Black Lace (Complete)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I can't believe you."

My voice may have been a hushed whisper, but my words were direct and frustrated. Aziel seemed to ignore them, however, as he gripped the wet sleeve of my arm and pulled me along behind him, weaving his way through the empty kitchens.

"I mean, what were you thinking, Aziel?" I stumbled, bumping into him. Wordlessly, he steadied me, righting me and continuing on. "I—I could catch a cold. My parents will notice for sure. Oh god, oh god—"

A large hand clamped over my mouth, successfully silencing me. Before I could react, Aziel pulled me from the hallway and pushed us both into a doorway, stumbling our way into the darkness of the room. The door slammed shut behind us, enclosing us in pitch black. My heart beat spiked and I tried to speak again. My foot caught on something and I fell into Aziel. His arms surrounded my waist, holding me steadily against him.

I heard no heartbeat in his chest.

"Az—"

"Shh, Romina," he whispered, "someone might hear you."

Silencing myself, I paused and listened. Outside the door of the room—which was probably a supply closet—I heard the light pattering footsteps pass the door.

Oh heavens, if they'd seen us now...

My entire body heated, suddenly aware of how Aziel's hands were tight around my waist, looped around the wet material of my dress. My wet hair was dampening his dry shirt. I clung to him, both wishing this moment would end and praying it would continue forever.

Aziel was about to pull back when another pair of footsteps sounded out. I recognized them after years and years of knowing them. Mother. Mother was right outside the door.

One twist of a doorknob and she'd see her only daughter, wet and cold, in the arms of a man she was not married to. She would see how my dress was soaked and see through. She would see how his hands were on my waist. She would see how they were slowly trailing down...down...down...

I shoved my cheeks into his shirt as his finger teased the top of my ass, dropping no further. But it was close enough for his motives to be proven sinful.

Mother's footsteps stopped. "Maid!" She called out. The maid stopped. "There's a spill in the sitting room."

I heard Mother continue on. I was relieved, at least, that Mother would not see us, but the maid? Lord, she was right about to walk in on something.

"Aziel!" I hissed quietly, voice laced with panic.

"Calm, Romina," he whispered back. I felt him moving slowly. Not fast enough. The nurse would be upon us soon, looking for supplies to clean.

"We don't have ti—"

He spun me around and pinned me against the left wall of the closet, just out of the door's sight. Shrouded by shadows, underneath Aziel's weight, a coolness descended upon me. It wasn't cold, exactly, for my skin burned and my heart raged; but a calm appeared: serene through the storm.

He snatched an item from the stash behind him, shoving it into my side. It took my shaky fingers a second to realize it was a maid's apron.

"Pretend to kiss me," he whispered against my lips.

"Aziel, I can't."

"Kiss me, dammit." He pressed himself further unto me. Every crevice, every plane, every limb—it was all touching him, pressed against him; so completely and entirely dissolved by him, so unarmed in the face of danger.