Chapter Two - Coffee

Luxiana Sommeris

“Don’t you dare touch me, or I’m calling the cops!” I shouted, my voice trembling even though I tried to mask my fear with anger. My back was pressed against the desk, the hard surface digging into my skin as I braced myself.

I was trying to look tough, but inside, I was terrified. Something was unsettling about him, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“I doubt you can call the cops here.” His voice was so steady, so casual, that it sent a chill down my spine.

His face remained expressionless, cold until he gently tilted my chin upward with a soft and possessive touch.

The moment his hand touched me, it was like my body froze. I couldn’t move. My lips, which had been quivering in fear, now wouldn’t respond. 

What had he done to me? Why couldn’t I speak? Panic surged through me, but it was trapped inside, unable to find its way out.

“You’re perfect,” he murmured, his deep blue eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place. “Everything about your body is.” 

His gaze roamed over me, and the way he looked at me made me feel exposed, and vulnerable in a way I’d never felt before.

Then, without warning, he leaned in, his breath warm against my neck. Soft kisses trailed along my skin, and a strange sensation spread through me. A sound wanted to come out of my mouth but I fought it.

It was all new—so startlingly new. I had read books, the kind that made my body heat up in ways I barely understood, but this... this was something else entirely.

This was real.

His lips moved against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I had no idea how to respond, or what to feel. 

My body was betraying me, caught between fear and something deeper, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“S-stop it...” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible as I bit down on my lower lip, trying to hold onto the last shred of control I had left.

“Are you sure you want to stop this?” Damien asked, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. 

What happened next surprised me. He swiftly lifted me and placed me on my desk, scattering books to the floor with a clatter. The shock of it all sent my heart racing, but that was only the beginning.

In one fluid motion, he slipped out of his pants, and I screamed, not out of fear but because I had seen something I had never prepared myself for. 

I saw it—his raw masculinity, his pride, the essence of what made him a man, all laid bare before me.

My mind scrambled for words, for sense, anything to cling to. Surely, Damien must be proud of this display, but this was no time to admire him. 

“Y-You're a pervert!” I stammered, my voice trembling, panic flooding every inch of me. “Stay away from me!”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his confidence unwavering. “Don't you like what you see?” he teased, stepping closer, his voice low and smooth like silk. 

“It won’t be long now before I'm inside you. Should I undress you myself?” His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the buttons of my blouse with deliberate, torturously slow movements.

And then, I froze.

I wanted to move, to push him away, to scream again, but my body refused to cooperate again. It was as if his presence alone had taken away my will, leaving me helpless under his control.

Damien, unbothered by my paralysis, began unbuttoning my blouse with ease, slipping it off my shoulders until my bare skin met the cool air. 

His gaze dropped to my chest, and without a word, he unhooked my bra, the straps falling away like an afterthought.

He paused, staring at me, admiration flickering in his eyes. “For goodness’ sake, you're so perfect,” he murmured, his voice dipping into a reverent tone.

I gasped as his hands roamed over my skin, touching me, and exploring me with an almost gentle caress.

When he leaned in his head towards my mound, I wanted to jump out of the desk but I was still paralyzed. Was it his doing? Why can’t I move out of my will, this is madness. I want to get out of this!

Damien's tongue slid over my mound, and an overwhelming wave of vulnerability and disgust washed over me. 

I felt completely exposed, his actions making my skin crawl. He sucked on me, and my body responded uncontrollably as if betraying me in that moment.

I couldn’t bear it any longer. “S-Stop, stop this!” I finally managed to scream, my voice trembling as it echoed through the vast, silent library. 

The sound seemed to startle him; he pulled back, a look of surprise momentarily flashing across his face.

“You broke it…” Damien’s voice was slow, deliberate, as he lifted his gaze to meet mine, his eyes dark and unreadable. “No human being can do that.”

His words didn’t make sense to me, but there was no time to unravel their meaning. My focus shifted to covering myself, hurriedly dressing as my hands trembled. 

I reached for the black lamp on my desk, gripping it as if it were the only thing tethering me to reality.

“L-Look, I don’t know what’s happening, but you need to leave,” I panted, my breath shallow and frantic. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect myself.”

Damien stood there, unmoving, his stormy blue eyes fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. 

I couldn’t decipher the expression on his face, but it held something far deeper than mere defiance.

“I’ll see you next midnight,” he said, his voice low and unsettling. And with that, he vanished—disappearing as if he had never been there. 

I looked around, heart pounding, but the library stretched on endlessly, and there was no sign of him anywhere. He has to be arrested!

“Xiana!” I gasped for air, jolting awake, my body tense. Someone had shaken me awake, and I blinked rapidly, trying to orient myself. 

Margaret stood over me, concern furrowing her brow.

“I told you to go home last night,” she said softly, her voice cutting through the fog of confusion. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”

I stared at her, trying to make sense of everything. “W-Where’s the man? Damien, is he here?” My voice was shaky, my mind struggling to separate reality from the vivid memory.

Margaret’s face twisted with confusion. “Damien? Who is that? Xiana, no one else has been here since yesterday. I’m sorry I didn’t check more carefully, but your desk was piled with books—I didn’t even see you sleeping.”

“Yesterday?” The word hung in the air as I grabbed my phone and glanced at the time. It was nearly seven in the morning. How had so much time passed?

“You should get some rest today,” Margaret suggested gently. “It looked like you were having a nightmare when I woke you.”

A nightmare? I repeated the thought in my mind, unsure. It had all felt so real—the way he touched me, the weight of his presence. 

I could still feel the ghost of his touch lingering on my skin as if Damien had been far more than just a figment of my imagination.

Without saying a word, I bid Margaret goodbye. I didn’t want to concern her, especially with that look she had—the one that always made me feel uneasy, as if she could see right through my thoughts.

“You should start looking for someone who could take up most of your time, instead of spending all your hours here, surrounded by books, Xiana,”

The memory of her words made me sigh deeply. The truth was, I didn’t have the time for someone, and even if I did, I doubted anyone would look at me in that way. 

That thought settled like a weight in my chest as my gaze wandered toward the small house that sat at the edge of the woods.

It was the house where my grandmother and I used to live. The city had grown near the mountain, gradually adapting to the modern ways, but this place remained untouched, tucked away from the rush of progress. 

My grandmother had always believed in preserving this home, its old charm, and quiet simplicity, and I had promised myself I’d do the same.

“I’m home,” I whispered into the silence as I stepped into the dim living room, the familiar creak of the floorboards echoing in the stillness.

The remnants of the dream clung to me, haunting my thoughts. I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I had seen wasn’t just a product of my imagination. 

Somewhere deep inside, something told me it was real. But I shook the thought away as I made my way to the bathroom, splashing cool water on my face, hoping to wash away the lingering unease.

After drying off, I wandered to my room, instinctively heading toward the bookshelf. Each shelf was filled with stories that had comforted me in lonely moments, but today, one book called out to me more than the others. 

My fingers brushed against the spine of a familiar red cover, and I pulled it out, staring at the title—Incubus.

I carried it to my bed, letting out another deep sigh. It felt absurd to want to read about something like this, especially after that dream. 

But I needed to. Something inside me insisted that this book held answers I wasn’t ready to admit I was seeking.

“Maybe I should drink some coffee just in case, I don’t want to fall asleep tonight,” I spoke to myself before heading towards the kitchen.

I made sure it was pure black coffee to keep myself awake. Damien, the man who appeared in my dreams said he would see me this midnight. I won’t take any chances.

If I had to stay away for the rest of the night for me not to be in danger because of him then so be it! After preparing my brewed coffee, I went inside my room to read.

To be continued…