank too much last night. I
