CHAPTER 116: – ALL YOURS –

"I don’t have to answer that," Viviana shot back.

Nikolas palmed her breast, so perky under his palm, not once breaking eye contact with her. "Tell me. There’s no use pretending. Tell me why you came up here. Weren’t you mad at me? Didn’t you hate me?"

"I do—" She had thrown her head back, biting down on her lip. "—I am mad. That’s not changing."

"Then why did you come? I want to hear you say it to me, Viviana."

"Why?"

"Because I want to hear it."

She met his gaze, hazel eyes with hunger.

"I wanted to see you," she told him.

He cocked a brow. "That’s all?"

She swallowed letting out puffs of breaths. "I wanted you,"

Something too fast for her to register, flashed in his eyes and he pulled her up by the arm. "Get on your knees and turn around."

Panic settled in her gaze. He saw it, clear as day. "I... Wait, no. We-we can just stay like this."

"Trust me and turn around, Viviana."

But she shook her head. "No. Nikolas, you don’t understand. I, my back is—"

"I know."

"Huh?" She blinked at him. "Y-you know what?"

"Your scars. I know."

Her chest began pounding radically. "How do you know? Where—"

"It doesn’t matter, sweetheart. Just turn around for me. Trust me fully, just tonight."

His gaze was burning, pleading for her trust.

What if he thought she wasn’t beautiful anymore? She wasn’t so delusional to think those scars weren’t ugly.

"Nikolas..."

She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

But his gaze was unrelenting. She swallowed down her anxiety, forcing herself to slowly get on her knees and turn to have her back facing him. Her body was trembling like he’d never seen it do before.

His eyes settled on her back. He didn’t say a word, gently pushing her hair over her shoulder to get a full view of her back.

The scars were bad, like someone who’d been whipped till it tore open their skin. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, his breathing quickening. His eyes turned bloodshot from the anger he thought he had control over.

But then he heard her voice.

"It’s ugly, isn’t it?"

"Viviana—"

"I know it is. Y-you don’t have to say anything. And it’s fine if you think I’m not beautiful anymore. I’ll see myself out."

Before she could move, Nikolas grabbed her and pulled her flush against him, gumming her naked body to his. The man wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" he asked. "Why do you think of me that way? Is that how little you think my affection for you goes? You really think you’d be any less beautiful to me just because of these scars?"

Viviana bit down on her lip, trying not to completely break down.

"Your scars are painful, I know, but I’m not lying when I tell you that they are beautiful too. I’ve once told you that any flaw you think you have makes you nothing but beautiful. I mean, look at you." He kissed her jaw. "That first night you walked through the door and I saw you. Do you know what I thought?"

Viviana sniffled, shaking her head. "No."

"I thought that if someone had sculpted you, they’d be a very motivated artist. And if you were a piece of art, whoever painted you, adored you dearly. That’s how beautiful you are. And I need you to believe you." He kissed her shoulders, down her back.

She could feel every kiss he peppered on her skin, and the control she tried to have slipped off. She sobbed harder, but silently and when he came up again, he cupped her cheek, turning her head to meet her lips with his.

"My words are the only thing you should care for, Viviana," he said. "If I say you’re beautiful, you’re damn too beautiful, alright. And I don’t want you to think otherwise."

He turned her around, laying her on the bed on her back. "You are so beautiful, you make my heart go boom boom when I stare at you. That’s why I barely have control when it comes to you." He grabbed her hand, pacing her palm at his chest. "Do you hear it?"

His heart was indeed pounding and it made her chuckle despite the beads of tears that slipped past her eyes.

Nikolas leaned in, kissing them off. "Heartachingly gorgeous. Wickedly innocent. Undebately and completely mine. You belong to me. Solely mine and I would never let you go."

Viviana swallowed thickly at his words.

"Now put your hands above your head for me," he added.

Anticipation flashed in her eyes. "I want to see all of you too."

"As you wished." He gladly stripped completely, watching her eyes run over his body. "Like what you?"

She nodded.

"Use your words, sweetheart."

"Mhm. I do."

"Good. I’m all yours."

"All mine?"

"All yours," He settled between her legs, cupping her cheeks. He lowered himself down to her and kissed so gently at first, before going much deeper, licking the corner of her lips and sucking her lips in the way that led her through the road of insanity.

She freed one of her hands, cupping and tracing his jaw. She gave in to him completely, to the way he kissed her with so much abandon and passion.

Nikolas broke the kiss, trailed kisses down her neck and between her breasts. A groan slipped past her lips, the further he went, peppering kisses past her belly to her abdomen.

Her legs quivered in so much anticipation of the level of pleasure that was to come.

"Be patient now, my lady."

"I am patient."

"I’d beg to differ." His lips curled as he smelled her. A mix of her arousal and clean flowery soap that he still remembered as vivid as day. He went down on her, sliding his tongue between her.

Viviana wriggled beneath him, slapping a hand over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. She spread her thighs wider, letting him push his tongue all the way in. Her chest were rising and falling in heavy breathing, the farther he went.

She’d thought she recalled that pleasure, but it felt way better than she recalled. Her head felt too jumbled, she could barely think at this point.