Kitanna
Chapter 227: ONE TOUCH AT A TIME

Chapter 227: ONE TOUCH AT A TIME

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: I WILL GO TO YOU LIKE THE FIRST SNOW ~ AILEE]

As night drew closer in the kingdom of Morado, the palace was quiet with everyone requesting their dinner in their own rooms without showing up at the dining.

Axilla, now resting on her bed after eating, couldn’t find a wink of sleep as the man she met at the market somehow unnerved her, and at the same time, she felt familiar with the person. She couldn’t just pin exactly where she knew the man from, but all she knew was that somehow there was a connection she felt with the strange man.

Sitting up on her bed, Axilla picked up her jacket and draped it on her shoulder before she stepped out of her room. Finally, when she got to the door of the person she was looking for, she knocked softly, waiting for a response, but there was none. When she turned to leave, the door finally opened.

"Axilla?" Cortez called her name, his voice calm and steady.

Axilla turned her face, gripping her jacket tightly, she asked, "Can I come in?" She asked him.

Cortez moved away from the door, giving her space to step inside, and when she did, he locked the door. "Why are you still awake?" Going to add wood to the fireplace, Cortez asked the girl who was still standing at the same position.

"I couldn’t sleep, and I have something that’s bothering me." Axilla replied.

Cortez paused what he was doing for some time, then he continued. "Do you know the saying? The first person you think of when you’re in trouble or worried is the person you trust the most." Cortez stood on his feet and dusted his hand with the rag on the nearby stand, then he motioned for Axilla to sit down.

"Am I the person you trust the most, Axilla?" He finally asked after they had settled down on the couch.

Axilla hadn’t given it much thought, but lately, whenever she was scared or worried, the first person on her mind was Cortez before anyone else. She gripped her knee tightly and slowly nodded her head.

Cortez hummed, then he smiled. "We are making progress then. What worries you, my bright flower?" he pressed her to continue talking.

Axilla started, "The man I told you about that I met at the market in Avon, I saw him today at the market. He was saying something about fate, and somehow the man looks familiar to me at the same time he doesn’t." When she finished talking, she noticed that the look on Cortez’s face had turned grim, with no evidence of his usual playful look.

Cortez furrowed his brow, was he not paying close attention to the girl? Was someone now stalking his woman? These thoughts were beginning to cloud his judgment. When he finally relaxed, he said, "Can you describe this man again for me, and any peculiar feature I can identify him with."

Axilla tried to remember the man’s features, but there was nothing peculiar, so she just told Cortez what she remembered.

Cortez tapped his slender fingers on the couch, "Men with cornrows only exist in two kingdoms; the rest are barbarians. It’s no problem; I will look into it." He finally said.

Axilla nodded her head; it was only after she finished talking that she realized that Cortez was wearing a shirt but his buttons were all left open, revealing his well-contoured muscles, his hair now looking messy like he had been ruffling it. It was a sight pleasing to the eyes, Axilla gulped.

"Anything else?" Cortez asked, noticing the gauging eyes of the girl on his body. He smiled.

Axilla shook her head, then she finally broke her gaze away from his body and looked at the side. "No, nothing. I should go back to sleep now."

Cortez nodded and followed her to the door, but then the girl stopped in her steps.

"Are you okay?" Axilla asked.

Cortez’s perfectly arched brows raised by default, and he replied, "What makes you feel I’m not?"

Axilla pressed her lips, hesitating to speak, but then Cortez gave her a nod to continue. She said, "I noticed you weren’t very much happy earlier today; maybe it’s just my eyes."

Cortez moved closer and tipped the girl’s chin, making her look straight at him. "Nothing is wrong with your eyes, love. They are perfect." He remarked, pausing for some time, then he continued.

"How would you feel if you find out that the person you trust the most is keeping a huge secret from you?" He finally asked.

Axilla tried to keep her thoughts occupied with something else so she could think of an answer, but with Cortez’s presence very close to her, she felt her knees begin to weaken and her toes curl.

"I guess you can answer next time, yes?" He asked, noticing how the girl was holding her breath.

Axilla nodded to this, "I- will answer next time." She muttered.

Cortez finally let go of her chin, tilting his head to the door as if saying she could leave.

Axilla looked at the door, then at Cortez; she brought her hands forward and wrapped them on Cortez’s waist. "No matter what it is that worries you, just know you can confide in me anytime, the way I confide in you."

When she moved back to pull away from the hug, Cortez snaked his hands around Axilla’s waist, bringing his face closer, he captured her slightly parted lips.

Axilla didn’t know when a moan escaped her lips as Cortez conquered every bit of her breath. She raised her hand and gripped his bare chest, and this caused Cortez to deepen the kiss. Rubbing his coarse tongue on hers, as he nibbled on her lower lips, which elicited soft moans from Axilla.

Cortez finally let go of the girl and watched as she tried to catch her breath; it was beautiful art he had created. Rubbing his thumb on her trembling wet lips, he said.

"Now if you want to sleep close to me because of your fear, also know that it comes with another price." Saying this, Cortez’s eyes moved down to look at the girl’s neck and her chest. He saw as her chest moved up and down, with her heart beating loudly.

Axilla gulped, as she blinked her eyes continuously with her hands still on Cortez’s chest.

"Goodnight, Axilla; see you tomorrow." Cortez finally opened the door and watched as the girl walked down to her own room without looking back.

When Cortez closed the door, he walked back to the couch he was sitting on, with his eyes closed he touched his forehead.

"Axilla, I don’t want to hide this from you either. But I’m even more scared of losing you." He said to himself. With the sounds from the night fireflies and the crackling of the wood from the fireplace, which was melodious, Cortez still couldn’t find some sleep until he thought of the innocent look on Axilla’s face after he had kissed her.