Thirty-One

"I WAS AROUND 17 YEARS OLD, SO, 5 YEARS AGO. But he's more of a socially awkward person than someone who doesn't like others. Quite the introvert. However, don't let that fool you, once he gets comfortable around you, he'll show you how goofy and annoying he is. Very kind-hearted as well," they seem closer than I imagined.

I raised my eyebrows, "Are you just acquaintances who owe one another, or friends?"

"For a matter of fact, I don't owe him anything, he's the one who owes me. But we are more like friends than simple acquaintances. It's kind of good since he's very lonely because of that sensibility of his. And like I said, he loves money," I'm still shocked that he managed to meet such a person. "You seem surprised."

"And I am," I caressed his hair. "Tell me something about you," I asked, yearning to know what goes under the surface of such a man. "Something personal."

"I mastered all weapons possible at the age of 15, becoming a Knight sooner than most people," is another proof that he's a genius.

I tilted my head to the side, "You are very mysterious, you know that?" A silly smile appeared on his lips and I rolled my eyes. "Quite good at running from the question, hm. Yes, you are a genius. Great. So am I. But I want to know something more personal than that," I paused both my palms on his chest. "You won't tell me your name yet, neither will you show me what's under the mask and the gloves and long sleeves. And I get it, really. I won't corner you about that. But you have to give me more than that, little devil. I want to know you, just as much as you said you wanted to know me when you came to the south."

"…" He gulped and paused his forehead on my shoulder, breathing heavily. "I'm kind of new in getting intimate with someone, Hope. Not just physically, as I told you I had never done anything like this before, not even a kiss. Neither have I ever seen any woman as a prospective wife, as I'm actually seeing you. Since my position is dangerous by itself, I didn't want to put anyone I came to love in danger because of it. But I've never been emotionally attached to anyone but my family," sigh.

His honesty was more than enough for me. I hugged his back with one hand and caressed his hair with the other. "Neither have I. Nor physically close to anyone, nor emotionally in a romantic way like this. As I told you, I never felt any emotions such as love for Jacob, or anyone else for a matter of fact. Not even my family, but you know why now. The only family I ever had here was Mari. But now, you actually manage to get under my skin, and way too quickly. We met what? A week ago or something," I giggled. "And look at us now."

I could feel his breathing on my skin, and it spread goosebumps down my body. "Do you think you will be able to love me, Hope?" But what shocked me the most wasn't even the question, but the insecurity in his voice.

Holding his head gently, I brought it closer to me, so he could see my eyes, even though I couldn't see his, "You are surprisingly easy to love. Even when I don't know you much, I'm already falling for you," I kissed him. "So, yes. I do think I'll be able to fall in love with you. And it kind of scares me, because I don't think it'll take that long for that to happen. But I don't feel like avoiding it either," closed my eyes, touching his forehead to mine.

Because of our proximity, I could hear how quickly his heart was beating, and it made me blush. "I'm falling hard for you too, Hope," he whispered and held my face gently, then kissed me back.

We stayed like that for a while. Still naked, but hugging and kissing. Kissing so much that my lips were almost numb, but I kept wanting more. "I don't want this to end," I mumbled. "Can't we stay in here until nightfall, and then until tomorrow morning?"

"Hope, if we stay inside here all that time, I won't be able to stay out of you," his voice was three tones deeper. "And every single person in the Castle will know that we are very much together. I wouldn't mind that, but do you want them to now?"

"We are engaged for real, aren't we?" I blinked.

In a snap of his fingers, a small red-velvet box appeared in his hands. When he opened it, there were a pair of fancy-crafted rings in gold. "I went to get them in the vault after I left your room in the morning," then a smile appeared on his lips, "they were my parents' engagement rings."

I gasped, "Your parents?"

"Hm. They left them for me to ask the hand of my future wife. Someone who actually was able to make me feel something. And well, that's you!" He landed a fresh kiss on my cheek. "Do you still want to marry me, Hope Ariella Bissonnette? Because once you say yes, I won't let you go, even if you try to run away from me."

Now it sounds more real than the many times I proposed to him. "I do. Yes, I still want to marry you. And I won't try to escape later!"

"We never know," he smiled mischievously. "Maybe you will get tired of how I'll work your body to its maximum," there he goes again.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are a dirty devil, but I still want to marry you," I brushed my lips on his. "And there's no way I'll run away because of that. If one thing, that might make me want to stay even more," I looked into his eyes, imagining how were they, and what color could they be. But sure that whatever it was, he was probably hotter than anyone in this world. Even more than the male lead of the novel, I bet. "My answer is yes," I put some space between us.

"Give me your hand, Hope," as I did, he put the ring on the finger where Jacob's ring used to be. Somehow, it felt better. As if that was where the ring belonged.

I took the other ring, and put it on his gloved ring finger, "Is it strange that I'm imagining how your finger is under those gloves?"

He giggled, "No. Kind of dirty, but not wrong at all," as he put the little box aside, he came closer and bit my ear sensually, "And I assure you, I'll make you feel even better with them when I take these gloves off."

Gasping, I turned red, "You are very lustful, you know that? Way too much for someone who just lost his innocence yesterday."

"You can say you have quite the effect on me. And you are quite a hypocrite saying that to me, darling. When you, who also lost your innocence yesterday, taught me quite lots of things, no? What books have you been reading to learn all of that?" He brushed his thumb on my bottom lip, "To think you can do so much with those lips of yours."