( Beverly Hills, California. )
Natalia wiped her tears and nodded before taking a step back. Then a light bulb went off!
“I’ll go. But before I do, please tell me what the time is?” She innocently fluttered her lashes. Arian raised his head to say something like…. isn’t that a phone in your hand?…. but stopped and rolled his eyes instead.
“A couple of minutes past ten.” He mumbled. Natalia deliciously bit her lips.
“Well since you lost the bet, you’ll have to do anything I want!.” She announced triumphantly. Arian’s eyes dramatically crawled up to meet hers.
“And how would I know if you didn’t sleep off in the last twenty minutes?” He accused. She shrugged nonchalantly but in a wicked way that hinted ‘well that’s your problem, dude!’.
“Since cameras aren’t installed in the bedrooms, you’ll just have to trust me.” She breezed.
Why didn’t he install them?! Arian muttered some not-too-saintly stuff under his breath and looked away. There’s always a tomorrow.
“What do you want?” He silently groused. Natalia squealed seeing the defeated look on his face. She pouted and aggrievedly hugged herself.
“I want you to rephrase your words about spending the night apart and obediently act on it!” She demanded.
Arian’s lips twitched like a rotten little brat as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Natalia giggled because he looked so cute. She was gonna enjoy this!
“W… wou…. would you li… like t.. to stay with me tonight?” He mouthed inaudibly.
“I heard nothing.” She shifted her weight on one leg and wickedly stared at her polished fingernails.
“I said something!” He grumbled and stared at her.
“To yourself?? Okay.” She shrugged. “Talk to me this time.” From the corner of her eyes, she saw him sigh and defeatedly drop his phone.
“Spend the night with me, my love.” Arian grinned and brightly stretched out his arms.
Natalia twirled a strand of her hair and looked at him with one eye. The thought of playing more mercilessly with him, obviously enjoying his discomfort crossed her mind. But she smiled back and jumped into bed with him.
Arian tucked her next to him and used his other hand to pick his phone. Natalia warmly cuddled into him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Within minutes, she started to fall asleep.
“What are you still doing?” She mumbled.
“Nothing.” His reply was short. She squinted one eye to look at his phone but the other one flew open the next second! Arian was scrolling through pictures of her and Esmond with those stupid, conclusive captions bloggers used!
Reflexively, Natalia raised her head and pushed the phone away. “Stop reading that.”
“Why? Because there’s no truth to it?” It’s a question, Alexis. It’s just a silly question coming from a place of hurt. Natalia gently turned him to face her.
“Look into my eyes and tell me you believe them.” She held his gaze. Though Arian tried to keep his emotions neutral, Natalia could see the constant flickers in his eyes. He finally looked away.
“I don’t. You have a way of cheating.” He whispered with a pout. “Hypnotizing me with those big, brown eyes. Not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, honey. You told me that. Remember?” She comfortably fell into him again and cuddled more. Sighs. It was becoming an addiction. Arian tensed up all of a sudden and his fingers bit into her waist tighter.
Natalia stretched innocently. It was time to sleep.
“It’s your turn to answer one of my questions, right?” His voice came out edgy and she nodded sleepily.
“I believe you’re not together, but why does it feel like you’re hiding something from me?” He slowly touched her hair. Natalia opened her eyes.
“You zone off a lot having memories, you have this look in your eyes that I’ld have believed it was guilt if I didn’t know you better. Something tells me it has to do with him and I just lose it considering that thought. I know it’s wrong but it just keeps coming.” He paused and possessively held her closer.
“Is there something you wanna tell me?”
Natalia needed to get it out of her chest. She knew that then, they weren’t together. But her heart kept feeling bad towards Arian and guilty towards Esmond. She moved away from Arian and sat Indian style. Arian sat up too.
“Esmond and I… we’ve…” She wet her lips and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.
“We’ve been to… together a couple of times?” She rushed and ducked her head.
“Huh?”
“Not together-together but…”
“He kissed you.”
“Less or more.”
“Then YOU kissed him?”
“More or less.”
“And a COUPLE of times??” Natalia couldn’t look him in the face!
“That.. that… that rat!” Arian gasped and looked away. Natalia tried not to giggle.
“He’s an Emperor, you know.” She pointed mischievously.
“Who cares?!” He fired and crashed on his back. The silence in the room stretched for minutes which in turn stretched Natalia’s nerves!
“Is there anything else?” He asked in a whisper. She nodded and took it upon herself to tell him the details of everything that’d happened between them.
