[Music Recommendation: Love In The Dark ~ Adele]
"Ac-hoo!" Oriana sneezed; she rubbed her nose and walked towards her window, she let down the curtain but left the window open.
The wind was heavier this particular night, threatening to blow out the candles. With Freya still recovering, Oriana had no choice but to do most things by herself. She had refused the help of other maids; there was nobody to be trusted among them.
She went to the bathroom to draw her own bath, adding flowers as she had seen Freya doing, then lit the scented candle. She packed dry towels and placed them on the stool close to her before picking her nightwear, which was a see-through peach gown with tiny sleeves.
Oriana packed her hair up and dipped her hand inside the bathtub. "Still cold," she muttered. She didn’t know how to make the water warm, and the night was already too cold. Thinking about the coldness, Oriana remembered Adric. She was worried about him, but going to see him now was not an option because she knew how tenacious Sophie was. Her sister wouldn’t be leaving the room anytime soon.
She turned her focus back to her water. "I have no choice," Oriana stood up, removing her gown, which now pooled at her feet. She first dipped her leg inside the water.
"So cold," Oriana shivered. She looked around the room, searching for a way to make the water warm when the door to her room creaked open and a person’s footsteps were heard.
Oriana craned her neck. "Who is there? Freya? Is that you? Please come inside and help me fix up the bath; it’s so cold," she called out as the footsteps got closer, then stopped. "Freya, you don’t need to worry, I have my clothes here already." She assumed that Freya was going to pack her nightdress as the girl was used to doing.
The footsteps continued until they reached the bathroom, and the person pushed the bathroom door open.
"WHAT!" Oriana shouted. She didn’t think twice about the water’s coldness and dived into the bathtub, but still freaked out when the coldness seeped into her skin. "Ahhh!!!"
Adric stood at the door, looking at the girl who was now struggling with the water. He rubbed his eyes gently before going towards the bathtub. He pulled one plug up and dipped his hand inside the bathtub.
"What are you doing?" Oriana tried to kick his hand away while struggling with the coldness of the water. She really liked Adric, but she didn’t like the fact that they always met in unconventional circumstances that always led to her own embarrassment.
Adric held her legs in place. "Stay still, let me make the water warm. Your lips are turning blue already, except you want to die of cold," he scolded.
Oriana stopped moving. She was torn between covering her chest or her thighs. She used one hand to cover her breast and the other her inner thigh, then sat still inside the bathtub like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered. Her golden eyes followed Adric’s movement.
Adric finally found what he was looking for. He let go of Oriana’s legs, pulled the plug, and waited for the cold water to drain out. He then moved the plug he had raised earlier, and slowly, warm water started filling up the bathtub.
With the water drained out, Oriana felt even more exposed. She brought her knees closer to cover herself with her hands, looking down.
"If you are this conscious of your body, then you should have locked your door," Adric said, standing on his feet. He rolled his sleeves properly, though they had already gotten wet when Oriana was struggling.
Oriana pressed her lips. "I thought I had it locked properly. I’m sorry," she muttered.
Adric turned and left the bathroom, going to wait for Oriana inside her room. He had focused earlier on making the water warm, but that didn’t mean he had failed to see her small hands covering her breasts. Her hands were too small, causing the sides and upper parts of her breasts to push up, making it even more seductive.
"Silly girl," Adric let out a frustrated sigh, raking his fingers through his hair.
Inside the bathroom, Oriana prayed that the water would drown her and carry her away to an unknown land. She was now best at showing her skin to Adric that it almost looked very intentional. Even when she wasn’t trying, her skin found a way to expose itself to Adric.
"He must think I’m someone so loose and easy," Oriana muttered, cupping water with her hands and pouring it on her face, letting out a small groan.
After bathing, Oriana slipped into her nightdress, using her towel to wrap her hair. She slowly stepped inside her room to see Adric sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. His face looked calm and peaceful, reminding Oriana of how he slept in her arms earlier and how their bodies touched. A small blush crept onto Oriana’s face, causing her face to burn crimson.
"Ac-choo!" So much for stealth mode, Oriana cursed under her breath after she let out a loud sneeze.
Adric turned his head to look in Oriana’s direction, his eyes roaming all over her body. The flimsy gown she was wearing did little to cover her womanly curves, with her milk-white skin looking shiny because of the water dripping from her hair, tracing down and disappearing inside her dress. This sensational image pushed something inside of Adric, something dark that made him want to roughly hold Oriana and control every part of her, including her soul.
Oriana scratched her back, feeling squeamish under Adric’s gaze. The way he stared at her at the moment made her want to hide. His eyes were always dark, but right now, they looked even darker, as if there was malicious evil lurking behind them. She cleared her throat to disperse the awkward silence.
"It seems you’re better now," Oriana said, touching her face. She started walking towards Adric. Her feet trembled with every movement because Adric wasn’t saying anything, but he continued to look at her without blinking. Oriana wondered what it was that she did so wrong.
"I’m sorry for leaving my door open," she apologized again, in case that was what annoyed Adric. Why would that even annoy him? It was her door, not his, except he also felt the same way for her. Maybe Adric had feelings for her too? Oriana asked herself, her heart bubbling with joy if that should really be true, that Adric loved her.
Adric’s eyes still didn’t move from Oriana. He stood up from the couch, and this caused Oriana to stop walking. Seeing him stand now made her scared, as the height difference between them was very clear. With one squash Adric could break her.
She took a step back, but Adric took one forward, and with two long strides, he closed the distance between them. His hand snaked around her waist, and he pressed her close to his chest before blowing out the candles.
Oriana blinked. With the room now filled with darkness, her senses heightened. The energy with which Adric held her waist caused her stomach to churn, and she felt something hot rise between her legs. When she realized how her breast touched Adric, she pressed her lips.
All Oriana could imagine was Adric touching her more, as she wanted it right now more than water. She heard his husky voice brush on the skin of her neck,
"You’re learning the act of seduction? Well, it’s working now."
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