23

It was already dark outside, and they were already preparing for bed. Tahlia was flipping through some of the books she had, rereading things again. She only has a few books in her position, and she already read all of them. All the books she had were acquired through trading and buying things in the district. They are not rare, but they are not that common either.

"This tunic fits me well." She turned her head away from the book she was rereading and saw Langdon drying his long hair after washing up. He was wearing a new tunic he stitched himself. He was quite talented when it comes to his hands, handicrafts, and sewing. The tunic he was wearing was dark brown in color. It was a flowing tunic and had sleeves. She could not understand how he could wear such clothes. They are impractical, unlike pants. One cannot move properly in it without lifting the hems every damn time. Walking around the forest in that floor length dress is a hassle.

She nodded at him and went back to her book. It was a few silent minutes before she felt the air shift. First, she noticed the bed moved, and the sudden shadow hindered the only light source the room had. She looked up already wearing a frown on her face. What is he trying to do now? The man already did ample things that almost made her question her sanity in just a short span of time.

"What? What is it?" she asked, leaning back from the man casting the shadow over her book. The man's arms suddenly caged her in a weird position. Like a predator cornering its prey. His wet hair fell upon her face, some fine strands managed to hit her eyes causing her eyes to rapidly blink, dislodging it. Turning away, she used the book to push his chest.

"What?!" she spat, pushing him once again when he did not move.

He did not budge and instead leaned down even lower. Her back hit the bed flatly. This time she could feel that familiar thudding in her chest again. Stubbornly knocking on her ribs like an annoying woodpecker.

"Do I look good in my tunic?" he asked with this mysterious look on his face. She didn't know if he was teasing her or something. In one final move, the man fully laid on top of her. Tahlia could feel his weight and he is damn heavy. Also, the book was squished between their chest, and it is digging on her skin.

"Damn it, get off me. You're fucking heavy!" she wiggled, trying to extract herself from the damn boulder but he was just so heavy and made sure to place his legs in between her thighs. She could not kick him well in this position.

"'Do I look good in my tunic?" He repeated his question but this time, she could feel the subtle change in his voice, and it made her nervous all the more. What's even worse is she could feel his breath on her face since he was so close. Hairsbreadth.

"Yes, now get off." she hissed in panic, pulling the book away since it started to hurt. As a result, she could now feel him from head to toe, and it made her panic even more. She could only count in her fingers the times she felt panicked and cornered. Now, it is happening at the same time. She felt cornered and nervous because of the man on top of her. When her head tilted up with her eyes shaking, she saw his hazy gaze staring straight at her. Her jaw dropped in surprise when she recognized that look. Lust. She'd seen that look a lot of times before back in the district.

"Hell no, get off Langdon!" she tried pushing him one more time. It is dangerous. She is not experienced but she knew that her body was starting to respond to his emotion. Her cheeks were heating up, so were the tips of her ears. Squirming more for her freedom, she was shocked when the man went for it and buried his head on her neck.

Tahlia thought she stopped breathing when the man started to sniff her neck in curiosity.

"You always smell wonderful." he breathed on her neck causing the fine hairs in her body to stand up in attention. A nip on her ear made her yelp in astonishment.

"Stop squirming please." he breathed.

"Then stop eating me! I am not food!" she screeched, wriggling some more. Every dip of his body is making her shudder. The fool seems in a trance as he continues nipping her neck, and even her jaw. Planting open-mouthed kisses.

"Langdon." she nervously called out his name. It feels like electric current was zapping her body alive.

"Damn it." The man murmured before rolling off from her body and down the bed. He did not stop and fell onto the floor. Shame slowly took over her confused emotions before she grabbed the closest pillow she could reach and jump off the bed.

"You fucking idiot!" she screeched and caught the man off-guard when she started smacking him with the pillow. It was satisfying to smack him with the object, but the idiot burst out into contagious laughter. Huffing in annoyance, she gives him a small kick in return.

"What are you laughing at?! I've got your saliva all over my neck dumbass!" she smacked him one last time, squarely hitting his laughing face. That did the trick and shut him up. However, the idiot looked at her again with that heated gaze, eyes locking on her neck. Her eyes widened in defense.

"Don't you dare!" she yelled in warning. Langdon gave her a grin before bursting into another round of laughter. It was hopeless. All she can do is watch him dying on the floor with mirth. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stomped her way back to the bed and piled the pillows like a barricade in the middle of the bed. She knew it was useless but still it offered her a little resemblance of privacy to mulled over the ride of emotions she just went through because of the dang culprit currently dying on the floor.

"I'm sorry for pouncing on you." Aha, so the idiot finally recovered from his laughing fit and was now hugging the edge of the bed. His long hair disheveled and his cheeks tint with rosiness. It was annoying the hell out of her.

"But, I don't regret it. You smell so good." Another flash of overwhelming grin, displaying perfectly shaped white teeth. The amusement in his eyes was true and so was the heated gaze. She looked away and kept stacking the pillows until he could no longer see the man.

"You are a pervert." She accused the man and laid back down the bed, turning to the direction of the small window. Her heart rate needs to calm down since it is not back to its normal beat just yet.

The bed shifted and she held her breath, waiting for him to topple the childish pillow barricade she made. Thankfully, the man did not do anything and when the bed dipped further, she concluded that he also laid on this side of the bed.

"I am a pervert. That is true, but want to know something worse?" Tahlia remained quiet, waiting for him to finish his words. She could still hear the mirth in his voice, and even if she wouldn't admit it, she could still feel the trail of kisses and nips he made on her neck. Just thinking about it causes goosebumps scattered on her skin. Unconsciously, she cupped her neck in thought.

"You are making it worse, and I don't know why. Men are all the same, you know. I am one. You are one, but there is something about you that's just making me act on impulse."

Even with the wall of pillows between them concealing her, it's as if his gaze penetrated through the big pillows and landed right on her hiding form.

"You are different, Talon. You even smell divi–"

"Shut it." she hissed, covering her face that was now starting to heat up once again. She is not used to it.

Silence claimed the once lively bedroom, and it went on for hours before the two of them fell asleep with conflicting thoughts in each of their minds. Now, both of them are getting aware of each other.