Garden of May - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
“River…” Vanessa gasped, her neck giving off an impossibly clean scent, despite her having spent the entire day rummaging through the gardens. As his fingers brushed against the fabric constricting her bre*sts, Vanessa gasped again and clutched his wrist. Her eyes, flushed as if on the verge of tears, trembled.
“Shall I stop?” His voice, even to his own ears, sounded almost gentle. His touch, as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, was infinitely tender. He could afford to be leisurely. It was a choice offered with the knowledge that she couldn’t refuse.
If, by some small chance, Vanessa refused, Theodore intended to withdraw from this arrangement. From the beginning, it hadn’t been a worthwhile endeavor if all he received was Vanessa’s exquisitely beautiful body. L*st was merely a nuisance, not an uncontrollable variable. He was in no rush for a woman.
‘So. What will you do, Vanessa?’ Under his silent question, Vanessa’s grip on his wrist slowly loosened. Blushing crimson, she lowered her head.
“No. Continue…” she whispered, her defeated expression both amusing and irritating. He hadn’t even done anything to warrant such profound shame.
With a rough tug, he untied the intricately knotted ribbons, layer by layer. The loosened garment parted, revealing the swell of her bre*sts spilling haphazardly from the fabric. As Vanessa instinctively moved to cover herself, Theodore caught her arms and pinned them to her sides.
“Don’t.” The summer sunlight flowed like honey over her exposed skin, from her neck to her bre*sts, down to the hollow of her navel. It was merely a woman’s nak*d body, yet it felt indecent, intoxicating.
Red welts marked her white bre*sts where the ribbons had been tightly bound. Did she truly believe a few tied ribbons could suppress her body’s growth? The naive notion was both astounding and perfectly characteristic of her.
“River, wait…” He caught her knees, parting them to fit his hips between. He gathered the bothersome blouse, bunching it in his hand before pressing it against her lips.
“Bite. Hold it.” Like a dog. Vanessa stared at him, eyes wide. Had she misheard him? The words, though she’d heard them clearly, felt unbelievable. River, despite his v*lgar request, appeared innocent, untouched. His lips, now flushed with a subtle warmth, curved into an alluring line. Hesitantly, Vanessa took the fabric between her teeth, then released it. Instantly, his hand tightened painfully around her thigh.
“Properly, Vanessa.” The way he said her name, as if chiding her, was sweet. Shame threatened to overwhelm her. To lift her own clothes, to spread her legs, to offer her nak*d body as a lure… she would have preferred him to simply take her.
She knew her eager requests for his attention were no different from this humiliation. Yet, the agonizing awareness of her body’s betraying response, the slow, burgeoning aro*sal despite the shame, left her feeling adrift.
“Mm…” Theodore slowly stroked her flushed cheek with his thumb. Her breath hitched, her eyelashes fluttering in resignation. Crying, trembling, sighing… did he even realize how her exposed bre*sts quivered with each shallow movement?
Hesitantly, Vanessa reached down and grasped her thighs, then opened her mouth to take the fabric between her teeth. As he squeezed her bre*st, as if praising an obedient dog, a stifled moan escaped her.
“You can stop anytime you want.” But if she wanted the end, she had to endure it all. Vanessa’s lips tightened, keenly aware of the underlying meaning.
Theodore kissed her forehead, then tightened his grip on her bre*st. The yielding softness beneath his palm was maddening. With each scratch, tug, and twist of his calloused fingertips against her taut n*pple, Vanessa’s hips twitched.
