Chapter 198: Chapter 198

Shelby looked deep into Ian’s eyes, noting how his pupils constricted with that single word he had spoken. She continued to hold his gaze but did not accept or deny what he insinuated even though she understood it very well.

Earlier, she had been surprised herself. After their marriage consummation, many different things had been and were still happening to her. There was no one she could talk to about them but her husband himself, it would seem. The main thing was the ever-glowing ring on her finger. To Shelby that was the strangest of all.

However, when she thought of all that happened, it didn’t look like that was the strangest. She got all healed after just a few hours of being seriously hurt and then she found out that Ian could communicate to her without saying a word. However, this was only when Ian wanted to talk to her. Shelby only heard whatever he projected to her within that day when she realized that she could hear his thoughts.

The puzzling thing was that, in Ian’s flustered state earlier after her kitchen-related incident, Shelby had been privy to more than Ian would have loved to let on. Like a movie of a sort, images of a smiling Aliya flashed through Shelby’s thoughts. She had been startled when it started but looking at Ian’s faraway look then, she concluded that he was thinking on Aliya and she, Shelby was somehow intruding on his thoughts. That made her a bit uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, that memory was so sweet that it made her feel like she had really intruded on something precious.

Shelby could not help herself when she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ian raised an eyebrow in surprise, especially when he realized that he could not get a thing out of her. She was like a blank slate and her thoughts at that moment in time, unlike the earlier hours of the day, were obscured from him.

"Do I want to...?" Ian started, drawing Shelby close again.

"I’m not sure, Elfin.... But ask me anything and I’ll tell you. She was a major part of my life, and I don’t think a few words can be used to describe what she meant to me."

Ian pushed Shelby gently at arm’s length and looked deep in her eyes.

"Remember what I said? You are the only one in my heart, but I cannot deny that Aliya did mean a lot to me some time back and maybe even now..." Ian paused and took in Shelby’s expression then hurriedly added, "...but she is no more...."

Ian wondered why he was trying to reassure Shelby of this, but he felt in his gut that he had to do this.

Shelby smiled, "I know!"

Then she intertwined their fingers again. Ian released himself from her, but only long enough to drape his coat over her shoulders.

"It’s sweeping the floor!"

Ian smiled not in the least worried about a coat that would be dirty. He wrapped it all around Shelby. She looked funny in the overly long and big coat but at least she was warm.

After this, Ian rolled up the sleeves and intertwined their fingers again, gently massaging it as if to calm her, but the question was, who was he doing it for?

The two walked through the long, neat rows of shorts plants. Shelby did not ask her question again. After about a quarter of an hour, Ian, low voice sounded,

"I couldn’t save her..."

Shelby turned sideways to him, but she did not stop nor say anything to interrupt him. Rather, she thought, ’Is this why Ian acted that way? Self-blame?’

Shelby was not sure what had happened then, but she was not necessarily surprised at his words.

"I had promised myself to be there for her even though she had someone in her heart, but at the end of the day, she left just like that. I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I could have prevented it. But I think that Aliya is in a better place because she left with her fiancé. At least her journey to the afterlife was not lonely."

A reigning silence ensued in which time, the two just walked around, enjoying each other’s company.

"I’m sure that Aliya knows that you did care," Shelby said after a while.

"Besides, you are taking care of all three kids, and that says a lot!"

Ian stopped and then turned Shelby sideways so that she stood directly in front of him.

He slowly leaned down and placed a wet kiss on her nose. The two smiled at each other as if a core understanding ran through them.

"Let’s get you changed out of these smoke-scented clothes." Ian said suddenly, breaking the trance of them looking at each other.

"Do I smell of smoke?"

"Do you need to ask?" He smirked.

About an hour later...

Ian stood by one window and looked out the night sky, a small glass of wine in his hand as he swirled it around. His mind was far from the contents of the glass that he occasionally sipped. His eyes were unfathomable, with an almost bottomless depth. Only he knew what his thoughts were in that moment.

His demeanor was relaxed, with a carefree posture. An almost devilish charm marred him, almost like a free-spirited and unrestrained aura that could draw people’s attention. His whole person projected a noble temperament without him even trying.

When they returned, the room was as good as new. There was just a slight lingering smoke scent, but nothing too overpowering. Murray had done his job right. Despite the amount of smoke, it had not alerted anyone else in the estate.

Murray had made sure of that. For Ian, this was expected, but Shelby was beyond amazed at the action taken within that short span of time. However, she had learnt to understand that they did things in ways that normal humans would not and had ceased questioning some of those ways.

Ian turned when he heard a door open. His eyes flashed slightly. Shelby stepped out of the bathroom in a loose white dress, a hand towel in hand as well. The dress was just simple and hang loosely on her body but that still enticed Ian.

Her hair was still slightly damp, her skin red from probably the hot shower she had taken. Even from that distance, Ian saw a few droplets of water flow down from the roots of her hair, down the sides of her face and into her cleavage. She had no idea how enticing she looked at that time.

"Come here!" He called out to her and stretched out his hand at the same time.

Shelby did not hesitate. She did not know of what was going on in the news or outside the room at that point in time then, and would only later hear of it in the morning.

Ian never brought up what he had done before coming home that day and Shelby did not ask. She placed her small delicate hands in his and closed the gap between them.

Ian led her to a couch and sat down, still holding onto her arm. He opened his legs so that she could stand between them and get closer to him. Ian emptied the contents of the wine glass into his mouth and set it aside.

Shelby only briefly wondered when that couch had appeared on the room but was brought out of her pondering when Ian pulled her effortlessly so that she settled on his lap,

"Ah!" A small, surprised shriek escaped her while Ian moved her slightly so that she was in a comfortable position on him.

He took the towel from her and started wiping her short hair dry, starting with the water droplets at the ends and working his way up. His movements were gentle, yet his expression was serious!

However, when one hand was busy with the towel, the other was busy elsewhere. His thick hands caressed her waist through the dress and his mouth started to kiss his way up her long neck.

She felt goosebumps form on her skin as small soft moans left her mouth.

Ian did not falter in the hair drying though. He was more than diligent. It goes to say that his multi-tasking abilities were top notch!

He ran the towel through the hair inch by inch until it was all dry. By that time, her whole body had almost turned into jelly in his arms, and she lay directly on his chest.

When her hair was dry, she thought that was the end, but his other hand just joined the exploration game. He dropped the towel and then focused his full attention on her.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you really have to ask?" His voice coming out thick with lusty emotions.

A light groan came out from Shelby’s mouth and then her hands wrapped around his neck, giving into his passionate demands.

With silence all around them and just the two of them in there, their passion shot up as his body got ready for her.

"So beautiful and enchanting! My wife!" At that moment, he understood why men went crazy around her because Ian felt as if he was losing himself to her, and he loved every bit of the experience!

That was not the first time he had felt that way, and Ian knew it would not be the last, but he couldn’t help but be surprised at the way he wanted to give his all to her, as if he wanted to worship her very being!

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