Chapter Seventy-Two | Your Heartbeat
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"Well, I assume this leaves me to nanny duty," Kyri sounds off behind us.
My attention swings to her figure as she strides toward Delano and me from the other side of the room, her presence momentarily forgotten throughout our interaction. My cheeks flush with embarrassment at the thought of her being an onlooker. I shake a few flyaways to cover my cheeks, turning to face her fully. Cassius and Adelia were cradled together in her arms sound asleep due to the length of our practice.
"Which I don't mind," she smiles, coming to stand before us and adjusting the diaper bag along her shoulder.
I reach forward to take Cassius, our transition swift and quick, careful not to wake him. "Are you sure? If I would have known something like this would pop up, I would have summoned Audrey and we wouldn't have been here as long." I ramble.
She waves her free hand, dismissively. "It's fine! I wish to spend time with my niece and nephew."
Delano takes a step forward, urging for his daughter as Kyri passes her to him. I watch as the same gentleness that appears in his eyes when they land upon my own being forms the second she's laid into his arms; his face dips to press a kiss onto her cheek and neck, his nose flaring as he inhales her scent. My heart fills with warmth at the sight.
"Well," I start up after a moment, "we need to stop by the room for a quick wardrobe change for myself, so, Delano and I will walk along with you."
"That's fine with me."
Her words linger as we exit the training room, passing over the threshold. A coolness that lives within the manor glides over my exposed skin. Delano's wandering gaze plays a record in my thoughts as I try to configure what ideas his eyes portrayed of me at that moment. The silence granted between us leaves me to dive further into my thoughts as a hint of anxiety begins to sink in the wedges of my chest, the simple thought of actually accompanying him to a meeting with others like us.
This is something I've wished for. To be included in the commencing of how to handle the foreseen threat that hangs over the kingdom. 'So why..'
A weight that has made home on my shoulders returns. I gently roll them as if the mental weight pressing them down was physically bounded. The walk back to the bedroom didn't dawdle on for too long as we curved a corner and down a familiar hallway, the twinkle of the night-lit sky shining through the curtains. The twins woke shortly before we reached the door.
Kyri reaches the door handle before I can, ushering us inside. I make my way towards the twin's crib, Cassius coos as I settle him down, my fingers caressing the bloat of his cheek that breaks with a salvia-covered grin. Delano's presence evades the bubble between the both of us as he sets Adelia down as well. His warmth momentarily causes me to lose focus. No matter the length of time he's near me, I tend to lose a sense of reality, his smell clogging my pores.
He's becoming more and more irresistible.
"I think they need their diaper changes," I say aloud to bring myself back to planet now.
Delano suddenly cuts his gaze to glance at me all while Adelia takes the chance to declare her father's hand as a new teething toy. He sizes me for a moment, those eyes glittering with emotion. Before he could conjure any words, Kyri's smaller frame wedges between us.
"I'll take care of it, with Delano's help of course," she announces, coming around to place the diaper bag down beside the changing table.
A very unusual noise between a snort and laughter escapes at the sudden shift in his features. Though I don't fault him for the look particularly, the times he had come around to help when his duties weren't such pressing matters. The light knocks on the door in the middle of the night after enduring minutes to hours of struggling to get the twins to sleep through the night.
How the moment his face revealed itself from the shadows of the room, a sense of relief would immediately flood me.
Delano's mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, his eyes relaxing when he realized that there was nothing for him to say. He fixated his gaze on me once again.
"Go ahead, there's no rush."
Skimming over them one last time, I shift and make my way to the walk-in closet, my reflection in the mirror along the wall mimicking my notions as I glide by and through the threshold of the connected room. My fingers brush over different fabrics of gowns and dresses that have been provided to me.
"Delano. . what in the holy world are you doing?" I could hear Kyri mutter.
"Changing a diaper."
She clicks her tongue, "Of course. I mean, why do you have the diaper so far up her back? she's gonna leak out the sides."
The rumble of clothing and a diaper unwrapping echoes in the quarreling sibling's atmosphere. My ears perk at the noise of Kyri shoving Delano and the shuffling of his feet as he's pushed. I could only envision the look on his face —brows furrowed and lips tighten in a scowl— the simple image compels a soundless laugh from me.
After moments of scavenging and feeling like there was a ticking time bomb to find the perfect outfit, I finally settled for something that caught my eye.
