Chapter 19: Chapter 19
“You only live once in this world, Esmeralda. Don’t you have anything you wanted so bad even though it seemed impossible? Even though it looks wrong in the eyes of other people?” He moved toward her and brought his face closer. “Damn the consequences! Damn what’s right or wrong.”
“I…” Her eyes fixated on his lips, and again, it wa as if fire licked her skin. She wanted to know how it feels to be kissed by someone like him. She wanted to be owned. She only felt that kind of urge toward Richard and not just in any man.
She closed her eyes. She knew it was wrong. She was getting married. Even though there's a hand pushing her toward him, she should not give in to temptation. The consequence was just too big.
“Esmeralda, Esmeralda…” she heard him uttered. “Even this once, do something that could make you happy. Tell me what’s on your mind. No one will know. It’ll be just the two of us.”
His voice sounded tempting. Esmeralda lifted her gaze and met his smoldering look. As though he was trying to discover her heart's truest desire. And for a long time, no one had asked her what she really felt, what could really make her happy. It was the first time someone took an interest in her.
And that very moment, she wanted to be free. She forgot all her worries and fears. That moment, she was not a good sister, a helpful neighbor, or a reliable friend. She just wanted to be Esmeralda.
She licked her lower lip and bravely lifted her arm. She caressed Richard’s face with a trembling hand. She was barely breathing. She just wanted to know how it felt to touch the man who treated her as a woman for the first time in her life.
There were tiny bolts of electricity that trailed from her finger when their skins finally touched. She heard him gasped. She flinched and pulled her hand away. Maybe he did not like what she was doing.
He caught her hand at once and put it back on his face. “Touch me. Touch me anywhere. I like it,” he uttered in a husky tone.
She took a deep breath as her fingers traced his lips. It was warm and soft, promising her a mind-blowing kiss. A kiss. Aiden had never kissed her before. It was all a kiss on her cheek or at the corner of her mouth. She did not feel any curiosity. But how does it really feel?
Her heart pounded. Would Richard like the idea?
“Tell me what you want, Esmeralda,” he commanded in a seductive voice. His eyes fixated on her lips. “Do what you want.”
She held on to his shoulders. She opened her mouth to speak what she wanted, but she was scared that she’ll lose the courage or he’ll refuse her. She tiptoed and pressed her lips against him. The kiss started as light. She did not know what to do. She was hoping he would respond to her kiss.
Richard cupped her face as if he was very cautious with her. Then his lips moved slowly, savoring the kiss. But there was no doubt that he wanted to make her feel that she was a beautiful woman and attractive. His lips encouraged her to open her mouth, and his tongue explored as it went deeper.
It was all new to her. She felt her knees weakened. She clung to him tightly and allowed herself to be carried away with every sensation he was giving her. It did not matter if she was drowning in his arms. She did not care.
“You are beautiful. You are a sensual woman. This is how it should be, Esmeralda. Does he make you feel this way? Does he make you feel like I do? I very much doubt it.”
He. Was he referring to Aiden?
The magic disappeared when she opened her eyes and realized she just gave in to lust. Even though she had no feelings for Aiden, he was still her future husband. They may not be in love with each other, but she was still cheating when she let another man kiss her, right?
Esmeralda felt like a bucket of cold water was poured on her. She pushed Richard by his chest. He stared at her in shock when he felt her resistance. “Why?” he asked in an agonizing tone. As if she cut the remaining line that kept him alive.
Esmeralda shook her head and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry. What we did was wrong.”
He caressed her face. “Why? We did nothing wrong.”
She brushed his hand off and stared at him in teary eyes. “I’m marrying someone else, Richard. It’s wrong to ignore that fact,” she said and opened the door. She ran back to her room and did not bother to turn the lights on.