Chapter 412: A kiss that leads to something_Part 3
Rav had taken her presence for granted far too much that now, as he thought about her leaving, he wished he could stop it, but he also believed he had no right to interfere at the same time.
He watched her where she was lying on her pillow, her red hair spread out beautifully, her hand supporting her cheek that still held a rosy color from her tears. Her eyes were slightly swollen, her heart-shaped lips dark pink and plump, and watching them, he felt his stomach twist, causing him to look away.
"Is there any way I can change your mind? It’s not safe outside Nightbrook for a vampire. You might get it worse out there than you did here," he muttered, to which she smiled softly, his eyes falling momentarily back to her lips.
"I’ve already made up my mind," Evenly replied gently. "But then... can I ask you for one request, though? It will make a difference when I am gone."
Rav nodded slowly, realizing he would do about anything for her at that moment. But what she requested next took him completely off guard.
"Can I kiss you?" she asked, and quickly added, "It’s okay if you don’t want it. I just... feel like kissing you."
"Do you do anything whenever you feel like doing it?" Rav asked, shifting back uncomfortably to lie on his back, his heart throbbing unevenly at her unexpected request.
"Not everything," she murmured with a small smile. "I just want to look back on something pleasant and smile. You always turn crimson whenever I act or do something boldly, just like now. You shy away from things like that. I find you adorable for a man who wears an expressionless face most of the time."
"I don’t turn crimson, and it’s not right to call a man adorable or shy. I’m not either of those," he defended immediately, his voice a little too firm, betraying his fluster.
"Says the man with crimson cheeks," Evenly teased with a soft laugh, but her laughter faltered when Rav suddenly turned to her and moved closer, his face set with quiet determination.
"Then kiss me," he said, his voice calm but low, almost a challenge. His gaze held hers without blinking, as if he wanted to prove to her, and to himself, that he wasn’t shy at all and could do anything.
Evenly’s laugh faded completely. For a heartbeat, silence filled the air between them before she leaned in, but before she could close the distance, Rav did. He pressed his lips against hers, and at that exact moment, a loud thunder shook the walls outside.
But she barely noticed it.
Her hand instinctively wrapped around his neck as she opened her mouth to his, deepening the kiss and gently pushing him to lie back while she hovered above him, taking control of his lips with bold, unhesitating movements.
Rav stiffened when he felt her tongue probe at his tightly shut lips. To him, kissing had always meant nothing more than pressing closed mouths together, that was how he had kissed his late wife, who had never liked open-mouthed kisses, as women of those times believed only women of shame allowed such things. He had never explored beyond that, never imagined himself participating in the act.
"Open your mouth," Evenly whispered softly against his lips.
And he did as she said.
The feeling of her tongue sliding into his mouth overwhelmed him with sensations and feelings, her warmth, her taste, the way she explored and then retreated to suck gently on his bottom lip before diving in again.
Rav knew he should stop it there, before he lost control, but his curiosity made him follow her lead. He mimicked her movements, letting their tongues touch and glide, nibbling on her lip the way she did to his, then licking and sucking to soothe it gently.
When she moaned into his mouth, Rav didn’t know how such a sound could make him feel like he was walking on the edge of a sword with fire blazing below.
Heat surged through him and settled low in his body, the part of him he had forced into stillness for too many years.
But now, that heat brought it back to life, stirring it restlessly in his trousers.
She smelled just as wonderful as he remembered. Her hair was as velvety, thick, and soft as he had imagined, and he let his fingers thread into the mass, spreading them at the back of her head to press her mouth harder against his.
One slender arm rested across his torso, bringing her plush breasts flush against his chest.
With only the thin layer of fabric separating their skin, the heat that only rose when vampires were aroused radiated between their bodies, deepening the awareness that they were no longer just two people, but two hearts trembling in the same rhythm.
"Evenly," he used her name for the first time, his voice low and uncertain as he said, "We should stop, I am losing control..."
"Don’t, please. Don’t stop. I want this... I want you," she pleaded, her breath shaky as she pressed her lips back to his. "Make love to me, Rav. Please, grant me this as a parting gift."
