"I won't hurt you," he said softly. "I just want to see what you are…" he trailed off, appraising her face with fascination. "Who are you? Why did you drop out of college and leave your home to become homeless? What were you doing on the street and not at a shelter?" he asked. "Why are there so many questions about you?"
Anna felt his other hand take hers and she opened her eyes as he lifted it. He could see the worry in her eyes.
"I promise, I won't hurt you."
Anna shook mildly as he placed a kiss in the palm of her hand. He placed it on his cheek and leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.
Anna didn't know how long she stood there, her hand on his cheek and his on hers.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins and her breathing sped up.
Ladislas scrunched his brows as he concentrated. He had inherited the power to view the sins committed by a human through touch. Yet, this woman looked like a clean slate.
He opened his eyes and leaned closer to her. Anna couldn't look away.
Her mind was screaming at her to do something: scream, run, fight… anything. And yet, she didn't move a muscle as his angelic face came closer and closer to hers.
"You don't even show the sin of indolence, are you a pure soul or…" he trailed off. Once in a few decades, hell would register a human who had committed numerous sins but shown a clean slate.
His father had told him about such entities. They were conscienceless monsters. But looking at this easy-to-forget face but deep, unreadable eyes, he couldn't imagine that the student he had taught himself was someone in this category.
He felt the urge that he had never felt before.
His lips brushed against hers. And once again, the butterflies in her stomach went haywire. She gasped as he did it again.
He took in her reaction and felt a strange sensation across his chest. He had never felt more alive than he did at that very moment.
He pulled back a little and sought her eyes. Anna blinked a few times and watched as he smiled widely.
'You won't hurt me?' she seemed to be asking.
He shook his head and caressed her cheek. He leaned down and started placing soft kisses on her lips. Electric sparks shot through him and the hand that was gripped by him wriggled free and clutched at his sweater.
He placed the newly freed hand on her hips as his kiss became bolder. He parted his lips and brushed his tongue against her closed mouth, asking for permission to enter.
She heard herself whimper when he did it again and she found herself opening her mouth a little.
His tongue met hers and his hand on her hip tightened. He tilted her head up to give himself better access.
She moaned when the kiss deepened and her hesitation was quickly replaced by curiosity and wonder.
She knew she should be terrified but for the first time in years, she was excited about life or bedroom activities.
Was she being insane for allowing this to happen or had she been crazy spending her life with zero passion and desire? She didn't even know who Ladislas Forester was and yet she was feeling things that she had only scoffed at when she heard from people or read in books.
'Is this what it feels like to want someone?' Ladislas mirrored her thoughts. 'It doesn't make any sense. I don't even like sex.'
He broke their kiss and looked at her for a second before he moved his mouth to her neck and lavished it with open-mouthed kisses, licks, and gentle bites.
Anna was panting at this point, years of grueling physical training leaving her unprepared for the intensity of raw passion.
She felt his hand on her hip travel to her lower back and pull her to him. Her arms encircled him in the same way. His mouth found Anna's and he sucked on her bottom lip, sending a tingle through her body.
His body was hard and firm against her and she felt a spark of interest in finding out how he looked under those clothes. Her hand drifted to pull at his hair and he moaned.
Suddenly, he reached down and lifted her legs around his waist. She gasped when she felt their bodies touching in their most intimate of parts. She had seen him bare the first time she met him, but feeling him between her thighs was a different matter, despite the layers separating them.
He held her like she weighed nothing and walked them into the hallway. He looked around for a second, trying to think about where to take her. And then with a smile, he carried her through the door.
It widened when he saw the bed.
'I can't believe I am doing this!' Anna screamed at herself.
She had never had a one-night stand. She had never seen the point in making connections that could lead to people recognizing her. She had never even considered sex as something that would be in her life.
Ladislas lowered her carefully onto the bed and stretched out beside her. His hand caressed her cheek again and his eyes burned in the dimly lit room.
Anna noticed it glow purple and felt a shock in her spine. There it was again, her gut telling her he was dangerous.
But the look in his eyes was hungry. Like he wanted her. His lips sought hers and the kiss quickly deepened. He rolled on top of her and she spread her legs to make room for him.
He smiled against her lips and ran his hand down the side of her body, tracing the nonexistent curves along the way.
He kissed her again and his hand slid under her shirt and came into contact with her naked skin. She gasped into his mouth when he gently cupped her breast in his hand and gave it a light squeeze.