on edge, creating a shiver of anticipation and her stomach
clenched with an unfamiliar feeling
His dancing ability surprised
her, whilst not perfect; he stepped with unexpected grace and his presence
captivated her. She noticed the attention he garnered from the other women and
to add to her astonishment she was struck with a pang of jealousy.
Gabriel’s attention remained focused on her, however, and his powerful gaze
seemed to rob her of her breath, restricting her chest as her heart throbbed
painfully against her ribs. A glance to his lips brought heat to her cheeks as
the image of his mouth upon hers fluttered through her mind. Surely God had not
intended for those lips to be forever pulled into a grimace?
Circling one another, eyes connecting self-consciously, they drew
closer, no more than a hair breadths apart, before pulling back. The tormenting
effects of the dance were not lost on Gabriel, their hands joining for the
briefest of moments before moving onto other dancers, her soft fingers dancing
teasingly across his. He noted with twisting envy the appreciative looks of the
other men in the circle and her easy smile in response. How he wished to be at
the receiving end of one of those smiles. Although he
wondered at the substance behind those smiles and whether she was still playing
her game of deception.
They met again, a coy look of uncertainty in her expression and a flush
upon her smooth cheeks, her delicate lavender scent consuming him as they
stepped together once again. With a fleeting look towards Tibald ,
he noted his amused look. Indeed it was rare that Gabriel participated in such
events, only dancing when forced into it, usually by Tibald himself. He resisted the urge to snarl, detesting being a source of glee for
his master.
A look to Evelyn assured him that she had caught his indignant expression,
again looking at him with caution as if he might turn on her and devour her.
Little did she know how true that was for he wanted to consume her as she
consumed him. She was indeed his Eve, enticing him in
to eat the forbidden fruit. How would she respond if she knew the thoughts that
were running through his mind? Would those lips, that he so desperately wanted
to nibble and taste, curve into a smile? More likely she would bequeath him
with that look of disdain that she so often masterfully bestowed upon him.
The song ended, the musicians
receiving a round of applause, and he gave Evelyn a bow with the gentlest touch
to her hand. She drew her hand back quickly and, concluding that nothing had
changed, he turned on his heel and took up his usual position behind Tibald . For all her questions, for all her deliberations,
she would never see him as anything other than a monster.
***
She came to him like an apparition that night; her beautiful golden locks
loose and curling around her breasts, covered in a sheer slip of fabric which
seemed to shimmer over her body, affording him teasing glimpses of the luscious
skin beneath. Heart hammering in his throat, he stayed silent for fear of
frightening her away, his unbelieving mind convinced that but one whisper would
cause the vision to evaporate into the cold night air.
Reaching out to him, she drifted over to his bed as if on a cloud. Her
cool fingertips brushed across his jawline, rasping over his stubble and
trailing down his neck to his chest, wresting a growl from his throat. She sat
on his bed, so feather light that it didn’t even dip under her weight, and he
reached out hesitantly, his large hand pressing against the delicate cloth of
her chemise at her waist.
Her jade eyes locked onto his, nebulous pools of desire, a beguiling
combination of boldness and innocence, an echo of the traits that drew him to
her so strongly. Pressing his thumb into her hip, he coaxed her to straddle him
and gripped firmly at her other hip, holding her to him.
A tumble of curls brushed against his chest as she leant over him,
teasing his chest and nipples with their
clenched with an unfamiliar feeling
His dancing ability surprised
her, whilst not perfect; he stepped with unexpected grace and his presence
captivated her. She noticed the attention he garnered from the other women and
to add to her astonishment she was struck with a pang of jealousy.
Gabriel’s attention remained focused on her, however, and his powerful gaze
seemed to rob her of her breath, restricting her chest as her heart throbbed
painfully against her ribs. A glance to his lips brought heat to her cheeks as
the image of his mouth upon hers fluttered through her mind. Surely God had not
intended for those lips to be forever pulled into a grimace?
Circling one another, eyes connecting self-consciously, they drew
closer, no more than a hair breadths apart, before pulling back. The tormenting
effects of the dance were not lost on Gabriel, their hands joining for the
briefest of moments before moving onto other dancers, her soft fingers dancing
teasingly across his. He noted with twisting envy the appreciative looks of the
other men in the circle and her easy smile in response. How he wished to be at
the receiving end of one of those smiles. Although he
wondered at the substance behind those smiles and whether she was still playing
her game of deception.
They met again, a coy look of uncertainty in her expression and a flush
upon her smooth cheeks, her delicate lavender scent consuming him as they
stepped together once again. With a fleeting look towards Tibald ,
he noted his amused look. Indeed it was rare that Gabriel participated in such
events, only dancing when forced into it, usually by Tibald himself. He resisted the urge to snarl, detesting being a source of glee for
his master.
A look to Evelyn assured him that she had caught his indignant expression,
again looking at him with caution as if he might turn on her and devour her.
Little did she know how true that was for he wanted to consume her as she
consumed him. She was indeed his Eve, enticing him in
to eat the forbidden fruit. How would she respond if she knew the thoughts that
were running through his mind? Would those lips, that he so desperately wanted
to nibble and taste, curve into a smile? More likely she would bequeath him
with that look of disdain that she so often masterfully bestowed upon him.
The song ended, the musicians
receiving a round of applause, and he gave Evelyn a bow with the gentlest touch
to her hand. She drew her hand back quickly and, concluding that nothing had
changed, he turned on his heel and took up his usual position behind Tibald . For all her questions, for all her deliberations,
she would never see him as anything other than a monster.
***
She came to him like an apparition that night; her beautiful golden locks
loose and curling around her breasts, covered in a sheer slip of fabric which
seemed to shimmer over her body, affording him teasing glimpses of the luscious
skin beneath. Heart hammering in his throat, he stayed silent for fear of
frightening her away, his unbelieving mind convinced that but one whisper would
cause the vision to evaporate into the cold night air.
Reaching out to him, she drifted over to his bed as if on a cloud. Her
cool fingertips brushed across his jawline, rasping over his stubble and
trailing down his neck to his chest, wresting a growl from his throat. She sat
on his bed, so feather light that it didn’t even dip under her weight, and he
reached out hesitantly, his large hand pressing against the delicate cloth of
her chemise at her waist.
Her jade eyes locked onto his, nebulous pools of desire, a beguiling
combination of boldness and innocence, an echo of the traits that drew him to
her so strongly. Pressing his thumb into her hip, he coaxed her to straddle him
and gripped firmly at her other hip, holding her to him.
A tumble of curls brushed against his chest as she leant over him,
teasing his chest and nipples with their
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