𝐒𝐲𝐧 ┃𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

64. 𝐸𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔𝘩 𝑃𝑡. 1

May 13, 2023

Iris

I leaned my arms on the kitchen island, twisting my ring in my fingers as I blankly stared at the marble countertop. We were all here for Queen's sake but as Syn and she talked upstairs, everyone was left here to socialize and catch up. Everyone except me that is.

Introduce yourself.

That nagging thought was a persistent one but my legs refused to go anywhere besides this very spot. I had met Cain's father only once before today and it wasn't truly an introduction. He just happened to be in the palace during one of the balls Cain made me attend with him. The man was a stone wall and quite frankly he was intimidating to me. I mean, he was the first man on Earth.

He was a creature purely created in God's image whereas my kind was created purely for entertainment, manipulation, and art. I wasn't funny, could barely be tricked into anything...anymore. And I hardly considered myself to be beautiful despite my husband's thoughts so that crossed out art as well. I was just me. A fairy without wings. He couldn't have thought I was good enough for his son. I was sure that was why he never truly made a formal introduction.

My mind continued to fill with self-deprecating thoughts and I sighed. If Cain could hear the things I was thinking about myself...I shivered as I thought of his reaction, but my body slightly warmed as I let the thought float through my mind. Knowing him he'd spank the insecurities out of my body, which was enticing...but they always came back. My sadness returned at the thought and I blew out an exasperated breath.

I felt familiar hands snake around my waist and a firm body press against my behind. "What are you doing?" His deep voice hummed as he rested his chin on my hair.

"Just...standing here, I guess," I said shyly, trying my best to avoid the eyes of anyone that may have been looking in our direction.

"Standing here doing what?"

"Just standing, babe." I sighed, turning in his arms to look up at him. He looked down at me curiously, moving his hands to the countertop on either side of me, trapping me between them. "You should go back to your-"

"Standing here doing what, Iris?" He flexed his arms, lowering his face to mine and I took a shaky breath. We'd been married for months now, but there was no one else that set my nerves on fire as he did. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes looking deeper into mine, and bit the inside of my cheek. "You may not change colors anymore," he teased, "but you're still as easy to read, if not more. I was talking to everyone over there, but I could only focus on you and what was going on in that infuriating mind of yours."

"I promise everything is okay," I insisted. "Don't worry."

He sighed before rolling his eyes and looking away from me. When he looked back, his expression was replaced with complete and utter seriousness. "Do you want to know one of the many reasons I love you?"

"Hmm."

"With everyone around me, I have to decipher whether or not they're being honest with me. But with you, it's different. With you, your eyes..." He took my chin into his hand, forcing me to meet his eyes. His thumb gently touched my lips as his eyes fell on them and I held my breath. "...your mouth, your skin...your body. They tell me all the secrets that pretty ass voice of yours won't," he said smoothly. "So I'll ask one more time, love. Please don't piss me off..."