He hesitated for a moment, teetering on the brink of leaning in closer. He needed to hear some sign of life—a breath, a moan, a sigh, anything that would reassure him of her existence.
“Elise,” he urged.
“Answer,” Rezette coaxed, gently brushing his lower lip against her neck and allowing his lips to graze her skin.
“Make a sound,” he pleaded.
“Why…” Elise questioned.
“If you don’t respond, it’s difficult to be certain you’re truly here,” he insisted.
“That’s absurd. While you’re doing this…”
“Even so.”
Elise appeared to mutter something in a trembling voice, though her words remained unintelligible to him. Undeterred, Rezette lowered his lips just below her collarbone.
A few months prior, he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of this alluring curve, and now it was clearly outlined beneath the sheer fabric. Unable to remove the delicate material, he pressed his lips against the curve. As he sensed her feeble, resistant movements, he savored the sensation within his mouth. Elise swiftly inhaled a deep breath.
“Ah…!”
The tantalizing contact only heightened the intensity of the moment. Having moistened the fabric with his lips, Rezette deepened the experience as he gently suckled on the exposed skin. Elise couldn’t bring herself to look downward, instead pushing at the sheet with her toes, desperately seeking an escape.
“What are you… doing? Ah!” Elise’s reaction was as intense as he had expected. Had she ever experienced such a touch from a man in her entire life? Startled, she twisted her body, but he refused to release her, and all she felt was a tingling discomfort.
“Don’t…! It’s strange…” she protested.
With her response, Rezette confirmed something he had already suspected. Elise had no prior familiarity with men, or perhaps with intimacy in general.
In that case, the way he explored her body would soon set the standard for their relationship. The sole and intense standard.
A peculiar thrill sent shivers down his spine. Rezette let her go and momentarily raised his gaze.
“It shouldn’t be painful,” he whispered. Elise regarded him with a puzzled expression.
“The force I’m using now isn’t significantly different from how I typically touch you,” Rezette explained.
“Then why…?” Elise inquired.
“It’s because this area is sensitive.”
Rezette had long ago learned the precise amount of pressure required to hold a woman without leaving any marks. He playfully flicked his hand.
Elise disliked the biting sensation as much as being held in this manner, and she attempted to push his wrist away while wearing a frown. Naturally, he didn’t yield.
“It’s not meant to cause pain; it’s meant to bring pleasure. You will come to feel it that way.”
Rezette knew it was better to proceed slowly and deliberately, ensuring that she was aroused rather than rushed. He needed to undress her entirely and explore every nook and cranny without causing any harm. It was crucial to understand what was sensitive, what she enjoyed, how she responded, and any changes she might exhibit—every aspect of her.
In an attempt to divert her increasingly cloudy gaze, driven by a mix of irrational pleasure and instinctive fear, Elise shook her head desperately. She tried to focus on other thoughts—Andrei, Argan, Duke Bellator, Duke Conrad, her people. But once Rezette had completely claimed her attention, she found it impossible to regain her composure.
Rezette’s piercing blue eyes began a meticulous examination, as though he were savoring her every inch. Her entire form lay exposed beneath his intense scrutiny.
After this thorough exploration, she would be wholly consumed.
With palpable intensity, Rezette gently caressed the nape of her neck and tasted the tender skin with his tongue. His arms enveloped Elise, trapping her like a beast in the throes of an ardent embrace.
Her fragrance wafted through the air, growing steadily more potent.
It was perhaps the floral scent that had caused this change. As Rezette observed the remnants of the red flower petals he had left behind just moments earlier, something shifted in his eyes.
Would the taste and scent remain unchanged, regardless of how diligently he explored every inch of her body?
“I, I haven’t washed…” Elise stammered.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rezette insisted urgently, pressing his body against hers, causing ripples to ripple across her abdomen. Unconsciously, she bit her lip. This was the second time she had felt him so vividly, yet even after two experiences, his presence continued to overwhelm her to the point of making her spine tingle.
The scent of blood still lingered.
Rezette firmly held Elise’s legs, careful not to exert excessive pressure, though his knuckles betrayed the strain by turning a shade of blue from the effort.
“Elise.”
“Ah…”
“Elise, look at me.”
The woman struggled to open her eyes, her tears streaming down her cheeks and tracing a delicate path to her throat. Rezette had always been sensitive to her tears, but ultimately, even his empathy seemed to be overtaken by instinct. Now, her tears aroused him, and the desire to elicit more of them sent tingles coursing through his body.
With a gentle shift of their entwined bodies, Elise hesitantly raised her head. It was peculiar; the point where they made contact seemed to be growing oddly sticky.
“Rezette, something… something is… ah, oh.”
Something was rapidly escalating.
Rezette, eager to witness a specific expression, grasped her shoulders and pressed her firmly into the bed. There was a look he yearned to see in her.
Elise’s quivering pupils suddenly dilated.
“Ah…!”
Her slender waist arched sharply.
