Chapter 365: weighing thoughts
"Come with me," Silas extended his hands her way and waited for Arabella to take them, but when she looked hesitant, the man quickly added, "Please?"
Silas made sure his tone remained warm and not firm. Eventually, she relented, putting her hands in his while doing her best to keep her upper arms over her breasts.
Her legs too didn’t go apart as she stood, but her efforts turned futile since being on both feet and facing him meant he had a full front view of her.
His eyes did not shy away, much like the kind smile he donned upon slowly looking her up and down, missing not inch along the way.
"Just breathe," he advised calmly as his thumbs rubbed gentle circles on her hand.
An advice that was dearly needed, considering the drumming in her chest refused to simmer. The blood huddling around her neck and face also decided not to return to its natural course, earning her the scarlet red color that betrayed her emotions.
Her eyes still found no strength to rise and meet his, but her lips managed to return a little pout which snatched a chuckle out of him.
"What is it?"
"Well, ... It’s just that I find it quite unfair. That is all," her arms swayed from left to right as if to fill the awkward void between them.
"What’s so unfair?" the grin wouldn’t leave his features.
"You’ve got to see all of me, but I didn’t get to see all of... You yet,"
At those words, her gemstones traveled downwards and kept going to his feet, but upon climbing back up, they remained on his crotch for a smidge too long.
"My, my... Arabella Eleazar! You truly are full of surprises," Silas slowly shook his head and didn’t blink once as he uttered that sentence, "One moment you are the pretty, innocent and shy young woman and then the next...," he trailed off, feeling the need to lick his lips.
Surprisingly, despite the pores of her skin threatening to release steam, Arabella’s eyes snapped up and connected with his.
Silas stood a little bemused at her newfound audacity, the corners of his lips drawing a smile he fought hard against but lost.
"I keep forgetting that you have it in you. Did you already get used to my gaze on you?" his eyes traveled down.
"Well," her head slightly tilted to the side as a coy simper decorated her features.
"And here I thought I was moving too fast for you," he murmured, bringing her closer to himself, "I’ve prepared a warm bath. What say you, we share the bathtub?"
"I wouldn’t be against it," she nodded.
Silas leaned down to kiss her lips, but froze momentarily, his diamonds sharpening before darting towards the curtains.
Arabella’s eyes followed suit, assuming someone was heading their way, she quickly turned around to pick up the bathrobe hanging nearby.
"Worry not," his smile returned, "It was Carlton and he’s already returning from whence he came,"
"You can tell by his smell?"
"Typically, I would tell people apart by their scent, yes," Silas stepped towards the curtains while still holding her hand, "But with people I am used to such as Carlton, their footsteps are just enough for me to know who they are from a distance,"
Right at the foot of the door to the room lay a small envelope as well as another piece of paper by its side. Clearly, Carlton opted not to disturb the couple and slipped them under the door instead of knocking.
Silas started by reading the piece that wasn’t covered, "This one is for you, from Ada and the daytime girls. They wish to have lunch with you later if you please," he handed her the message which she took and looked at the words without actually reading them, fully trusting Silas’ report on it, but then her attention fell back on the envelope he had started to open, "This one is from Morgana’s practice,"
He handed her the empty envelope and sure enough, the return address was indeed Madame Morgana’s practice office.
Arabella waited quietly for Silas to read the content of the letter. Her irises traced his as they traveled at a steady pace along the written lines.
Eventually, the vampire took a deeper breath before communicating the overall matter, "Madame Morgana has returned from up north, and she requests an audience with us as soon as we are available to,"
"May we see her before the arrival of the tributes this month?" Arabella leaped and suggested in a haste.
"Yes, of course," the sound of rustling paper filled the room as he folded the letter back, "After everything that happened, the sooner she comes the better,"
Silas exhaled as if finally releasing a load he carried for a long while of time, "So, about that bath..., my offer still stands,"
"My first answer still holds as well,"
"But beware, I can’t promise I won’t misbehave," he took her hands once more.
"Understandable," the deep shade around her face returned in the most dramatic of fashions. The sight of it was reminiscent of watching drops of blood fall into a cup clear water, "I won’t promise to behave either," she shook her head from left to right with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"I don’t know whether to be happy or fear you now," he chuckled.
"Fear me?" her head tilted again.
"Why yes!" he gave her hands gentle squeezes, "I knew from the day you came into my room and insisted that I feed on you that... You were a wilder card than I had expected, but never to this extent,"
Arabella’s face fell a little, "Are you disappointed? Or perhaps repulsed?" she grimaced.
"Never!" he tugged her closer in a sudden manner, bringing her face an inch away from his upon bending to her eye level, "Don’t ever think that way!" his smile never faltered.
That had the merit of appeasing the screaming voices in her mind.
Those thoughts alone, without his input, already weighed mountains on her shoulders. To think he too would find her too eager or improper sealed the anchor at the bottomless pit that endlessly ate at her stomach.