My cheeks heated up upon hearing Lucein’s promise.
It rang deep into the recesses of my brain, passed through my heart and straight into my very soul, allowing me time to sink the information in. He really wanted me.
I didn’t reply. I just remained silent. But if I had said anything, I would have said a thank you. Thank you because he considered my feelings.
I won’t lie. It did prick my heart hearing him say another woman’s name while touching me. The insecurity was real and it gnawed at me, bringing questions into my head.
Was he in love with her? So much so that he had to mention her name?
But at the same time, I understood him. If he did love that woman so much, uttering her name was bound to happen.
It made me realize that Lucein, despite how rude, crude, and cocky he appeared to be, knew how to love.
I pressed my forehead against his neck, basking on the scent of him that was all man: virile and dominant.
His heartbeat drummed an irregular rhythm like mine. It told me he was as much affected with my presence as I was with him.
His bulge was still poking my behind as he brought me toward the bed, as obvious as the wetness of my underwear. But I remained completely still, acting as if they were nonexistent.
“Uh, Lucein?” I finally broke my silence when he laid me on the mattress.
He flung his arm across my waist and caged me in. “Hmm?” He gazed down, eyes aglow with desire still.
“If we are going to sleep, can I change into my sleeping clothes?” I asked, my eyes and cheeks still wet with tears. I wanted to wash them away; refresh my face.
Besides, I don’t like wearing my bra when sleeping, and my maxi dress just wasn’t comfortable to lie on.
But with all those reasons swirling in my head, the only answer he gave me was “No.”
I felt his lips on the crown of my head, felt his warm breath fan my scalp, before I asked, “Why?”
He inhaled, one that was long and deep, and I knew he was trying to control himself. “Just stay, Nicollete. I don’t want our skin contact broken.”
“But—”
“Shhh, sleep now,” he cut in. “If you won’t, I’ll be tempted to take you right now.”
It was a sure threat and I didn’t doubt the man at all, so with that said, I quickly closed my eyes.
“Hmm, good,” was the last thing he said before he dozed off. Really dozed off. A rather favorable advantage when one is drunk.
But me? Guess what. After half an hour, not once did Morpheus knock on my door. Sleeping had always been my stress reliever. My only solace after a day of work and pressure.
It had always been easy for me. I was never the insomniac type. But at that moment, sleep was impossible with Lucein by my side.
Fortunately, his arm wasn’t frozen. I was able to lift it up and successfully escape, rolling off the bed like a sneaking courtesan. Surely, he wouldn’t notice my absence.
I sighed with relief when I stood at the edge of the bed. I looked at him, observed any minute signs of him waking. There was none, but looking made me realize one thing.
Oh, my goodness, Lucein sleeping was an eyeful.
He was positioned sideways with his legs bent and arms stretched as if I was still inside his cocoon.
His torso, filled with mouthwatering obliques, quads, and pecs, compelled me to steal a touch, and I probably would have, had I still been beside him.
His serene face was illuminated by the dim light of my lampshade. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t skip while I stared at him.
I groaned. I knew it wasn’t my business, but I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d meant.
The questions were beyond my comprehension, so I decided to set them aside. I badly wanted answers. I needed them for my sanity’s sake.
After one last look at my bed crasher, I entered the bathroom, where I stayed for almost an hour fixing myself and changing into a boy’s shorts and a loose thin-strapped chemise.
The ensemble was the best I could whip up that would give me both the propriety I needed in the presence of Lucein and comfort when sleeping.
I had thought of a sweat shirt and baggy pants, but that didn’t scream come and have sex with me. Still, I am talking about Lucein here. I doubt any clothes would have deterred him.
By the time I left the bathroom, everything was the same: the lampshade’s light, the creases of the bedspread, and the man who thought he owned my bed.
He was still in the position I’d left him.
It was a good thing the mattress was large enough to fit three people. Cautiously, I slipped under the duvet on the farthest side, creating as much space between him and me.
But I was tempted to give him a good night kiss on his forehead too, so I skidded over slowly and paused right where my lips could reach his head.
“Good night Lucein,” I whispered softly and then kissed him on his most vulnerable spot.
He didn’t stir. I was glad he didn’t.
