Morphed into Love, Book 2

16 - The Nighttime Proposal

RONAN

I'd successfully fought off Dido with words, albeit likely ruining my chances of bedding her tonight but it was a sacrifice I begrudgingly made for the sake of one-on-one time with Ophelia. Emphasis on the begrudgingly, because whilst I held no romantic notions towards Dido, she did a fantastic job at distracting me from my... Unexplored feelings towards Ophelia.

Hence the need for sex. It kept my head clear and reminded me that I was acting, I wasn't actually attracted to Ophelia.

But then it begged the question as to why, when I glanced at Ophelia and saw a glimmer of upset in her eyes, did my chest tighten?

"Did Dido's rudeness sadden you?" I asked. Ophelia had the capacity to be a ruthless and powerful leader, but I'd grown to realise she was still quite sensitive at heart.

"Not quite." Ophelia turned slightly away from me, our knees no longer touching.

"... Have I saddened you?"

"No." Said with absolute defiance yet little conviction, she still had to work on that.

"What have I done now, did I accidentally step on your gown and dirty it?" I scoffed, but Ophelia didn't find me very funny, "Mind, I suppose it wouldn't be the first time I've ruined a dress of yours—"

I clipped the sentence prematurely when Ophelia gave me a murderous look.

She remained silent for the next five minutes and I quickly realised I had upset her. Over what? I wasn't sure. Taking refuge in her silence wasn't what it had once been though, I no longer drew happiness from Ophelia's bouts of quiet.

I wanted her to talk.

And just as the announcer began explaining the itinerary for the day, she did.

"Ronan..."

"Yes, little elf?"

"I'm wondering, is sex..."

My eyebrows almost flew off my face.

"... Addictive?" She finished.

I couldn't quite believe my ears. Hearing such a suggestive question coming out of that saint's mouth was shocking. Almost as shocking as it was arousing.

'Arousing?' Pull yourself together.'

Acting. It was an act. I couldn't have her even if I wanted her, which I didn't. I did not.

"Why do you ask?"

Ophelia blushed, fiddling with the tulle of her gown, "You just seem to have an awful lot of it."

Is that what she thought? That I was some sort of crazed sex addict?

I paused before I answered. Was sex addictive? Not in the literal sense of the word, no. I enjoyed sex, and because I enjoyed it I accessed it whenever I felt like it. But I could live without sex with little qualms, I'd never been so obsessed with a woman that I felt as though I had to have her. I never allowed myself to develop attachments to women anyway, so I supposed I didn't know what it felt like to be truly addicted to something. Someone.

"Sex is fantastic, little elf." I smirked, winking at her and making her blush, "For some, it's addictive. Not for me, necessarily."

"But you said even if Dido wasn't in your chambers tonight, someone else would be?"

Undeniable pride bloomed in my chest, my eclipsed darkness shadowed her light when unruly thoughts raced through my mind. I could've been imagining things, but I almost swore I detected a hint of...