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Chapter Fifty-Five

Lilianna

The sun had fully risen now, painting the cove in golden light that danced across the water's surface. Nicolaus's gaze had grown more intense with each passing moment, his eyes tracking my movements through the water with a hunger that was becoming harder to disguise.

"We should probably head back to shore," he said finally, his voice carrying a roughness I hadn't heard before. "The temperature will start rising soon, and we have the second part of our day to consider."

I nodded, though part of me was reluctant to leave this magical space where time seemed suspended and the world consisted only of water, light, and the two of us. Nicolaus led the way back to the dock, swimming with those powerful, economical strokes that made it look effortless.

He reached the ladder first and climbed out in one fluid motion, water cascading down his body as he stood silhouetted against the golden sky.

I followed more carefully, accepting his steadying hand as I climbed the wooden rungs.

The morning air felt cool against my wet skin, raising goosebumps that had nothing to do with temperature.

"Here," Nicolaus said, wrapping a large, soft towel around my shoulders. His hands lingered at the edges of the fabric, his touch burning through the terry cloth. "Better?"

I nodded, suddenly aware of how close we were standing.

Water dripped from his hair onto his shoulders, and I found myself tracing the path of the droplets with my eyes—down his neck, across his collarbone, over the defined muscles of his chest. When I looked up, his eyes were dark with something that made my breath catch.

"Lilianna," he said softly, my name a warning and invitation all at once.

"Yes?" I whispered, not trusting my voice

Nicolaus's hand came up to cup my face, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone with exquisite precision. "I've been trying to maintain control," he admitted, his voice low and rough. “This wasn’t a part of the plan for the morning.”

"What was the plan?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I leaned into his touch.

"To show you the peace I find in water," he said, his thumb tracing along my lower lip. "To share something meaningful with you. To be... gentlemanly."

I couldn't help but smile at that. "And now?"

"Now I want to kiss you until you forget your own name," he admitted, his carefully constructed composure finally cracking. "I want to lay you down and worship every inch of your skin until you're trembling beneath me, screaming my name as you come undone."

The raw honesty in his words sent heat spiraling through me. This was the Nicolaus I'd glimpsed in the hallway last night—the one who existed beneath all that careful control.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did that. Plans change all the time.

” I told him, my body almost trembling with need.

Something dangerous flashed in Nicolaus's eyes at my words—a predatory heat that made my knees weak.

His grip on my face tightened slightly, thumb pressing against my lower lip with deliberate pressure.

"You have no idea what you're asking for," he murmured, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "I've been holding back for weeks, watching the others have their time with you while I..."

"While you what?" I challenged softly, my hands coming up to rest against his chest. His skin was warm despite the cool morning air, and I could feel his heart racing beneath my palms.

"While I planned exactly how I wanted to take you apart," he finished, his eyes never leaving mine. "Piece by piece, until you're completely mine."

The promise in his words made heat pool low in my belly. I'd never seen Nicolaus lose control, never witnessed the man who wanted to devour me whole.

“Please.” I started, but Nicolaus's control finally snapped.

His mouth crashed against mine with a hunger that took my breath away, all pretense of restraint abandoned.

The kiss was consuming, desperate, as if he'd been holding back for months rather than days.

His hands tangled in my wet hair, tilting my head to deepen the connection as his tongue swept against mine with confident precision.

I melted into him, my hands finding the hard planes of his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath my palms. The towel slipped from my shoulders, forgotten, as he pulled me closer until there was no space left between us.

I could feel every line of his body against mine, the water on our skin creating a slick friction that made me gasp.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with desire.

His hands skimmed down my sides, tracing the curves of my waist with reverent care. "How long I've wanted this." His lips found my throat, teeth grazing the sensitive skin where my pulse hammered wildly.

"Nicolaus," I breathed, my fingers threading through his damp hair as he lavished attention on my neck.

"Say it again," he commanded softly, his hands gripping my hips as he lifted me up into his arms, making me wrap my legs around his waist. "Say my name."