Sliding back to my side, I hit the pillow and closed my eyes. Luckily, the sandman gave me a peaceful rest thereafter.
Morning. Ahh, yes. Finally, it came.
I honestly thought I’d wake up with Lucein’s face greeting me. I mean, he was already lying beside me, half naked and all. And with the promise he’d made, I doubt he’d leave me without fulfilling it.
But much to my surprise, it was another man who smiled at me when I peeled my eyelids open. He was dressed in a loose black trouser and a casual shirt that looked so good on him.
“I-Ira?” I blinked many times, sat up, and turned to my left to see if Lucein was still in bed and found him absent.
But where was he? And why was Ira inside my room?
Did he see us?
“Good morning, Nicollete,” Mr. Andretti smoothly greeted. He beamed a smile at me and leaned forward on his seat. “How was your sleep?”
He must have dragged the sofa close to the bed, as I was sure the furniture was near the bathroom door the previous night.
“Uhm, good,” I managed to say without my voice faltering. “Why are you here? How did you get in?”
He lifted a black card into view and replied, “I have a spare.”
“Aren’t you trespassing?” I asked, my tone of voice a little sterner this time.
He just shrugged his shoulders. “Not if I’m the one who booked this room for you.”
“Right,” I exhaled in surrender. I couldn’t argue with that at all, but still, he seriously needed to ask my permission before coming inside. “Uhm, why are you here again?”
“I just want to watch you sleep,” he replied in a low voice.
I was taken aback. Rather a simple reason if you ask me. But that wasn’t what caught my attention.
It was my deep-seated worry that he might have seen me with a man.
Lucein specifically.
“How-how long have you been here?” I asked, still cradling the duvet in my chest.
He glanced at his wrist watch, checking the time no doubt and looked at me before saying, “Hmm, half an hour I guess.”
His eyes glowed full of emotion, delighted, probably, with what he had done, but I, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable.
“Ira, as much as I’m flattered, I have to admit, you are creeping me out.”
He sighed, shook his head and stood up. “Don’t be Nicollete.” His hand reached out to touch my cheeks. As a natural reflex, I leaned back subtly to avoid it.
But that was the last thing I did.
I felt myself unable to move again. Like back when we’d first met. It was as if he was making me still with his drowning gaze.
“Rest assured, you can let your guard down with me. All I have are good intentions.” His hand moved to caress my jaw, then down my neck, then up to my bottom lip.
I shivered and briefly closed my eyes, feeling the uninvited tingles.
“Yes, well…,” I struggled to say in reply.
He stepped backward and straightened. He made a simple wave of his hand and I was back to my normal self again. Able to move my head, able to blink, able to inhale deeply.
As if my body was chained and then freed.
“Uhm, I…I need to do my morning routine. If you don’t mind, can you leave?” I told him, hope flashing in my eyes.
He nodded. Good.
And then he smiled a smile that looked like he had won a lotto but didn’t want people to know. Clearly, he was keeping something from me.
“Yes, I’ll be on my way then. I’ll see you later, Nicollete?”
“What’s the time, again?” I asked, slowly getting out of the bed. Consciously, I parted my hair into two and placed the strands on my front to cover my breasts. I wasn’t wearing a brassiere, after all.
“The lunch meeting is at eleven, but I’d want you to stroll along the marketplace at nine with Ms. Banks. They have some interesting local wares you might want to purchase,” he answered.
“That’s, uhm, lovely. Sure, I’ll go.” I avoided his gaze, opting to look at my small travel bag on the ground.
Strangely enough, the compartment in which I’d placed the ring was left open.
“It’s a date, then,” Mr. Andretti chuckled, neared me and successfully landed a kiss on my left cheek.
Truthfully, I never saw that one coming. I was too preoccupied trying to recall if I’d really zipped the small compartment to a close.
“Yeah, th-thank you, Ira,” I answered in haste, giving him a shaky smile. I walked to the bathroom door, turned to look back at him, and said, “Well, uhm, you can show yourself out, right?”
He smirked and nodded once. “Yes, Nicollete. Enjoy your bath.”
I bit my lip when I closed the bathroom door. Really, his visit was not something I’d been not prepared for at all, and neither was Lucein’s disappearance. It totally left me unguarded.
