Page 53 of Misconducts & Temptation

She glanced at it and then back at me. "I don’t think I have enough to fill up half the closet," she murmured.

"Then we'll get you more," I replied. It came out more gruffly than I intended. Turning to face her fully, I found her eyes fixed on mine. She was nervous; it was all over her face despite her efforts to appear calm.

"Elodie," I began, but words failed me. What could I say to make this easier? To make her understand that this wasn’t what either of us wanted?

She took a deep breath and stepped closer, breaking eye contact to look around the room. "This is... nice," she said softly, running her fingers along the edge of my desk.

"Nice?" I scoffed, though not unkindly. "It's a gilded cage."

Her eyes flicked back to mine, something unreadable in their depths. "Maybe," she said, "but it's still better than where I was."

That hit harder than I expected. For all my complaints about my life, I'd never had to endure what she did daily. My father's control felt less oppressive in comparison.

"Look," I said, trying to find some semblance of common ground. "We’re both stuck here now. Might as well make the best of it."

She nodded slowly, still taking in her new surroundings. "All right," she said finally. "Let's make the best of it."

I moved closer to her, each step feeling heavier than the last. It hit me then—I was nervous. The guy who never flinched at anything, was actually nervous. And it pissed me off.

"You know what comes next," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "We talked about it."

"I do," she replied softly.

"Have you?—"

"You already know I haven't," she cut in, her tone tight.

"I've never been with a virgin," I admitted, more to myself than to her. "So, you gotta tell me if… if you don't like something or if you want more. Don't be scared to tell me what you want."

"And you'll just give it to me?" she asked with a scoff, a hint of defiance in her eyes.

"Well, yeah," I said, shrugging. "I'm your husband, ain't I?"

The wordhusbandhung between us, and for some reason, it thrilled me. I tried to push that feeling down.

"What if," she began slowly, "what if I don't know what I want?"

My lips curved up into a small smile. "Then I'll show you."

I stepped closer to Elodie, feeling the tension crackling between us. Tentatively, I placed my hands on her waist. She stiffened at my touch but didn’t pull away. Her breath hitched, and I could feel the slight tremor in her body.

"You know," I murmured in a low voice, leaning in. "You looked absolutely stunning today."

Her green eyes widened in surprise, flickering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Vulnerability? Confusion? Whatever it was, it pulled at something deep within me.

Slowly, I lifted a hand to cup her cheek, my thumb grazing her bottom lip. The contact sent a shiver through her, and goosebumps erupted across her skin. I liked that—being able to evoke that kind of reaction from her.

She was intoxicating.

I leaned down, our eyes still locked. My breath mingled with hers as I closed the distance between us. Her lips were soft and warm against mine, hesitant at first but gradually yielding.

The kiss was gentle, exploratory—a dance of uncertainty and curiosity. Her hands found their way to my shoulders, gripping lightly as if she needed something to anchor herself.

I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding from her cheek to tangle in her hair. Her lips parted slightly, allowing me to taste the sweetness of her mouth. The softness gave way to a rising hunger that neither of us could ignore.

Elodie responded with an intensity that matched my own, her fingers digging into my shoulders as if afraid to let go. Our breaths grew ragged, and the kiss turned more urgent—an unspoken need driving us closer.

My hands roamed from her waist up to her back, pulling her flush against me. Her body molded to mine perfectly, every curve and contour fitting like a missing piece of a puzzle.

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