6 Cold Skin, Hot Tears

The chapter contains indications of sexual abuse, please read at your own discretion. 

It would have been impossible to not recognize him – tall, slim, dignified posture, strong shoulders and broad chest; brown hair that shone with gold every time it would meet any source of light, smooth, porcelain skin, emanating a healthy, although slightly tired glow, sensual lips, chapped, perhaps from light dehydration, and sharp grey eyes, the trait shared by both Rosalie and Ian Ashter.

Raphael Ashter was a spitting image of his mother. And one would probably justly title him the female version of Rosalie. And just like his sister, he had broken many hearts, secretly flaring up his relentless yearning for her.

"Leave the room and don't come back until told otherwise."

The man gestured for the maid to exit the room but Aurora was reluctant to leave. She carefully looked at Rosalie, her face distorted by the mixture of fright and anxiety. There was no use to hesitate any longer, if Aurora did not leave when ordered to, she would get severely punished as well, and Lady Ashter did not want that. Thus, she offered her maid a slight encouraging nod and quickly shifted her gaze back to the wall, avoiding direct eye contact with her brother.

Raphael watched Aurora leave the room, and when she finally closed the heavy bathroom door behind her, he looked at the girl quietly sitting in the bathtub, slowly walked up to her, sat down on one of the wooden stools, and leaned closer to Rosalie's naked body, generously inhaling its scent.

"As always, you wear this scent best, Rosalie."

Raphael's presence was making her extremely uncomfortable; she fidgeted with her hands for a few moments, then crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to cover as much of her body as possible, which seemed to have made Raphael rather angry. He grabbed his sister by the wrists and pulled her arms away from her body, his handsome face disgruntled with rage.

"What are you doing? Is there something on your body that you are trying to hide? Why? Did someone touch you while I was gone?!"

He pulled his sister's upper body even closer to him, then looked her right in the eyes, his gaze burning with madness, and hissed like a venomous snake,

"Was it that moron William Amado?"

Not giving Rosalie a chance to reply, Raphael pressed his large hand on top of the girl's head and pushed her down under the water, watching her struggle like a drowning animal, desperately fighting for a chance to live. At last, when it was beginning to look like the girl was ready to give up, he roughly pulled her up, still clenching her hair between his fingers, then inserted his free hand under the water, and Rosalie felt it brush over the inside of her thighs and crotch, before finally going inside her, making her flinch as if hit by a lightning bolt, and widen her eyes, stunned by her brother's blunt action.

With his hand still touching in between her legs, Raphael smiled rather slyly and said in a hoarse whisper, his lips almost touching her ear,

"If I find out that you let someone touch you, I will kill you, Rosalie."

Lady Ashter felt her whole body tremble in unfathomable fear. She knew that Rosalie still had a virgin body but her brother's mad behavior, even his mere words, was shaking her up to her core.

Satisfied with the result of his "inspection", the man hugged his sister's body and took her into his broad, strong arms, getting her out of the bathtub. He then wrapped a large soft towel around her still-trembling body, lifted her as if she was weightless, almost marched out of the bathroom, and carefully placed her on her bed, positioning his own body right next to her, and embracing her in his arms once again, now gently, while stroking her naked back and pressing her forehead to his heaving chest.

Rosalie could feel his heart beat like a drum, while his skin, tightly pressed to her own, was burning hot, whereas her own skin was as cold as ice. Raphael was getting excited and it was making her shiver in utter disgust.

Without even realizing it, the girl's cheeks turned wet with hot, salty tears, spreading their burning dampness onto Raphael's exposed skin. The man gently pulled her head up, their faces now almost touching, placed the back of his left hand on top of Rosalie's soft cheek and offered her a somewhat kind, even affectionate smile.

But his sister's uncontrollable dismay was not that easily erased, thus, as if having anticipated that kind of behavior, or perhaps simply having gotten used to it, Raphael planted a gentle kiss on top of the girl's forehead, and whispered, his lips brushing over the girl's smooth skin,

"Shh, don't cry, my dear Rosalie. I know you are scared, but I will take care of everything. I will take care of that insect William Amado, he will never touch you."

He then moved slightly down, kissing her still-crying eyes, and continued, his hot breath leaving a damp sensation on Rosalie's closed eyelids,

"As long as you behave, I will always be on your side, Rosalie. I will shield and protect you from everyone and everything. As long as you listen to me. Understand?"

Rosalie's mind was completely blank. It was one thing to read about Raphael's sick interactions with his sister in the novel, but now that she was directly experiencing it, she could not help wanting to simply disappear. She was afraid. She was genuinely frightened. And there was no escape.

All of a sudden, the girl felt Raphael's strong grip on her chin – he lifted her face once again and looked into her sparkling eyes, his lips still curled into a cunning grin,

"Now, I have been away for almost two weeks. Did not you miss me?"

Rosalie nodded quietly, afraid to utter a single word, but her brother was happy even with that.

"Good. I missed you like crazy."

Still holding his sister's face by the chin with one hand, he grabbed Rosalie's hand with the other, and carefully placed it on top of his crotch, rubbing it all over his privates, forcing her to feel his excitement against her will. And then, Raphael pressed his hot lips to his sister's ear, bit her earlobe rather playfully, and commanded,

"Go on, Rosalie. Show me how badly you missed me. I will not leave this room until I am convinced."