It was simple, in my opinion, a sheer black and red lace off-shoulder sleeved dress. It was made of silk, the second layer of fabric designed like a vine of roses around the neckline, giving it the illusion of see-through. It gently clung to my frame, the hem of it dipping into a low, polite v-line that stretched out into the sleeves that tightens around my wrists and flared out— the length of its material tickled the tops of my feet.
I admire myself through the bathroom mirror, the change of environment lighting compliments the paleness of my skin with the hues of the dress.
I frown at my reflection, my disheveled look from training still intact. I run my fingertips through my hair to untangle a few knots, letting the natural wave of my hair flow as I decide on a messy side part. Cassius's abrupt cry brings me out of the bathroom to a red-faced baby.
"What's the matter?" I press, placing a hand on the wall for balance as I push my feet into a pair of heels.
"He's most likely hungry," Delano answers, his back to me as he hands Cassius off to Kyri.
"Are you ready?"
The end of his sentence runs as he finally swivels around to meet my gaze. The expansion of his pupils and the sharp rise of his chest sends a deep satisfaction ringing through my veins.
"I'm ready," I grin in response as he stalls in his footsteps.
Playfully swishing my dress snaps him out of his trance. He clenches his jaw before placing one of his hands in his pocket, he strides forward without a word besides a lingering glance as he sweeps by me. Something within me purrs, the deep satisfaction that settles as the limitation of his control begin to crack. Smiling, I turn my attention to Kyri as she feeds the twins simultaneously and bid her our farewells.
Pivoting on the balls of my feet, I bring myself to the entrance of the door allowing the dress to glide behind like a veil. He stands outside the room, holding the door ajar.
•••
Delano took the lead the minute we stepped out into the hallway, guiding us down the familiar path that led to the stairwell. Our silence leaves me to finally unwind the seriousness of his invitation to this meeting. Though it will finally silence the ever-growing curiosity about the situation behind Victoria's attack, I can't wonder if it'll provide a solution to the safety of my children. My heart twists gruesomely at the vanished memory of them being not within reach and used as leverage against me.
I've settled over the concept that there is nothing left to whimper over, the life I once lived ended the moment I knew the existence of our children. Long after accepting this newly created side of me, I want nothing more than to provide a safe haven for my offspring, even if it meant fighting teeth and nails to deliver the outcome.
I couldn't help but wonder where that left me. My gaze slides to Delano's back, tracing the broadness of his shoulders and the bulk in his arms. He's claimed me in front of his people, all well aware of the little ones he has created; the 'runaway' prince coming home with a family. My mind races to uphold who he has made me out to be. Though he has not directly asked me, I can't help but question the underlying premise of his thoughts.
Venturing and weaving our way through the floor plan of the castle, moonlight beams through the glass planes, the forever darkness bringing beauty to the kingdom lights. Shadows of the window structures paint the carpeted ground, our shadows following close behind. My pace matches with Delano's strides, still allowing him to guide me as we pass by butlers and maids zipping in and out of rooms in the midst of their chores.
Some come to a stop to bow, the corners of my mouth lifting in a greeting— their eyes following us out of range. With nothing more than to admire the beauty of the hall's interior, I wander back to observe Delano from the backside. The possibility of each encounter leaving me more breathless than the last, our atoms seem to become hyper-aware of our existences near one another.
He seems to unknowingly cause a tremble in my fingers as they vibrate with the desire to lay upon his skin, to explore, and to cherish every moment. As many times before, the air between us electrifies almost as if we're contemplating on the same wavelength.
My breathing increases slightly, the bottom of the stairs in view. We soundlessly reach them and follow them up to the second level, the moment seemed to slow and stretch on with each passing second, his scent engulfing in its space. I climb the steps with my left hand grasping at the fabric of my clothing to keep it from catching in my heel while my other hovered over the railing.
Delano reached the top before I did. He whips around and extends a hand to help me up the last few steps. My hesitation was evident but didn't last a second longer, my palm coming to rest within his. A fire ignited the second we touched, and the contact seemed to be the last straw straining his control as his features shift into a rugged, lust-ridden one. He yanks me up the last few steps with ease, flushing my body against his, our forms molding perfectly together.
He pressed us as physically close as we could be. A breathless gasp leaves the seams of my lips at the sudden movements, his hands coming to cup my face — relenting in their roughness and warmth— before sealing our lips together.
The kiss was earth-shattering. One of his hands leaves the side of my face to trail down to my neck where he grips my throat. My heart burns with passion and desire, trickling out of the cracks of the organ and seeping into the veins of my being. Our breaths mingle together, his chest rubbing against mine in the process of pushing me to a nearby wall, the fabric and friction cause my nïpples to erect.
