CHAPTER 83: TO BE THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

Aldric knew what she wanted without her saying it, and by the heavens, he wanted the same. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he savored the brush of her lips against his throat. This was the woman he loved.

But like cold water splashing across his face, the truth struck him.

His hands gripped her shoulders, halting her, gentle but unyielding. "You said we were over," he said quietly.

"I know what I said," she murmured, eyes glinting as they met his. "But right now... I want you."

His jaw tightened. His restraint was legendary. He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. He stood there, carved from stone, fighting the part of himself that wanted to seize her and never let go. He should demand her heart, not just her touch.

It was hard. His restraint was hanging on thin threads, looking into her eyes. And then...

She rose to her tiptoes, lips grazing the line of his jaw, just shy of his mouth. Close enough to make him burn. "You can put it in... just a little," she whispered in his ear.

That broke that thin restraint he was holding on to. His arm swept around her waist, pulling her to him in one swift motion. His lips crashed onto hers—demanding, claiming—leaving no room for refusal. And she was not trying to refuse either. That was the first time they kissed.

Lifting her easily, he carried her toward the couch, scattering the books and papers that cluttered it with a single sweep of his arm. The mess could wait. She could not.

He placed her gently on the sofa, his shirt discarded in haste. Sylvia’s fingertips traced over the ridges of his chest, lingering on every contour as if committing him to memory. Although they’ve done it many times, they were almost always fully clothed. This... She needed his warmth; he gave it without hesitation.

Their hips found a rhythm, flesh meeting flesh, muted breaths and stifled sounds clashing with the silence of the room. What they shared defied Vaelorian law, and so they kept their voices low, though the urgency between them burned bright.

Sylvia’s head fell back, her lips parting as his steady, unrelenting touch coaxed shivers down her spine. He moved within her with the fervor of a man who wanted her undone, wanted to see her dissolve in his arms. Sylvia’s eyes fluttered shut, a shiver racing through her as he held her, firm yet tender, a tenderness she had long forgotten. Her hands gripped his shoulders, grounding herself against the tide of sensation. The moment swelled toward its inevitable crest...

"Not inside me..." she murmured. She was not willing to fall pregnant.

Understanding her, he withdrew with a sharp, quiet breath. The heat in his eyes flared one last time before he spilled his desire against her thigh. A low grunt escaped him as he collapsed onto her, chest heaving, sweat mingling with hers in the dim glow.

Sylvia ran her fingers through the damp strands clinging to Aldric’s forehead. He smiled faintly, settling his head against her chest. Her touch drifted down the line of his straight nose, pausing at the curve of his lips... lingering there.

Aldric’s mouth softened into a kiss against her fingertip, and the quiet contact sent a warm shiver through her smile. She left her finger resting there as he pressed gentle kisses along it, then down the back of her hand.

"Why do you want to marry me?" she asked softly.

She was a broken woman; he knew it. He knew her history, the shadows of what she had lost. She had no wealth, no advantage to offer. Her rational mind could find no gain for him, no reason he would choose her.

"To have moments like these..." Aldric murmured. He leaned over her, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "To end our days together, talking about everything and nothing... to share our warmth, our thoughts... to be with you through every season, good or bad. To give you a shoulder to lean on. To depend on, to love... and to be one with you."

She studied his face as he spoke: how the hard planes of his jaw softened, how his sapphire eyes glistened with a tenderness that made her heart ache. The candlelight danced over his skin, but it was his words that illuminated something deep within her, a place she had locked away for fear of being deceived again.

Her hand rose to cup his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. "That’s a nice dream, isn’t it?" she whispered. Her skeptic’s heart warned her against hope, but the part of her that longed for those words to be true... yearned to believe.

Aldric shook his head gently, brushing away the tears that slipped down her cheeks. He kissed her lips with aching softness. "It’s not a dream, Sylvia. It’s what marriage ought to be."

His heart ached for her, for all she had endured under the weight of a bond forged with the wrong man. He wanted to be her balm, her refuge, to show her what love in marriage could truly be. If it took baring his very soul, he would.

Tears fell freely as she pulled him into a kiss, not one of desire alone, but of truth. It was, perhaps, the first real kiss she had ever known. One where lips met lips... and hearts met hearts.

-----

"Will you look away?" Sylvia’s voice was steady, but her pulse was not.

Aldric lay on his side, one elbow propped up, his gaze fixed on her as she dressed. He had seen every inch of her before, and yet... something about today felt different. Her heart wouldn’t stop fluttering.

He chuckled low in his throat. "You are beautiful, Sylvia. I can’t keep my eyes off you."

"You..." Her stern expression betrayed her, heat blooming across her cheeks. She crossed the room, covering his eyes with both hands, unable to meet the unguarded warmth in his. It wasn’t just desire she saw there—there was tenderness, a softness she refused to name. And that scared her more.

"Fine," he murmured, closing his eyes without complaint.

The room fell quiet except for the whisper of fabric as she dressed. He stayed obediently still, lids shut.

Her lips curved. That this formidable man would obey her like a chastised boy was almost endearing. She lingered, staring at him longer than she meant to. He’s not bad, she thought. No matter how long I look at him... Maybe...

She cleared her throat before the thought could finish.

Aldric’s eyes opened.

"I’ll leave now," she said, smoothing a single unruly strand of hair back into place.

"Hey, Sylvia..." he called.

She stopped and turned.

"Think about it, will you? I’ll treat you like the apple of my eye."

Her throat tightened. It would be nice... to be the apple of his eye. And he did have such beautiful eyes.

She nodded once.

The smile that broke across his face made her heart clench. He’s that happy... for this?