Chapter 137
~ NYSSA
He dropped to his knees, eyes fixed on mine as his fingers trailed up my thighs, lifting the hem of my dress as he went.
I swallowed a knot in my throat, my hands gripping the edge of the sink as my breaths came out in soft pants, chest heaving with each rough drag of his hands on my skin.
The air crackled with electricity, and goosebumps danced on my skin as he leaned forward, warm breath brushing against my inner thigh. Arousal slicked the inside of my thighs as my stomach twisted in anticipation.
He nuzzled his cheek against my inner thighs, the scruff of his beard sending shockwaves down my back.
“You smell so fucking good,” he groaned, words barely over a whisper. “Have I told you that p>
I could not think clearly even if I wanted to. The brush of his stubble, the roughness of his hands, and when he leaned forward, his nose ghosting over my panties as he inhaled sharply, I gasped, hips bucking forward of their own accord, desperately seeking friction.
I felt his lips curl against my skin as a slow smile tugged at him. “Patience p>
His fingers hooked into the waistband of my underwear and I nearly sobbed in relief. He began to tug it down when the sound of a door slamming cut through the air, snapping me from my lust-filled haze.
“Nyssa!” Aria’s voice echoed from the dining room.
I cursed, shoving Rowan back with my hands on his shoulders. Aria’s footsteps grew closer and the door was open. The last thing I wanted was for her to walk in on her brother’s head buried between my thighs.
Rowan on the other hand didn’t seem to share my sentiment because he rolled his eyes and took his precious time in rising to his feet, murmuring a string of expletives as he ran his hands down his face with a sigh.
“Nyssa, are you—” she stopped in the doorway of the washroom, her eyes flickering between Rowan and I.
A look of understanding dawned on her and she scrunched up her nose in disgust, taking a step back as if she’d been burned.
“Get a fucking room,” she hissed, eyeing us both. “People wash up here after eating p>
Rowan rolled his eyes and brushed past his sister. “You shouldn’t be here p>
“I eat here,” she argued. “You shouldn’t be trying to put things into each other during breakfast p>
My cheeks burned a bright shade of pink.
I smoothed down my dress despite knowing there was nothing wrong with it and splashed some water over my face, hoping it would help with the embarrassment, but it didn’t.
By the time I made my way back to the dining table, the siblings were seated and they murmured in hushed whispers. As soon as they saw me approaching, they fell silent.
“Sorry about that,” I murmured, reaching for a seat as far away from both of them as possible.
I’d barely lowered myself when Rowan suddenly grabbed my arm. I hadn’t even noticed him stand.
Ignoring my shocked expression, he led me towards the chair closest to him, on the other side of Aria. With a firm hand on my shoulders, he lightly pushed me into the seat.
“This is where you belong,” he murmured before returning to his seat like nothing happened.
My cheeks were flaming at this point.
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” Aria said to me with a smile. “I blame Rowan. He should know better p>
Rowan flipped her off without even glancing her way. She stuck out her tongue at him before turning her attention back to me.
“I was looking for you because I went to your room and you weren’t there. I was wondering what your plans for today were. I understand if you want to stay in and rest but if you’re up for a day out p>
“Yes!” I cut her off, a bit too quickly.
Her brows rose in amusement. “You don’t even know what I want to say yet p>
I shrugged. “I don’t care. I don’t want to spend the whole day locked in the palace with nothing else to do p>
Beside me, Rowan frowned.
I avoided looking his way because the truth was that he was part of the reason I was trying to run away. I did not regret what we did last night, neither would I have regretted it if we did have sex this morning.
However, there was still so much we needed to talk about; so much we had to settle, and until we did, I would never be able to commit to this fully.
Aria looked between Rowan and I, a knowing look in her eyes. “Alright then. We’ll leave after breakfast p>
We ate in silence; only the sounds of our utensils scraping against the plates and soft chewing filled the air. Rowan left first, murmuring something about having some work to do. It was not until he walked out of the dining room that I finally allowed myself to breathe.
“That bad?” Aria drawled, her tone laced with amusement.
My eyes widened in surprise. “No, this isn’t p>
“It’s alright, Nyssa,” she assured me with a soft smile. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two and honestly, I don’t want to be involved. I just hope that whatever it is, you’re able to get through it p>
I sighed. “I saw the documents… about my parents p>
“I know p>
“Oh.” I knew she was aware, I just didn’t know how much. “Was it your idea to show me p>
She shook her head. “I was not involved in that choice at all. I didn’t even find out until after you were in the library. I thought it was too soon p>
I sighed. “What do you think I should do p>
“I can’t tell you what I think, Nyssa. This is something that you will have to do yourself. Only you can make the choice because you will have to live with the consequences of whatever you decide p>