Chapter Twenty-Six #5
She let out a moan and mirrored his caresses, her hands running impatiently over his muscular body.
Even in the dark, she could see Riftan’s face burning red.
He practically tore off her bodice and sucked on the taut peak of her breast. Maxi shuddered and hugged his head to her chest, urging him.
She could feel her insides melting like candle wax.
Her dress was bunched around her waist; Riftan grabbed it and pulled it down to her feet.
He stroked her damp back with a callused hand and peppered sultry kisses across her pale abdomen.
Before she knew it, she was lying on the bed, her whole body flushed pink.
The swaying shadows cast by the lamplight swept over them.
Maxi yanked his tunic over his head, and he pulled her into his arms in a crushing embrace.
Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach at the feeling of his arousal pressed between her legs.
Riftan slowly rubbed himself against her while raining kisses on her breasts and neck.
The burning desire now had Maxi clawing at his shoulders.
Riftan jerked away as though abruptly coming to his senses.
Panting, Maxi looked up in bewilderment. His face was crumpled in frustration, and his body shook ever so slightly. Despite this, he summoned his self-control and roughly covered her naked body with the blanket. A stiff smile twisted his lips.
“We should…stop here for today,” he mumbled. “You’ve only just gotten better.”
Maxi watched in a stupor as Riftan sat up with his back to her and pulled on his trousers. Her initial embarrassment soon gave way to a simmering incredulity and anger. She was tired of him treating her like a debilitated patient.
She yanked his arm as he was trying to pick up the tunic he had thrown on the floor.
She had intended to pull him back onto the bed, but their difference in weight made it impossible.
Left with no other option, she boldly climbed onto his lap.
Riftan sat frozen on the edge of the bed, his eyes wide and blank as she pressed her swollen lips to his.
He sucked in a quick breath. It was almost laughable how easily his self-control crumbled. A strange sense of triumph filled her as she gazed down at him.
“I-I am…not a child you need to protect,” she said firmly. “I am…your wife.”
For a moment, Riftan looked taken aback before his eyes slowly grew pained. Her delight quickly deflated when she saw the bleakness in them.
His chiseled features contorted. “And? What do you intend to do now?”
Maxi’s heart fluttered. “Wh-What else?”
She had naively hoped that he would take the lead from there. Riftan’s eyes roamed over her face, bare chest, and abdomen before he squeezed them shut. Creases lined his forehead as he strained to remain still.
Her confidence perked up at his reaction, and she placed her hand on his chest. His heart was beating so wildly that she was afraid it might burst.
“Y-You said i-it was…natural for married couples to do these things,” she murmured, kissing the tip of his chin and sliding her hand from his sharp collarbone to his abdomen.
A pained groan escaped his lips. “Just kill me.”
Her hand twitched at the genuine pain in his voice. Riftan pressed his fists into his eyes. Though he said he was holding back out of worry for her, it was possible that he simply did not want to.
Maxi slowly pulled away. “If you…don’t like this…I’ll stop.”
His eyes snapped open, and he looked up at her resentfully as if she had scorned him. She hesitated, unsure of what to do next. Riftan remained silent for a long moment.
“I don’t have the confidence to be gentle.” He sounded deflated. “You’ll have to do it yourself.”
Mortified, Maxi glanced about before stammering, “T-Teach me…what to do….”
She saw his hands trembling as he lowered his trousers. He hoisted her back onto his lap.
“Spread your legs. Yes…sit lower…just like that…”
Maxi positioned herself on top and slowly took him in. She tried not to flinch at the discomfort of the tight sensation. When she rested her hands on his abdomen and froze, Riftan twitched and bit his lip. His whole body burned red like heated copper as he tried to restrain himself.
“Does it hurt?” he asked in a raspy voice.
It had been a while since she had last received him, and Maxi shook her head against the pain. He reached out to touch her before clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white. He clutched at the blanket instead.
“Try moving a little,” he croaked. “But…only as you want…Nghh…”
As she slowly began to slide up and down, Riftan threw his head back into the pillow and yanked at the blanket. He was like a lion struggling against its chains.
Maxi watched his face with glazed eyes as she gradually took him to the hilt before going up again. The pain disappeared as she maintained the rhythm, and sensual pleasure began to build inside her.
