Garden Of Poison-Chapter 236: You, Me, and the Tree

There was an inch of space between their lips, yet Emily could feel the faint vibrations on her own, her lips reacting to Raylen’s proximity. One of her hands had instinctively moved behind her, as if seeking support from the tree’s rough bark.

"A little too close, isn’t it?" Emily asked him, and she couldn’t help but notice his blue eyes darken in response.

"Some things require you to get close to them in order to do them right," Raylen responded to her, and every word that left his lips seemed to land directly on hers.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from her, fixating on her large and beautiful hazel brown eyes focused on him, waiting in anticipation. He then blew a gentle breath of air onto her lips, eliciting a gasp from her.

Emily felt a tickle in her stomach, her foot drawing backwards to rest against the tree as they continued to gaze at each other. As per Raylen’s word, he refrained from touching her the entire time, yet she was more than conscious right now, keenly sensing his brooding presence enveloping her.

Her clothing started to dry from the hem of her dress, progressing slowly upwards, and Raylen didn’t rush the process. He intentionally took his time to ensure she felt aware of his presence until she could neither see nor feel anyone else. He realised how much he wanted to possess her entirely, and he inched dangerously closer while still not touching her.

But Raylen knew that if he tried to openly monopolise the princess, it would only alarm her and send her sprinting in the opposite direction. Subtlety was the key, he thought.

As if unable to maintain eye contact with his intense gaze, her eyes dropped before glancing to the side. Her cheeks had turned even rosier due to the cold, and her lips resembled a ripened apple, enticingly ready to be bitten. How had he missed seeing this before? It was probably because he had been so focused on regaining his powers through Dante’s awakening.

When Emily felt her dress and hair had dried, she noticed that Raylen made no attempt to move from where he stood. She said,

"Thank you for helping me dry."

For two seconds, Raylen remained silent, then he stated, "My intentions weren’t to help you dry, Princess, but quite the opposite."

The implication of his words was not lost on Emily, and for a brief moment, she felt her heart shudder, accompanied by a rush of blood up her neck. She evaded the topic by saying, "I don’t think being pushed into a lake is something I would be particularly thrilled about."

"I don’t think we need a lake to make you... drenched," Raylen replied, a saint-like smile gracing his lips.

Flustered, Emily placed her hands on his chest and attempted to push him away. She successfully managed to make him move one and a half steps before she found herself stumbling backwards against the tree. The archdemon had placed one hand on her shoulder while the other gripped the bark.

Raylen fed her the necessary fuel to kindle her imagination, knowing he needed to ignite the flames of desire within her for him, something she likely hadn’t even considered until he had confessed his interest in her.

"You gave me your word that you wouldn’t," Emily said, feeling his firm grip on her shoulder.

"I did," Raylen agreed with a hum, "but you broke it first by touching me."

"The word you are looking for is push—"

"Still counts as touching," Raylen stated, not wanting to return to the carriage. He went on, "When someone is touched by the person with whom they are captivated, it leaves a burn, Princess. One that aches deep within. Now why would you put me through such misery, hm?"

"You look anything but miserable," Emily pointed out. She involuntarily gulped when he once again moved closer to her.

"That is because I am very good at concealing it," Raylen responded. The smile had disappeared from his lips. "Much like how I have been yearning to drink from you. Like how I want to crush you between this tree and me."

Emily’s mind stopped working at his bold and unfiltered words. She began, "The women you have been involved with must not have minded it, but you really shouldn’t be saying such things to me. I will—"

"Stab me? Your dagger is lying on the ground over there if you want to do that," Raylen taunted.

"I won’t refrain from hitting you," Emily warned him, and Raylen caught sight of the fire in her eyes, which only excited him.

Raylen’s head tilted, and he stated, "You will only end up hurting yourself if you attempt it. But if you want to try—"

Emily raised her hand, but before it could make its way towards Raylen, he swiftly captured her wrist and brought it above her head, pressing it firmly against the tree. His action caused her heartbeat to quicken, and she heard him murmur,

"Caught you."

Emily didn’t struggle because she knew that it would only fuel the archdemon. If she had the opportunity, she would have him swim through a lake of holy water to cleanse the provocative words that sometimes left his mouth.

They were fortunate that there was no one around, or more accurately, no one alive to witness the compromising position they shared in the deserted forest with the snow continuing to fall around them.

When Raylen leaned towards her, with his face angling closer, she whispered, "I will kill you."

"You are already killing me." Raylen’s words brushed against her ear.

And as firm as his hand was that gripped her wrist, Emily found his words surprisingly gentle. Words that somehow seemed comforting and enough to distract her.

"I am thirsty," Raylen whispered, and the next moment, Emily felt him bite her ear, making her wince.

Her hand shot to the front of his shirt, crumpling it as Raylen sensually sucked on her tender earlobe. She found this act to be far more intimate than when he had bitten her hand or neck before, and this bite didn’t feel as gentle as his words.

Emily’s heartbeat accelerated further, her breath becoming laboured as her entire body heated up in response to the teasing ministration of his wicked lips. He continued to suck on her ear, briefly pulling away before resuming his sensuous assault.

Raylen didn’t take as much of her blood as he had before, but just a sip. Enough to quench his thirst and satisfy his soul that had the urge to bite her. His hand released hers, and he gave her earlobe a languid lick, smiling at the hitch in her heart.

Sensing him release her wrist, Emily quickly retracted it and stepped away from him, turning so that her back was facing him.

"W—we should return to the castle. My mother will be worried," Emily said, concealing her ear behind her hair. She began to walk, pausing briefly to pick up the dagger and making her way to the carriage, while Raylen watched her, licking his lips.

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Tomorrow there will be more content, thank you for your patience <3