Page 27 of Unbinding the Demon

Paintbrushes of various shapes, colors, and sizes clinked into a little blue vase, decorated with white roses. I hummed a chirpy tune as I placed the vase on the beautiful, dark wood desk and took a step back to admire my new painting area with a satisfied smile. Ashton had offered to let me turn one of the spare bedrooms into my personal art studio, which I was more than happy to accept. I had even gotten to pick out the lavender color that he’d painted the walls with.

The room had a few large diamond-paned windows, with a lovely view of the lake, and got plenty of evening sun. It was still mostly empty, considering I had only been living in the house for a few days now, and it took Ashton a few days to fix it up. Most of my stuff was in the bedroom or still in boxes, all neatly stacked in the corners of the room.

I watched a small white moth flutter whimsically around the little table lamp that illuminated the room, as I planned where everything would go. My eyes then drifted over to my rather disorderly potted plants on the windowsills, figuring now would be a good time to rearrange them. “Alright, Fernicus the fern can go here. And Philippe the Philodendron can go over here.” I furrowed my brows and stuck my finger into a black glossy pot, wiggling it around in the rather dry, crumbly soil. “Hmm, looks like Figbert could use some more water...”

As I quietly narrated how I was repositioning my plants, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Fuck, not here too. I stopped what I was doing and glanced around the room, trying to find the source of the eerie presence. My eyes landed on the open door leading out to the blackened, shadowy hallway. Yeah, big surprise it feels like someone’s watching me from over there. I rarely got the creepy feeling while in this house, which was weird because this place was really fucking creepy before Ashton fixed it up. So, I had been hoping that it would go away now that I was living here. But that didn’t seem to be the case. I grumbled as I turned back around, ignoring the unsettling feeling as I continued to organize my plants.

“It’s starting to look nice in here.” Ashton’s deep voice rumbled through the room, startling me nearly to death.

I jumped with a small scream and whipped around to find him leisurely leaning against the doorframe. He had a soft smile on his lips and a mischievous twinkle in his golden eyes. The black hoodie and sweatpants he wore did little to conceal his massive, muscular frame. “Good grief! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” I placed a hand over my heart and exhaled.

“I didn’t. I’ve been standing over here for quite a while now.” He shrugged and walked toward me, his heavy footsteps echoing in the nearly empty room.

“Yeah, right! I literally just looked over there less than a minute ago, and I didn’t see your big, bumbling butt!” I teased playfully while poking his chest.

“Big, but firm and round!” He slapped his butt with a suggestive chuckle. Then he put his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him in return with a big, goofy smile. “Well, anyway, I have a surprise for you.” A smile of his own stretched across his face, then he leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I’ve laid some clothes out for you on the bed. I want you to go put them on, and then meet me in the foyer. And don’t wear anything underneath them.” He bopped my nose with his finger.

I was super excited about whatever he had planned, but I played it cool and raised a brow with feigned curiosity. “Alright, I’ll go put them on, I guess.” I strolled out of the room like I couldn’t care less. Once I was around the corner and out of his sight, I sprinted down the hall toward the bedroom, my heart racing with enthusiasm.

I bet I’m going to find some cute, sexy-ass lingerie—what the heck?

I paused with a look of confusion as I entered the bedroom. A plain black hoodie, black sweatpants, and a pair of thick, warm socks were lying on the bed. It was practically the same thing he was wearing, just in a much smaller size. Huh? I walked over and held up the hoodie while raising a brow with genuine curiosity this time... Not what I expected, but okay . I stripped down and threw on the new outfit, then headed to the foyer.

My hand glided down the smooth wooden railing as I descended the stairs. Ashton was waiting by the front door. He held a lantern in his hand, its glow highlighting his handsome features. The moment his eyes landed on me, he sucked in a sharp breath, as though in that moment, I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. We smiled lovingly at one another and held eye contact as I made my way down to him.

“You look beautiful.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it, his words filled with tenderness.

I blushed and fluttered my eyes away. The look of pure admiration and affection he was staring at me with was almost too intense to handle. “So, um, what’s the surprise?”

“You’ll see in a minute,” he chuckled. We put our boots on, then he opened the front door and took my hand. “Follow me.”

The porch steps creaked as we traversed into the yard. He held the lantern before us, illuminating the dark, misty night as we walked down the path through the withered, frosty flowers and tall, dying grass. My eyes scanned the grove of dark, wavering spruce, remaining alert to any movement. I was still on edge from that terrifying experience the previous week. The towering trees swayed eerily in the breeze, casting dancing shadows across the glinting, moonlit yard. It was easy to imagine pale, bony bodies shuffling around in the shadows, ready to lunge at any moment. Ashton squeezed my hand in reassurance and smiled lovingly, easing my worries as we approached the lake.

