NIGHTS OF HALLOW
Chapter 223: Tender Touch of the Lips

Chapter 223: Tender Touch of the Lips

"Go on, let me hear why you are sorry," Sthena urged, unbuttoning the first three buttons of his shirt that exposed his chest.

Perdita gulped, her eyes strained on the smooth skin of Sthena that was now exposed to her view, looking hard and firm.

"Why are you unbuttoning your shirt?" She blurted and immediately slapped her lips shut. Heat rushed up her face as she turned away from Sthena.

"Is that the reason you are sorry? Don’t tell me you got distracted. Hm?" Sthena strode to where she stood. Turning her around to face him once more, he said, "We can do this all day but I am an impatient man. It is either you start talking now and lessen your punishment, or you prolong it and also double your punishment."

"Punishment?" Perdita blinked in disbelief. He wasn’t going to punish her, was he?

"Time is ticking," Sthena remarked without replying to her question. "Or do you want me to remind you?"

"N—no," She lowered her gaze, gnawing on her lower lip. "I’m sorry I gave the buns I baked to Mark." And she looked up at him, to see his eyes narrowed at her.

"Is that all? Or you are deliberately forgetting something? Need me reminding you?" Sthena proposed, taking Perdita’s hair in between his fingers. He bent towards her, "What word of I do not like sharing did you not understand?"

"It wasn’t my intention to do that. I did that out of impulse," Perdita pursed her lips in displeasure, recalling what happened earlier in the hallway. "You let her hug you,"

"And then you retaliated by hugging Mark before me. Not only that, you ignored my call, and I believe, you were running away just now?"

Perdita kept mute, deciding not to say anything. She was at fault she knew that, but at that same time, she couldn’t control how she had felt and still felt seeing Lady Eleanor hugging him.

"I don’t want another woman hugging you," Perdita spoke, her gaze faltering when Sthena’s seemed to stare into her soul. "I know it is in vampire’s nature to be possessive and I am sorry for what I did. But then, I don’t know when Lady Eleanor will walk up to you and maybe kiss you next time."

"Kiss me?" Sthena repeated, his voice calm yet, an underlying note of curiosity could be detected. "And why will I allow Lady Eleanor to kiss me when it is your lips I want to kiss, nip, and suck all day?"

On hearing Sthena’s words, Perdita’s eyes snapped to stare back at Sthena. Her heart shuddered in her chest, giving away the boldness she was trying hard to muster.

"Then why haven’t you?" She asked, her heart thudding as the words left her lips.

Sthena’s eyes darkened, his gaze burning hot on the woman in front of him whose green eyes dilated and stared back at him.

He spoke, albeit slowly, "Believe me when I say this, I want to do more than kiss you, Perdita. The thought of you consumes me. So, do not ask why I haven’t done so."

"I have never stopped you from doing anything since the day I told you how I felt," Perdita replied, at the back of her mind asking herself where she got the courage from.

"I won’t stop with just a kiss, Perdita," Sthena murmured, his voice going an octave lower, his red eyes darkening.

"And I never asked you to stop,"

Silence ensued, Perdita anticipating the move from Sthena and he trying to decipher what she thought. The air around them hummed with whispers of secrets alive and warm in their hearts.

Sthena stood without uttering another word as he stared at Perdita whose boldness made his blood rush within him. All he wanted to do was grab and pin her between him, but she was Perdita, the woman he cherished. He took a step forward, closing the remaining distance between them.

"You tempt me more than you know,"

She heard him say, his breath falling on her face which was now beet red and hot. She could feel every inch of her skin vibrate in anticipation yet, she wanted to run.

The way Sthena stared at her as though he would gobble her whole stirred the deepest part of her heart, a feeling she didn’t know would consume her. She felt him trace his finger on her lower lip, applying a little pressure as it traveled to the upper lip and the hand cupped her cheek.

"Have I mentioned to you how much you mean to me?" Sthena murmured, his fingers stopping her from speaking as she opened her mouth. "Allow me to show you how," He caressed her cheek, angling her face as he bent towards her, and he covered her lips with his.

