Chapter 197 Promise Me
A shiver crawled down Renee’s spine as she felt a pair of eyes on her. Her body tensed, fists clenching instinctively.
She didn’t turn right away. Instead, she waited–waited for whoever–or whatever–was watching her to let their guard down.
Then, in one swift motion, she spun around to attack.
Before she could, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.
The scent hit her first–familiar, grounding. If it hadn’t been for that, she would’ve thrown a punch.
William only held her tighter, as if he could fold her into himself and never
let go.
“William…”
Renee parted her lips to speak, but before she could get another word out, he kissed her.
Heat bloomed between them–sudden, overwhelming.
His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers pressing gently. He kissed her with frantic desperation, as if holding on for dear life.
She gasped, pushing against his shoulders. He didn’t let go.
In a heartbeat, his tongue slipped between her parted lips.
A soft moan escaped before she could stop it.
Their mouths moved together, urgent and unrelenting. His lips pressed so tightly to hers, it felt like he was trying to claim every part of her.
Their teeth clashed. His presence consumed her–overwhelming, unrelenting.
She gasped, caught off guard. Her breath quickened as she patted his chest, pushing weakly.
But he only deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring, teasing, tasting.
“No… wait…”
Heat pricked at the corners of her eyes. Each gasp she let out only seemed to fuel him, to harden his resolve.
He clung to her, sucking at her tongue, his body pressing close. Their damp mouths moved together, each kiss a desperate pull. The sound of it echoed through the quiet cave.
Then, he dipped his head lower. She gathered every ounce of strength and shoved against his chest. “William… I said… stop!”
At last, he stilled. His breath came hard and uneven as he met her gaze- staring at the woman he had almost lost.
Slowly, he wiped her damp lower lip with his thumb. “I thought I was going to lose you again… Nene.”
The way he said “again” made her chest tighten. She understood.
“Sorry, I…”
“Renee.”
She fell silent at his stern voice, her brows drawing together in confusion.
His expression shifted–serious, cold. It had been a long time since he had called her that coldly.
Right now, his eyes were like ice.
A shiver ran through Renee. She couldn’t begin to guess what he was
thinking.
“How could you risk your life like that?” William’s voice was low, sharp.
“And for another man?” His jaw tightened. “Nene, when will you finally put me first?”
She stared at him, speechless. She didn’t want to fight. Not now.
His fingers traced the curve of her brow, slow and deliberate. His pulse hammered as he swallowed hard.
“You used to tell me you loved me,” he murmured. “You chased after me every day. But you never really put me first.” His voice wavered, just slightly. “So I held back. I kept my feelings buried to keep you intrigued, hoping this… whatever this was… would last a little longer.” His throat tightened. “But you–when you lost patience, you didn’t give me a chance at all.” A bitter smile flickered across his lips. “Nene, you’re cruel.” His grip on her tightened. “You did this to me before, and now again. How could you? You jumped into the sea–right in front of me!”
Renee parted her lips, but no words came.
He smoothed his thumb over her furrowed brow, trying to ease the tension
there.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he whispered. “Promise me.”
