Chapter 16

Lilith blinked her eyes open as she felt something shift behind her. It took her a few seconds to recognize the room in the dim light that was cast by the few candles that still burned and the first rays of dawn, and to realize that what she was feeling was Aaden, moving against her. Sometime in the night, he had wrapped himself around her, holding her close, and now Lilith allowed herself to close her eyes once more, falling into the quiet warmth of half-sleep with a consent sigh.

It didn't take long for Aaden's hand to pull her back from the verge of sleep, though. It was roaming over her body, caressing the curves of her hips and her waist before curling around the swell of her breast. When Aaden moved closer, his hard length pressed against her rear, drawing a soft moan out of her.

His touch sent a wave of heat through her body, lust flaring up inside her. The memory of the pleasure he had given her was still fresh in her mind and she wanted nothing more than to have that feeling again, her body taking over as her hips began to roll slowly, seemingly of their own accord.

The sound that Aaden made as her hips brushed up against him just right sent a jolt of excitement through her. It was dizzying, knowing that she was the cause of it, the source of his pleasure. She longed to hear it again, so she repeated the movement and was rewarded by a low groan and his hand tightening around her breast as his lips found the base of her neck.

"What dae ye want?" he whispered against her skin, the gentle brush of his lips tickling her. "I'll dae anythin' fer ye… anythin'."

Aaden's words were just as intoxicating as his touch. Lilith was floating in her desire for him, every movement of her body and every thought in her mind slow and unhurried, as though she was moving through honey.

"I want ye," she told him, turning around until they were facing each other. She had no time to say anything else before Aaden claimed her lips in a languid kiss and her mind finally went blurry with the sheer force of her want for him. Nothing else existed in that moment than the gentle press of his tongue against hers, the soft breaths they exchanged, his fingers curling as though he was trying to reach her skin through the layers of her dress.

When they parted, Lilith laid a hand on Aaden's cheek, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. "I want all o' ye. I want ye tae take me."

Aaden froze. "Are ye certain?"

Lilith nodded frantically. She had never been more certain of anything else in her life. Her need for him was all-consuming, bypassing every fear she had that she was getting too close to him. All that mattered in that moment was that he wanted her, and she wanted him. It had nothing to do with love. Aaden had said it himself: love and lust were different things, and she could desire him without loving him.

Aaden wasted no time before he kissed her once more, his fingers tangling in her dark locks to pull her closer. Pushing her on her back, he fumbled with her dress with his free hand, trying to remove it, only to soon find the task impossible.

Laughing, Lilith gave him one last peck before she disentangled herself from him, helping him remove her clothes. On her way to Aaden's chambers, she had done her best to appear proper despite the late hour, and so she had worn one of her day dresses. Now, though, she regretted that decision and cursed under her breath when it proved to be more trouble than it was worth.

With Aaden's assistance, Lilith managed to rid herself of her clothes, throwing them in a pile on the floor. Aaden, too, was quick to remove his nightshirt, and Lilith was relieved it was the only thing he was wearing. Her palms itched to touch all that skin on display, but first she paused, letting her gaze roam over his torso.

She hadn't had the chance to see him nude before and now she could only stare with hunger in her eyes as she watched the muscles of his shoulders and chest shift and ripple with every small movement. His pale skin seemed to glow under the incandescence of the candles and judging by the satisfied look he gave Lilith, he was enjoying the attention immensely.

It wasn't much of a surprise. Aaden knew he was attractive, and he used it to his advantage.

Tentatively, Lilith laid her hands over his shoulders, feeling the rigid muscles underneath. She let her hands trail down his chest and then his stomach, but then she stopped, uncertain of whether to proceed. Right under her palm, Aaden's manhood strained against his stomach, hardened and flushed, and Lilith faltered.

She didn't want to be so hesitant. She wished she could gather more courage and be bold for him, show him that she was worth the effort. She wished she was more experienced with men, like the other women he had bedded in the past must have been, but she had never allowed anyone to lay a single finger on her.

Aaden didn't seem to mind, though. He only smiled as he lay on his back and pulled Lilith on top of him, kissing her once more. His touches were gentle, careful, as though he expected her to be frightened by all this and flee at the first opportunity.

But there was nowhere else Lilith would rather be. She hoped she could show that to Aaden with her kisses and her touches, convince him that she wanted this as much as he did.

Now that there were no clothes separating them, Aaden's touch was like a brand on her skin. His hands travelled down her back, fingers counting the bumps of her spine and sending a shiver down its length. Lilith couldn't help but writhe against him, the slide of her body pulling out moan after moan from his lips. She swallowed those sounds, kissing him, a whine bubbling up her throat when he nipped her bottom lip.

Each sensation coalesced in a wave of pleasure that had Lilith's entire body trembling with the force of her lust. Aaden's hands reached her buttocks, palms squeezing the ample flesh, but then one of his hands moved even lower, fingers brushing against her entrance.

