The Villainous Lord's Obsession

11.

I have no idea if it was the fact that Karden had just addressed me as his woman, or, if it was the tone he used, or perhaps, it might even be the way his tunic clung onto his frame despite the blood I noticed drenched towards the part he was injured.

Regardless of what it was, however, I couldn't take my eyes off him. As much as I couldn't help the turmoil at the pit of my stomach.

This wasn't who I was. And certainly, not the type to drool on a man as monstrous as Karden. If it was Lancelot, I wouldn't have bothered one bit, because truth be told, he was so hot!

But Karden? No. Definitely not what I was looking forward to. Because who in their right senses drool over a cold blooded villain that mostly kills for fun besides his duties?

'Just you, Miriam. Just you.'

"I asked you a question!" He thundered, taking slow steps towards us.

As swiftly as Lancelot had placed his hand on my back, he dropped it. And as though I was something he should avoid, he took a few steps away from me.

"Forgive me, Master. I was merely trying to show Miss her way."

"And you couldn't do that without placing your filthy hands on her?" He gritted, finally stopping before us. He used his free hand to swipe the hair threatening to cover his eyes, and pinned Lancelot with his green eyes.

"Again, I ask for your forgiveness, Master. I didn't..."

"The next time you dare lay your hands on her, I'll make sure you never get to use them ever again." With his free hand, he pulled me flush to his side, and I found myself leaning against his sweaty body. His musky scent filled my nostrils, and I couldn't help but draw in a deep breath just so I could take it in even more.

He smelled nice. Sweaty and all.

"She is my betrothed. And I'll be damned if I sit back and watch you disrespect her!" He added, the veins in his neck popping.

"Karden," I hissed. I was done being silent while he treats me like I am his property.

"Do not say a word," he hissed back, bringing his face flush against mine. Considering our height difference, he had to lean a bit, which caused him to wince a bit as I was sure he strained his wound. His voice was low, so low that no one would be able to hear what he was saying. "Remember, you are my intended," he whispered, bringing his blood stained hand to push away a brown curly hair that had fallen to my face.

"Would it make any sense if I simply watch another man touch you without doing anything?"

"He wasn't doing anything!" I seethed. "Besides, he touched my body, not yours. I am very capable of taking care of myself."

"I suppose you have forgotten that you are under my protection for as long as you remain here? It is part of our deal. Don't fight it, Miriam," his cold blood stained fingers brushed my cheeks, "I am sure you like this protective side of me."

I struggled, I really did struggle to hold my tongue back. But I couldn't. I suppose he figured I was about to yell something he wouldn't want anyone to hear, which was why he did the unexpected.

Karden crashed his lips against mine. Hard, but unmoving. He simply stood with me pressed flush to his side, with his other hand on my cheeks, and his lips on mine. Yet, he wasn't moving them.

I desperately wanted him to move them. I wanted to, at least, experience what it was like to kiss a villain once in my life. I wanted to feel his lips move against mine, to perhaps feel the spark I couldn't find with the men that had tried kissing me in the past.

But somehow, as though he knew I was yearning for him to move his lips against mine, he simply stood still. Just like a statue.

Realizing that he wouldn't move his lips, I brought both of my hands to his chest in an attempt to push him away. He didn't move an inch, instead, he moved his head a bit as though he was enjoying the kiss that was non existent, and moaned into my mouth.

What the heck?

It dawned on me then, that he was trying to put up a show before Lancelot. But shouldn't he put on a real show if he wanted it to look real?

Annoyed by his antics, I summoned as much energy as I could and forcefully pushed him away.

Lancelot still stood rooted in his position, but he had his head bowed down. Sahra stood behind him. Although her head was bowed as well, I could see her struggling to peek a look towards us, and the edge of her lips was tilted up in what seemed to be like a suppressed smile. I took small strides towards him and only stopped when I was close to him. As close as he was to me a few moments ago.

"Thank you for your offer, Lancelot. I'll love a tour of the manor as soon as I'm done taking care of your master," being the rebellious person I was, I subtly brushed my fingers on his shoulders and watched as his eyes glowed with something new.

He liked it. And he would be the perfect candidate to use in riling Karden up whenever I want to.

"Thank you. I'll see you later."

"You are welcome, Miss," he said softly, bowing a little.

"Oh, Sahra?" I called the girl standing behind. "Stay close. I will need your help."

"As you wish, Miss."

I turned to a furious Karden, whose eyes swung non-stop from my face to Lancelot's. His fists were balled tightly, and a grim look settled on his face.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Dude," I murmured softly, but loud enough for Lancelot to hear me. I had no idea how I did it, but my voice drifted across so sensuously that one would assume I was totally whipped towards Karden, and that the name I just called him, was the perfect name a woman would use in addressing her betrothed.

And not as insulting as I intended it to be.

Luckily, he didn't say anything and took my hand that had been stretched towards him before we began walking.

Neither of us said a word until he pushed me into his study and slammed the door.

"What was that?" he snarled, as he stood before me with his hands on his waist. He towered above me, his green eyes had a darker shade to them, and his jaw taut and hard.

"What was what?" I fired back, crossing my hands across my chest.

"That stunt you pulled back there," he gritted, pointing outside with his fingers.

"I did? Or perhaps, you did?" I snapped, finally letting go of all my pretense. "You think it was fine to just casually place your lips against mine without my consent?"

"I was merely trying to..."