We walked beneath the frost-dusted boughs of the barren oaks as they glistened in the light of the crescent moon. Gentle waves reflected the twinkling starlight, appearing to shimmer as they lapped peacefully upon the rocky beach. The wispy blanket of mist slightly glowed, making it look like a magic spell being cast from the shadows as it swirled across the water. Our boots crunched over the frost-covered stones as we approached a wooden rowboat that swayed at the shoreline. It was tied to a slender birch, causing it to quietly scrape against the rough beach. I peeked inside and saw that someone had removed the seats. It was filled with warm, fluffy blankets and pillows, and the space was just big enough to be a bed.

“What is all this?” I asked while inspecting the boat, with an excited smile growing across my lips. My breath swirled around my face as I glanced back at him, a few strands of hair falling over my face.

The lantern flickered as he placed it on a rock; then he swooped me up into his strong arms, spinning me around once. “This is your surprise.” He nuzzled my nose with his.

I giggled as I was gently placed into the cozy boat. “Wow, Ashton, this is actually so cool,” I said as I fluffed one of the pillows.

He smiled back at me with a look that made butterflies flutter around in my stomach. “I was hoping you’d like it. I know how much you love the night sky,” he added with a twinkle of something almost mischievous in his eyes. He untethered the boat, discarding the rope into the water. It threatened to tip over as he hopped in next to me and pushed off with an oar, making me grip the side for stability. Waves splashed around us as we set off into the icy darkness.

I untied my shoelaces and tucked my boots away at the end of the boat, and Ashton did the same with his much larger pair. The oars lightly splashed against the misty water as he slowly rowed us out to the center of the lake. It was a chilly night, but our hoodies, plus all the blankets beneath us, kept us plenty warm. My cloudy breath fanned around my face as I gazed up at the crescent moon resting high in the starry, midnight-blue sky. In the distance, the silhouette of the jagged mountain range kissed the softly illuminated skyline, cutting into the deep blue with its blackened peaks.

Ashton put the oars to the side and then turned to place a lingering kiss on my lips. “Lay with me.” He caressed my cheek as he spoke, then guided me down with him.

We both rested on our backs, snug as two lovebugs in a rug, nestled closely together. He wrapped one arm beneath me, holding me close, while our hands intertwined on his chest. His raven locks splayed out around him, cascading over the pillow like swirling mist over water and entwining with my long chestnut waves. The moonlight winsomely enwreathed us as we gazed up at the twinkling stars.

As I stared up, I was spellbound by the enchanting beauty of the celestial scenery. Millions of stars whimsically sparkled down at me from the vast midnight sea, as if each one was playfully tickling my face with their pale rays. The Milky Way streamed across the horizon like a shimmering river of white flowing through the bejeweled heavens. A shooting star passed by, catching my eye, and beckoning me to wish upon it.

“Hey, look! A shooting star!” I exclaimed with excitement. “Should we make a wish? They’re supposed to be magical, you know.” I turned to look at Ashton’s amused profile.

“That’s a bunch of rubbish. True magic lies within the power of one’s soul,” he chuckled softly.

“Oh, well, never mind then,” I giggled. “It’s still beautiful to see, though,” I said, feeling enraptured by the glittering scenery above me.

“Yeah, it is.” He sounded almost in a trance and seemed like he was either in deep thought or a bit nervous. “Why do you love the stars so much?” His hand squeezed mine as he asked his question.

“Well, I really don’t know. I guess it’s because they give me a weird, unexplainable feeling of longing. Like being homesick for a different world that I never knew. They bring me both a comforting sense of peace, and yet a strange sense of sorrow.” Now I felt like I was the one who was stuck in a trance. My eyes wistfully gazed at the scintillating skies as I took a deep breath. “Do you ever feel like you don’t belong in this world?” I asked, still watching the endless depths above.

“You have no idea,” he replied, his silky baritone voice almost sounding pained.

“Well, at least we don’t have to be alone in this world anymore. Looks like we get to be a couple of misplaced souls together.” I squeezed his hand and inched my head deeper into the crook of his neck.

“Yes, it’s nice not to be alone anymore.”

His arm wrapped around me a bit tighter and we were silent for a long time, as if we were both under an unspoken spell. I enjoyed the warmth of his body against mine as the boat rocked against the gentle, glistening ripples passing by. A barred owl hooted from its perch on the shore, echoing its faint song through the swirling silvery mist and across the lake.

“Gwendolyn?” he asked softly, breaking our silent moment.

“Yes, Ashton?”

His thumb gingerly caressed the back of my hand. “Do you love me?”

