Chapter 246 Intimacy II

Chapter 246: Chapter 246 Intimacy II

_Alaric’s POV_

I stood in the room with my jaw clenched so hard the muscles in my face began to throb.

Brielle’s breath was still hot against my neck, her frantic hands clinging to my shoulders like a drowning person grabbing a piece of wood. I didn’t hesitate for a single second. I grabbed her by her forearms, yanked her off me, and shoved her back so hard she stumbled into the corner of the sofa with a loud cry.

"Don’t you ever touch me again," I growled, my voice dropping into a dangerous, guttural frequency that made the windows vibrate.

I turned around on my heel and walked straight out of the room, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand in pure disgust. Ezekiel was standing in the middle of the hallway, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, looking at the floor like he was deeply interested in the pattern of the tiles.

"What are you doing here, Ezekiel?" I asked gruffly, my suit jacket rustling as I pulled my cuffs down.

Ezekiel looked up, giving me a small, rare, serious nod. "Rowena sent me to fetch you. She said she needed you back at the estate."

Hearing her name instantly cleared the dark fog of rage in my mind. "Is she alright?"

"She’s fine," Ezekiel said smoothly. "She just said you should come home."

I didn’t waste another second. I bypassed the main elevator, took the fire stairs three at a time, and stepped out into the hospital parking lot. My driver started the engine the moment he saw me coming, but I motioned for him to step out, taking the keys straight from his hand. I got into the driver’s seat, slammed the door, and hit the gas, sending the black sedan speeding down the central avenue toward the Ashthorne residence .

Ten minutes later, I pulled into the estate driveway. I didn’t bother locking the car. I pushed through the main double doors, walked past the parlor, and went straight up the stairs to Rowena’s office.

The door was slightly standing open.

Rowena was sitting behind her desk, surrounded by digital blueprints and security folders. She was wearing a soft cream sweater, her blonde hair pulled back into a loose clip. The moment she heard my boots on the floor, she lifted her head.

I didn’t say a single word. I walked straight across the room, leaned over her chair, and pulled her up into my arms.

I buried my face in the crook of her neck, my arms wrapping tightly around her waist. The soft, sweet scent of lavender filled my lungs, instantly melting away the suffocating tension that had been building inside my chest all day. I held her like a lifeline, squeezing her so close that there wasn’t a single inch of space left between us.

Rowena didn’t pull away. She wrapped her slender arms around my shoulders, her fingers gently moving through the short hair at the back of my neck, holding me right back with steady warmth.

After a long minute, I slowly pulled back, resting my forehead against hers as I let out a heavy breath.

Rowena looked up into my eyes, her expression completely calm, and understanding. She reached one hand up, her thumb gently brushing against the corner of my lower lip.

"Did Brielle force herself on you?" Rowena asked, her voice normal and devoid of any doubt or anger.

I gave a single, firm nod. "Yes."

A cold look crossed her face for a split second before she let out a slow breath. She let go of my shoulders and stepped back, looking down at my dress shirt.

"Take that shirt off and burn it," Rowena said, her tone cool and decisive. "Then go into the private bathroom, turn the water on hot, and take a long shower. Scrub her hands completely off your skin."

I looked at her, a strange, deep sense of relief washing through my chest. Any other woman would have thrown a massive, hysterical fit, but Rowena knew me. She trusted me. She saw right through Brielle’s desperate little games, and instead of doubting me, she was protecting me.

"Understood," I murmured, my deep and rough.

I unbuttoned my dark suit jacket, tossed it onto her sofa, and walked into her office’s private bathroom. I ripped my dress shirt off, threw it into the metal wastebasket near the sink, and turned the shower handle all the way to hot.

Steam quickly filled the room. I stepped under the scalding water, using the soap to scrub my arms, my chest, and my neck until my skin was red, washing away every last trace of Brielle’s lingering touch.

Ten minutes later, I turned off the water, wrapped a thick gray towel around my waist, and stepped back out into the main office. I was drying my hair with a smaller towel, my bare chest still warm and dripping with tiny water droplets.

Rowena was waiting for me right near the doorway.

The moment I stepped into her space, she didn’t say a word. She stepped right up to me, reached her hand up to grab the back of my neck, pulled me down, and planted her lips firmly onto mine.

My mind went completely blank for a fraction of a second.

The kiss wasn’t gentle or hesitant, it was fierce, possessive, and full of clear, fire. She was marking her territory, claiming me completely, reminding me exactly who I belonged to.

A deep, low growl rumbled straight out of my chest.

I dropped the hand towel onto the floor, wrapping my arm around her waist while my other hand cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss until her breath hitched against my mouth. I pulled her body tightly against my chest, feeling the material of her sweater against my bare skin.

Before she could pull away, I slid my hand down to her thighs, lifting her effortlessly right off her feet. Rowena let out a gasp against my lips, instinctively wrapping her long legs around my waist to hold herself up.

I pressed her back against the doorframe, my hands holding her tight, my mouth refusing to let go of hers. She started it, and I shall finish it.