She slammed the book shut and pushed it away, turning to Eli who had already made his way into the room with the use of a key.
Wasn't he supposed to be in his study? Working with all those scrolls he had piled up for him? They were so much that he had invited her to help.
Ah, by Ignas, there was no running from this man.
"It's a design. I'll do it on my own." Her voice trailed into a whisper when he was barely a step away from her. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest because the book was still within reach.
"You should get whatever you need from here. I will fix a study for you on my floor." His gaze fell on the book she had her hand pressed on. "Let us read it together."
"No!"
He blinked, trying to figure out what that meant exactly.
Another distance in their relationship or just light banter?
With a swift movement, he carried her, and made her sit on the dressing table, with her thighs inched apart to accommodate his intrusion.
She let out a light gasp, puzzled by his choice of action, but before she could question it, his hands had already cupped her face, his face now gone to reveal the smile he had for her.
A smile that was far from innocent.
"You will read it to me then."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She knew how Eli would choose to listen and she knew tonight just wasn't the time for it. She wanted to dream of Alaris tonight, she needed to find out more about the tattoo, not be intimate with someone that could possibly be responsible for mind control over his own people.
The fact that he had been the first suspect on her mind, made her stomach tie in different unpleasant knots.
It just didn't sit well with her to think of the man that she loved in that light.
It was probably Lady Kestra then, but was it possible for her to carry out such a massive thing without the King's knowledge?
She was his Right-hand woman after all.
So, both of them then?
That possibility was even more painful.
The "why" bothered her more than the "who" though.
It couldn't just be a coincidence that the memories of the Potential Brides were tempered with before their return to their villages, that only people in the Capital had the possible mind control tattoo, and that she had been made to forget some of her memories after being crowned the Bride.
Whatever the reason was, it had to be in Capital or deeply connected to it.
The nip of his teeth on her neck brought her back to reality and she realized her legs had locked at the ankles, around Eli, pressing him further against her.
What was she doing?
Why was her body doing this?
She wasn't supposed to be encouraging him, there was a dream on her schedule tonight.
She let out a raspy breath and Eli hummed in pleasure of her present state, his hand moving to tug slightly at her hair.
A hiss slip through his lips when, once again, his touch met the silky scarf instead.
"I want you to get rid of it." He grumbled into the pores of her skin and her eyes lids fluttered close as she slowly nodded, the meaning of the words evading her, till they didn't and she shook her head abruptly.
That wasn't going to happen.
Ever since she started using her scarf.
She had been remembering things as she used to.
Her prime suspect for that was Eli and Kestra.
That reminded her, she needed to stop them from going further with this.
"Eli...I have de--" her voice cut off immediately, he was gently caressing her breasts through her clothes.
"I want to touch those. My hands against your warm skin, my fingers around your nipples..." he leaned in, till his warm breath was fanning a part of her face, his whisper almost directly against her ear, an action that sent goosebumps dancing around her skin and made her more aware of her naked thighs.
"I want to tease them till they are painfully taut. I want to slip my fingers in you, hit that spot that makes you go wild, and watch you come undone."
Her hand curled into a fist against the hardcover of the book she was keeping away from him, although now, the thoughts of the book were far away as the images his words painted, took over her mind.
His hands fell to her thighs, going higher and higher.
"I want every part of me to touch every part of you." He nuzzled the tip of his nose against the crook of her neck and her thighs clenched around him at the spark that fired through her veins. "I want to make love to you. Fully."
He dragged in a long breath, pulling away slightly, his gaze falling to that part where his hands had grabbed her thighs.
"Your skin will be so warm beneath my touch. You are going to be so alive with my body over yours."
His grip around her thighs tightened and her toes curled with pleasure, her chest rising and falling at the effect of his words.
Low pants.
"I really want to touch you."
Her eyes lids fluttered open then, and she moved her hands around, over his robe, trying to find a way to pull it off, before a sudden realization hit her.
Ah.
This was her time of the month.
Why? WHY? WHY?!
Oh, yes, and she wanted to dream of Alaris.
He pressed kisses onto her neck, trailing them up her chin, his hands going behind her to undo her zip.
"Eli, it's my time of the month."
The words were heavy.
So heavy.
He paused and pulled away from her again.
Ah, she already missed him.
"Blood," he stated, frowning.
She nodded and his frown deepened.
He hadn't smelt that. Interesting. His senses were already getting affected.
"You must be going through aches. I will not worsen that." His hands gently pulled away her legs that had him caged to her, and she whimpered at the abrupt loss.
It had to be Kestra.
It just had to be her.
The thought was so random, but at the same time, it didn't feel like it.
She just couldn't imagine a man she had all these feelings for, mind-controlling other people.
"I'm sorry."
"Do not be." He waved it away with a dismissive smile, but she was determined to make it up to him.
"Is there any other way I can help?"