Chapter 359: No more waiting
Silas carried Arabella back to the bed and settled her between his arms and legs, against his chest as they loved to spend their nights.
"When you told me you’d seen me in the dream, I had focused on myself so much that I forgot to ask if you saw her as well," she murmured while playing with his fingers between hers.
"Yes, it wasn’t the first thing that leaped to my mind either," the vampire simply enjoyed her warmth and the essence his olfaction breathed in.
He’d rested his chin and mouth on the back of her head without putting his weight on her and thus his words came a tad muffled.
"I had almost forgotten what she sounded like," her voice crumpled upon itself again, "It is hard to admit but it is the truth," she cleared her throat, "Up until last month, I had her clothes and things to remind me of her scent. I had her paintings to remind me of her face, but there was nothing with her voice. Father cared enough to record her singing for guests, but always gave those recordings away and kept none for us to cherish," after a short pause, she added, "Now, all I have of her is the pendant she gifted me,"
"Speaking of the pendant," Silas unclasped it from his belt and lifted it up to her eye level, "Are you sure you want me to have it?"
"Absolutely!" she looked up at once.
"Your father seems to have a particular interest in it," he said as the jewelry dangled subtly from its chain before their eyes.
"It comes as no surprise," she shrugged, "My mother told me it was the first gift he’d ever offered her before their engagement, back when she still lived under her father’s roof,"
"That makes a lot of sense," Silas rubbed his nose against her head while nodding.
Arabella’s fingers rose up to fondle the pendant, "Back in those days, the Sterling clan had discovered a new jewel mine and conquered it. According to my parents, the jewel on this pendant comes from that same mine,"
Silas straightened up, put the keychain on the nightstand right next to the brooch then wrapped his hands around Arabella arms.
"I truly didn’t mean to sour the mood. I genuinely thought the sculpture would be the best wedding gift for you,"
"It is!" her upper body twisted so that she could face him, "Please don’t think otherwise. It is far better than any gift I could have ever hoped to receive,"
The longer they stared into each other’s eyes, the softer their gazes grew. And after a few seconds of silence, Arabella’s eyes traveled towards his hand which caressed her arm.
She lingered on it, a nebulous look on her until he brought her back out to reality.
"You know, I’ve waited this long. Nothing has to happen tonight," he whispered in her ear, "I am in no rush, I can wait one more night or two,"
"Yes, well," once again, her eyes flickered onto his, "You see, the problem is that I don’t know if I can wait one more night or two,"
A little taken aback, his diamonds sharpened as his expression went blank for a moment. Silas only reacted upon feeling a hand climb his leg.
Even through the fabric of his pants her touch birthed the most delightful of tingles.
However, and as he did before, right as her hand was about to reach his most sensitive part, he took a hold of her wrist.
"As hot as the fire under me burns for this, I wish to go about things a bit differently,"
In response, Arabella merely stared at him and waited for the rest to come.
"I understand that you’ve received training for this," he offered her the most reassuring of smiles he mustered, "But I don’t want you to just try and please me. I don’t want you to see it as a task to accomplish. I wish you’d enjoy it just as much as I will. So will you trust me with this as well?" he leaned a little to the side to maintain eye contact.
In reply, the words failed her so, Arabella just nodded without blinking.
Without pushing or tugging, Silas guided her body into a position he wanted, simply turning her around for her back to touch his chest again.
The vampire then leaned over her head a bit in order to gauge her reaction better, "I can dim the lights if that will make you feel more at ease," he suggested.
"No!" her hand grasped his wrist as she looked up at him with pleading eyes, "From beginning to end, I want to know it’s you. The whole time, I want to make sure it is your hands I feel on my body and no one else’s. So, please," she simmered down, "Let the lights be,"
He nodded before wrapping his arms around her protectively.
Once a few seconds had passed, Silas brought his face closer to her neck where he breathed deeply and exhaled just as strongly.
His warm breath brushed her skin a number of times, sultry as a late summer weather before his voice followed, just as sensual as the air he expelled, "You pour little thing," he whispered, "Those unkind girls put you in this... Fragile thing," his finger went between her neck and the thin strap keeping the nightgown on her. Silas pulled at it playfully, his eyes studying the thread as though it was the most interesting thing in the world, "And then, they left you all alone here for me to find and enjoy,"
Those words triggered a quick wave of warm pulsations that rippled all through her body... All the way down to her most sensitive bits.
"You know, you can try all you want, but...," he breathed out, making sure the air would reach her, "I can see everything. Every part you’ve been hiding from me all this time,"