Had Lucein left my room before Mr. Andretti came? It seemed to be so, for if Mr. Andretti had seen him, he would have questioned me and I wouldn’t have been able to give him an answer.
But where was Lucein anyway?
Could it be that he’d returned to his own room? If so, then good. I didn’t need two trespassers in my room so early in the morning. One was enough.
With a long exhale, I decided to kick those thoughts out for the meantime and attend to my morning needs.
I bathed, changed into an outfit proper for a marketplace, blow dried my hair, and tied it into a high ponytail.
About twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom with a smile, feeling freshened up. Feeling worry-free.
That turned out to be fleeting, though.
“Hold still…,” a voice from behind me said. Strong hands then grabbed my left elbow and my right hand.
I gasped, tried to turn, but my captor held me in place. I didn’t need to look at him though to know who he was.
His voice, his scent and the way his chest aligned with my back so perfectly were enough clues.
“Lucein, you came back!” I exclaimed, my heart thudding like crazy. Crazier than it had been with Mr. Andretti.
“I never left, desime,” he whispered in my ear. “I was just hiding.”
My eyelids fluttered. “If you were just hiding then did you…?” My voice trailed.
I felt his grip tighten. “Yes, I watched your little exchange with Ira.” His voice, although husky, had a clear edge especially when uttering Mr. Andretti’s name. “It was fun. “I was almost tempted to crush his skull.”
I swallowed a nonexistent lump in my throat. “You really do have a personal vendetta with him.”
“Yes, and it was fueled even more when he kissed you last night.” To my astonishment, he turned me to face him and pressed me against the wall, right beside the bathroom door.
“H-how did you know? Were you watching?” I hurried to ask, my eyes widening when I took in his form. He was still half naked; the black slacks he wore were still present but minus the leather belt.
His eyes bore into me, accusing me, but I held my ground. “No, but judging from your ruined lipstick, he took advantage of you.” His mouth thinned and his nostrils flared.
My cheeks started to heat up.
I couldn’t deny what Lucein said, but who was he to get angry about my kiss with Ira? It’s not like we were lovers.
Well, almost, according to the events of the previous night.
“You know…if you remembered that much, it means you weren’t as drunk as I thought you were,” I told him, squaring up my shoulders.
“No,” he shook his head, “I was drunk Nicollete. I just have an excellent memory. If I was sober, you would have received some long sermon for not wearing this ring.”
He lifted the said object with his right hand and gave me a glare. “And you would have been sore by now down there.” His eyes traveled down to my groin.
I knew then exactly what he meant.
He hummed. “Yes, you should be, now hold still.” He brought my hand up. I tried to pull away but his grip tightened.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He didn’t answer audibly, but showed me by inserting my finger into the ring.
My insides flipped at the sight of him doing this Earthly tradition.
“You haven’t thanked me for giving this to you,” he said and then kissed the ring now nestled on my finger.
I watched the rubies sparkle against the bright chandelier light and then cast him a look of gratitude. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Promise me you won’t take this off.”
“Why…why would I do that?” I lifted a brow.
He sighed, leaned closer to me and then kissed my forehead. It ignited wonderful sparks in my belly, I tell you.
“Nicollete, like I said before, Ira is someone who can’t be trusted,” he started, his face mere inches away from my brow.
“This ring will protect you from him if you want to continue this idiotic expedition. You have seen me do stuff no normal human can do. You have seen the strangeness of my world.
“Ira, he is a man from that same world and he possesses supernatural abilities too.”
“Oh God, I think my head is going to explode,” I commented, pushing his chest back to look at him with disbelief.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” Lucein’s gaze was like cold steel. My breath turned shaky.
“So, promise me, desime. Do not take this ring off.”
“You expect me to trust you?” I knew it was a stupid question, but I just had to ask.
“Yes,” was his simple reply.
For a second, I remained silent, and then, after biting the inside of my cheek, I answered, “I promise y—” My words came out incomplete.
Lucein didn’t let me finish for his mouth was on mine, claiming my lips again with renewed vigor. His promise last night immediately jumped alive in my head and I moaned.
In reply, I drew myself up to him and threaded my fingers through his fine locks of hair, giving a nonverbal sign that I—sure as the four seasons of my world—wanted him too.