"And you didn't just do that, you had to stay rooted in your position as though you had your lips pressed on a wall without moving!" I yelled. 

Who was I kidding? I deliberately played that little game with Lancelot just so I could get a reaction from him as well. I was beyond pissed when he didn't move his lips. It made me think that I was not the type of woman he'd normally kiss, and made me wonder what my lips did wrong.

Or what I did wrong. Made me wonder if my mouth smelt. Or so.

In that little moment he had his lips pressed against mine, I had desperately hoped he'd move them. At least, allow me to get a whiff of what kissing him would be like.

But he didn't. The stone-headed, egoistic b.astard simply stood still. As though he was kissing a damn tree!

Who was I kidding? I was livid!

"You..." he began, but suddenly stopped. I was breathing heavily from my outburst, but Karden simply stood staring at me, as though I had grown another head.

"You tried to kiss me without my consent, and then you attacked my lips with the worst type of kiss I had ever had the pleasure of experiencing!" I yelled again, pressing my index finger on his chest. "I was right. You don't have talent at anything except a lousy smooch."

"Miriam..."

"It is no wonder that most of your women would rather find comfort around Lancelot than..."

"Miriam!" The loud boom of his voice stopped me from saying anything more. The look in his eyes told me I had crossed a line I shouldn't have, and so, I began taking slow steps back until I hit the wall. 

"No more places to run to?" He asked tersely, placing both of his hands on either side of the wall, completely keeping me in the little space that was between us.

"I want to go back to my room."

"Why?" He asked. "Why would you want to leave now?" Then he chuckled. A soft rumble from his stomach that caused his mouth to stretch a bit, and have him swallow down his throat. It also caused him to wince a bit. 

"If any of the women that had been here ever spent some time with Lancelot, it is because I had nothing more to do with them," he said in a matter of factly tone. "Now, let's talk about us."

"There's no us!"

"Of course there is. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this angry."

"At the prospect of us?" I asked in confusion.

"At the prospect of what happened outside."

"Oh. That. I am angry because you didn't ask for my consent before you unceremoniously pressed your unmoving lips against mine. Nothing more." I couldn't help using the sarcastic tone I used.

"No. You are angry because I didn't move my lips after pressing them against yours," He said with a smug smile. "Your words, not mine." He added, the smug smile stretching even more.

I wish I was close to horse dung. Nothing, I mean absolutely nothing would've stopped me from shoving some down his throat just to wipe off the smug smile off his face.

The infuriating b.astard.

I didn't say a word as I watched his eyes dance lazily across my body, back to my face, the smile never leaving his lips. I just made the biggest mistake of my life. Allowing Karden to know I had wanted a kiss from him.

But that doesn't mean he has to know I truly wanted it, does he? With that thought set in mind, I straightened up, masking my face with the best casual 'I don't care' look I could muster, and stared back at him.

"I had assumed wrongly then," he grinned, making it impossible for me not to imagine him taking a morning walk with Lottie with that grin on his face. "I thought you were pissed because I did it without your consent."

"I was."

"That wasn't what you just said. Yes, you were at first, at least, until you understood I wasn't going to kiss you like you wanted. That I wasn't moving my lips."

"I never wanted a kiss from you!"

"Oh yes, you do. It was why you constantly refer to it as a lousy smooch, just so I would get pissed in the end and show you how it is really done."

"I..."

"I can do that since that's what you want."

"I am not in... do that?" I asked, my heart thudding loudly against my chest.

"I can show you how it is done."

"Move back, Karden."

"All you need to do is," he inched his face closer, his hot breath fanning my face and the smell of blood got stronger. "Relax and enjoy it."

"I have no interest. Now, move." I said, slowly cursing myself for having my voice flatter at the prospect of him actually kissing me now.

"You clearly weren't saying that a few moments ago." He insisted. This time, with the right move, Karden's lips would be on mine in no time. "You are going to love it. This I promise you."

"You are so self-centered!"

"I am. That is who I am. But right now, I am putting your demands first above mine."

"I never asked you to kiss me!"

"But you are angry that I didn't. Let me make up for that," he lightly brushed his lips against mine, causing a sudden jolt down my spine. "Let me show you how real men behave."

"And how do they behave?" I asked softly, my treacherous eyes constantly dropping to Karden's plump full lips.

"I didn't move my lips outside because I didn't ask for your permission. I was only trying to stop you from ruining the show of you being my betrothed, and making them believe we are both besotted with each other. Now that I am sure you want me to kiss you, I do not plan on holding back."

"What if you fail?" I asked, too softly to come from a person, who wants the orc in front of them to go back to their cave. I cleared my throat and forced myself to meet his eyes with, what I hoped was, a fierce look."What if you fail in proving that you are a good kisser and not just good at placing lousy smooches and being so full of yourself?"

"What if I prove I can?" His voice dropped to an octave. "What if I make you moan a few seconds into the kiss?"

It was a dare. And a bait. Karden was trying to bait me into doing this. However, despite the voice in my head telling me to stop, I didn't. I'd be damned if I let him win this.

If he was going to make me moan in seconds, I plan to make him lose it in seconds as well. Let's see who ends up winning.

"Is that a dare?"

"No. Just a man trying to make his betrothed feel good."

And before I could reply, he sealed my lips with his. This time though, he didn't stay unmoving. 

He was moving too slow, yet sensuously licking the seam of my lips without deepening it. My legs were shaking. I was practically losing it over a simple lick of his tongue against my lips.

Miriam, you are a mess!