Chapter 53

Terror coursed through Elena as she felt a strange sensation take hold of her body. The fear was a tumultuous storm – a primal urge to flee warring with an unfamiliar but thrilling yearning to experience more.

A voice slithered into her ear, hot and possessive. “Haa, Elena, surrender. Give yourself entirely to me. No one can claim you like I can.”

Kennard groaned, then his lips were on hers in a bruising kiss. His tongue, insistent and bold, explored the depths of her mouth.

Elena, caught in a maelstrom of conflicting emotions, wrapped her arms around his neck, a muffled whimper escaping her throat.

Kennard’s relentless tongue seemed to leave no corner of her mouth unexplored. Whenever she dared to retreat, his own tongue would chase and entwine with hers, a dance of dominance and exploration.

“Your Grace…” A strangled cry, half plea, half protest, died on Elena’s lips as she snatched back a gasp of air.

His hand splayed across her bre*st, the large palm encompassing and kneading it with a startling mixture of force and tenderness. It was a shocking intimacy; even Kyura, witnessing her in the most vulnerable moments, had never breached this boundary. To imagine Kennard, of all people, exploring this private territory sent a jolt of arousal mixed with a flicker of shame through her.

“I told you to gain some weight,” Kennard murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips as he brushed his mouth against hers. “Though, it seems only your bre*sts and buttocks have benefited.”

His grip tightened on her bre*st as he simultaneously spread his fingers wide, capturing the swell of her buttocks. He pressed himself closer, his touch firm yet deliberate.

“Ngh, Your Grace!” Elena moa*ed, a tremor running through her body. A warmth bloomed within her, spreading outward.

Kennard continued his ministrations, his hand cupping and caressing her bre*st, the thin chemise bunching beneath his touch. The rustle of fabric mingled with their escalating moa*s, a symphony of intimacy.

“They’ve gotten firmer,” he noted, his palm rolling over her erect n*pple before a playful tug and flick of his fingers.

“Oh, Your Grace… That feels… different. Please, enough,” Elena gasped. The flimsy chemise did little to hide the intense pleasure Kennard was eliciting.

As if sensing her discomfort with the flimsy barrier, Kennard’s mouth descended, silencing her plea with a kiss as his hand slid down her shoulder. His intent was clear – to remove the chemise.

“No, wait,” Elena pushed him away, clutching the garment to her chest. The wide, plunging neckline offered little security, threatening to reveal everything with the slightest shift. Her usual loose-fitting attire, chosen for comfort due to hidden wounds, became a source of anxiety.

Taking a step back, she held the chemise in place, desperately trying to maintain her modesty. But a gasp escaped her lips when Kennard fully disrobed, revealing a sculpted form unlike anything she’d ever witnessed. It was her first encounter with the unadorned male physique, and it was clear this was no ordinary man.

His physique, large, solid, and imposing, seemed impervious to harm, a fortress unyielding even to a blade. Yet, there was a beauty in its strength. Scars, like a warrior’s map, etched across his body spoke of battles won and vulnerability embraced. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, his gaze on Elena a furnace of raw desire.

“Embarrassed?” he rumbled.

Embarrassed, mortified even, she couldn’t utter the truth. Exposing her own body felt like a transgression, but the scars that marred her flesh were a deeper source of shame. She dreaded his revulsion, a fear that twisted like a serpent in her gut.

But Kennard’s words surprised her. “A flimsy barrier can’t keep us apart.”

He swept his hair back in a rough gesture, then stalked towards her, each deliberate step closing the distance. The musk radiating from him intensified, a heady perfume that stole her senses, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

Elena swallowed, a dry rasp against the sudden dryness in her throat.

Kennard halted before her, his large hands gently prying hers from their defensive hold. He kissed them both, lingering on the warmth of her skin. He lifted her other hand, pressing his face against her palms, his lips moving in a slow, sensual dance.

A soft moa* escaped her lips, a tremor running through her body. Kennard’s touch, the damp heat of his breath on her skin, ignited a fire she couldn’t extinguish. Her resistance melted away, replaced by a strange yearning that pulsed beneath her skin. This surrender, both terrifying and exhilarating, was beyond her control.

Mesmerized by Kennard, Elena couldn’t fathom his next move. A smirk played on his lips as he hooked his fingers beneath the precarious hem of her chemise and tugged it down in one swift motion. The flimsy fabric landed with a soft thud, jolting Elena from her daze. Mortification flooded her – she was exposed, with no chance to shield herself.

Before she could react, Kennard scooped her effortlessly into his arms. A startled gasp escaped her lips as “Your Grace!” tumbled out. Still reeling from the suddenness of it all, she could only swallow, torn between hiding her face and body.

Kennard wasted no time, reaching the bed in a few powerful strides. He gently lowered her onto the luxurious fur, the softness an enticing contrast to the turmoil within her. Uncertainty gnawed at her. What did he have planned? When would this mortifying ordeal end?

“Do you have enough time to think of something else?” Kennard’s voice rumbled above her as he climbed onto the bed, his gaze pinning her down.

Elena’s cheeks burned. “N-no, of course not,” she stammered, a weak attempt to deny her disorientation. Instinctively, she reached for the fur, but Kennard’s hand clamped onto her wrist, halting her movement.

“After all that effort to undress you, and now you want to cover up again?” he questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Elena opened her mouth to voice her mortification, then thought better of it.

Kennard sank to his knees, his legs flanking her spread form. Elena’s breath hitched at the sight.

He was massive. No, monumental. No single hand could encompass his length, which rivaled a child’s forearm. A deep red flush pulsed beneath the taut skin, veins rippling like angry serpents. It jutted towards her, rigid and predatory, a glistening bead of pre-come tracing a slow path down his shaft, landing a taunting inch below her navel.

Elena flinched, mesmerized and terrified. “Is that…really supposed to go inside me?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. The thought, once abstract, now materialized in front of her, its immensity a physical blow. How could something so…alien be part of a human body?

Kennard, captivated by her wide-eyed daze, cupped her intimately. The audacity jolted her back to reality. Here she was, legs splayed, vulnerable. Shame flushed through her.

“Not there, please,” she pleaded, twisting away.

But Kennard was relentless. He loomed over her, his hand finding its way to her bre*st. “There’s no ‘not there’ tonight, Elena. I want to see all of you, have all of you.” His fingers tightened around her n*pple, a cruel pinch that sent shivers down her spine.

He maneuvered himself closer, effectively caging her between his body and the bed. Any attempt to close her legs was met with the immovable weight of him. Trapped, overwhelmed, a cocktail of shame and confusion churned in Elena’s stomach.

Kennard’s palm gently stroked her lower body, already slick with moisture. “So wet already.” His fingers teased her entrance, spreading it open with a soft, wet sound that echoed with each touch. Fire ignited within Elena. Heat flooded her body, and she instinctively writhed against the unfamiliar sensations.

A muffled moa* escaped her lips as Kennard leaned over, capturing her bre*st in his mouth. He mimicked the way their tongues had danced earlier, rolling her n*pple between his lips and tormenting it with the tip of his tongue. A sharp nip sent a jolt through her.

“No!” she moa*ed, digging her nails into Kennard’s rock-hard shoulders. The hand that had been stroking her faltered, then a firm pressure replaced the gentle touch.

A gasp escaped Elena as something hard and rough invaded her. Pain and tremors washed over her, leaving her mind a blur. “Relax,” Kennard murmured. But her body clenched involuntarily, a frown creasing her forehead.

The intrusion withdrew slightly, then returned, gently probing her inner walls. A low growl rumbled from Kennard’s chest. “So tight,” he muttered, “even with just one finger. But so hot and soft…”