"Di," she said again, walking slowly toward him, her voice so soft it seemed to caress his skin even without her hand touching him. Now that he thought about it, they had never touched before aside when he had carried her in the forest, not even a handshake.
How funny it was, he mused, that he was married yet didn't know how to keep a woman. But then again, he wasn't truly a man. Demons did not form human companionships or feel love; their only purpose was to mate, and that was with their own kind. Human partners would be too weak to handle the demons' prowess, lacking the stamina to match in bed.
But one day, he would have to take his wife to bed, and she would undoubtedly struggle to meet his expectations, being a frail human. She wasn't a fighter that would be strong enough to meet his match.
"The guards tried to stop me, saying that no one is permitted to come here," she said slowly, avoiding his gaze.
He sighed; so consumed by her beauty that he had completely forgotten she wasn't supposed to be here.
"Yes," he breathed out forcefully, as if suddenly at a loss for words. She was driving him insane. His gaze now was now fixated on her lush brown lips, coated with coconut oil, one he could even smell its fragrance from a distance.
"Why are you here, wife?" he managed to ask, his thoughts drifting from how he might pin her to a wall, trail his hand over her neck and thigh, lift her skirt, or if that felt too uncomfortable, tear the material and kiss her all over...
"I wanted to know why? Why can't I come here?" Her gaze shifted to the door. "I respect your decision, but this is exhausting. Trying to understand you and your ways," she quickly pressed her lips together, her eyes moving to her trembling hands.
It had taken a lot of confidence to speak those words, and she could now feel their weight.
"Aren't you worried about what I look like behind this mask?" He began walking towards her, his hand traveling behind him, his gaze now narrowed at her eyes, which avoided meeting his own.
Dalia shifted back, her back nearly brushing against the brown wooden door behind her. She gulped, avoiding his gaze and looking everywhere but at him. "I'm curious about that as well, but I will find that out bit by bit."
Ditun's lips curved with intrigue. "Bit by bit, hmm," he murmured, marveled by his wife.
His gaze never left hers as he continued to walk towards her. Upon reaching her, he could hear her heartbeat. "What do you suggest we do, wife?" he inquired, now intrigued by the fact that she wasn't scared to come into his lair.
"We..." Her eyes widened as she looked at him for a brief moment before quickly averting her gaze upon meeting his intense stare. The proximity was causing her heart to skip a beat. "I would like to know you better," she finally blurted out.
Ditun ruffled his loose hair, which hung freely on his shoulder. He had always kept his hair loose, not paying much heed to his appearance, unlike Maximum, who always kept his hair slicked back.
"I do not think that is possible," he almost laughed at her words, but her serious expression made him pause. Getting to know him meant entering his dark world, a world that would instill fear in her. And once she discovered his true identity, it would only put her in danger.
"It is better you do not know me, wife," he warned, his voice now stern.
"Why?" She tilted her head, unfazed by his warning. "If I can't know you as my husband, then it would be better if you send me back home." Tears stung her eyes. Why was he frustrating her so much? Why was she feeling so many emotions for a man whose face she had never seen?
"I will not open up to you. I will not show you my face," his voice had mellowed upon seeing how angry she was.
"I know." A bitter smile creased her face as she looked up at him. "I told you, bit by bit."
Seriously, this wife of his?
Ditun sighed, took two steps towards her, and reached where she stood.
Dalia's eyes widened as he approached her. His face was just inches from hers, and she could hear his breath. If only she could see the face behind that mask. She fought hard not to raise her hand to remove his mask. She felt it would be better to take things slowly; removing his mask now, when he was restraining, was not the best time. There would come a time when he would open up to her, and she would wait for that time.
"Do you know what it means to know me?" he began, his hand trailing the side of her soft face. "And coming close to me?" His eyes fixed on hers as he caressed her.
Dalia stiffened when he touched her, a quick sensation traveled over her, causing her to breathe quickly and gasp. No one had ever come this close to her or touched her the way her he did.
"This." His hand trailed to her neck, his gaze still fixed on hers, waiting for any retraction. But all he could see was his wife being affected by his touch, in a good way. "This is what will happen when you get to know me, wife." There was a warning laced in his voice, enough to scare her.
However, Dalia didn't hear what he was saying, her senses had been clouded with his touch. His hand on her skin was surprisingly careful; his long fingers somehow knew where to touch her to make her toes curl.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked as he began trailing his hand to the tip of her breast, partly bared from her silk top.
"Hmm," Dalia whimpered, gasping when he pinched the tip of her breast.
Ditun leaned forward, his face inches from hers. "If I decide to let you into my world, can you handle my stamina? Hmm, wife?"