Translator: Nox

Chapter 21

She bit her lip, her words trailing off into a mumble. Her cheeks were flushed so deeply they couldn't possibly get any redder.

Of all things, why did that have to come to mind now? Vanessa fanned herself with her hand as if chasing away a hot breeze, trying to cool her burning face. Then, her eyes suddenly met River Ross's. His gaze was steady, as if he had been watching her quietly all along. The moment she realized it, her pulse throbbed through her veins as if she had just finished a long sprint.

“…….”

Vanessa panted, biting her dry lip. Just meeting his eyes made her feel a little breathless. If he looked at her like that, she really wouldn't be able to help herself….

“River.”

The moment she called his name anxiously, he rose from his crouched position. His wet hands, dripping with water, caught her chin and tilted it up. His thumb pried open her flushed lips, and then his own lips overlapped hers.

This time, it was deep, as if he wouldn't leave her even a moment's room to escape. Her tongue, running forward innocently as it was drawn in, was sucked Sweetly into his mouth. She couldn't think straight amidst the lewd sounds of wet flesh clashing, rubbing, and splashing together. Vanessa gripped his shirt, wrinkling the fabric.

River Ross stroked her trembling, feverish cheek with his thumb. His eyes, heated with a smoky desire, were rimmed with red. Everywhere he touched felt scorching.

“Hng….”

He nipped painfully at her soft earlobe with his teeth. His hand slipped inside her clothes, stroking her smooth waist. Vanessa bit her lip, barely swallowing a groan.

“Wa—wait a moment.”

He caught both of Vanessa’s wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head.

“Relax, Vanessa.”

Even as the man cast a massive shadow over her, reality didn't easily return. She couldn't even remember what this meant or what she was about to lose. All she could see were those blue eyes. Those handsome eyes, which had always been somewhat lukewarm, were slowly beginning to burn with desire. Vanessa swallowed a tremor, though she didn't know which of them it originated from.

“Do you want me to just do it without teasing you?”

Everywhere he touched was soft and warm, but looking at her, she seemed like a creature from another world. Like a siren, that seductive creature of legend. Just like her name.

“Vanessa.”

When he called her name in a low, sunken voice, her shoulders flinched. It was as if just being called by name was a profound source of shame. A sigh scattered over the woman's white cheeks.

“Get your wits about you and tell me what you want. Should I stop?”

It was only thanks to her stubborn pride that she managed to hold onto her reason.

“W-wait.”

Vanessa panted, pressing her body close to his.

“You can keep going. I was, just, a little surprised…. Now… I’m really ready.”

Taking a deep breath, the trembling woman released the strength she had been using to push against his shoulders. After a moment's hesitation, her hands fell, landing on the sheets with a soft thud.

A strange possessiveness raced down his spine. He could no longer deny this act, nor these endless, primal sensations. Perhaps he had sensed it from the very first moment he saw Vanessa—that one day, this woman would utterly ruin his life.

And now, he welcomed it.

***

Vanessa woke up as someone lifted her body. Her eyes felt stiff and hard to open, and her throat ached terribly. It felt as though every drop of water had been drained from her body from crying so much; she couldn't even wiggle a finger.

She rubbed her throbbing forehead against the chest of the person holding her. Why couldn't she just be left to stay unconscious like this…?

“You can’t. If you fall asleep like this, you’ll suffer from muscle pain.”

An answer came as if he had read her mind. When she let out a low groan in protest, a large, cool hand stroked her sweat-matted forehead. At the sensation of him gently touching her feverish skin, a pleasant moan escaped her lips involuntarily.

Vanessa finally managed to open her eyes just as they reached a bathtub with steam rising from it. River Ross easily supported her body with just one arm while he reached out to check the water temperature. Then, he slowly lowered her into the large wooden tub, still wrapped in the sheet.

“Hh.”

