Chapter 286: Peeling layers
Ada went into her room without accompanying Arabella to hers. She had that mysterious glint in her eyes when wishing her friend a good night that the raven-haired woman felt suspicious of.
The young woman stopped by her door and grasped the knob but did not twist it. Instead, she stared at it intently, weighing her options.
Silas hadn’t come to fetch her and so, assuming he was still busy, stood first in line as a justification.
The second one was that perhaps he wished to spend the night on his own, to sort of clear his head... Which was understandable considering everything he had to tend to.
"Will you collect a night gown?"
Arabella leaped and spun around to meet his gaze. His steps were so light and quick on the floor, their sound had escaped her.
"Yes!" she squeaked before taking a moment to think her words over.
"Alright then. I’ll be in my room," he smiled, "Meet me there,"
A warm surge traveled her chest, triggering a rush of blood that ended up huddled around her reddening face.
The grin that crept across her features in that moment was unstoppable. She hadn’t even realized how much she’d been expecting him to come get her until he actually did.
Arabella picked a fair night gown and made her way to his room. At first, by force of habit, her knuckles came close to landing a knock on the wood but then memory served her the time he told her she never needed to knock again before entering.
Pushing the door open, the cozy amber light from the candles greeted her, reflecting against the beautiful sculptures posted based on no particular order around the room.
But there was no Silas yet. Although the voice of running water reached her ears through the curtains and upon crossing them, Arabella was met by a sweet sight to behold as Silas had just exited the bathroom... Shirtless.
Stunned and reduced to silence, she even held her breath as her entire body froze in place.
Towel in hand, Silas ruffled the wet hair on his head, "Are you alright?" even though deep, his voice was as soft as they come.
"Uh... Yes! Yes! I am alright," her smile returned, but her gemstones remained soldered on his naked upper body.
Despite being over three hundred years of age and a former warrior, there was not a scratch on him to count. Not a blemish or a flaw.
Every muscle seemed to stand exactly where it was supposed to be as though carved by the hand of the most gifted artist to walk their realm.
"Do you like what you see?" he stopped drying his hair and tilted his head, seeing the look of utter surprise on her.
"Oh... yes," she murmured while nodding slowly, her eyes refusing to blink not wanting to miss a second of it.
"Come closer," he did not smile, but his tone was the furthest from sharp or dry.
Her feet obeyed and led her towards his figure, only stopping mere inches away from him.
"It’s quite odd," he whispered while studying her face.
"What is?" her heart clenched around itself.
"Every time I lay my eyes on you, you somehow look more beautiful than before," his diamonds flickered from one trait on her face to the next.
Silas slightly bent down and took one of Arabella’s hands then brought it higher and straight towards his chest.
Upon realizing what he wanted to do, she showed some resistance. It wasn’t that he couldn’t go through with it against her will. It was that he didn’t want to force it.
The vampire let his eyes do the work to give her the reassurance needed.
"It’s alright. Just let it happen," the sultry voice accompanied the glowing sparks in his diamonds.
Eventually, Arabella relented and allowed him to proceed.
Shivers flared all through her body the moment her hand connected with his bare skin.
So warm, so alive, so... Exposed.
Her heart screamed and demanded to be let out of its cage, citing insufficient space as a reason.
But the tantrum in her chest was nothing compared to the wind and fire storm raging through her mind, where every neuron flickered like fairy light, over and over again.
"Are you feeling alright?" he never let go of her hand and merely watched as her fingers roamed free in his body.
"I think I’ll live," she nodded very slowly, but her eyes never once rose from his perfectly sculpted chest.
"Will you be changing into your night gown tonight?"
Completely absorbed by her activity, she only hummed a yes in response.
"But you wish to enjoy the show some more," he half asked, finally cracking a warm smile.
That made her clear her throat and stop the fondling to hold her beet red cheeks.
"I will be back!" she squeaked, clutching at her night gown before scampering towards the bathroom door.
"Do you need any help in there?" he asked through the door.
The answer came almost immediately, frantic and shrill "No! No! No! I’ll be out in a minute!"
It, in fact, took her a lot more than a minute to come out of the bathroom.
By then, Silas was sprawled across the bed and waited for no one but her arrival. Time came for his breath to be taken away at the sight of the sheer fabric that covered so little of her.
The top exposed all of her arms and shoulders while the skirt of the gown stopped at the knees.
Arabella stood in place, doing her best to chase the redness on her face away, making sure to keep her arms in front of herself to shield as much as possible.
"Come," Silas fought every urge in himself to keep his hands from wandering too freely.
When she cut the distance between them, he gently turned her around and sat her down at the edge of the bed in order to unclasp the pendants around her neck.