Chapter 43: *One Day Seduction* (I)
And just a few hours later...
Gray had already taken Selene to a low-lit tavern, the kind that gave the atmosphere for his seduction to continue.
Candles burned on the rough wood.
People laughed.
And there was even a musician playing from a corner.
Selene rested her elbows on the table. She had a small smile, and her cheeks were pink from the wine.
She waved at the barkeep.
"Give me something fun. Surprise me," she said, and pointed at Gray.
"And him too."
The man behind the bar brought two cups that smelled like honey and spice. One was a deep red, while the other fizzed a little on top.
Selene took a sip and blinked.
"Mmm. That’s good." She turned to Gray with a softer voice.
"You want some?"
Gray smiled and held out his cup. He watched her grin and noticed that she was much more relaxed now.
And even a little tipsy, to be honest.
"You see," she said after another sip, "I actually have a boyfriend. His name is Caleb."
Gray nodded.
He didn’t move to change the mood, letting her speak her thoughts.
"He’s... nice," she went on.
"He’s patient. He’s kind. But he won’t do small things. Like, hold my hand in public. We’ve been dating for months, and he still won’t take it. He looks at me like he’s scared to be seen." She laughed.
"It’s stupid. I don’t need grand gestures. I just want a hand in mine when we walk."
Gray didn’t even blink.
He instantly reached forward, his hand wrapping lightly around hers, the one holding the cup.
He held it there just long enough for her eyes to flick up to his.
"Like this?"
She laughed at his actions, but didn’t shake his hand away.
"Yeah... but when we’re walking, not drinking~" she eyed him, her smile widening a little.
And if that wasn’t enough, Gray moved again, surprising Selene.
Her eyes immediately went wide as Gray smoothly switched his grip, the cup sliding into his other hand before he hooked his arm through hers in one fluid motion.
"In one go?"
He raised an eyebrow; one could easily understand what he meant by those words.
Selene narrowed her eyes at him, the corners of her lips lifting before she gave a tiny nod.
"Fuuu~"
"Gulp, gulp!"
Both tipped their heads back, draining their drinks without pause.
"Ahh! Now that was refreshing!" Selene said, smacking her lips with a satisfied sigh.
But then, she saw Gray reaching out to his pocket and taking out a pack of... cigarettes.
"...You smoke?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. And yet, seeing the lazy confidence in his movements, she found herself smiling.
"Yeah... never mind, I can see that..."
Gray simply chuckled, shaking his head.
Flick!
A small flame caught, the tip of the cigarette glowing before he exhaled a slow ribbon of smoke into the dim light.
"Why the long face?" he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"Ah—!" Selene nearly flinched.
"It’s nothing, I just... wondered what tobacco tastes like," she said, waving her hands dismissively.
Gray smirked in a bittersweet way.
"Honestly? Tastes like shit. Just kills the stress." He leaned forward, holding it out to her.
"Wanna share?"
She hesitated slighly, her gaze flicking between him and the cigarette, but then reluctantly shook her head.
"No."
And that made Gray’s lips curl up slighly.
"Shotgun?"
Selene tilted her head, frowning in confusion.
"What’s that?"
Gray remained silent.
Instead, he leaned back in his chair just enough to fish the cigarette from between his fingers, taking a long, unhurried drag.
The ember flared, casting a faint orange glow across his face.
He held her gaze the entire time.
Then, he set his cup down with a soft clink, stood, and stepped around the table.
Selene’s brows drew together in confusion, but she didn’t move away.
He stopped close, close enough that she could smell the mix of tobacco, faint cologne, and warm spice from their drinks.
His hand brushed against her chair as he leaned in, one arm slipping around the back of it, effectively boxing her in without touching her.
"Gray...?" she asked softly.
He took another slow breath from the cigarette, and this time, instead of exhaling, he lowered his head toward her lips.
"Mhm!"
The smoke rolled into her mouth, warm and sharp, stealing the words right out of her throat.
Selene’s eyes widened before she leaned back, coughing lightly into her hand.
"Ckh—! Haaah..." She waved at the air in front of her face, her cheeks warming from more than just the drinks.
Gray chuckled low in his chest, straightening and taking a lazy drag for himself.
"Tastes really bad, doesn’t it?" he teased, his lips quirking.
Selene shot him a look between coughs, her eyes watering slighly.
"God—yeah... that’s horrible."
"Mm."
He blew out another thin stream of smoke, lips curling into a smirk.
"Told you. But now you know."
Her glare faltered almost immediately. That faintly amused glint in his eyes made it impossible to stay mad.
She shook her head, trying to hide her smile, but the small upward twitch at the corner of her mouth gave her away.
But then...
Her face flushed instantly, because she had finally realized that Gray had kissed her lips... the place where even her boyfriend wouldn’t dare to approach.
And the worst part?
Sitting there with that lazy, confident posture... he looked dangerously attractive.
"...Mhm? I’m getting tired of that strange face of yours, y’know?" Gray muttered with a faint smile as he suddenly gazed directly into her eyes.
