A toast of champagne for the long day. He raised his crystal glass, the pale liquid bubbling under the soft silver of the moon. "Thank you, my wife, for your patience. I admire your courage and beauty."
She raised her own glass, her fingers steady as she looked into his deep, pitch-black eyes. "My dear husband, it is just a small gesture to show my sincerity to my decision. I have chosen this path with you."
"Cheers to our future to come."
The crisp clink of the two glasses echoed softly on the balcony, a sharp, clean sound that shared the intimate moment with them. Kelly took a slow sip, a playful smile playing on her lips as she leaned back against her chair. "You are quite charming, my darling. It seems like I have been caught in the trap you set."
His smile can be seen clearly, followed by a faint smirk that even the deepest shadow could tell was full of hidden triumph. His dark, striking beauty perfectly blends in with the night sky, making him look like a creature born from the midnight hours. He stands up from his seat, leans over the table, and kisses her with a sudden, burning passion in his eyes.
"The nights that are passing by are getting shorter and shorter in times you are not with me," he murmured against her lips, his voice dropping to a low, possessive growl. "You are bound to fall in love with me. Every detail and every inch of your body, you don't know how much I've been holding back."
Kelly tilted her head up, her gaze searching his face, testing the boundaries of the beautiful cage he had built for her. "Was it obsession or desire for my body that you wanted?"
He smirks and looks at her straight in the eyes, his strong hands moving down to rest firmly on her hips, pulling her slightly forward. "I want to devour you, wrap you with my scent, and mark you. I want you so badly, my Kelly, my world and my everything. Can I leave my traces in your body tonight?"
A light, musical laugh escaped her lips, though her heart quickened at the sheer intensity of his words. "You grow greedy each time I'm with you. I can't let it be your habit. Seducing me wasn't enough, but you succeeded, my dear husband. I shall oblige to do what you want tonight. But my gown is tight for me, and I can't wait to change into a nightgown."
"I will gladly help you change, my love," Aiden replied, his fingers already trailing up the intricate lace along her spine. "I will be gentle so you don't get hurt. You have worn it for a long day. I will loosen your gown for you since it is too tight. I hope you wouldn't mind me enjoying it during the process."
Kelly placed her hands on his chest, feeling the steady, heavy thud of his heart beneath his shirt. "If it is what you want, just be gentle and mind your manners."
Aiden let out a low, breathy laugh, the sound vibrating against her skin as he leaned down to her ear. "That is something I cannot promise. As I have been holding myself for quite some time now."
He swept her up into his arms, the heavy silk of her wedding dress rustling loudly in the quiet room as he carried her away from the moonlit balcony and toward the grand, curtained bed. "I will warm you up on the bed and make you fall asleep with comfort in my arms. I will hold your hands so tight so you can't run away from me. I will sleep tonight comfortably with your body underneath."
Kelly looked up at his flushed face, a teasing glint returning to her eyes despite the warmth spreading through her veins. "Are you trying to kill me with your huge body tonight? It seems like you can't focus; your words are twisting."
"When it comes to you, I lose all my senses," he admitted freely, his black eyes wide and completely unmasked, stripped of all the calculated coldness he usually showed to the world of Bial. "For I want only one thing, for you to embrace me tightly tonight. The moon is shining so brightly that its reflection can be seen on your body."
As he set her down on the plush mattress, she reached up, her fingers sliding into his collar to pull him down with her. "Then come now, my husband, the bed is waiting for us to ride. It seems like I won't have any rest for tonight. For you to look like a lost dog seeing its owner and whining, it makes my heart flutter, and I want to tease you more. The floor is cold; stand now. The bed is more comfortable and warm."
Aiden leaned over her, locking them away from the rest of the world, his voice a final, ragged whisper before the night consumed them entirely. "Your body is warmer than a fire, and I have lost it."