Niklaus moved with an almost predatory elegance, his powerful frame gliding silently across the room. He closed the distance between them until his body was pressed firmly against Emily's, effectively pinning her between himself and the balcony railing. The sudden closeness was both intimidating and intoxicating, and she could feel the heat of him seeping through the fabric of her gown.
With a low, sultry whisper, his breath brushed against the sensitive skin of her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "When you finally fall for me," he murmured, his voice a dark promise, "I'll take you to that island." As he spoke, he slid the telescope into her hands, his fingers lingering just long enough to spark a heated jolt between them. The touch was electric, sending a rush of warmth through her veins.
Emily reluctantly lifted the telescope to her eyes, her heart pounding as she looked through the lens. Through the telescope, the distant island came into view, revealing a smaller, darker castle perched precariously on a rugged cliff. The sight was breathtaking—a stark contrast to the sun-drenched beauty of their current surroundings. The castle seemed to exude an air of mystery and ancient grandeur, its silhouette framed by the restless waves crashing against the shore below.
As she lowered the telescope, she felt his gaze lingering on her, intense and unwavering. With a determined look, she met his eyes. "As much as I admire the view and am intrigued by that castle," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest, "falling for you will never happen. Not in this lifetime." She extended the telescope back to him, her movements deliberate, conveying her unyielding stance. She turned to look at him.
Niklaus's reaction was a dark, knowing chuckle, his laughter rich and resonant with a hint of menace. "Don't be so certain, princess," he replied, his tone smooth and confident, a challenge veiled within his seductive allure. "I take challenges very seriously. And I promise you this—by the end of our time together, you will be in love with me, deeply and irrevocably. Not just in this lifetime, but in every lifetime that follows."
His words hung in the air, charged with a tantalizing promise that stirred something deep within her. The tension between them was palpable, a magnetic force that drew her closer despite her defiant words. Niklaus's intense gaze held a predatory gleam, and Emily could not help but feel the lure of his dark, enigmatic promise. The moment was filled with a charged, almost dangerous allure, leaving her both unsettled and undeniably intrigued.
She let out a mocking laugh, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What about you, then?" She challenged him.
Niklaus's eyes narrowed as he let out a dark, knowing chuckle. "Me?" he said, his tone deep and serious. "I fell in love with you the very moment I laid eyes on you."
Emily's brow furrowed, a hint of disappointment lacing her words. "You fell for my face, just like everyone else. How is that different from the rest?" she demanded, feeling a pang of disillusionment.
Niklaus raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Beauty?" he repeated, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Who said anything about beauty?"
His red eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "I'm not talking about the day I pulled you into the ocean," he continued, his gaze fierce. "That day, you were just a village girl to me. No, the first time I truly saw you was in the midst of the war. Your blue eyes, fierce and unyielding, glaring at me from beneath your scarf. The way you wielded your sword with such deadly precision, the courage radiating from you with every strike."
His voice grew softer, but the intensity remained. "And when you let out that hiss of pain, the melodic sound of your suffering—it was that, Emily, that drew me to you. It wasn't just your beauty; it was the fire in your spirit, the defiance that called to me."
Emily's heart raced as she processed his words. For the first time, she saw the depth of his feelings. "So, you're saying that marrying me forcefully, kidnapping my brother, and trying to kill my father, is your version of love?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and vulnerability.
Niklaus closed the distance between them, his breath hot and tantalizing against her skin as he leaned in. His lips brushed against her ear, and his gaze remained locked onto hers. Emily's hands gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white.
"I married you because I wanted you as my wife, the queen of Emberlyn," he whispered, his voice low and fervent. "Because I love you. And don't fool yourself into thinking I would harm your family. They were just obstacles—chess pieces I moved to get you where I wanted you. With a snap of my fingers, I could have ended them, but I didn't. I merely played a game with them."
"And now look where we are," Niklaus's voice was a seductive whisper, full of dark promise. "On our honeymoon, you in this exquisite dress that clings to you like a second skin, tempting me with every breath you take. It's driving me mad, making it nearly impossible to resist pulling you onto that bed and claiming you completely, every single night we're here."
He pressed a lingering kiss to her neck, his lips trailing softly over her sensitive skin. Emily's breath hitched, her body instinctively arching towards him. "Somebody will come," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her hand sliding against his powerful bicep.
Niklaus's chuckle was low and dangerous. "Don't worry, princess," he breathed against her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. "The castle will be empty except for us. We have it all to ourselves, day and night. No matter how loudly you scream my name or how desperately you beg, no one will hear you."
Emily's breath grew ragged, her chest rising and falling with a rapid intensity. The neckline of her dress plunged daringly, accentuating the upper swell of her breasts with every breath she took, unknowingly intensifying her allure. Her fingers dug into his bicep with a desperate grip, while her other hand clutched and twisted the fabric of his shirt, betraying her mounting desire.
Niklaus's lips moved with deliberate intent, trailing down her neck and over her shoulders. Each kiss was a slow, tantalizing caress that made her shudder and gasp. His mouth explored her collarbone with reverent kisses, his tongue tracing heated paths along her sensitive skin. Emily let out a low moan as his lips ventured further, kissing and nipping at the delicate curve of her upper swell.
His hands roamed greedily, one tracing the curve of her waist while the other roamed around her back, fingers grazing her bare skin with a feather-light touch. Emily's back arched as he moved lower, his lips now kissing and suckling at the tender flesh of her cleavage. The sensation was electric, her entire body reacting to his touch.
Niklaus's breath grew heavier as he lavished attention on her exposed skin. He pressed his body against hers, the hardness of his arousal evident as he nipped gently at the soft flesh. Emily gasped and whimpered, her head tilting back in surrender as her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.
He paused only briefly to admire her flushed, breathless state before his lips returned to her chest, sucking and teasing with a mix of passion and control. Each kiss was a promise of what was to come, a prelude to the intense and intimate nights that awaited them. Emily's moans grew louder, a testament to the overwhelming desire that coursed through her, leaving her breathless and eager for more.
Emily's eyes rolled back in ecstasy as Niklaus's lips closed around the swell of her breast, his warm, moist mouth creating a sensation so intense it made her entire body shiver. Every flicker of his tongue and gentle suction sent pulses of pleasure through her, causing her to arch her back involuntarily, her body responding to his touch with a desperate need.
She felt like she was being pulled into a whirlwind of desire, her hands clutching at his silver hair, pulling him closer as if to anchor herself amidst the storm of sensations. His touch was possessive, his fingers moving with deliberate, teasing pressure as he trailed kisses down her cleavage, each caress sending a shiver through her.
One of his fingers found its way to her lips, slipping inside with a provocative ease that made her gasp. The intrusion was unexpected, a sensation that made her heart race and her breath hitch. The mixture of pleasure and surprise made her lose her sense of reality for a moment.
As if abruptly waking from a dream, Emily's breathing turned uneven, and she wrenched herself away from him, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breath. "Stop, this isn't right," she managed to say, her voice trembling between a plea and a command.