Selene quickly looked away.
"Ah? Now, you’re avoiding meeting my eyes?" he raised an eyebrow before leaning in closer and raising her chin lightly.
But Selene, who was already tipsy and feeling the effects of that one shot, suddenly noticed Gray’s pale lips.
And as she remembered many of her girl friends talking about their experiences with their boyfriends, and how enjoyable that was...
She couldn’t help but get jealous.
She too wanted to experience those things.
That was the primary reason she had gotten a boyfriend, and yet, her boyfriend didn’t dare to do any of those things.
"Gulp..."
She swallowed hard, and just as she gazed at his hypnotic black eyes...
"Fuck it."
Selene couldn’t hold herself back anymore.
"Smachk♡~"
She directly slammed her pink lips against Gray’s, snuggling her arms around his neck as if she was scared of him pulling out.
But what she didn’t realize was... the silent arch on Gray’s lips.
’...It worked out perfectly,’ he smiled inwardly.
[...Dammit. I have to admit that your plan really was flawless.]
Jasmine spoke in a not-wanted-to-praise tone.
[First you get her to down the drink in one go... then you crank up her heat with that ’shotgun’ move I didn’t even know was a thing... and of course, you top it off with that lazy charm my blessing gave you...]
Jasmine let out a long sigh.
[Yeah... there was no way that wasn’t gonna work.]
Selene was practically melting under Gray’s touch; her movements were clumsy and uncertain, yet desperate, like she was learning how to breathe all over again.
And Gray... was enjoying every second.
After all, there was nothing quite as intoxicating as control.
"Mhn, chuuu~!"
Her kisses were messy, clearly unpracticed, her lips pressing and shifting at odd angles, but it only made her more endearing.
Gray waited for a few seconds, and when he thought it was the perfect moment, he let his hand drift down, slowly enough to make her hips twitch, down the curve of her side until it rested on her waist.
His other hand slid upward, his fingers brushing over her ribs before cupping the underside of her right breast.
Squeeze~
"Ahn♡—!"
Selene moaned as her eyes flew open at the sudden contact, only to find Gray’s playful face waiting for her, but somehow... that didn’t irritate her.
Instead of pushing him away, she bit her lip, her blush spreading down her neck.
Whatever guilt she’d had about her boyfriend... it was gone.
"Schurup!♡... mmmn~"
Dissipated the moment Gray pressed his lips against hers again.
But of course, Gray knew he couldn’t push further here, not in the middle of a tavern.
But he wasn’t about to stop, either. As their mouths moved together, he glanced past her shoulder toward the bartender.
A flick of his wrist sent a silver coin spinning through the air.
The bartender caught it without a word, shot Gray a knowing wink, and slid a brass key across the counter, to which Gray gladly took it.
Then, without breaking the kiss, he bent his knees, slid his hands under her thighs, and lifted her clean off the floor.
"Ah—!♡ W-wait—" she gasped, arms tightening around his neck.
Gray didn’t wait anymore.
He carried her toward the stairs, each step making her bounce lightly in his arms.
Her skirt kept sliding higher with every movement, warm skin brushing against his hands where they gripped her thighs.
Selene’s face was buried against his neck, her soft lips brushing over his skin with every shaky breath she took.
By the time they reached the top, her breathing was ragged, hot little puffs against his ear that made his smirk deepen.
Click.
The door swung open.
The moment they stepped inside, Selene’s hands went to both his and her shirt, not hesitating for a second.
Rip—!
The buttons popped off, scattering across the floor with sharp little clicks.
Her top fell open, showing smooth, flushed skin, her chest rising and falling quickly under the dim light.
Her eyes darted down, and then...
"...♡"
Her breath caught when she saw his abs under the dim light. She reached out, tracing the lines of muscle with her fingers before leaning in again.
"Mmnn~♡" Her lips crashed against his, harder than before, her hands sliding up over his chest and shoulders.
Gray’s hands stayed on her thighs, fingers digging in just enough to make her shiver.
"Mmm~♡... G-Gray..." her voice trembled, half a whisper, half a moan.
Selene’s fingers slid up into his hair, tugging just enough to make him smirk against her lips.
"Yeah...? What is it, Selene?" He broke the kiss for a moment, leaning in and whispering hotly into her ear.
Her legs squeezed tighter around his waist.
"D-Don’t talk like that... mmnn—♡" she gasped when his hands flexed against the back of her thighs.
He pressed her back against the wall, just to hear that small gasp leave her lips again.
Then his mouth trailed from her lips to her jaw, down to her neck, slow, dragging kisses mixed with little nips.
"Aahh~♡..." She tilted her head back, giving him more space.
Her own hands roamed lower, tracing over his abs again like she couldn’t get enough, her fingertips trembling a little.
"They’re... so hard..." she whispered softly.
Gray chuckled softly, his lips brushing against her collarbone.
"Then feel them as much as you want."
She bit her lip, heat pooling in her cheeks.
"You’re... such a bastard...♡"