Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 10: Prey

What a puzzle to the rest of us...

~~Ariadne~~

Ariadne woke to the sound of running water. It wasn't a sound she was used to hearing in a home at night, so she sat up curiously. What could that be?

She put on a robe and got out of bed, glad to be able to get up anyway. She was finding it difficult to sleep for some reason. The bed felt empty and cold, which was ridiculous. Just last night she'd been teetering on the edge of the mattress to try and keep away from Ominis, and now she yearned for him to be sleeping beside her. She was such a fickle thing.

But it didn't sound like rain... it was coming from the bathroom down the hall. How odd.

She heard quick breathing next, and sounds almost like someone was in pain. It sounded like Ominis! Oh that stubborn man, had he gotten up out of bed when he was still so sore?! He should be resting!

The door to the bathroom was cracked open, and she heard a rough growl from inside. Steam suddenly clouded out from the room, but she wanted to make sure he was alright. He was still hurt from the fight-

She covered her mouth to stop a gasp, the steam blocking her view, and the room was dark. The moonlight through the one lone window shone on him, his muscles of his back flexing and shifting with his movements as he groaned harshly, teeth clenched.

She'd never seen a man naked before, and her eyes were glued on him. The way his skin flexed over muscles as he shifted, his head leaning back as he let out another rough moan, the water falling over him before he leaned forward again. It was very obvious what he was doing, given the quick movements of his arm, but the steam and angle obstructed her view of much else.

She flushed bright red and fled back to the bedroom, feeling more flustered than ever before. She really shouldn't have seen that... but how was she to know he would be-

She hung up her robe quickly and climbed back into bed, deciding it would be best not to think about it. Yeah right, like that was going to happen. The image of him seemed etched into her mind, the rough sounds making her aroused like she'd never felt before.

She could still faintly hear him, her eyes widening as he let out a string of hissed and sounds. Oh Merlin- parseltongue? While-

She bit her lip and rolled onto her back under the covers, her eyes wide as another rough groan cut through the night. How was she supposed to deal with this? Her husband, pleasuring himself in the bathroom while she lay in bed. Etiquette should say she should be furious, but... they weren't ready for something like that. They'd only just established a friendship.

And what will people think of my disobedient wife? They may think I'll have to punish her to get her into line.

She let out a rough breath as she remembered the tease, her hand running down her side as she felt a burning need to be touched.

Okay... maybe a bit more than just friends... because she didn't think friends thought about each other like this. Then again she didn't have much experience in either case.

She'd often experimented with herself alone in the dark, but it had never been like this.

She pulled her nightgown up under the covers, her hand slipping between her legs as she panted softly, knowing she would have to keep quiet while he was up. She couldn't help herself though. The image of him leaning his head back like that, a groan torn from him from under the water-

She heard her breath grow rough in the quiet room, her fingers slipping along her folds and clit to pleasure herself. That wicked smile... the image of him defending her, such confidence and strength in him during that fight. The subtle teases they'd already shared, the little banter they'd begun.