19 Remember The Deal

(From Ella's Perspective)

As I reached the entrance of the forest, I noticed Leandro standing there, waiting for me. At the sight of him, my stupid heart almost jumped out of my chest. I felt lucky to see a handsome man like him waiting for me, resting against a tree, folding his arms, his face stern and his eyes frigid as always.

I chewed the inside of my lower lip and walked up to him. I did not want to let him know that he and his kiss were affecting me. I needed to try to be the way I was before the kiss.

"I'm still alive!" I said casually.

"Yeah, I can see that," he said looking up and down at me to make sure I was still in one piece.

"Let's go then. I need to tell you a few things that I found out today," I said and started walking.

"You learned something on the first day?" he asked, surprised.

"Is it hard to believe?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "I've made a friend."

"A friend?"

"His name is Jed."

"A guy?" he asked. I had a feeling that he was angry. Why would he be angry? I said nothing more than the fact I had gotten a friend.

"Yep. He is of my age. He is cool, you know. We work together in cleaning rooms. I had fun. He talks a lot too. I did not get bored at all," I said, smiling.

"Talks a lot? You like the ones who talk a lot?"

"It's not like that. I mean, he is a great person and well, yeah I like him. He is weird and crazy like me. We get together amazingly," I said.

"You like him? As a friend?"

"Of course. Or what do you expect?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, but his voice was as cold as ever.

After reaching the cave, I took a bath and wore my t-shirt and shorts. Leandro was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for us. He had cooked a rabbit. I was not a fan of eating rabbits. But I was hungry. There was no way I could refuse.

"So what information do you have for me?" he asked.

"Well, remember the Orgades that chased me? They looked for me yesterday. I heard today they were telling your brother that they saw a human girl in the forest and did not find her. They kind of suspected that I'm alive after not finding my dead body. The good thing is that they could not see my face. But your brother thinks you've killed me," I said.

"Good he thinks that way about me. You heard right that they did not see your face?"

"Positive. And your brother was talking about a plan to take you down," I said and Leandro's eyes widened, but he remained silent and waited for me to finish. It was so unlike me. I never bothered to keep myself from disturbing anyone in the middle of their sentence.

"I did not hear what the plan is. I mean, they didn't say anything about it. Nicklaus just said that they needed to focus on the next plan and they can't make any mistake. And he said that..."

"What?"

"Well, that the Beast must die," I mumbled.

He did not say anything. He kept his face set and finished the rest of his food. I finished before him and as soon as he was finished, I took our plates to wash them. Leandro appeared to be absorbed in his thoughts. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but a part of me told me that it would not be a good thing to disturb him now.

Suddenly he got up abruptly while I was standing beside him observing his face as he was deep in thought. He looked at me intently, his eyes cold yet seemed to set fire on my skin. I felt heat rising from my stomach just by his stare.

"You remember the deal, don't you?" he asked.

Oh yes, the deal. A kiss per meal. "Do we have to do it now?" I asked.

"Yes," he said and without waiting for my response, he lifted me from the ground by my waist and placed me on the table. It was as if I was weightless.

He placed both of his hands on either side of me as he looked down at me. He was very close to me, his face barely inches away from my face. I trembled slightly as his warm breath dropped on my face. I did not know what to do. Should I lift my face? Should I touch his neck and bring his face down? Should I press my lips to his? Should I start the kiss? Or should I wait?

While I was debating what to do, he slowly lowered his face to mine. I felt heat radiate from everywhere the instant his lips contacted mine. He moved his lips slowly against mine, but it did not take long before the kiss turned into hunger.

He nipped the inside of my bottom lip, forcing me to part my lips. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, entwining our breath and perhaps our souls as well. His right hand pressed up against my neck, drawing me closer to him. My pulse was racing, pleading with me to tell him I needed more.

I knew there was no way I could not kiss him back. I moved my lips against him with the same intensity. I adjusted my hips on the table, attempting to cope with the warmth and tingling throughout my body. His tongue played inside my mouth as if I was a free playground.

I was thinking if I should enter my tongue inside his mouth or not. What if he thought that I was a pervert? But he was doing the same thing, right? It would not hurt, would it?

I let my tongue inside his mouth. As the tip of my mouth touched his lips, he flinched against my lips and his left hand slipped around my waist fiercely, pulling me into him, so my breasts got pressed against his rock-hard chest. I felt the urgent need to wrap my legs around his waist. But I resisted myself.

His lips were a strange blend of rough and smooth. His soft tongue locked our lips together, while my tongue tried to imitate what he was doing to me, despite my lack of experience.

My eyes were tightly shut. I half-opened them and saw that his eyes were closed as well and his face, oh dear, he was very handsome. His hand on my waist was giving me tingles of electric waves, coursing through my veins.

As I ran out of air, even though I tried to kiss him for as long as I could, I had to break the kiss. I pushed him away gently by the chest.

He looked down at me with an intensifying look in his eyes, his left hand still around my waist and his right around my neck. My body was still pressed to his.

"Ella..."

"Done! The deal!" I said loudly.

"Oh Ella, you're trying so hard not to say yes. But trust me, you will. You will beg me to touch you, you will beg to take me inside you. And it won't be long, little El. I'll be waiting," he whispered into my ear and moved away, leaving me on the table, dumbstruck, traces of fire on the places he touched me and even on the places he did not touch me, but I wanted him to.

Could he see the things that were happening to me because of him? Was it that obvious? But I needed to control my feelings. I needed to be my old self. I could not get myself to look like a very needy cat.

I jumped down from the table and went to the bedroom. He had already lied down, wearing his shorts only. He was looking at me. Once again, I forgot what I had told myself a moment ago about controlling my thoughts and feelings. I wanted to touch his perfect torso, his abs, and perhaps more than that.

I took a deep breath and hopped on the mattress. I lay down on the right side. "Jed had fallen down the stairs today. We almost got caught," I said, trying to pull my thoughts off him.

"You told him about everything?" he asked.

"No. I said that I'm curious. He believed me. We talked a lot. He lives with Edrich. But he has to buy his own food. I told him that I live with a man, but I did not tell him your name or the location. I said that the man I live with is very strict about privacy."

"What more did you tell him about the man?" he asked.

"Well, that he has black hair, he is tall and um... he is handsome."