Chapter 147
Hydrangea readjusted the poncho on her shoulders for the fifth time. It still didn't cover the thin fabric that held in her breasts.
She shifted her weight, 'Maybe he won't notice.' She thought with a glimmer of hope. But it clouded over, she knew he would.
She looked down at her chest where the top of her breasts were peeking out from beneath the soft woollen fabric. She sighed and tugged the woollen moccasins onto her feet.
She was wearing the clothes that had been given to her by a few Selvan women, they had been dressed in similar fashion. A skirt was wrapped around her waist and reached her mid-calf, cinched by a piece of rope. Around her bosom was the piece of fabric that she wished was larger, and atop her shoulders was a red poncho.
Walking out of the room she was met by the chief's son, Amaru. She saw his eyes meet hers then flickered to her chest then back to her eyes. She was immediately seized by fear but he began walking away.
She followed after him, her hands clenching the poncho in apprehension. As he came to the end of a hallway she began to hear laughter and faint music.
Amaru pulled back a heavy piece of fabric and revealed a large open room carven in the rock.
In the centre was a fire with a few people dancing around it. The far left side was open to the outside and Hydrangea glimpsed floating lights beyond the cave hidden in the rain.
"I will go fetch your husband now." Amaru said and then was gone. She swallowed and walked to a place in the back, there were woollen mats on the ground, surrounded by dried grass and leaves.
She sat and watched the people dance. It was different than any other dancing she'd ever seen, there weren't partners or pairs, they simply spun in a circle, they feet shifting to the music.
"Aqui, alguns chicha.(Here, some chicha.)" She looked up to see a middle aged man with a thin beard, in his hand was a cup. He pushed it closer to her and she accepted the cup.
"Thank you." She smiled raising it slightly. He returned the smile and went back to singing along with the music.
She took a hesitant sip and wrinkled her nose at the flavour. It had the same mouth-feel as the alcohol she'd drunk at the ball. Though it did taste much sweeter. She held it on her lap but decided it was best not to drink anymore as her head was already buzzing slightly.
As her eyes wandered aimlessly around the room they landed on Bastian and her lips unconsciously smiled. Her shoulders relaxed as he walked towards her. He was wearing something similar to the warriors; a dark green woollen tunic, with his breeches underneath and moccasins the same as her. The poncho around his shoulders was much larger than hers, she fought the temptation to look at the ground and instead watched his face.
He was smiling, his face relaxed as he made his way towards her, but she didn't miss the way his eyes had sparked upon gazing up and down her body.
Sitting down next to her he glanced at the cup, "What's that?"
"Alcohol."
"And how much have you had?" He asked taking the cup from her and sniffing it.
She gaped at him, "I only took a sip."
He wiggled his eyebrows playfully at her as he took a sip. She frowned and fought a smile at his childish teasing.
Setting the cup down he looked at her again, his eyes roved over the length of her body from her feet to her eyes. It felt as though he branded her with that heated gaze.
"You look… very nice." He drawled out eventually and she gulped.
"Th-thank you." She said quietly. He raised his chin a little but said nothing.
They sat there in companionable silence, although Hydrangea wished to talk; she wanted to talk with him, to hear him laugh and watch his face as he spoke. But she was also enjoying the silence with him.
The curtain pulled open and her eyes widened and her mouth fell open when a bunch of half-naked woman waltzed in with their ankles and arms adorned with brightly coloured beads. They wore nothing but a skirt around their waist tied with straps of vibrant fabric.
Her heart tightened in uncomfortableness and she shifted in her skirt.
The topless women began dancing, their breasts free from restraint.
She looked to Bastian and saw he was looking at the cup filled with red liquid. Hydrangea relaxed upon seeing that he was not paying any attention to them.
The music began playing a slower, more sensual song and she averted her eyes when the people began to kiss, their hands gripping the others bodies intimately.
Her mind went back to that morning when Bastian had kissed her. The heat, the burning feel of his touch, the pressure of his body on hers.
She was tempted to close her eyes and revel in the memory of that feeling. But she didn't. She didn't want Bastian to think anything was the matter with her.
"Bastian…?" She asked, gathering his attention.
"Hm?" He asked, raising his eyes from the red liquid.
"This morning," She looked down when she saw his eyes darken, "What happened?" She felt ridiculous for asking, but it had been different from the other kisses they'd shared.
He was quiet and she raised her eyes to see his brown ones watching her in focused concentration. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt her mind daze.
"Hydrangea," He whispered. With how he'd said her name she felt her skin heat. "Surely you've heard of the hunger of a man?"
She blinked and met his eyes, her cheeks burning from his words. She knew very well what he meant.
"Then you'll know that a man desires more than a simple kiss." He whispered, his eyes hooding in desire as he stared at her. She felt her body grow hotter and her heart begin to beat faster. "Don't mistake my words to mean that I don't enjoy your lips, trust me I do. But Hydrangea, tell me. When will I touch that soft skin of yours?"
Her breath hitched. How was she supposed to respond to that? Her mind went blank and she could only stare back at his dark gaze.
He raised a hand and stroked her cheek, causing her to close her eyes at the feel of his hand, "Do you not enjoy my touch or the caresses we've shared?"
She opened her eyes and parted her mouth, trying to think of something to say, "I… I…"
She stopped when she saw one of the topless women sit next to Bastian. She felt a spark of anger from the interruption and didn't hide the frown on her face.
Bastian glanced at the woman but returned his gaze to Hydrangea, his eyes still asking the same question. She could see the burning intensity behind his usual warm irises, she was about to raise a hand to hold his cheek when the half-naked intruder leaned closer to Bastian and asked him a question in her language, her eyelashes fluttering sensually.
Hydrangea looked down at her own self. She blushed upon thinking that she could've possibly thought that Bastian would've noticed her. Especially when compared to the bronze-skinned beauty sitting next to him.
Her eyes rose to look at the woman when Bastian spoke, grabbing the half-naked woman's wrist, "I do not want your services." His eyes moved to hers, frustration in them, "Hydrangea, we're leaving. Come." He grabbed her hand and she followed after him, leaving a very disgruntled Selvan woman behind them.
When he marched past the curtain that sectioned off the room from the hall he let go of her hand. She stood there, hunching her shoulders in an effort to hide herself. She didn't like feeling so worthless.
"Do you really think me so low?" He asked quietly and she snapped her gaze up.
"I-"
"Do you truly think me to be so immoral? I would not have touched that woman, Hydrangea."
Hydrangea bit her lip and looked at her feet, her cheeks burning in humiliation. How could she had thought those things? He would never do that.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled.
"You don't have to be." He began walking towards her and she instinctively took a step back and found herself pinned to the stone wall. Her breath stuck in her throat when she saw his eyes, "I may have been an unfaithful man once, but I will NEVER be unfaithful to you."
She swallowed.
"Hydrangea…" He whispered, his eyes moving down her body as his hand brushed her neck. She closed her eyes and held her breath, feeling her skin shiver beneath his touch.
"You never answered me."
She opened her eyes, her heart was thundering in his chest as she held that burning gaze of his.
He moved his fingers to trail below her collarbone and she stiffened, her body reacting before her mind could. "Do you enjoy my touch?"