“Are you truly certain you won't regret this?”
Varkas asked in a tightly strained voice.
Afraid that even the slightest hesitation would make him push her away and leave, Talia nodded immediately.
After staring into her eyes as though piercing straight through them for a long time, the man finally wrapped one arm around her waist and stood up. Instinctively, Talia grabbed his clothes.
With a sound of crack, two golden buttons that had been precariously holding onto his chest fell to the floor and rolled away. While she unconsciously followed them with her eyes, something soft touched beneath her.
Talia looked up at him with anxious eyes. After setting her down on the bed, Varkas threw off the upper garment that had fallen open at the front. Flickering light greedily licked the smooth, sculpted upper body beneath.
For a moment, her heart spasmed violently.
Talia hurriedly lowered her gaze.
Holding her cheeks with both hands, Varkas forcibly raised her head and made her look at him.
“Even now, it's not too late. If you tell me to leave, I will quietly withdraw.”
It was a question that tore apart even the last remnants of her pride.
Strengthening her reddened eyes, Talia glared at him.
“My decision won't change.”
So please, stop asking.
Swallowing the plea rising to her throat, she felt his hand slide down her nape. Talia stiffened.
Keeping his cool gaze fixed on her face as though testing her, Varkas traced over her skin damp with cold sweat before bringing his hand to the top button resting above her cleavage. Then, as though giving her time to refuse, he deliberately delayed for a long while before slowly undoing it.
Soon the front of the dress parted, revealing the full valley beneath.
His blue eyes, darker than usual, settled upon it.
It felt as though her heart would burst through her ribs at any moment.
Biting her lip in shame, Talia hurriedly grabbed his wrist when his hand moved to the second button.
“Turn... turn all the lights off.”
He simply stood there without moving, silently looking down at her. Feeling as though his gaze saw straight through the timid truth hidden within her, Talia raised her voice.
“Didn't you hear me?”
Only then did Varkas stand up and extinguish the candles placed throughout the room.
As heavy shadows settled over the chamber, his outline became faint.
But it still wasn't dark enough.
She gestured toward the fireplace.
“That too.”
Watching her quietly, the man walked over to the fireplace and lowered the cover.
At last, thick darkness swallowed the room.
Taking a deep breath, Talia squeezed out a suppressed voice.
“Now... come here.”
But she heard no sign of movement.
Her pupils dilating, Talia searched the darkness and pitifully parted her lips.
“Varkas... w-where are you?”
As the silence continued, the suffocating sensation grew stronger.
Had he left her behind and disappeared?
Panting harshly in despair, she suddenly felt one side of the bed sink.
Spotting his shadow, Talia hurriedly reached out.
She no longer had the luxury of preserving her dignity.
Wrapping her arms around his long, taut neck, she breathed in his scent as though inhaling air itself.
She needed to know she had not been abandoned alone in this darkness.
She needed to know he was still here.
“Hold {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} me. Right now.”
Only after her attack finally subsided did she force those words out beside his ear.
The man, rigid as stone, laid her down on the bed.
With trembling eyes, Talia looked up at the dark figure looming above her.
Hands so hot they were startling descended onto her icy skin.
As his hand grasped the front of her dress, she shrank her neck in alarm, and her skirt rolled upward over her waist.
Realizing he was trying to undress her, Talia cried out hysterically.