CHAPTER 31: CHANGES (1)

’Shelby! Of all the things you could think of now, it’s your first kiss you are worried about? Really?’ She chided herself as her heart hammered in her chest, and she felt her world burst out with delicious shivers.

A wide range of emotions coursed through her veins as soon as his lips touched hers. At first, he held her like a cherished egg. What puzzled her was how he inhaled her essence deeply, as if he had recognised a scent he loved. Like a long-lost lover, he ran his hands through her hair repeatedly, and she relaxed a bit with it. That only lasted so long. It disappeared just as he kissed her... and she had not expected that.

She tensed up in his arms in the dark, quiet room, for no one had ever touched her that way. No man had ever ’survived’ trying to touch her like that, and none had ever succeeded. As a girl in her prime, she subconsciously craved that kind of touch but never like this.

"Wha-"

Whatever Shelby wanted to say gave Ian the opening he was subconsciously looking for. When her mouth opened, he ran his tongue all over her mouth and then pushed it into her. Shelby didn’t know what had come over her. Her eyes opened wide in the dark in surprise.

After this faded, she welcomed the fireworks going on in her mind and intertwined her tongue with his, responding with equal vigour. She couldn’t help herself! It was like a natural reaction from her to him; as if he called and she responded. Of course, there was that tiny part of her that told her that she was acting like a fool!

What would have made her happy then was if she knew Ian’s reaction. He was as involved and lost as she was. Ian could feel a push and prompt at the back of his mind, in his heart, prompting him to take her. He fought a losing battle, too, because as he willed his mind to stop, his heart urged him on. One thing remained in his mind: her jasmine scent! He cupped her chin and gave himself more access to her lips, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

Ian finally left her lips, trailing kisses along her jaw, and Shelby gasped for some much-needed air.

"I-an, wait. I – Ian..."

***

"Miss Katie! Madam Geneva!" Suzie shouted and was almost out of breath as she hurriedly approached her madam and superior as if she were being chased.

"What is making you shout like the roof is on fire?" Geneva snapped as Katie looked on. Geneva was in her personal lounge getting ready for her evening swim. The lounge had a small indoor pool with an open skylight that let the evening light and stars filter in.

Geneva paused in displeasure as she did not like to be disturbed whenever she retired to her evening lounge. Katie, on her side, narrowed her eyes at Suzie. This was because for any person to work in the Thornston estate, this was the number one rule they all had to know: Geneva was not to be disturbed, especially when she retired to her personal lounge!

"I- I’m sorry," Suzie gasped for air and quickly arranged herself by placing one hand on the other in front of herself.

"I’m sorry, Madam Thornston, for my lack of protocol earlier- and for barging in like this. I just got ahead of myself."

"Well, go ahead with it!"

"I saw Miss Shelby en-"

"I’m going to grow old by the time you’re done!"

"Miss Shelby is in Master Ian’s room now-"

"Really!? How did she-?" Geneva’s hostile and irritative voice vanished and was filled with hope that was glaring to all.

"Yes, ma’am, I saw her enter myself!"

"But how- Did Ian let her in?"

"I-"

"Never mind. Katie!"

"Yes, Madam Geneva," Katie stepped to her side, ready to accept her instructions.

"Help me up. I need to go see this for myself."

Katie readied Geneva’s robe and helped her into it. Geneva slipped her feet into her bedroom slippers and walked as she tied the ends of the rope together towards her son’s wing.

***

"W-ait. I – Ian..." The sultry, emotion-filled voice that flowed to Ian’s ears made him stall as he felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold air.

’That voice!’ A puzzled expression crossed this face. ’I would know Aliya’s voice from anywhere but th-is....’

Even though he thought this, he couldn’t help himself and brushed his lips tenderly over the unknown girl’s lips in his arms. It was as if he was throwing all caution to the wind because Ian felt like he had to have the girl in his arms. As he dived for more -

"Thump, thump, Thump!" followed by the voice that he would know even in his sleep, his mother! Then they heard;

"Have you started lying? The door is still locked!"

"Madam Geneva, I really...."

The feint voices outside the door gave back the last rationality of Ian. The inner dilemma he had with himself came to an abrupt end!

He let go of the girl as if he had been scalded and moved back on his bed.

"Who are you?" His raspy, rarely used voice sounded in the dark room.

Shelby was also startled back to reality. The fireworks faded in her mind as she sat up, still reeling from being kissed by an absolute stranger... well- not entirely.

’Did he just ask me who I was after kissing me senseless?’

She opened her mouth to say anything, but then the only thing that registered in her mind was ... "... that voice!"

"You- Th-"

"Get out!"

"Huh?"

Ian felt his irritation mostly at himself increase, and he closed his eyes, "Get out! Pl-ease! He had no thoughts or words for the person in front of him. And he did not understand himself at that moment. The girl was clearly not his Aliyah. Even though he could only make out her outline in the darkened room, he had to consciously hold himself back from bringing her back into his arms.

"Just GO!"

Shelby flinched at the tone he used. But in the dark, he couldn’t see her reaction. Not that he would have allowed himself to care anyway.

*********

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