I turned my head and looked over at his face. He was staring up into the heavens, his body tense as he awaited my answer. As I gazed at the profile of the man beside me, I couldn’t help but smile and inwardly laugh. This lunatic, of all people, had somehow managed to ensnare my icy, fractured heart, and I had no doubt about my answer. “Yes,” I confessed and glimpsed a smile on his lips. “Do you love me too?” I asked, uncertainty evident in my eyes.

“Yes,” he replied. The word was soft, almost a whisper, as he continued to gaze up at the heavens. “Would you ever leave this world with me?”

“Well, yeah, I’d go anywhere with you,” I whispered back with a loving smile.

He squeezed me closer to his side and turned toward me. The starlight glimmered in his citrine eyes as he looked at me with a gaze full of overwhelming love. “You make me feel as though I have caught the moonbeams within my hands.” His fingers caressed my hair, brushing it over my temple.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach once again, but this time it was an entire swarm of them. I gazed back into the eyes of the man whom I loved, my heart swelling with emotion. “And you make me feel as though I’ve lost my goddamn mind, in the best possible way.” I softly laughed. My hand trembled as I placed it on his cheek, feeling his stubble gently tickle my palm. He chuckled while leaning into my touch; then he leaned in to give me a loving kiss.

It felt as though our very souls embraced one another as our amorous kiss sealed my hellish fate. I couldn’t hold back from smiling against his lips, as effervescent joy overflowed in my melting heart. I loved him and he loved me in return, and that was more beautiful than the jeweled heavens above and the glittering, dark waters below. I felt mightier than the mountains towering in the distance, yet as vulnerable as the dying, withered leaves that still weakly clung to the sleeping trees.

His warm mouth feverishly danced with mine, fluttering against my lips as he smiled, and then crashing back down with hot, ravenous passion. I moaned as his tongue ferociously dominated mine, flicking and twisting into my mouth. He broke the kiss and rolled on top of me so that we were smiling nose to nose, with our frosty breath swirling out around our faces. He looked deep into my eyes and I into his.

“I want you to know, and remember, that I do not consider my love for you a frail dalliance,” he whispered, as his hands roamed down my sides and then slowly lifted the hoodie off over my head. My pale flesh shivered and my pink nipples peeked in the chilly November air. His lips tenderly caressed the scar where he had bitten into my neck, sending an odd, smoldering shock throughout my body. It filled me with a disorienting amount of lust for him, causing a flood of desire to swell between my legs.

“For I have inscribed my claim on your vestal throat, ensnaring you in an unfinished infernal matrimony.” His soft but deep voice rumbled in my ear as his hot, wet tongue licked at the scar, sending another wave of lust surging through me. I gasped and my legs quivered, not understanding why I was reacting in such a way. His hand slowly slid down my bare stomach, moving beneath the top of my pants. A single finger teased over my clit before the rest danced within my needy pool of arousal. “I’ve drowned in fathomless dark dreams of our love becoming veracious. Dreams of completing our serpentine sacrament, fully disentangled from my deceptions. And when the rays of dawn awaken you to my sins, it is my desire that my dreams become eternal verities. Remember this when the dawn breaks, and believe me, my love, it will be breaking very soon.”

At this point, I was writhing under his prurient touch and hardly even listening to his strange Shakespearean babblings. His hot breath on my wet scar was sending an unexplainable scorching heat to my core, as his fingers rhythmically curled against my sweetest spot. It was light enough to keep me right on the edge, but not enough to push me over. “Ashton, this is all very r-romantic sounding, but please... just... fuck me already!” I whispered breathlessly as I entangled my fingers in his hair and lifted my hips up in desperation.

“No, I don’t want to fuck you,” he growled in my ear and removed his fingers, causing me to whimper. The boat rocked as he sat up and took off his hoodie, then he began removing my pants. I hastily shuffled to help him, just wanting the damn things off. “I want to worship you as my goddess of the midnight skies. To feel your soft touch warming me in the cold night air. To taste your pale flesh beneath the shimmering rays of the stars.” His hands began to sensuously trail along my now nude body, lingering on my heaving breasts. “To see your quivering body aglow in the gleaming lunar beams. To hear your cadence of erotic screams cut through the silent darkness. Your face veiled in mist as it twists in pleasure. I want to join our souls as one in a blasphemous unholy union...” He leaned over me so that we were nose to nose again and looked deeply into my eyes. “I want to make love to you.”

His lips crashed onto mine as his hand grabbed the side of my head, weaving his fingers through my soft hair. I wrapped my arms around his upper body and moaned into his mouth as I pulled him closer. The evidence of his desire bulged within his sweatpants and firmly pressed against my thigh.

