Chapter 74 - Mine

"Just say the word and I will do anything for you..." There was a hint of frustration in his eyes as he spoke.

A person who had been controlling everything all his life did not how to accept the feeling of being controlled by a woman who always pointed a sword at his throat.

But today, there was no going back.'

'I can carry your shoes if you want, I will help you bathe when you are tired...'' Her face flushed at his words but his jaws were taut, his mesmerizing eyes were dark as they held her captive, ''...And I will back you up when you need even if you are going against the whole world.''

''I-I...'' She averted her gaze, ''I think you are not thinking what you are talking about,'' she turned around to leave.

He caught her hand and twirled her around before pinning her to the wall next to them. He stepped closer to her but she placed her hands on his chest. 

He grabbed both her wrists and pinned them on the wall, his palm slowly glided upwards as he intertwined their fingers. 

As he leaned closer to her while lowering his head to look into her eyes, a few strands of his hair fell on her forehead, gently caressing her skin and her lashes fluttered, her breath hitched when a masculine faint scent of rosewood hit her senses.

''Let me say this again if you had trouble hearing it before,'' His tone was slowly softening unlike how cold it was before, ''I will do anything for you but you will only look at me,'' He let go of one of her wrists and shifted his hand to her face as he grabbed her chin, tilting her face upwards, ''No other man. You will only talk to me and touch me. No one else.''

Aleister felt like ripping everything off the moment he saw her protecting that man with her bare hands. He did not want her to do that for him, let alone any other man.

Those delicate fingers looked beautiful while caressing the petals of the roses, not when protecting a man's neck.

Even if they looked beautiful all the time, she was not supposed to place them on the sword for another man.

He had never been so easily provoked all his life. All the rage in his heart was enough to destroy everything but the moment he saw her lashes fluttering, her confused face... the sight of her pinned to the wall, waiting to hear the rest of his words, something seemed to have melted at the bottom of his heart. 

The control that she had over him seemed to be ridiculing him 'Huh, you want to be angry with her? Why don't you try?' It seemed to be taunting. 

And how ridiculous was that he was not annoyed. He was more than content with it. 

''You are mine,'' He said, enunciating each word as he spoke.

Her head snapped in his direction and her lips parted, ''I am not yours,'' her voice grew soft when his gaze turned intense. She gulped, her eyes darted from left to right, seeking an escape. 

''Then, you will eventually be mine,'' He whispered. 

Esme trembled when he leaned closer to her. The slight contact of his sharp jaws against her cheek seemed to have ignited a spark on her skin. 

''You are much more than my accomplice, or my lover under pretense, Esme,'' His cool lips grazed on her cheek and her neck arched, a weird sensation coursed through her nerves, shaking her determination to push him away. 

She felt her legs turning limp. He let go of the hand that he had pinned to the wall and caught her in his arms before she could slump on the floor, ''For someone who does not wants to be mine, you are too responsive to my touch,'' He whispered beside her ear as his lips caressed her earlobe. 

Esme's lashes fluttered and a soft noise escaped her mouth that sounded foreign to her ears. She snapped to her senses and his words started sinking in her mind. 

Aleister had one of his hands wrapped around her waist and the other was resting on the back of her neck with his fingers raking inside her hair. His warm breath near her ear was making her dizzy. 

''L-Let go of me...'' Esme mumbled and her fingers clenched his arm while she tried to stand properly. 

''If that's what you want,'' He let go of her all of a sudden. Esme lost balance as she was not steady in her footsteps but Aleister was quick to catch her before getting her back into his arms, ''You ask me to let go of you only to come closer to me. The adoration that you have for me leaves me at my wit's end,'' Gone was the solemn look in his eyes as he teased her, pushing her buttons playfully. 

Esme almost choked on the air. Someone save her from this shameless Prince. She wanted to scream. 

After a momentary conflict in her heart, Esme stabilized herself on her feet and she grabbed his hand before trying to step away from him. 

Of course, he let her do that as he loosened his grip around her waist but his intense gaze was fixated on her face.

Her cheeks were turned red and her beautiful eyes were covered in a layer of sheen while her unruly wine-shaded tresses framed her face messily. She was a sight that he had come to adore. 

Esme felt a bit fidgety under his gaze and without saying anything, she placed her palm on his eyes. As he blinked, she could feel his lashes caressing her palm reminding her of his hot breaths near her ear. 

She raised her other hand and softly patted her warm cheeks before tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked at the mirror on the wall opposite to the bed, making sure that she was not looking improper like before. She adjusted the upper part of her clothes. 

All this while, Aleister seemed quite obedient and patient as he did not do anything, letting her keep her palm on his eyes. For a fact, he liked the touch of her delicate palm on his face and he would not mind it on every other inch of his body. 

Unaware of his thoughts, Esme was relieved that there were no bold moves from his side. Atleast, he has some decency left.. Esme sighed.