Rav stiffened, but her hungry kiss and the way her hard nipples brushed his side, rubbing against the back of his wrist, made it impossible to hold back. He gave in without a moment to think.
He turned his hand and hesitantly cupped a fleshy mound, his palm trembling slightly as warmth flooded through him at the feel of it in his hand.
She laid her head on his shoulder, her hair a taunting caress against his face and neck. The scent of her skin, faintly sweet and so humanlike, nearly made him drown in feelings.
He knew he shouldn’t participate in this, not with every discipline he had instilled in himself over the years.
But he could no longer stop. He let that part of him, long buried and aching, take control, and he gave her what she wanted, what he wanted, but had tried so desperately to fight.
She pushed her soft mound into his palm and made an eager, soft mewling sound in the back of her throat. She unbuttoned his shirt even before he could stop her, and her warm breath hardened his nipples, sending a pulse of heat straight to his core.
He rolled onto his side toward her.
Beneath the bedsheet that covered her, he fumbled in the dimness, his hand finding the curve of her rounded backside. He pulled her gently against him, instinctively pressing forward at the same time in a motion of coupling.
She wrapped her arm around his neck, and her warm breath grazed his ear, making him shiver. Quite naturally, he slid his hands beneath the hem of her nightgown and raised it, his fingers gliding along warm, satin skin, molding against her defined hipbone, dipping in at her waist, drifting higher and drawing a shiver from her as he found her naked breast and rolled her nipple between his fingers.
Evenly pressed her face against his neck, and he leaned above her.
He ran his hand back down, dipped a finger in and around her navel, discovered a silken thatch of curls, and tested the dewy folds beneath.
She curled her fingers into his hair and pressed her lips against his neck with a smothered cry.
Rav shifted his weight onto her, his chest tightening at the sound she made, a sound that broke through every wall he’d built around himself for years.
Their bodies seemed made for each other, hers eager, warm with arousal, and pliant; his seeking, parting her thighs with shaky hands, easing into her with careful restraint.
When he entered her, for a heartbeat, he forgot the world entirely.
Nothing had ever felt so wonderful, so fulfilling and tantalizing at the same time.
Nothing he’d ever done had been this important, this all-consuming and alive.
Her knees hugged him snugly, her body sheathing him tightly, her arms locked around his neck as he began a slow movement.
This was a dream come true for both of them, a forbidden comfort neither of them dared to hope for.
He took time to run his palms across her skin, to explore the feminine curves and textures, and to elicit her sighs of pleasure from her.
The mildness of their first joining quickly disappeared as they began to move through a rhythm only they could hear.
Her entire body tensed against him.
Her teeth dug into his neck. Rav had never concentrated as hard on anything as he did on recognizing the signals her body sent and intensifying her pleasure to please her.
"Like this?" he breathed.
"Yes," she whispered.
Her hands moved to his hips, and her fingers pressed into his flesh, restraining him.
"Slower?" he asked.
"Yes," she moaned softly, the sound almost breaking his resolve.
Rav forced his years of deprived body to slow down, though every muscle inside him trembled with the need to go faster.
Her breath caught and held.
"Now?" he asked.
"Yes," she murmured, her voice barely a breath.
He held her as tightly as possible without crushing her, kissed her damp temple, inhaled the rapturous fragrance of her hair, and spent himself inside her, the world dissolving into warmth and silence.
Her gentle tremors enclosed him.
Beneath him, Evenly’s body went limp, but her fingers came back to stroke his hair, a small gesture that melted him completely.
The rigid muscles in his thigh jumped, and he eased himself into a more comfortable position for them both.
Her skin was damp and felt very right against his. His heart thudded at a clear, precise rate, still echoing her name.
He might regret this tomorrow, but he didn’t let himself dwell on the regret, not at this moment, not when the deed had been done and there was no taking it back. Not when he had enjoyed it more than he had ever before.
Evenly adjusted her gown and rolled to her side. "Rav, can you hold me, please?" she whispered softly, the rain outside now pouring in earnest.
Rav turned, wrapping himself behind her spoon-fashion.
"My lady, I—"
"Not now," she interrupted gently. "Don’t talk. Let’s sleep."