Page 10 of All the Pain of Promises
She met his gaze in the reflection of the mirror, and his scowl only deepened.
If she honestly thought so little of him as to assume he would bed her while she could barely remain upright, she was sorely mistaken.
Solarius Starstorm Celestine was many things, but he wasnota bastard. He would never take advantage of a female, wife or not.
He balled his hands into fists, keeping them tucked into his pockets so she couldn’t see the furious effect her assumption held over him. “I have no intention of being intimate with you tonight, Narissa. You’ll be incoherent by the time your pretty little head hits that stack of pillows upon your bed.”
She snatched what looked to be a silk robe off the back of a velvet chair, but all Solarius could see was a brief glimpse of teal fabric and a hint of lace.
“And I have no intention of remaining in this gown all night. I would prefer to sleep in something more comfortable.” This time, Narissa turned, glancing at him from over her shoulder.
Golden blonde waves tumbled around her bare shoulders and when those eyes, frosty green and framed with dark, wispy lashes, found him, his heart almost stopped.
“Will you help me?” she asked softly, gathering her sea-swept hair to one side, exposing the column of her sun-kissed neck, where her flesh looked entirely too kissable. “Please?”
Solarius’s jaw locked tight.
Fuck, he was in trouble.
CHAPTER FOUR
Narissa immediately regretted her request for Solarius’s assistance.
He looked as though she’d slapped him across the face. Eyes wide, mouth slightly agape. He was stunned into silence, and she couldn’t determine if he was more appalled or disgusted by the fact that she’d asked him for help.
Her cheeks flamed, and she dipped her head so her waves tumbled forward to disguise her mortification. Perhaps the winter berry wine had emboldened her a little too much.
“Forgive me, my lord.” She grasped blindly for the ribbons lacing up the back of her wedding gown. “I’m quite certain I can manage on my own.”
She dared a quick glance at him in the mirror, just enough to catch him blink. He shook his head once, as though clearing his thoughts, like he wasn’t exactly listening to her.
“My apologies.” His voice was hoarse. He closed the distance between them in two strides, coming to stand behind her, the nearness of his presence sending a swarm of butterflies fluttering through her stomach. Hooking a finger in the collar of his shirt, he gave it a hard tug, then cleared his throat. “I would be more than obliged to help you…undress.”
Narissa held her breath, tension flooding her veins as he reached for her. She listed to the left, catching the side of the mirror for support in a desperate attempt to cling to the last shreds of her dignity. She expected him to untie the ribbons as quickly as possible to rid himself of her company, but he surprised her instead by carefully plucking the flowers from her hair.
Solarius set the small collection of pink blossoms on her vanity, then loosened her tresses with his hands, gently running his fingers through the woven plaits. Tingles of delight shivered across her skin, and Narissa gripped the gilded mirror’s edge to keep her balance. Her nails dug into the finely carved wood while the pads of his fingers lightly massaged her scalp, easing the tangled knots of tension so the strain of her muscles melted away. Her eyes drifted closed and she softly sighed, relishing the tenderness of his touch.
It would be so simple, so easy to lean into him. To sway backward so she was pressed against him, completely losing herself in the moment. And for one brief glimpse of time, she could imagine their courtship hadn’t ended in tumultuous disaster, and that their new marriage could rival even the greatest of love stories.
Of course, those were only dreams and silent wishes.
When Solarius gathered her unruly waves and draped them over one shoulder, his fingers grazing the length of her neck, Narissa’s eyes flew open.
And she found him watching her with burning intensity, the silver of his gaze molten with an emotion she didn’t understand. It heated her thoroughly, scorching her from the inside until she thought she would melt into a puddle at his feet. His calloused hand slid around her throat, following the smooth line to her jaw, before tilting her head just slightly. He bent down, his mouth hovering near the pointed tip of her ear, his warm breathfanning along her cheek. Goosebumps pebbled her flesh when he leaned closer, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear. A breathy gasp escaped her, and her lungs pulled tight, making it almost impossible to breathe.
With his other hand, he pinched the pearl earring she wore between his thumb and forefinger, and she imagined he was quite capable of squeezing other things as well.
“Would you like for me to remove your earrings?” he asked, his voice a rough scrape that caused her nipples to harden in anticipation.
Narissa trembled and shook her head, the movement nearly imperceptible, because she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his in the reflection.
His hands fell away, flexing at his sides.
She watched him watch her, his eyes skimming the length of her body, lingering on dip of her hips, the swell of her breasts, and the hollow of her throat for so long a furious blush scalded her. She almost squirmed beneath his lazy, albeit seductive, assessment until finally his attention landed on the web of ribbons binding her into the lace corset.
With the skill of a practiced lover, Solarius slowly worked the laces of her dress. He was methodical, pulling the ribbons one at a time, his gaze flicking to hers each time another piece of silk was unbound. His featherlight touches teased and tormented her in a provocative conversation of stolen glances and silent challenge. Each of them quietly goaded the other to see who would flinch first, who would pull away, who would take it a step further. Narissa’s stomach clenched as his knuckles grazed her newly exposed flesh, and when he traced the tattoos marking her spine with one finger, trailing all the way to the curve of her backside, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from sighing with longing.
She didn’t care if he hated her.
