Chapter 16 – Ravyn
By the cool of the evening, the house was quiet, ironically peaceful. Everything here reminded me of the time in my life that I'd buried for so long. The memories tugged at my mind as if trying to rip it to shreds.
Everywhere I turned, Lev was there. His cologne, his signature scent, lingered in the very air I breathed, a reminder that there was no escaping him this time. This place felt haunted by the memories of my past, my guilty pleasure.
Yet, despite the negativity oozing off the walls and high ceilings, the mansion still felt peaceful tonight. I couldn't explain this strange peace and quiet, but that's what I felt. The kids felt it, too. I was sure of that.
Nik and Elara, as jovial as they were, had this superpower of sensing and rejecting bad energy. I'd seen them push people away or give off cold and unwelcoming reactions to folks they didn't resonate well with.
However, as evil as Lev was, Elara seemed to be quite joyful around him. Strange. Considering her natural aversion to negative energy, she sure had enjoyed her conversation with him even before she found out that he was her father.
On the other hand, he had tried to be more accommodating than I'd anticipated. And the smile he wore when talking to his daughter…that was priceless. That grin had almost melted my heart, especially because I'd never seen such a genuine smile on his face before.
Was this a sign that I was wrong about him? Could it be that these children would bring out a side of him that I hadn't seen before? I'd heard cases like this where a man's kids were able to effortlessly transform his life for good.
But Lev was no ordinary man. He was incapable of love, even though his actions earlier had suggested otherwise. I couldn't let my guard down and trust his parenting ability just because of one day of playing nice.
Kids could be overbearing sometimes. Did he have the patience to deal with that? I knew the amount of restraint it took me not to yell at them when they acted out. Nik and Elara were mature for their age, but nonetheless, they were still kids, and every now and then, they would lash out, break a rule, or be defiant.
Lev was a man of principles who loved giving orders and took pride in people obeying said orders. Our son, Nik, on the other hand, didn't like to be bossed around. He was like his father in a way, proud and arrogant.
How would Lev react if he ordered the boy and he defied? What would he do? How would he handle the situation?
Maybe I was thinking too much; perhaps I was so worried about the future that I was losing sight of the present.
The reality was my kids seemed happy being here. They were a little uptight at first, but as the day progressed, I watched them loosen up and crawl out of their shells.
They had never seen such an enormous building before, and nearly everything about the house intrigued them.
Elara had insisted that Lev took them on a tour around the house, and to my surprise, he didn't object. Elara held his hand all through the tour, her smile unwavering. Nik and I followed behind in silence, his fingers clasped between mine.
I watched Lev bond with the kids in a way I didn't think was possible. He wasn't doing much, but his enthusiasm while conversing with them was admirable. It was like I was looking at an entirely different person.
The kids were sleeping now after a pretty long day. They should have gone to bed at least an hour ago, but they were too intrigued by the flashy things Lev had shown them. If I hadn't stepped in, they would have still been awake by now.
They had separate rooms, but for now, they decided to share one as they always did. At least this way, I'd easily attend to both of them at once rather than individually.
Tucking them in seemed more daunting than ever tonight. They each had a lot of questions, and neither would shut their mouth. At some point, I thought my brain was about to explode, and it took a lot of work to not lose my cool.
They were confused, happy, worried, and curious at the same time. I was just as puzzled as they were, maybe even more puzzled. The truth was, I was in dire need of cosmic assistance because I had no idea what I was doing or what the outcome of this union would be.
My kids just wanted answers.
“Is it true that he's our daddy?”
“Does this mean we have a lot of money now?”
“Where has he been all this time? ”
Their questions echoed in my head as I walked through the hallway, my fingers rubbing my eyes.
It wasn't easy convincing them that I'd explain everything tomorrow. They were so eager to get answers tonight, but I was not in the right frame of mind to go down that lane. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, I was drained.
In the end, though, I managed to sing them to sleep as compensation for not answering their questions. After a little while, my voice worked its magic, and I tucked them in, turned off the lights, and stepped out.
I stretched, yawning, as I descended the stairs toward the kitchen. A glass of water would help my current state of mind. My bare feet were soundless against the polished marble floor, and the gentle chill was seeping into my skin.
Striding across the expansive kitchen, I made a beeline to the humming refrigerator, its stainless steel surface gleaming in the soft light. I grasped the handle, swung the door open, and retrieved a chilled bottle of water.
With a gentle thud, I closed the fridge door. As I turned around, my body jerked in shock, and my eyes widened as an abrupt yelp escaped my lips. I almost dropped the bottle in my hand at the unexpected sight of him looming in the doorway.
His sudden appearance made my heart skip a beat. It was as though he'd materialized out of thin air.
“Jesus Christ,” I whispered under my breath, my hand flying to my chest as if to prevent my heart from jumping out.
His lips curled into a self-satisfying smirk as he leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest.
