The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 21. You seduced me.

Chapter 21: 21. You seduced me.

Neriah had been thinking of how to seduce the man. How to use her womanly charm on him.

But what she didn’t know was that she didn’t have to do anything at all. Not a single thing at all. Nothing but just sit there the way she was sitting, next to the dancing flames, with her long red hair cascading all around her to the floor, reflecting the brilliant little light.

She didn’t have to do anything at all. Nothing at all and he was already drawn to her, irresistibly. He stared at her from the bed side. He could see her clearly near the fire, green eyes looking toward him. She probably couldn’t see him well, maybe only a silhouette of him, but she was staring toward his direction.

He could see her brows furrow, her face cringed, like she was fighting some kind of battle within herself. Her little lower lip was held between her teeth, and all he could think of was doing that himself. Maybe it was the flames, but when wind from the balcony lifted her hair, he could see her pointy ears, red and beautiful. Oh what kind of torture had he subjected himself to! This was the worse torture any man could be given.

But he knew he had to stay away from her. She was the maid of his wife to be. She’d definitely come with them to his kingdom. If things happened between them now, he was certain, he was so sure things would be complicated. He feared that if he tasted her, he’d never be able to get over the taste. He’d want more. So much more.

He wasn’t a man who believed in philandering when he had a wife. But if he did something with this woman now, then he was certain his future as a philanderer was inevitable.

But, even now, she was staring toward his direction like she had a request that only he could fulfill. A request he seemed to know even without her saying the words. A request he knew he wasn’t supposed to oblige. But...

"You can’t sleep?" He found himself asking. And she nodded in response.

"Because of the hard wooden floor?" He found himself asking again, standing to his feet even. Walking... Stop! Stop damn it! Don’t go closer to her! She’s a little witch, stay away!

Oh what battle he was fighting. His head, his heart, and a certain third place. They were all fighting. There was a serious war going on inside him.

"Or you can’t seem to shake off the feeling of my hands on your flesh?" He was already before her, staring at her. Still holding himself back as the war continued inside him. Who’d win? Who did he want to win? His head? Or his heart and that third place?

And then she spoke. "Maybe. Maybe that’s just it." He might have expected it, he might not have. But it came. Her lips, small and fine, fell over his. Her arms wound around his neck, drawing him down closer to her. Forcing him to completely go down on both knees before her.

She was a quick learner. He realized. Their first kiss, she was shocked, inexperienced, confused even. And she didn’t respond to him then. But then the second time he kissed her, unconsciously she had tried to kiss him back, tried to follow his lead.

And now, now she seemed to have learned all she needed for she pried his lips open with her own, sliding her tongue over his teeth, beyond them and deep into his mouth. Her hand around his neck sent sweet tingles throughout his body. The kind he really hadn’t felt before.

Her touch on his nape was tender, careful and delicate. And she touched somewhere around his neck, he hadn’t known a touch at that place could make him melt, but he felt like he really was melting.

Him, a strong knight! A dragon prince, the crown prince of the Trago Kingdom, he who made women melt in his embrace, he who made his enemies tremble with fear. He was turning to liquid lava in the hands of this small little red-head witch. And all she was doing was kissing, kissing and touching him. Not even in sensual places! Or maybe he just didn’t know his nape could be a sensual spot for him.

But it was, and she had unintentionally found it, and his arms came around her waist, pulling her close.

Oh, he’d never felt this way before. How could he explain it? Like a thousand little crickets walked inside him, inside his stomach. Like a thousand stars were exploding. And then there was this feeling of hunger. Insatiable hunger for her. He wanted her, he’d said it before. Like he’d never wanted anyone or thing! He was suddenly feeling starved, as if he’d been starved since birth! And only her lips could give him the right amount of food he needed to fill that hunger.

She suddenly broke the kiss, gently pushing his chest, looking him in the eyes.

"You think you can still take me on these floors? With my permission of course."

