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“That’s bullshit,” I said, and glared at her. Taking a deep breath, I softened my voice and took her hands in mine. I stroked her soft skin, lightly tracing the red marks of that man’s hold on her arm. “I am sorry if you don’t like violence. If it scares you, my sweet. But I won’t apologize for my choice to protect you… or anyone I care about, in my own way.”
“But now people will shame you because you are a Prince and you fought them because of me.”
I smiled at her frowning face. “You forgot an important detail, Valeria. I am a Prince of Azmia, I would like to see them try to shame me.”
She sighed, mumbling, “So arrogant.”
I eyed the dark red streaks of her hair. “You would catch cold with your hair damp. Here, let me pat them dry for you.”
Before Valeria could protest, I stood up to bring another clean towel. I didn’t want her to get sick.
“Is this okay?” My deep voice whispered softly from her side as I gently patted strands of her hair with a towel.
She hummed, arching her head back at me. I licked my lips at the sight of her slender neck, her beating pulse throbbing fast.Did the closeness between us affect her, too? Was her heart beating as loudly as mine was whenever we were together?
“I smell cheese,” she sniffed out, her pert nose scrunching adorably, making me smile. “Did you make something?”
“Yes, there’s a grilled cheese sandwich on the coffee table. I hope you are not lactose intolerant.”
“Not at all. It smells delicious.” Valeria hungrily took the bite from the sandwich, making me look away when she let out a soft hum.
Stay in control, Khalid. You are thirty-two, for fuck’s sake.
I had made both of us sandwiches while she was taking a shower and brought the plates to the living room. The dim lamps gave the spacious room a soft glow as rain kept pattering against the large windows of my apartment. The view of London city lights at night, especially during rain, was marvelous.
We both ate the sandwich in comfortable silence, listening to the rain showering outside. It was weird how I had never sat in silence with anyone other than my family and my friend Zayed.
I needed to tell her. Ask her. I couldn’t wait anymore.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“I want to ask something from you, Khalid.”
We both said at the same time, breaking the silence.
I asked, “What is it, Valeria?”
I would give anything she asked me.
Valeria tucked her hair behind her flushed ears and asked, “I wanted to, um, touch your face, if it’s not too much to ask?”
I raised my eyebrows, my dark eyes roving over her face, asking me something so little with so much innocence. I raised my hand and traced the soft curve of her cheek, eyeing and remembering the freckles splattered on her nose and cheeks. Valeria shivered underneath my touch, her warm breath caressing my hand as I traced it lower, before twirling it around a stand of her copper hair.
“Only on one condition,” I whispered back, allured with the sweet, innocent beauty in front of me.
Was she a virgin?
Get those thoughts out of your filthy mind, Khalid.
Blood ran to her cheeks, making them hot. She stuttered, “Wh-what condition?”
“It’s simple. Describe my features when you touch me.” There was a pause which made me think of myotherfeatures, effectively making me fluster. I continued after clearing my throat, “I mean, my face. I will sketch it. I want to know how I look in your mind.”
She nodded, almost too nervously, “Sure! I am okay with that.”
* * *
So there we were,sitting close to each other on the couch, our limbs brushing each other. I was clutching my sketchbook and pencil tightly when Valeria leaned up on her knees, her chest so close to my face. I cursed in my head for noticing that she wasn’t even wearing a bra.