382- A deep peace
POV Seraphine Valerian:
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"In a little while. Come here."
I went, and he made me sit sideways on his lap, burying his face in the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply. I hugged him, rubbing against his hair, wanting to drive all worry away from his being.
We stayed like that, quiet, holding each other. Energies passing, skin connecting. A deep peace, emotions growing on the surface.
I would do anything to go back to the past and not run away with Adelina again. However, it wasn't possible. I could only be by Viktor's side, so in love that it even hurt. Dealing with the consequences.
The song that was playing ended, and another began. I was surprised when I heard it and murmured:
"I love this song! It's from my favorite German band, Brings."
"Really?" Viktor pulled back a little to look at me.
"Yes. Liebe Gewinnt. Do you know it?"
"Lately I've come to really like German music, aside from the classics by famous composers. This band also pleased me, especially this song."
"What a coincidence!"
I was truly surprised. Before we met, we had similar tastes. He became interested in a German song, and I lived in Germany. The same band.
"One more," he said softly.
We continued to gaze at each other, and his large hand, with those masculine veins I loved, slowly caressed my hair, my face.
It was true. It seemed our lives had been mysteriously intertwining forever. Even in the small things.
"It's strange." His fingers passed over my earlobe, over the empty little hole where an earring would go.
"All of this?"
"I went to the Romani village so many times, looking for something important there. I found it when I least expected."
My heart beat hard at his words, and I whispered: "Am I important to you?"
"You have no idea how much, Seraphine."
"You are to me, too."
He kissed my mouth, and I melted, emotional. I hugged him tight, delirious over his taste, his tongue, his smell. It raised goosebumps even on the tiny hairs of my body, so intense, so wonderful.
When our lips parted, the desire was there, throbbing. My nipples hard, his erection under my bottom. But we did nothing besides touch each other, too intimately connected.
I ran my fingers over the collar of his black overcoat, the one Ruby had managed to fix. That day he wore it with a black shirt underneath and dark pants. His beard was short, thick. He looked like the Viktor I met, before I ruined his clothes.
"You look handsome no matter what. But like this, you look like you're from another era. A European knight from centuries ago."
"Appropriate." He smiled.
"Why do you like this style?"
"I've lived many years. I've witnessed historical changes in so many ways it's hard to compare. I chose my favorites. Regarding clothing and the arts, I prefer elegance, aesthetic value. Torn, over-washed jeans aren't for me."
"So we have here an elegant, demanding, conceited gentleman," I teased. "But you own jeans!"
"Dark and good quality."
"Conceited..." My smile widened. "I'm sorry for my childishness in destroying your clothes. When all this is over, and I can go out, I'll buy beautiful fabrics and ask Ruby to renew your wardrobe."
"When all this is over..." he repeated. "Won't you want to leave here?"
"No. Unless you..."
"I will never let you go, Seraphine."
The hard, low certainty in his voice shook me to my core. I saw in his penetrating eyes that he was serious.
"I want to stay." I bit my lip, wanting to say more, to understand what this thing that filled and overflowed me was, that yearned for Viktor all the time. I tried to cover up: "But I'll buy fabrics for myself too. Romani style, the way I've always wanted to wear. I'll start making my colorful bijouterie and embroidered bags again."
"And you'll dance for me. Like you did around the bonfire." He caressed my bare ear again. "Do you like to adorn yourself like a Romani woman?"
"Yes! With lots of color!"
"You wanted to have lived in your father's village." He analyzed me slowly. "What do you think your life would have been like there?"
"I imagined it many times. I would be a true Romani. And maybe I would already be married." He knit his brows, displeased. "It's true. They promise girls from the time they're children. They're arranged marriages, some quite early. Maybe I would even have a child or two."
"If you had grown up in the village, I would have smelled you. And I would have stolen you for myself before that could happen."
I laughed at his certain and possessive tone. But Viktor remained serious, thoughtful.
"What is it?"
"Sometimes I think about the fact that your father sent you away. I think it was better that way. It's impossible to be sure, but maybe you wouldn't even be alive. Konrad roamed the village as much as I did; he approached you first."
"But he didn't try to kill me right away. Only when he realized my intention was to stay. Then you showed up and everything changed."
"Did you ever have anything with him? Any desire?" The jealousy was there again, and I moved closer.
"No. There's only one wolf who drives me crazy with desire."
Viktor kissed me, and that time, it was impossible to maintain control.