What was this? Why? Why was she suddenly willing to give herself to him? She hated him, he knew that. He was a barbarian according to her. And she had made one thing very clear since she stepped her feet into this room. She detested his kind. His dragon blood. She didn’t want him tainting her fine elf blood. And she clearly stated that he wasn’t good looking. Well she did say he was interesting.

But that wasn’t the point. Why did she suddenly change her mind? Was it really because she suddenly couldn’t shake off his touch from her? That wasn’t it. Somehow, he knew that wasn’t the reason. So...

"Why?"

"What?" her lashes fluttered. And her arms were slowly slipping down his neck.

"Why do you suddenly want to sleep with me? You hate me, don’t you?"

"I never said that." her dark long lashes swept over her eyes as she brought her hands upon her lap and turned away from him.

"Then do you suddenly like me? Because I touched you? Is that really it? Because I kissed you?" He asked bluntly.

She rolled her eyes annoyingly, "Oh, you fo—" she held back her own words, remembering his previous warnings. "You’re an arrogant man!" She decided those were no insults. "I’ve changed my mind, go away from me!" she retorted and turned to face the flames, but he yanked her around to face him back.

There was a sudden tug-o-war between them both, with her throwing her hands up in the air like a spiteful cat and him trying to get hold of her claws and stop her from marking his face permanently.

"Like hell you changed your damned mind! Not after what you just did to me!"

"What I did to you?"

"Aye! What you did. You little witch, you think you will just seduce me and then decide to quit?"

"Seduce You!"

"Aye! Why did you kiss me! You were clearly trying to seduce me, and let me tell you now, it’s working. But the question is why?"

"Oh please, you kissed me three times before! And I didn’t do anything to you! I just kissed you once and you want to have my head off! Just think of it as us being even! You kissed me, and I kissed you back!"

"Not quite even, you little witch! You seem to be forgetting that you not only slapped me, but you also bit me hard on my ear. You want to be even, let me start by slapping you back!"

Oh the horror in her eyes was evident. She seemed to have forgotten that she had slapped and bit him. And now her lips were starting to tremble, and so were her hands.

Did she really believe he’d hit her? He could never hit her, not in this lifetime. But he had scared her, the liquid glisters were already starting to form in her eyes, covering the lovely emerald green there.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He held both her hands together on her lap with one of his own. He flipped his eyes open again, staring at her, and then he released her hands.

"Tell me why." He simply said. She just turned her face away, and her tears swung out of her eyes as she turned with force.

"Riah, why?" He demanded. But she was still strong-headed. "Ri—"

"I was scared! Alright!" she suddenly yelled. "I am the princess’s personal maid, I’d go with her to your kingdom, I know things can happen there. What if a disgusting old man sees me there and sets his eyes on me? You said it yourself, there ia no way for the princess out of this marriage. So if the princess can’t save herself, how can she save me?"

"So, you’re saying?"

"I am saying I did not want my first time to be taken by some old dying elder who finds me fascinating!" she yelled and her tears flowed down continuously.

"I thought I’d rather have you take my first time than someone whom I haven’t even conversed with. At least I don’t feel like killing myself when you_ you_"

"When I what?" He demanded. She wasn’t talking anymore. Just staring at the balcony. "Riah, when I what?" he demanded again. She just turned her hips away from him again and this time, his hand reached for her jaw and turned her to face him by force, but his eyes were somewhat kind and goading. "When I what, Riah? Tell me." He ordered.

"Oh damn you! Damn you! You already know!" she cried out. "When you kiss me! Happy? When you touch me! I don’t feel like killing myself, so I thought it’d be better if it was you."

And at that moment, he was certain that the war that was going on inside of him had been won! And his brain most definitely didn’t come out the Victor.

His heart did. Well yes, that third part gave a helping hand to earn the victory, but his heart was the victorious one. His stupid heart.

He pulled her by her jaw, planted a kiss on her lips, then he looked her in her eyes. He took her lips again. Sensually teasing her lips, tasting her mouth, biting her lower lip... He lifted his lashes over his eyes as he lifted his lips from hers.

"I’d be damned before I make love to you for the first time on the floor!"