Chapter 9: Hesitation

(WARNING: This Chapter contains potentially distressing subjects. Others might not see it as such; however, I thought there should be a disclaimer.)

Ember’s eyes widened as she felt Aiden’s lips on her.

One minute she was explaining the story, the next, he kissed her.

She could feel him testing the waters, as if waiting for her to deny him. Gentle, lingering. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what was happening. Why did he suddenly kiss her?

He could feel her hesitation. He didn’t want to stop. This woman was his. He wanted to wait until she could fully accept him. He wanted to wait until she made a move, but hearing about her death, even if only in a dream, he couldn’t stop.

His kiss was no longer gentle; he demanded an answer.

His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to sit on his lap. The feel of her body against him made him forget everything. The hunger inside him drove him to claim her. He swept his tongue against her lips.

Ember gasped at the feeling. The moment he pulled her body to his, she lost herself. She could feel her body’s response to his touch. She could feel his hunger and possessiveness. He wanted to devour her.

And she would let him.

She didn’t think; all she could do now was feel. A desperate ache bloomed inside her.

She could feel his hands travelling the length of her body. She pushed into his palm as he cupped her breast. Releasing a moan, Ember gripped his shoulders, overwhelmed by the sensations running through her body.

He laid her on the bed, his lips leaving hers, only for a moment.

She opened her eyes, need clouding her judgment.

She saw everything he wanted to say; she saw his need, his possessiveness and something else. Something so primal that it made her toes curl.

She lay there, their clothes discarded. She didn’t even know when it happened.

He was giving her a choice. Even now, as they both lay bare, he thought of her first.

His gaze raked over her body, and his jaw tightened. She knew he was fighting the urge to take her.

She wanted him to, but not now, not today.

She was already reeling from all this, and although she wanted him, she knew they needed to talk.

She stretched out her hand, caressed his cheek, “Brother…”

He seemed to understand. He kissed her palm devoutly.

Closing his eyes, he tried to rein himself in. He knew she was right; they couldn’t do this today. This wasn’t the purpose of her being here. She wanted to have a serious talk. He let his emotions cloud his judgment.

It seemed she was the only person about to do that. Make him doubt himself and wonder what if.

He picked up the clothes he had tossed away and put them back on her body.

The enticing sight made him want to bury himself inside her. But now wasn’t the time. They needed to be rational. He watched her sit up. He pulled a chair close to the bed.

He thought to himself that maybe, not being on the bed would lessen the temptation.

Ember, after being dressed, finally found her voice.

Ahhhh…we almost did it!! Why did we have to stop?! Damn me and my reservations. I want to hit myself.

[I should be the one to hit you first. Do you know what just happened?! LE look at the LE!!]

[Lust Essence: 5000]

[I told you he was a lust mine!]

Ember looked at the LE that had risen. She didn’t even know how it went up without a mission. Just from kissing? Is this what the system meant?

She didn’t dwell on it. She would have to ask later. Right now, she had to talk to Aiden.

“Brother…”

“Still calling me brother?”

Ember blushed. “Aiden, why did you kiss me?”

“Do you still need to ask?” His unwavering focus sent chills up her spine, good chills.

Her eyes darted briefly to his lips before licking her own.

“I want to know. I really want to know. You kissing me like that makes me think things I shouldn’t. It makes me wonder…”

“Ember, you are my addiction. A smouldering heat that threatens to set me ablaze. A smile or touch from you brightens my day and threatens to send me over the edge.”

His eyes took on a darker edge. Something akin to a predator, and Ember couldn’t look away.

“Sometimes…I look at you and wonder what it would be like. A world with just the two of us. No prying eyes. No one to see your beautiful face, your charming smile. That day, when I saw you like that, it awakened something in me. Something dark and territorial.”

He moved closer, from the chair to the bed. Right beside her. She could feel the heat from his body.

“I wanted to put my mark on you,” his hand moved to her abdomen, tracing his finger along the lower left side.

She knew what he touched. He must have seen it when he undressed her. Her breath hitched as he touched it.

“I…, he paused, hesitant as to whether to continue. What he wanted to say next could send her running. But he wanted to say it. He wanted her to know how sick he was.

He couldn’t look into her eyes. He kept his gaze trained on the place he traced.

“I don’t just want you. I want to peel your skin, wear your bones as a crown. I’ve thought about ways to preserve you. Glass on all sides, so you won’t leave. Others won’t be able to see you. You’ll be for my eyes only. I want to reach inside your mind and remove every thought that isn’t about me. I want to take your soul, hold it in my palm, and swallow it whole. That way, your body, mind and soul belong to me.”

Ember listened, her eyes growing wider with every word. The words, crazy, unhinged, deranged, rattled through her brain. Her heart pounded, and her body trembled. But even with that mad look in his eyes and all his talk about wanting to own her mind, body and soul.

Ember actually told herself that it sounds like heaven.

She wasn’t scared, and that broke something in her. Hearing a man, not just any man, Aiden, talk about doing such things to her. She wasn’t afraid; she was excited.

Aiden felt her body shiver. A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. This was why he didn’t want to tell her. If he mentioned the cage he custom-made for her, she would probably be disgusted.

He could still remember the dream he had where he ate her heart. He could still feel it beating in his chest. Both their hearts together as one.

He knew he was crazy. He couldn’t help himself. The person he once saw, only as a sibling, has become his obsession.

His hand gripped her waist. Not threateningly, simply grounding her. Hoping against all hope, she wouldn’t run away. But as the silence stretched, she had moved; she hadn’t tried to run. But she also hadn’t said anything.

He swallowed and looked up to see her eyes dazed. Not looking at him. She was pensive. It gave him the chance to take her in.

The pensive Ember was actually talking to the system.

[I think your boyfriend’s crazy. But I’ve seen and heard worse.]

Worse? How is there, worse?

[A woman and a man locked in a cage while another woman would only feed them on pussy juices and milk. A man stuffed a woman he was in unrequited love with and did some seriously sick things. His saying he wants to and actually suppressing himself is a good thing.]

I thought you didn’t have a system porn site.

[It’s not porn, it’s an evaluation.]

Evaluating what? How often do people have sex?

[An evaluation to know what tasks to give. To know how far people are willing to go for their sexual desires. To know when we need to stop. Unlike humans, systems are not limited by a physical body. We need to see what you can do in order to test limits. If I give you a task that asks you to have sex on the ceiling, can you do it? If I ask you to cling to a window while letting a bird peck at your nipples, are you willing? This is an evaluation for both you and us.]

Oh. But I don’t think anything he said so far is wrong. As long as he’s willing to reciprocate.

The system wasn’t sure what to say. It didn’t expect his host to be such a person. She hasn’t shown any indicator of accepting such behaviour. The system decided that it would adjust the tasks accordingly.

[Then go talk to him. He’s staring a hole into your face.]

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