His lips trailed down along my jawline, then he stopped to look at my face with a smile. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed as he caressed my hair, while staring lovingly into my eyes for a moment. His head then dipped down to my beaded nipples, where his mouth ardently pleasured my needy pearls. His kisses trailed over the curves of my breasts, decorating my pale flesh with pink roses of passion.

My hands found their way back into his midnight tresses as his head traveled further down my body. He lingered at my belly button, swirling his tongue around the dip until he finally made his way to my most intimate area. He teasingly kissed along my innermost thighs, then licked up my drenched slit with a deep, predatory purr. “I love how your dewy little cunt glistens so beautifully for me.” His deep voice vibrated between my legs as he spoke. Then he lavished my lower lips with fervent, open-mouthed kisses.

“Oh, Ashton...” I squirmed and grasped at the blankets beneath me, unable to control the loud, desirous noises escaping from my lips. Goosebumps spread across my flesh, not from the cold, but from the sensual feelings he awoke within me. I gasped as two fingers entered me and began pumping in and out, stroking my most sensitive spot. He captured my clit with his soft lips and gently bit down with a growl. I screamed as a wave of pleasure wracked through my trembling body.

My chest heaved as I panted and moaned, deliriously gazing up at the jeweled obsidian sky. Ashton took his time drinking in my essence and kissing back up my body, with his fingers still slowly pumping inside my drenched, swollen center. His head eclipsed the moon as he leaned in above me and pulled his fingers out. He licked them once and then shoved them into my mouth.

“You really do taste delicious, don’t you think?” he asked with a lustful purr and a smoldering look in his eyes. I nodded my head as I sucked his fingers deeper into my mouth, flicking my tongue over the tips. “Good girl,” he chuckled. The boat rocked as he carefully pulled his pants down. The sight of his imposing member made my stomach clench with want.

He positioned himself between my legs, and slid the tip of his hard cock along my eager, dripping slit. A low growl rumbled deep within his chest, and he pushed inside me. His arms wrapped around my body as we kissed, with his tongue hungrily plunging between my lips. His thrusts were slow and steady, stroking my inner walls with his steel-like flesh.

My legs wrapped around his thick waist, and my hands held onto his strong shoulders. The air was frosty, but his fevered body set my flesh ablaze as if he had hellfire coursing through his veins. The kiss ebbed, and our eyes burned with love and passion as we gazed deeply into each other’s souls, intimately connecting with every stroke of his large, throbbing cock. The boat rocked with the rhythm of our lovemaking, creating little splashes and ripples all around us.

His scruffy chin tickled my jaw and neck as he kissed back down to my scar, lingering there for a while. The heat between my legs intensified as my nails dug into his flexing back, trailing up to his shoulders. He let out a soft hiss as I scratched along the rough veiny skin of his tattoo, before he moved his lips back to my neck. His dick glistened while he pulled his hips back and then sank back in, firmly filling me as he paused to whisper huskily in my ear. “May I bite you again?”

Logically, I should have been panicking and thinking, “Where’s my garlic!? Where’s my goddamn motherfucking garlic!?” But I was delirious with lust and drunk on the blissful feeling of his thick cock sliding in and out of my walls, filling me with his burning flesh. “Yes,” I breathed the word through my moans.

A low, dark growl erupted from his chest, and he quickened the pace. It wasn’t enough to tip the boat, but certainly enough to tip me over the edge of my climax. My tight walls clenched around him, and I desperately held onto his muscular back. I moaned and screamed as his teeth sank into my flesh, perfectly matching the previous bite mark. I expected it to hurt like the last time, but instead, it felt euphoric, bringing my pleasure to new heights that I never knew I could reach. My toes curled, and every nerve in my body came alive. My soul soared up to the heavens as pulses of pleasure crashed through my lower stomach and shot up my spine.

His hot seed spilled into my womb, filling me with his searing essence. His mouth sucked over my neck, drinking in my life force. I shivered as his tongue flattened out over the wound to lick it clean. Then he kissed his way back up to my mouth. The taste of iron filled my taste buds as his tongue dipped into my mouth, dancing with mine as our bodies shook with aftershocks. The kiss broke, and he rested his forehead against mine. His hand caressed my cheek, his fingers slightly shaking. Together we panted face to face, with his dark hair curtaining off to the side.

He fell down beside me and pulled a warm blanket over us. We stayed nose to nose and flesh to flesh, with me enveloped in his embrace. My hands glided over the hard muscles of his arms, trailing beneath them and around to his back. His eyes twinkled with love like I was the most precious thing in the world to him as he amorously caressed my hair.

“I love you,” he said with a loving smile.

I lovingly smiled back at him. “And I love you too,” I replied in a whisper.

The boat gently rocked me to sleep under the twinkling starlight and glimmering moonbeams, wrapped warmly in the arms of my love.