Lilith gasped, the touch as pleasurable as it was teasing, since Aaden refused to move his fingers. He only looked at her, his gaze searching her expression.

"Are ye certain?" he asked.

"I am," Lilith confirmed. "Please, Aaden."

It was all he needed to hear before he breached her, one finger pushing slowly inside her until it was buried to the knuckle. Lilith could only moan, clinging onto him as she adjusted around his hand, the drag of it against her sensitive walls just as good as she remembered. Soon, she began to move her hips, taking all the pleasure she wanted from him, and Aaden was more than happy to let her, stealing kiss after kiss from her like a starving man. When he licked into her mouth, his tongue twining with hers, Lilith could hardly control her need, but she reminded herself to be careful with Aaden's shoulder, bracing her arm against the mattress to keep the weight off him.

Before long, Aaden pushed a second finger inside her, curling and scissoring them until Lilith could hardly draw in a breath, her moans falling irrepressibly from her lips. This was nothing like their first time, when Aaden had been careful with her as though she was made of glass, and Lilith found that she preferred this, the uncontrollable urgency of it, the obvious lust for her in his gaze and his movements. That first time, the fact that he had been left unsatisfied hadn't escaped her. She had wanted to point it out, to pleasure him like he had pleasured her, but then they had been interrupted.

This time, there was no one there to interrupt.

Tentatively, she reached between them for his manhood, wrapping her fingers around him. Aaden groaned against her lips, Lilith swallowing the sound as they kissed, and his reactions emboldened her enough to begin stroking him slowly, trying to figure out what he liked best. His length was rigid in her palm, but the skin was soft, velvety, the slide of it smoothed by the moisture that gathered at the tip.

"Come here," Aaden said, sounding as breathless as Lilith felt. When his fingers exited her, she all but whined in disappointment, but then Aaden was pulling her up before she could complain, higher and higher on the bed until her knees bracketed his face. Curious, she looked down at him, but had no time to question him before he craned his neck and licked a strip up her folds, all the way to that sensitive spot above.

Lilith almost crumbled on top of him at the sudden pleasure that coursed through her. The heated, wet slide of his tongue punched the air out of her lungs and her hands flew to the headboard just so that she had something to hold onto as Aaden pulled her hips closer to him, laying his head comfortably on the pillow before he continued pleasuring her. It was unlike anything Lilith could have ever imagined, the touch so soft and teasing that each swipe of his tongue drove her mad with need.

When he flattened his tongue against that sensitive nub and sucked, Lilith couldn't hold back the scream that tore itself from her lungs. One of her hands reached for him, fingers threading through his hair, and Aaden moaned softly at the gentle tug she gave the strands.

With every drag of his tongue, Aaden brought her one step closer to her climax, the sensations almost overwhelming as he worked her expertly, quickly learning all the places where she was most sensitive. Lilith's pleasure crested like a wave, heat coiling in her core, that pressure growing and growing until she couldn't take it anymore.

With a shout of his name, she reached her peak, thighs trembling and knuckles turning white as she gripped the headboard tightly, doing her best to stay upright. Even then, Aaden didn't stop, but instead continued his ministrations as her body was rocked by the aftershocks, only letting her go when she pushed at him, laughing.

Lilith looked at him and found him smiling softly, his hand coming up to push a few strands of her away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. She couldn't help but return the smile, her hand cupping his cheek as she pressed their foreheads together.

Lying on top of him, it didn't take Lilith long to realize that it was just like the previous time, when he had given her pleasure without demanding anything in return, but this time, she wouldn't allow it.

"I want ye," she said, her voice barely a whisper in his ear. "Take me."

A flash of hesitation crossed Aaden's features as he searched her face for any sign of uncertainty.

"Are ye sure?" he asked, and for the second time that night, Lilith nodded firmly.

"Stop askin' me," she said. "I'm sure. I want it."

Nodding, Aaden reversed their positions so that Lilith was with her back on the mattress, and then he hovered over her, his gaze roaming all over her body. Her body heated at the sudden attention, a flush spreading over her skin, but when she tried to cover herself, Aaden pulled her hands away gently, shaking his head.

"Ye're so bonnie," he said as he let go of her and ran his hands down her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach, before finally settling on her hips. "Ye have nae idea how much ye affect me, Lilith. Ye have nae idea what ye dae tae me."

The awe in Aaden's voice left Lilith speechless. She didn't know what to say to that. She didn't know how she could possibly watch him like this and listen to his words, and then insist that she felt nothing but lust for him. Despite her best efforts, her feelings for Aaden had taken root inside her and had grown without her realizing until that very moment, when she looked at him and saw nothing but adoration.

She stood no chance against her feelings. She was powerless, forced to toss all logic aside and return the affection she found in Aaden.