“I’m sorry.” She ended sullenly.
“Hey, come here.” Arian pulled her back to bed with him.
“Are you mad?” She leaned on him and nervously trailed invincible patterns on his plain white shirt.
“At you? Of course not… But at the situation?” He grunted uncomfortably and she smiled.
“Natalia, it wasn’t your fault.” He held her warmly.
“That’s the same thing Esmond said.”
“Yeah, I’m not that cool with bringing the rat’s name into our conversations!” He blurted and she giggled.
Who else were they talking about??
“It’s not funny.” He stated deadpan and her grin increased, staring at his jealous face. Arian tried to disapprovingly scowl but it only made her chuckle more.
“Stop… what… you’re impossible!” He shot and jerked up. “When you’re done laughing, you know where…”
“Don’t gooo!” She gurgled and playfully wrapped her arms around his neck from behind.
“Your face is so green with envy.” She teased and poked his cheek.
“Of course I’m jealous!” Arian De’ Argent didn’t hide it!
“Aish! It’s making me so mad that I wanna hit him! Go to bed.” He raked his raven black hair and looked away.
“Not without you.” She smiled.
“I’m no longer sleepy.” He was still seething. This nightly game was starting to get old. Natalia thought and rolled her eyes.
“It’s not a request. You’re under a promise. Remember?” Arian pursed his lips.
“Stop doing that!” She giggled. “You look like a rotten little kid.”
Arian didn’t say anything further or move. Natalia smiled naughtily. She removed her hands from him and quietly went back to bed, pretending to be hurt.
And one.
Two.
Th…
Arian crawled back repentantly and laid beside her. Natalia hastily closed her eyes.
“Go away. I don’t wanna cuddle anymore.” She wriggled his arms off when he tried to hold her.
“But I want to.” He whispered and reached for her again.
“Cuddle yourself!” Natalia shifted away but Arian back hugged her tightly. She hid a smile.
“Okay, I’ll confess. I was a tiiiiny, little bit jealous and acted like a.. b.. b… brat.” His gorgeous face pushed away her hair and placed a lingering kiss on her skin.
“You know how mom spoilt me rotten.” He took the kiss higher, nibbling softly.
“I grew up…” He redirected the teasing down her chin. “… having my personal stuff to myself alone.” Natalia opened her lips to talk but no sound came out. His hand deliciously pulled down the sleeve of her big shirt and left a trail of feathery kisses there.
Natalia didn’t realise when she turned over. He seductively looked down at her soft pinkish lips then back up at her.
“I don’t…” He kissed her nose. “… fancy…” A lucky cheek went next. “… sharing…” He kissed the sides of her lips and pulled away when she leaned in for more.
“… you with anyone other than me.” Natalia found herself nodding as he tantalizingly bit her lower lip.
“Whatever you’re doing, d.. don’t stop.” She whispered, unknowingly sounding like a temptress..
“You’re being greedy.” Arian raised his head and smiled.
“I don’t care.” She confessed and stole his lips. The hot French chuckled and steadied himself or his weight would’ve hurt her. Not that Natalia really cared anyway because it was exactly what she wanted.
His body on hers.
Her hands slid across his neck, pulling him closer and he tilted her chin to gain entrance. As the passion in the kiss accelerated and reached a place where there was no turning back, Arian tried to pull away to avoid the consequences but Natalia didn’t want to.
Maybe he was right. Maybe she was becoming greedy. She wanted more of everything, more than they had ever done before. More than she’d ever been given! Natalia used to be the first to break off whenever they were crossing that line but she didn’t care anymore.
All she wanted was the French she fell insanely in love with. Not just his heart, but his body and soul as well!
She wrapped her legs around his torso and fisted his silky black hair, leaving no space between them. Feeling the seductive, needy body of the woman he was in love with, Arian De’ Argent instinctively gave up his initial noble plan and fell under her spell.
He broke the kiss and went for her warm skin, leaving painful hickeys behind. Natalia stifled a moan as the hot, tentative kisses drifted to the sensitive spot behind her ears.
A hot hand slid to her leg while she struggled to get his shirt off him. That done, Arian slowly unzipped his huge sweatshirt which she was wearing and traced kisses on every inch of her skin he uncovered.
Natalia thought she was gonna lose it at some point. His lips returned to hers and completely dominated them while his hands slowly slid up her back till they found the straps of her bikini and tugged lightly, letting them come loose…