Again and again, she tightened around him. Riftan moaned as though she were torturing him to a slow death. His body was slick with sweat, and his breathing grew ragged. Maxi could not believe that the strongest man in the world was so helplessly surrendering himself beneath her.
Though his need seemed to be growing keener the more she moved, he somehow kept a tight grip on his self-control. Maxi tried to move faster but found it was not that easy.
She was soon at her limits. The place where their bodies merged throbbed, and she gasped as a convulsion erupted within her. Even so, a part of her was not satisfied. Splayed out on his chest, she longingly rubbed herself against him.
“R-Riftan…help me.”
He gulped, then wrapped his arms around her waist and began to move deeper and faster inside her.
Maxi desperately clung to him as her vision went white.
Sharp pleasure shot up her spine with every thrust. She pressed her forehead on his shoulder and cried out.
His hands hungrily roamed over her neck, shoulders, and back, unable to stop himself.
He mumbled something unintelligible before moving even faster, like a bucking stallion freed from its reins. Maxi writhed on top of him, her toes curling as their bodies crashed together. Finally, an intense climax tore through her. Riftan’s arms tightened around her convulsing body.
How wonderful would it be if we could be merged as one like this forever?
That was Maxi’s last thought before she closed her eyes.
Hours later, she awoke to the sound of pouring rain.
Her eyes fluttered open to take in the unfamiliar room and the wavering shadows on the walls.
For a brief moment, she blinked in confusion before looking up at the hand stroking her hair.
Riftan’s powerful torso loomed over her, staring out the window with his back against the wall.
Maxi gazed blankly up at him and realized that she was using his legs as a pillow. When she tried to sit up, Riftan nudged her head back onto his lap.
“Lie still.”
He twiddled with her earlobe, then ran his fingers through her disheveled hair. Maxi flinched at the tickling sensation.
Looking worried, Riftan adjusted the sheet that had slipped down. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I tried to hold back till the end, but you made it extremely difficult.”
Only then did it occur to Maxi that she may have been too bold. Hiding her flushed face beneath her messy hair, she tried to change the subject. “I-It seems to be raining.”
Riftan watched the raindrops pelting the window as he answered. “It’s the autumn rain. The temperature will drop once it stops.”
Flicking a glance at his dark expression, she cautiously reached for his hand resting on his knee. He stiffened as she interlaced his long fingers with her own.
“D-Don’t be so angry anymore,” she murmured as she caressed his rugged knuckles and calluses. “To be honest…I’m happy that you won’t have to go to war.”
Riftan’s jaw tightened. “Don’t you despise that man?”
Maxi’s face fell. Fear was the first emotion that came to her when she thought of her father.
It was a bone-deep terror that ate away at her before giving way to crushing helplessness and shame.
Perhaps resentment and hate lay buried somewhere under all those emotions.
Nevertheless, the fear was so intense that hatred did not even have a chance to come through.
Fidgeting, Maxi replied hollowly, “I-I don’t…want to think about that man.”
Silence settled over them. For a long moment, the only sounds came from the crackling fire and pouring rain. Riftan spoke first.
“You never looked happy,” he said, gazing down at her with somber eyes.
“I even considered entering the castle by stealth and kidnapping you.” His lips twisted into a self-deprecating smile.
“But right after I had that thought, I noticed all the opulence. I asked myself how I could possibly make you happy when even living in such a beautiful world could not.”
Maxi nervously avoided his eyes, and Riftan’s smile grew rueful.
“I should’ve carried you away sooner, and not let those thoughts stop me,” he murmured.
“That…w-would have been wonderful.”
Riftan’s smile faded at her ready agreement. His eyes had a faraway look as he gazed down at her.
He turned back to the window. “You would have fainted from shock. You detested me back then.”
Maxi shook her head. “I-I never detested you. I was…afraid of you. Haven’t I already t-told you this?”
“In my eyes, it seemed like you hated me.”
Growing angry, Maxi glowered at him. “W-Well, in my eyes—”
She pressed her lips together. Riftan wound a lock of her hair around his finger and waited for her to finish.
After a moment’s hesitation, Maxi blurted out, “I-In my eyes…you seemed to hate me, too.”
Riftan’s fingers froze. Still lying on his lap, Maxi stared up at him as he watched the raindrops spatter the window. He seemed to be avoiding her gaze.
“I was nervous,” he said bluntly. “Croyso Castle was not the most comfortable place for me.”