"Careful," she said, her hand coming up to cradle his shoulder gently. She didn't know how to show her care, how to speak pretty words like he had. All her comments so far had been thorny and sharp—there was nothing gentle about them. "Dinnae hurt yer shoulder."

"Dinnae fash," Aaden said with a smile. "Relax. I'll take care o' ye."

As he spoke, he took himself in hand and guided his manhood to Lilith's throbbing flesh. Slowly, he pushed inside and her walls parted around him, soft and pliant after her previous climax.

It was another new sensation for her, being stretched like this. Lilith's breath was caught in her throat, the feeling of him inside her like this so different from the slide of his fingers. Like this, he reached deeper, filling Lilith up entirely, and she couldn't help but moan at the thought that they were finally as close as they could ever be, their bodies melding into one.

The pleasure was overpowering, veiling everything else, even the slight moment of pain followed by discomfort that she initially felt. Aaden stopped to look at her, making sure she was okay, but she nudged him on, nodding. There was nothing in Lilith's world but the slide of their bodies as Aaden rocked into her, pushing deeper and deeper with every thrust. There was nothing but the warmth of his breath on her neck, the soft sounds that her body drew out of him, raw and full of need. She wanted to hear more of them, to stretch out this moment for as long as she could, to hold onto this feeling of completeness that had eluded her for her entire life.

Lilith wrapped her arms around Aaden, holding him close. His fingers dug into her hips as he held her in turn, his thrusts slow and measured, each one of them driving his length impossibly deep, until it dragged against a spot inside her that forced her eyes shut, stars exploding behind her lids. Though she had only just come apart on his tongue, Lilith felt that tell-tale pressure gathering again, building at the base of her spine and spreading over the rest of her body with every movement of his hips.

"So good fer me," Aaden whispered, lips pressed against her temple. "So good fer me, mo ghraidh, I love how ye take me, like ye were made fer me. Dae ye feel how deep I am inside ye?"

His words drew another moan out of Lilith, spurring her on. Her need forced her to move her hips, meeting Aaden's thrusts and taking him all the way to the hilt, arms tightening around him so that they were pressed flushed together.

"That's it," he said as she began to tremble, thighs locking around his hips. "Show me how much ye like it."

Lilith didn't need to be asked twice. After a few hard thrusts, she reached her peak once more with Aaden's name on her lips. The pleasure was so intense, a sensation that seemed to blanket her entire body, that her vision went dark at the edges and there was nothing but that pleasant throb in her core, the rhythmic clenching of her entrance that served to force Aaden's own climax out of him.

When Lilith came back to reality, Aaden had collapsed half on top of her, his head pillowed on her breasts, his chest heaving with every breath he took. Lilith was in no better state, feeling as though she had run for hours and only now had the chance to rest.

The two of them stayed like that for a few long moments, before Aaden laughed, breaking the spell. When he looked up at her, he was grinning from ear to ear, the sight of it so endearing that Lilith couldn't help but press a kiss on his forehead.

Aaden shifted up the bed until the two of them were side by side, limbs tangled over the covers. He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together, and brought it to his lips, mouthing softly at her knuckles as she chuckled at the gesture.

In the quiet of the room, where all she could hear were their soft breaths, it was easier to admit there was something there between them, something from which she couldn't run anymore.

"I think… I think I may be fallin' fer ye," she said, her voice smaller than she would have liked, uncertain. She still didn't know what all this would mean for them; for her. After an entire lifetime avoiding love, how could she simply change her mind like this?

An' what if he doesnae feel the same? He insists on courtin' me but what if he, too, only seeks me fortune?

"Lilith, I?—"

A knock on the door interrupted Aaden. They both looked at it and then exchanged a glance, suddenly remembering where they were and what they had just done.

Lilith threw herself out of bed, gathering her clothes in a manic sprint. As she tried to put them on, there was another knock and she cursed quietly, heartbeat racing and head swimming with the fear that they would be discovered. It was bad enough that Evander had seen them together that night. If anyone walked in right at that moment, there was no hope of keeping what they had done a secret.

"Aaden?" Her father's voice carried through the gaps in the door and made her freeze on the spot, terror washing over her like a bucket of cold water. "Yer uncle is here. He would like tae see ye."

"One moment, please!" Aaden called and turned to Lilith, but they were both just as startled, their minds scrabbling to catch up. He gathered his own clothes and dressed haphazardly, while his gaze searched the room frantically for a hiding spot. In the end, he pointed under the bed, hissing, "Go!"

Half-dressed, Lilith grabbed what she hadn't yet put on and crawled under the bed, making sure that nothing was sticking out of the confines of its frame. Aaden went around it, pulling down the covers at all corners to make sure she was entirely hidden, and then the mattress above her dipped as he lay on it.

"Come in," he said, and Lilith prayed to God she wouldn't be discovered.