Chapter 238: A Wedding Gift
A blush rose to Aliana’s cheeks as she remembered how wild and relentless she and Gavriel had been last night.
After their first round, they went for a second round in the pool, then against the sink counter, then up against the wall, before he guided her into the shower where they lost themselves a fifth time inside the stall.
By the end of it, her body had given out. She could not recall when or how her body had hit the mattress, only that sleep had claimed her the moment her head touched the pillow.
’Gosh, her husband was a total beast...’ she thought, her heart racing at the explicit memories of them coupling like rabbits.
What surprised her most was how she had been just as insatiable for him as he was for her. God only knew that if she had not already been exhausted from the full day, she would not have stopped after their fifth round either.
With that thought, she slowly turned her head, and that was when she saw him.
It was a rare sight, seeing him sleep so peacefully. The icy armour he wore like a second skin during the day was nowhere to be found, replaced by an easy, unbothered calm. A few stray strands of raven hair brushed his forehead, his dark lashes casting soft shadows across his high cheekbones.
As she silently took him in, she let out a soft sigh, ’He truly has the face of an angel,’ she mused, ’a face meant to trick the world into forgetting the wicked devil lurking beneath.’
Yet she loved his wicked side. He had a way of pulling her own dark, hidden desires to the surface, and she did not feel a single drop of shame for it.
Slowly, she turned around within his embrace to face him completely.
She paused when his brows creased slightly at her movement, but when his hold loosened just enough to let her move, she gently turned over. The very next moment, his arms tightened around her again, as though even in his sleep he had no intention of letting her go.
Her heart fluttered like a bird’s wings, and a soft smile spread across her lips as she traced his handsome features with her eyes. Unable to stop herself, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his sharp nose.
The touch was featherlight, yet it was enough for the devil to slowly open his eyes and meet hers.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
They simply gazed into each other’s eyes in silence. It couldn’t have been more than a minute, yet it felt like an eternity, as though another missing piece of the puzzle that was their life had quietly fallen into place.
His hand slid down her bare back, his long fingers trailing the curve of her spine before he asked in his low, sleep-laden voice, "Is this your idea of a good morning kiss?"
Aliana’s cheeks warmed. "I did not mean to wake you," she whispered.
"You didn’t..." He pulled her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin as he murmured, "But if you continue to look at me like that, I assure you I won’t hesitate to pick up right where we left off last night."
Her heart tumbled at his warning.
Gavriel buried his face in her hair, taking a deep inhale of her scent before murmuring softly, "Sleep more."
She let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes, allowing his familiar scent to envelop her senses.
Almost instinctively, her hand slipped around his tapered waist beneath the blanket, and only then did she realise that neither of them was wearing a single piece of clothing.
Oh well.
She could hardly bring herself to care about that, as she loved the feeling of skin against skin without any barrier between them.
They stayed still for a while, but try as she might, she could not bring herself to fall back asleep. Feeling her mind grow far too active, she finally opened her eyes.
Upon lifting her head to peek at him, she observed the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest along with his calm breathing and realized her husband had fallen back asleep.
Pursing her lips, she contemplated whether she should just stay still, but her body felt far too awake.
Slowly, she began to pry his heavy hand from her waist.
His eyes stayed shut, but a soft, protesting sigh escaped his chest. "Ana..."
"Go back to sleep. I am just going to the bathroom," she whispered, brushing her lips against his cheek.
His grip relaxed just enough, allowing her to slip quietly out of bed.
The moment she attempted to stand, her knees gave out, and with a quiet gasp, she sank to the floor.
"What the fuck..." she whispered, staring in horror as her legs trembled beneath her, feeling as though they had no strength left in them at all.
Accusingly, she whipped her head around to look at the culprit behind her condition, only to find the sly devil already watching her, amusement dripping from those intoxicating eyes of his.
"Need a hand... wife?" he drawled.
It felt unfair how simple words from his lips were enough to coax her inner harlot back to life.
But she knew better.... giving in to any further temptation from this gorgeous man meant resigning herself to a wheelchair.
Clearing her throat, she quickly looked away, her cheeks warming with embarrassment.
"No, thank you," she replied. "Accepting your ’hand’ is exactly how I ended up on the floor in the first place."
Gavriel’s amused chuckle followed her as she reached for the mattress and the bedside table, using both to slowly haul herself upright.
Once she finally managed to stand, she immediately braced herself against the wall before her traitorous legs could betray her again.
They shook like jelly with every careful step, but she stubbornly refused to look back at her wicked husband.
Even without turning around, she could feel his gaze following her every movement until she finally disappeared behind the bathroom door, unable to suppress the occasional soft hiss each time another aching muscle protested.
Another quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he watched her flee from him like that.
He had been about to get up to help her, but the sight of her trembling, naked body was a view far too tempting to pass up.
He knew for certain that once he touched her, nothing would stop him from taking her once more. Something her body clearly needed to recover from first.
Letting out a quiet sigh, he rolled onto his back before reaching for his phone, where a message awaited him.
It is done. Check the news once you are ready to join the world of the living again. - Cillian
"I hope you like my wedding gift, wife," Gavriel murmured as he stared at the article.
His expression gradually turned colder as his eyes settled on the photograph of a man with dark green hair and dull yellow eyes.