Lorelai was no stranger to vulgar obscenities. Her stepbrother Kai had a knack for being crude, never hesitating to lace his speech with dirty remarks, even aiming some directly at her. But it was this man's brazen demand that caught her off guard.
Maybe it was the deep timbre of his voice that lent an extra layer of offensiveness to his words, or perhaps it was the audacity of his command. Whatever the reason, Lorelai felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up her cheeks.
Her discomfort only seemed to amuse the man looming over her, evident in the cunning grin that spread across his face. With his left hand still planted firmly beside the princess' head, he reached with his right hand, fingertips toying with the angular buttons adorning her corset, each one a tiny barrier holding her dress together.
Lorelai held her breath, anticipating the inevitable undoing of those buttons. But instead of a slow, deliberate unfastening, the man opted for a more aggressive approach. In one swift motion, he tore the dress open, the clatter of buttons against the hardwood floor shattering the silence of the room.
Lorelai couldn't help but tremble; that crude gesture caught her off-guard again. It seemed like all the courage she had before, was used to retort the stranger's blunt remarks and now, she had no other choice but to wait for the inevitable to happen, completely at this man's mercy.
Although the room was warm, Lorelai's skin was instantly covered with goosebumps. She finally realized that underneath the dress, she had nothing but her silk underpants, and the man seemed to like that.
When the two of them entered the room, they did not open the lights; the only source of light was the distant moonlight peering through the half-open heavy drapes over the tall window next to the bed. Yet, it was enough to illuminate her pale body, and his amber eyes ran all over it. His intense stare made her shiver once again.
Ever since Althea, her stepmother, came into her life, Lorelai was raised to be perfect in everything, including her body. Her skin had to be smooth and unblemished at all times; her hair could not grow below a certain length; and her weight could never go above what was established by the queen.
After all, all her life she was raised to be a "gift", altered according to the receiver's preferences.
The young woman was used to receiving compliments for her appearance and expected the stranger to be the same, however, instead of praising her body, he furrowed his eyebrows and grumbled,
"You are skin and bones. How can you be so thin?"
The man carefully took Lorelai's wrist in his right hand, wrapped his fingers around it, and brought it closer to her face as if to continue making his point,
"I could snap it with two fingers, see?"
Lorelai knew that he wouldn't do it but his thoughtless remark still made her angry. This man surely knew how to get on her nerves.
Taking a deep breath to soothe her emotions, she freed her wrist from his gentle grip and moved her hands to his black leather belt, determined to take the lead.
The man's eyes followed the movements of the woman's hands that struggled with the belt's heavy buckle. He was momentarily surprised by her actions but then his deep eyes shifted back to the princess' blushing face. His lips stretched into yet another sly grin and Lorelai could no longer take it.
"Stop smirking and undress already!"
Her trembling order only made him scoff and when Lorelai failed to pull his pants down, the man could not help but burst into a laughing fit.
'Why does he laugh at everything I say? God, this is so frustrating!'
Once again, she tried to show him who was in charge tonight,
"Stop treating me like that!"
"Like what?"
"Like... Order me around, trap me, mock me, laugh at me! Just stop!"
For a moment, he simply stared into her bleak green eyes, saying absolutely nothing. Then, he finally tilted his head to the side and said in a somewhat mocking tone,
"I am sorry for being so rude... Princess? I will make sure to comply from now on."
Not allowing the woman even a second to retort, he grabbed Lorelai's thighs and spread them open. Wedging his body in between, he made it impossible for her to move her lower body as now, she was completely pinned down to the bed.
"So," he unbuttoned the first button of his black shirt before continuing, "you wanted me to undress, right?"
As the stranger finally removed his shirt, revealing his naked torso, Lorelai couldn't help but gasp in awe. With his body covered by clothes, his physique was powerful and dashing, but now that his body was exposed, it was more than simply intimidating.
Though the perfect outline of each muscle underneath his tanned skin was giving him the form of a chiseled statue of an ancient god, the scars that marred his torso along with the black tribal tattoos spreading its inky outlines across his wide chest, made him look painfully fierce.
Noticing her frightened stare, the man grinned at Lorelai again, and while she didn't know how long she was lost in her own thoughts, she was pulled back to reality when she felt strong hands lift her buttocks and upper body from the bed, making her unconsciously wrap her legs around the man's lean waist in an attempt to keep her balance.
Startled, she reached her right hand forward to seek additional support but it only slipped over the man's prominent abs, making her blush from embarrassment even more. It was a weird sensation; his skin was as hot as if his blood were boiling inside his veins.
The stranger only clicked his tongue and moved her hand up, placing it over his shoulder. Then, he placed both hands behind her head and brought her even closer to him.
Despite the difference in their sizes, their eyes were now on the same level. The man silently looked into her eyes for a few seconds, then slowly pressed his hands harder against Lorelai's head, bringing her face even closer to his. He only stopped when their foreheads touched.
"Even if it's just a whim, we must follow a specific order."
And before the princess could reply, he pressed his hot lips against hers.