Vanessa swallowed a shallow, trembling breath along with the pain. As the hot water touched her skin, which was covered in nicks and bite marks, it stung unbearably. She tried to sit up, but her hands gripping the edge of the tub lacked strength, and she kept slipping.

“Try to show a little patience.”

His gaze, looking down at her with a calm indifference as if that pain had nothing to do with him, was aggravating. Vanessa looked at him with resentful eyes. Who was the culprit who caused this in the first place…?

Unlike her, who was practically a wreck, River Ross looked strangely energized. It seemed he had even busied himself with washing up while she was unconscious. Every time he moved, he smelled of high-quality soap.

“That’s enough…. I want to stop and get out.”

Her sunken voice came out in an unpleasant rasp. River Ross raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Why?”

“I feel like I’m going to die of exhaustion. Can’t we finish this after I’ve slept?”

“Just endure ten more minutes. If you still hate it then, we’ll stop.”

His voice was gentle, as if coaxing a throwing a tantrum child. Now that she looked, his expression seemed a bit softer than usual, too. As she stared at his face as if entranced, River Ross rubbed her cheek with a wet hand.

His touch was careful as he wiped away the dried white marks on her cheeks and neck. Like a lover—as if they were truly a couple in love. This kind of delusion didn't help her one bit. Vanessa turned her head away to avoid him and scooped up water with her own hands to splash over her neck.

At first, it had been nothing but stinging and burning. But once she adjusted to some degree, her stiff muscles began to relax one by one into a lethargic ease. River Ross’s hand, which had been kneading her tense shoulders, slid down into the water.

“Wait a moment.”

As if soothing her body which had recoiled reflexively, he patted her waist and stripped the wet sheet from her. His large hands moved smoothly through the water like they were swimming.

He caught Vanessa’s chin with a relaxed hand as she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Using his thumb to pry her teeth apart, he blocked her escaping moans with his own lips. His tongue slipped into the opening, entangling skillfully with hers. Feverish, hot breaths burst inside each other’s mouths.

Her head felt empty, as if it had gone blank. Unlike her, who could only pant while leaning against him, River Ross handled everything skillfully even in the midst of it. His touch as he pressed and massaged her knotted muscles was delicate, unlike a soldier’s. Or perhaps, because he was a soldier, he knew exactly where and how things were tense….

Vanessa surrendered her body and lips completely to him, overcome by a languid mood. River Ross’s hands were long and firm down to the last knuckle, and the pressure as he pressed and stroked her tingling back and waist was perfect. Most of all, his body temperature was so high that it felt hot even in the warm water.

Her vision went white for a moment before returning. She felt as if she had lost consciousness for a second. Her body, still heavy with the lingering afterglow of a climax, became wet easily no matter how he touched her. Vanessa forced her trembling eyes open.

“I want to get out.”

“Just a moment.”

“Liar. You… swindler.”

River Ross chuckled softly at the sharp accusation despite her being limp and exhausted. Vanessa leaned her weary head against the tub. No matter how she thought about it, that face was the culprit. Even when he did this to her, even when he went this far, her anger vanished the moment she saw his face.

“Stay still, Vanessa. Don’t move.”

“Why are you… acting so… kind?”

“Anyone would act like this if you were making a face like you’re about to die.”

He answered readily and gently rubbed Vanessa’s slumped shoulders and arms with a sponge. She liked it, yet it was embarrassing. And at the same time, she wanted to keep staying like this with him….

The moment she felt the edges of her emotions—which had been circling like a problem with no beginning or end—grow a bit deeper, Vanessa felt a faint sense of crisis, like an instinct. On impulse, she reached out and grabbed River Ross’s wrist.

“I’ll do it.”

“Why? You don't like it?”

“No. It’s just…. That’s enough, so give it here.”

“Alright, then.”

River Ross answered casually and stood up without a fuss. He skillfully organized the sponge and towel, placing them within her reach, and wiped the moisture from his hands.

“Finish washing up and come out.”