"Nicolaus," I whispered, watching as his pupils dilated at the sound.

He moved with quick strides and I gave a gasp as I was deposited on the back of the car.

The warming metal of the car sent a shock through me, but I barely had time to register it before Nicolaus was there, his body between my thighs, his hands cupping my face with an intensity that stole my breath.

"Do you have any idea," he murmured, his voice a rough caress against my skin, "how many times I've imagined you like this? Wet, wanting, and all mine?"

His words sent liquid heat pooling between my legs. This was a side of Nicolaus I'd only glimpsed in fleeting moments—the carefully controlled exterior finally cracking to reveal something primal and hungry beneath.

"Show me," I whispered, emboldened by the raw desire in his eyes. "Show me what you've imagined." A dangerous smile curved his lips as his hands slid down my neck, my shoulders, tracing every curve with deliberate precision

"Patience," he murmured, his fingertips tracing featherlight patterns down my collarbone. His mouth replaced his fingers, trailing hot kisses along my throat, down to the hollow between my breasts.

"You respond differently to different touches," he observed, his voice academic despite the heat in his eyes. His thumb brushed across my nipple, applying just enough pressure to make me arch into his hand. "Like this—you prefer firm pressure here."

To demonstrate, he rolled the sensitive peak between his fingers, watching my face intently as pleasure sparked through me.

I couldn't look away from his focused expression, the way his eyes cataloged every reaction, every sound I made.

It was thrilling and overwhelming to be the subject of such intense study.

"And here," he continued, his mouth moving lower to capture my other nipple between his lips, "you prefer the warmth of my tongue."

A soft moan escaped me as he lavished attention on the sensitive peak, alternating between gentle suction and firmer pressure until I was writhing beneath him. His free hand traced patterns along my inner thigh, so close to where I needed him most but not quite there yet.

"Nicolaus, please," I gasped, my hands fisting in his hair as he continued his methodical exploration.

"I know exactly what you need," he murmured against my skin, his breath hot against my breast. "But I want to savor this. I want to memorize every sound you make, every way your body responds to mine."

His words sent a shiver through me, the controlled intensity so uniquely him. But instead of the gentle touches I expected, his hand moved between my legs with sudden purpose, fingers sliding through my slick heat with practiced precision.

"Already so wet for me," he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction. "I can feel how much you want this." His fingers found that sensitive bundle of nerves, circling with just enough pressure to make me gasp his name.

"That's it," he encouraged, his eyes never leaving my face as he worked me with methodical skill. "Let me hear you, Lilianna. No one else can hear us out here."

The reminder of our complete isolation sent another wave of heat through me. I let my head fall back against the car, abandoning any pretense of restraint as his fingers moved with increasing confidence. He knew exactly what he was doing, each touch calculated to drive me crazy with pleasure.

"Just like that," Nicolaus whispered, his voice a velvet command as his fingers worked magic against my core. "You're so responsive for me."

His mouth returned to my breast, the dual sensation making me cry out into the empty forest. There was something incredibly freeing about being here with him—no walls, no need to be quiet, just the two of us surrounded by nature and the soft sounds of water lapping against the dock.

When he slid a finger inside me, my back arched off the car, the metal warm against my skin. "Nicolaus," I gasped, my voice breaking on his name.

"I've thought about this," he murmured, adding a second finger with careful precision.

"How you would feel around my fingers, how you would sound when I touch you just right.

" His thumb circled that bundle of nerves as his fingers curled inside me, finding a spot made me cry out loudly, my voice echoing off the trees.

"There," he whispered, his voice deep with satisfaction. "Right there."

I nodded frantically, unable to form coherent words as his fingers maintained that perfect rhythm, that perfect pressure.

His movements were calculated, precise—like everything else about him—but there was heat behind his control now, a barely contained wildness in his eyes as he watched me climb higher.

"I want to watch you fall apart," Nicolaus murmured, his gaze intense as he increased the pace of his fingers. "Show me, Lilianna. Show me what you've been holding back."