Perdita’s eyes flustered close, the feeling of having Sthena’s lips on hers surreal yet ethereal as his lips moved on hers.

Sthena’s lips moved against hers, his tongue tracing the lower lip as he sucked on it, gently at first, coaxing a breathless whimper from her. He let go, briefly opening his eyes to catch the dilated look on Perdita’s face.

He pulled her impossibly close to him as he went back to kiss her, this time deepening the kiss as his tongue probed on her lips to part them, tasting, teasing and nipping on them.

Perdita’s palm placed on Sthena’s chest crumpled the fabric, her eyes closed, feeling every movement of Sthena’s lips on hers. She gasped, feeling him nip on her lips which he soothed with his tongue.

"Open up for me, My sweet girl," Sthena murmured against her lips, his other hand weaving into her hair to untie the ribbon holding it together.

His fang graze her lips and she gasped, giving him the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth and the tasting and sucking resumed more intently. His tongue without mercy rubbed against hers, coaxing a moan from her.

The world around them blurred in each other’s embrace, their lips dancing in sync with the beating of their hearts.

Every inch and every corner was explored, every place licked and sucked on until there was nothing left but the sweetness that came from the warmth of their lips on each other.

Perdita felt Sthena’s hand travel to her neck, caressing the spot which he had sucked on the last time, but this time, it didn’t stop there as his hand continued going downward, brushing the side of her breast still kissing her.

Perdita’s breath quickened, blood rushing up to pull in between her legs when Sthena cupped the side of her bottom and squeezed it.

Her legs threatened to give in but Sthena’s hold on her waist kept her steady as he continued to explore every inch of her.

The other hand of Sthena left her chin and went straight to hold Perdita’s breast, equally squeezing it through the fabric, eliciting a loud cry from her lips.

Suddenly he stopped, his eyes dilated watching as Perdita’s eyes opened, her heart beating widely in her chest.

A shy smile appeared on her face and she looked away from Sthena’s unwavering gaze. His hand was swift to bring her face back to him, "Look at me," He said, his voice hoarse and his eyes reflecting the need in his eyes.

"I want to be the one only you look at with such gaze. I want to see every expression that crosses your face, the look in your eyes and the quivering of your sweet lips,"

Staring at each other, Sthena placed his hand on Perdita’s shoulder, hooking his hand on the sleeve of her dress. He tugged on it, watching her reaction. He said, "Tell me if you want me to stop," But Perdita shook her head, and it was a simple answer to Sthena.

He continued to thug on the sleeve of her dress, pushing it downward as it slid down her arms.

There was something in the way Sthena stared at her, studying every reaction that crossed her face while he pulled the sleeve of her dress. He stopped when both sleeves dropped past her shoulder, stopping midway on her arms, exposing her cleavage, leaving only the tips of her breasts hidden behind the dress.

Sthena’s eyes went from Perdita’s face to her breasts, his eyes darkening at the sight while on the other hand, Perdita embarrassed went to hide them with her hands.

"Don’t," Sthena’s voice stopped her. "Don’t cover them. They are beautiful, you are beautiful. You shouldn’t hide any part of you. I want to see all of you."

"What about you?" Her voice, almost above a whisper uttered and she looked away.

"That will be fixed too, darling." Sthena smiled, making him look more alluring than he was. "Help me unbutton, Love."

Surprised and not sure what to do, Perdita’s hand slowly went to Sthena’s shirt making her notice the place where she had crumpled with her hands.

Her hands quivered midway opening the buttons, but Sthena being patient with her, allowed her until she reached the last one. In one swift movement, Sthena pulled the shirt from his body, exposing his well-toned smooth fair skin to the feast of Perdita’s eyes.

"Touch and feel all you want, My love. I wouldn’t be shy or a gentleman when it comes to you," Sthena remarked, his lips curved into a smile watching as the hesitant hand of Perdita touched his chest.