Then, Love Came

Chapter Eleven

A TICKLISH sensation on her neck woke Nina from her slumber. The blinding ray of light from the window welcomed her sleepy eyes.

She was about to gently rub her neck when she heard a groan. It was followed by an arm snaking around her waist.

She froze.

Her eyes widened at the same time cursed as the light hurt her eyes. Chills ran down her spine when she felt something warm touched her neck.

What the!

She carefully turned her head on her side. She cussed when her lips almost touched Neil's. His face was too close to hers. She felt as if her heart skipped a beat.

She found herself swallowing a lump while looking at Neil's parted lips. Add to that the intoxicating scent of alcohol that instead to annoy her sensitive nose, seemed to find it addicting.

Dios Mio, Nina!

She caught her breathe when she saw his brow moved. She automatically closed her eyes.

She did not sense him coming to their room last night. Might be because she was in her deep sleep state again and felt comfortably safe.

Comfortably safe, really Nina?

She felt him snuggling on her. Pulling her closer to him and felt his leg on top of hers. She could feel her back against his chest, that steady beating of his heart that seemed like keeping its pace with her own, that warm comfortable feeling of being in his embrace and his faint scent that seemed to tease her ever sensitive nose.

Her eyes opened. She bit her lower lip as she could not feel any sort of protest in her body and even in her mind. More of, she wanted to stay like this with him. Enjoy this quiet moment of being next to him without worries. Without anything or anyone, just the two of them.

Was it because I am longing for this too?

She sighed.

Since when did she let Neil get
close to her? When did she let him affect her? Since when did this change occured?

He was not by her side most of the time. She guarded herself from him for the past three years. She, as much as possible, tried her best to be civil with him. She does not like him. It was always been Enrico.

But, who was she fooling?

She felt like being spilled on with cold water.

Her hand automatically went to Neil's arm snaking on her waist. She tried to unclasp his grip on her but felt it went tighter. She even heard a protesting groan from him. A hint that he did not want to let her go.

She did not know why but, there was that faint joy at the core of her heart. Something that surprised her.

Was she...

She ignored the words that flashed in her mind. She must pull herself out of here. Being this close to Neil make her think of nonsense thoughts.

Lola Josephina even told her flatly that she did not love Neil or more precisely, don't love him.

"Neil," she called but only had a faint moan-like answer. She then felt him bury his face on her neck. His breathe fanning on her neck felt ticklish that sends tingly sensations all over her nerve endings.