He'd scared the living daylight out of me, and he seemed unapologetic about it. In fact, I could swear that he did that on purpose just to see the fear in my eyes. It was like he reveled in my terror. What a terrorist!
I raised a finger in the air, and my face contorted in a mix of mock anger and sheer embarrassment. The idea was to warn him not to ever do that again, but at the last second, I could barely find my voice or the right words.
So, I clenched my fingers into a fist and lowered it, defeated. I hated how powerless I felt around him.
My fear dissipated, replaced by a flutter in my chest as I drank in the breathtaking sight of this ridiculously attractive man. He was stripped from the waist upward, and my gaze roamed over his chiseled physique. His toned abs seemed to ripple beneath his skin like waves on a summer lake.
I could feel my pulse quickening, my heart racing with anticipation as I recalled the night I claimed that body as mine. I'd almost forgotten how helpless I was around him, how his presence turned me on so effortlessly.
No, no, no, I can't let him see me this vulnerable. No, I can't. I won't , I thought to myself, struggling with my breath to stay composed. My fingertips tingled, as did my mound, but I wouldn't let my weakness show.
The more I tried to get a grip of myself, the more I felt a cold shiver jolting across my body, breaking my defenses. My eyes fell on his broad torso that narrowed to a lean waist, accentuating the V of his hips.
His loose ash-colored jogger pants hung low on his waist as he strolled into the kitchen, a hand buried in his pocket. He picked up an apple from a fruit basket set on the kitchen granite counter, his hollow, dark eyes fixed on me.
Deep inside me, I was praying that he didn't and wouldn't sense my sexual anxiety. I tried to pull myself together, but I couldn't help being drawn to him. It was as though every molecule in my body wanted him.
Gosh! This tension was killing me, and his faint smirk wasn't helping at all. His lips were enticing, like they were calling out to me, and at the moment, I was battling with the images of the time I devoured those lips so fervently.
Why did I crave him so much? I knew better, but I still couldn't stop myself. Why?
“Can't sleep?” he asked, his deep voice sending tremors down my core.
For a second there, my brain abandoned me again, leaving me blank and speechless. “Uh….” I cleared my throat, fingers pushing my hair to the back of my ear. “Yeah. Sort of.” My response was a low whisper, the flutter in my chest growing by the second.
His signature smirk twitched at the corner of his lips, his gaze dipping to my shoulder where the strap of my nightgown had slipped. I caught him drinking in the tantalizing glimpse of my left breast as exposed by the slipped strap.
He took a bite of the apple in his hand and munched on it while his eyes roamed my body. “What's the plan? To seduce me?” he teased, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.
My brows arched, and a soft scoff escaped my lips. “That's ironic coming from a man who's standing shirtless in front of me.”
His smirk broadened ever so slightly as he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. The scent of his cologne enveloped me, invading my senses while I jerked my head to face him, my heart racing with anticipation.
The nearer he drew, the more difficult it was to breathe. My chest heaved slowly as I struggled to calm myself lest he saw right through me. It would be rather embarrassing if he found out how much I wanted to feel his touch despite my reservations.
I was so wet, and I hated it. I hated myself for feeling so vulnerable around him. He hadn't touched me yet, and I could feel myself already melting away.
He halted before me, his head lowered to examine my face. “You talk like you're affected by the fact that I'm shirtless,” he said, holding my gaze as if searching the depths of my eyes for answers.
His smooth, husky voice sent tremors down my core, increasing my body temperature. He seemed colder than before, sharper, yet his hold on me was still strong as ever. His presence felt like a magnet, drawing me in like a moth to a flame despite the warning bells ringing in my head.
The fact that his assumption was a clear indication that he was onto me caused my throat to tighten. The last thing I wanted was for him to realize how his presence affected me.
But why couldn't I defend myself? Why couldn't I pull away since words seemed to have failed me one more time?
Then, it hit, the perfect response to mask my nervousness and vulnerability.
“Shirtless?” I raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on my lips. “What makes you think I even noticed?” I asked, trying to sound as convincing as I could.
My heart stopped for a minute as he leaned in, mirroring my expression, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “The eyes don't lie, Ravyn.”
I tried to tear my gaze off him, but the man had me glued to the spot, unable to move or look away. He took another bite from his apple and straightened, eyes lingering over me as he munched on it.
An annoying smirk played on his lips as he walked away, leaving me in the kitchen, alone with my thoughts. I could almost hear the sound of my heart pounding in my chest, and both my legs had turned to jelly.
I reached out to hold on to the edge of the counter for support, and my head lowered as I struggled to catch my breath. The fear of what would have happened if he had attempted to touch or kiss me was so overwhelming it had me crippled.
There was a good chance that I wouldn't have been able to resist him, considering how wet I already was.
I still craved him so badly—my desire for him still burned as bright as before. But despite how much I wanted him, I wasn't going to give in to the temptation. I wouldn't let him know how much of an effect he had on me.
No, I wouldn't.