Chapter 101 - Upset?

Esme blinked. She backed away from him and he straightened up. 

Esme continued staring at the flowers. She did not pay him any attention nor did she bother to respond to his questions. 

Aleister was speechless. Earlier this day, she held his hand and dragged him to the dining room. But she was not even looking at him right now. 

''What happened?" He inched closer to her. 

Esme took two steps away from him. 

''Are you shy?" She must have fallen so deeply for him that she was unable to look at him now. Aleister sighed. 

When she heard that, Esme turned around to look at him, ''Why would I be shy?" 

''Because of your endless adoration for me?" 

The corner of her lips twitched, ''When did I say that I adore you?" 

''Exactly when you were not looking at me,'' he raised an eyebrow. 

Esme held her gown in her hand before she stepped closer to him. She pressed her palms on his chest and pushed him away with all her strength. 

He did not budge an inch from his spot. 

Displeasure flashed in her eyes and she was about to retract her hands when he grabbed both her wrists with one hand and pulled her closer. His other hand wrapped around her waist, ''You resemble a wild cat when you are angry.'' 

Esme struggled in his arms but the more she struggled, the more his grip tightened on her. 

His firm was enough to keep her in place but not enough to hurt her.

''Let go of me.'' 

''You approached me first, how do you expect me to let go of you?" the corner of his lips tugged when her eyes narrowed further. 

It was interesting to provoke her because he knew how to push her buttons. 

Esme could not deny it. Be it today or be it that day near the cliff, 7 years ago, it was her who approached him. Today, she wanted to vent on him and that day, she wanted to save him from those assassins. How naïve was she to think of him as a helpless poor boy?

''Did something happen? Someone made you upset?" he asked, his voice slightly cold. 

Esme looked into his ice-blue eyes, ''What if someone did? Why should I tell you? What will you do?" 

''I will tear them to pieces and feed them to scavengers. Would that suffice?" his voice was low and very casual, but his eyes assured his solemnity. 

''Tear yourself to pieces then,'' Esme spoke without missing a beat, her expression equally casual, ''The first person who made me upset is you.'' 

Aleister was stunned. He looked at her face for a moment before he ended up laughing, ''What am I supposed to do with you?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes, "Let go of me.'' 

''That can't be. Ask for something else,'' he shrugged, tightening his grip on her waist. 

Her body jerked towards him because of his action, ''Stop talking to me,'' Esme said emotionlessly, her voice slightly breathy. 

''Princess, you don't know how to ask for things,'' he pressed his forehead on hers, ''How about I offer you another chance, hmm?'' he whispered against her lips. 

Her eyes momentarily shifted to his lips and she stared at them, remembering the brief kiss that happened between them before. As his lips curved, she looked back into his eyes. 

''Now, this is the proper way of asking for things,'' he said. 

''No, I…'' 

The rest of her words were drowned somewhere the moment he cupped her face and sealed her lips with his. 

Esme was too stunned to react but as his lips moved slowly against hers, her heart fluttered. Her hand found its way back to his chest, not to push him away this time, but to hold his shirt. 

''Breath, Princess,'' he whispered, his warm breath tickling her lips. 

A soft gasp escaped her mouth when he captured it again. Starting with slow gentle strokes, his lips moved passionately against hers, turning all that gentleness in raw desire.

His lips devoured her roughly as his tongue thrust inside her mouth, teasing and stroking her tongue. 

He sucked her bottom lips and pulled back to look at her. 

The sight of her made his throat run dry. Her eyes were limpid as she looked at him with that sensual expression on her face. It was unintentional of course but it could not help the things she did to her. 

''Let's go to the room,'' he said, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear. 

''Why?'' Esme whispered, her gaze still stuck to his lips. 

Aleister watched as the tip of her tongue slowly peeked out and licked her bottom lips. If he had not known her better then he would have thought that she was seducing him. 

And hell, even that simple action of hers had him seduced completely. He wondered what kind of witchcraft was this.

''Because I don't want anyone to see you like this,'' he grabbed her wrist and effortlessly pulled her into his arms, pressing her head on his chest. 

''You said no one is around,'' Esme looked into his eyes. 

''Risks are inevitable.'' 

''I can hear the sound of their footsteps and tell you even before they come,'' her voice was soft and airy.

''Are you saying we should try things here?" He raised an eyebrow, ''I didn't expect you'd come to find this exciting.'' 

Her lips parted as she felt a suspicious warmth on her cheeks, ''Come, let's go to the room," he was twisting the meaning of her words.

She turned around, intending to walk inside but he held her hand and pulled her back into his arms, ''Certainly,'' he said and in the next moment, their silhouettes disappeared from the royal gardens. 

Esme opened her eyes and shook her head to wave off the dizziness. She did not expect that he will teleport them to the room so the sudden action caught her off guard. 

Feeling his strong arms around her waist, Esme realized the position they were in.. She quickly stepped back from him and turned her face towards the fireplace.