The castle was quiet, the air heavy with a sense of stillness that only deep nights bring. We'd moved from the kitchen to the living room, the warmth of the fire contrasting against the cool, shadowed corners of the room.
Ciara's presence beside me felt like an electric current, a tension humming between us that had been building since we'd left the training grounds earlier.
I shifted, glancing over at her. She was lounging on the couch, looking effortlessly relaxed, but I could see the way her eyes occasionally flicked to me, something unreadable simmering behind that usual playful facade. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry.
"So, what now?" I asked, my voice coming out quieter than I intended. It felt like I was asking more than just what we were going to do to pass the time.
Ciara turned her head slowly to look at me, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "That depends," she murmured, her voice low and teasing. "Are you up for more swordplay? Or something a little less... physical?"
I felt a blush creep up my neck, and I tried to laugh it off. "Less physical? You mean, like board games?"
Her lips curved into a smirk, the kind that sent my heart racing. "Something like that." She leaned forward, her gaze never leaving mine, and I felt myself being drawn in as if some invisible force were pulling me closer. "But maybe more... intimate."
My breath caught in my throat. The space between us seemed to shrink, the atmosphere around us thickening, charged with an intensity that I could almost taste. I wanted to say something, anything, but words seemed to fail me.
I wasn't sure who moved first, but suddenly we were even closer, my heart hammering so hard I was sure she could hear it. I could feel the warmth of her breath against my skin, see the way her pupils dilated as she looked at me like I was something to be devoured.
And then she was kissing me, her lips soft but demanding against mine. The kiss was searing, and I felt like I was drowning and flying all at once, my senses overwhelmed by the feel and taste of her. I kissed her back, my hands coming up to thread through her hair, pulling her closer.
Ciara made a sound low in her throat, something between a growl and a moan, and the next thing I knew, she was pushing me back against the couch, her body pressing down on mine.
I gasped as I felt the solid weight of her above me, the way her hands roamed over my sides, sending shivers of pleasure racing through me.
"God, Ciara," I managed to gasp between kisses, my fingers digging into her shoulders. "You're..."
"Hot?" she teased, her voice breathless as she nipped at my bottom lip. "Irresistible?"
I laughed, the sound shaky as she trailed kisses along my jaw, down to the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder. "I was going to say insufferable."
She pulled back just enough to give me a mock-offended look. "Insufferable?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I'll show you insufferable."
Before I could respond, she was kissing me again, harder this time, her tongue slipping past my lips to tangle with mine. I could feel the desperation in her kiss, like she couldn't get enough, and it made my head spin.
I arched up against her, a soft moan escaping me as her hands slid under my shirt, her fingers tracing the lines of my ribs. Every touch felt like fire, and I could barely think, my entire world narrowed down to the feel of her, the taste of her.
"Ciara," I murmured, the sound almost a plea. I wasn't even sure what I was asking for, but I knew I needed her, needed this, in a way that terrified me. "Please."
She paused, pulling back to look at me, her eyes dark and intense. For a moment, the playful smile was gone, replaced by something raw and vulnerable. She lifted a hand to cup my cheek, her thumb brushing gently over my skin.
"You sure about this?" she asked quietly, her voice rough with emotion. "I don't want to—"
I didn't let her finish. I surged up, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss, my hands gripping the front of her shirt as if I could somehow pull her closer, closer, closer. I could feel the tension melt away from her, the last of her restraint snapping as she kissed me back with equal fervor.
We moved together, a tangle of limbs and breathless gasps, the world around us fading away until there was only her, only this. I could feel the press of every inch of her against me, the way her skin was almost too hot to touch, the intoxicating mix of her scent and the faint, lingering smell of the fire.
Somehow, we ended up on the floor, the rug beneath us a soft cushion as she hovered over me, her hair falling around us like a dark curtain. Her hands slid down my body, leaving trails of heat in their wake, and I shivered, my fingers clutching at her shoulders.
"God, Aeliana," she murmured, her voice a husky whisper as she looked down at me. There was something reverent in her gaze, something that made my heart clench painfully in my chest. "You're so... beautiful."
I felt a flush spread across my cheeks, my breath catching. "I—"
She silenced me with a kiss, slow and languid, her lips moving over mine with a tenderness that made my head spin.
I could feel the way her hands trembled slightly as they caressed my sides, her touch careful and almost hesitant, as if she were afraid I might disappear if she held on too tightly.
"Ciara," I breathed, my voice barely more than a whisper. I reached up, my fingers brushing over her cheek, tracing the curve of her jaw. "I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes softened, and she leaned into my touch, her lips curving into a small, almost shy smile. "Good," she murmured. "Because I don't think I could let you go."
There was something so raw, so open in her words that it stole my breath away. I could feel the weight of everything she wasn't saying, the unspoken fear and longing that lingered between us.
It made my heart ache, and I found myself pulling her down into another kiss, trying to convey everything I felt, everything I couldn't say.
She responded in kind, her movements slow and deliberate, as if we had all the time in the world. It was a stark contrast to the fire and passion of before, a quiet, almost desperate need to simply be close, to hold on to this moment for as long as we could.
Time seemed to blur, the minutes stretching into what felt like an eternity as we lay there, tangled together on the floor. I could feel the steady thrum of her heartbeat beneath my fingers, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the soft, almost inaudible sighs that escaped her lips every now and then.
It was peaceful, and yet, there was an undercurrent of something more, a tension that lingered just beneath the surface, waiting to be acknowledged.
I could feel it in the way her fingers tightened around mine, in the way her lips hovered over my skin, as if she were torn between pulling me closer and pushing me away.
"Ciara," I whispered, my voice breaking the silence. "What are we doing?"
She stilled, her gaze flicking up to meet mine. For a moment, I thought she might brush off the question, but then she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"I don't know," she admitted softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "But I don't want it to stop."
There was a vulnerability in her words that made my heart ache, and I found myself nodding, my fingers tightening around hers. "Me neither," I murmured. "But..."
She shook her head, a small, almost bitter smile tugging at her lips. "I know. This... it's complicated. And I'm not good with complicated."
I huffed out a laugh, the sound soft and almost sad. "Neither am I."
We lay there in silence for a while, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on us. I could feel the thrum of her heartbeat against my chest, the way her breath fanned out over my skin, and it was almost enough to make me forget, to pretend that this moment could last forever.
But I knew it couldn't. Reality would come crashing back eventually, and we would have to face the consequences of whatever this was, whatever we were doing.
"Ciara," I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. "I..."
She silenced me with a kiss, her lips gentle and soft against mine. "Shh," she murmured, her fingers tangling in my hair. "Just... let's not think about it right now, okay?"
I nodded, my heart aching as I pulled her closer. "Okay."
For now, that was enough.