My arms throw themselves around his shoulders the instant we made contact, reeling him in closer, my hands tracing up into his hair. His lips massage mine open with a grunt, the sound sending a rush of wetness to the slit of my core. He grips a thigh to wrap it around his waist, bringing me closer to feel the gradually growing need between his legs.
"Fùck. . Delano. ." I moan as he finally releases me to trail kisses down the junction of my neck.
Immense pleasure removes any sense of reason, sparks flying at his touch. His lips trace up and down my neck, licking and nipping at the skin. The scrape of his fangs causes me to twitch, my hand flying up to grip the clothing of his bicep at the sudden twinge of pain. His hand caresses my thigh, slipping closer and closer to the opening of my dress.
"Wha. ."
My mouth flies open as he presses down on my clįt, swirling the ball of nerves with the pad of his finger. My eyes instantly shoot to capture his; they stare back, darkened with desire and unhinged control as his eyes hungrily search my expression. He rubs me through my panties, the material of them only intensifying his action as he picks up his speed; I can't help but sink my teeth into my lip to keep myself from crying out.
He watches me, rolling his finger in circular motions and devouring the way my body quakes beneath him.
"Delano. . god. ."
He makes the swift motion of lifting and pushing my panties to the side, the cool air hitting my bare wet pûssy as he glides his middle finger up and down my opening; my obvious excitement coating his finger. At that moment, before he could do anything further, something overwhelms me to find to push him away. I nearly buckle when I no longer have him holding me up, but I manage to keep myself upright— the wall as my support.
I take a moment to get my breathing under control, dully noting the ache in my gums. Delano stands before me in his glory, appearing monstrous with each breath dragging through his nostrils, his irises glowing with a hint of red swimming in the depths of them. The swirls of blue and red disappear as he closes his eyes, his jaw locking with concentration.
My legs tremble beneath me, nearly combusting at the contact with my willing and awaiting vagina. I straighten what I could of myself, a sense of embarrassment beginning to trickle in along with the pressing weight of reality. The reigns of self-control seemed to be nonexistent the moment we touched.
Delano looks calm, his clothes still ruffled and his hands frozen at his side. His expression revealed his exact thoughts, the ties to his own control not being as tight as he thought they were.
"I don't. ." I began to say, not sure what to say with the lingering serotonin evaporating.
"Mi dispiace," he apologizes, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "It seems like my mother and I left out a few details when explaining things."
[I'm sorry]
I could only raise a brow and watch him begin to straighten his collar and blazer from their wrinkled mess. The thought to help him arrives and immediately disperses that it wouldn't be such a great idea to touch him again so soon, no clue if stopping was reasonable.
"With you being my beloved, if we're apart for a certain amount of time our other halves begin to force us together."
"Oh?" I inquired, noticing the tips of his fangs peek from his slightly swollen lips.
"Being within the same vicinity as you, and for so long without satisfying the growing need to touch you - it was simply impossible to control myself."
I watch him, the burn in my chest long gone and the flared atmosphere between us dimmed to a sizzle. Knowing that the crackling electricity wasn't just a made-up figment but was shared mutually made me relax.
"Have no fear," he assures me, finally connecting gazes with me, "with the approval of the other party, there's a solution."
I cross my arms, "And that is?"
Within seconds, the same expression that makes a home on his face returns and I know that he's back. His eyes carry a gentleness as he regards me.
"We can speak later on the matter. Must we continue on?"
I size him, deciding against arguing for an answer knowing that we can't delay making it to the meeting any longer. Tonguing my cheek, I drag in a breath and nod, titling my chin and stepping forward to take the lead this time around.
We'll see about that.
•••
[ unedited ]
What time are you reading this?
Butt omg. Is this an update? I'm actually surprised myself, would you believe that it's been a year since the last official update, minus all the life updates in between.
I know 😩 life got in the way and I really neglected my stories and you all and I'm sorry for that. I really haven't had the juice to write, I definitely forgotten the plot to my own book and where I left off but thank god I write my ideas down 🤞🏽😣
If you all don't know already, I'm slowly converting this story into a 18+ one 😭 bare with me, I'm trying my best.
I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far and the chapter as well. I've decided to put all my other stories on hold and focus on this one til it's completed 🥹 I'm sorry again for disappearing
My recent job loss has definitely given me more time. 😊💟
If you aren't already, please follow me to be up to date posted on every upload, hope you all enjoyed can't wait to interact with you all ♥️♥️
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ps. this was the inspiration for her dress earlier