"You have a habit of keeping me waiting. Is it fun teasing me, Elise?" Ian's voice was teasing but if Elise had to guess what was underneath his voice it would be the hidden craving that tickled her heart.

Elise watched the door as it opened, meeting eyes with Ian who appeared as though he had been waiting for her. His hair fell slack over his forehead, the tips of her hair was dampened by water, possibly because he had just taken a bath which Elise could tell by the soft scent of soap wafting from him.

As the night had come, the once fancy clothes Ian wore for their wedding day had been replaced by the black robe. The velvet belt loosely tied around his waist, not tight enough to hide his smoothly chiseled chest muscle.

"Hm, Elise?" Ian's voice spoke again, deeply vibrating to her chest, causing her to gulp as her heart slipped and stutter from her chest.

Butterflies filled her stomach and her cheeks reddened.

"Come on in," he said, taking one step away and though Ian could easily push her down, he didn't dislike the current tension they had.

While Elise knew Ian hadn't done anything other than keeping his intense gaze to stare at her, she couldn't stop the heat that started from her stomach to spread over her bodies. Her toes curled as she looked at Ian who had stood away from the door.

Taking more time than she intended to, Ian teased her, "Are you having cold feet now, my love? Remember what is wrapping your ring finger now. It is too late to escape from me."

Elise knew Ian was testing her and she took a step forward, her eyes looking back at him, "I am only a little nervous."

"Why would you? I am a good lover. Whether it is now or in bed. That nervousness of yours will disappear in no time," Ian promised her. "But once you enter this room I won't hold back."

Elise felt her heart stutter again over his words. She knew it was Ian's hobby to test her but this time she could see his fierce gaze that told her he was being true with his words. Rolling the ball in her slender neck, Elise whispered, "Be gentle with me."

Ian's eyes that had unblinkingly stared at her who was still standing in front of his room widened before they curved in a smile. "It is my intention silly girl."

Entering the rom before him, Elise made her way inside his room which now had become hers as well. While Elise was dressed in the robe like Ian did, underneath her white robe she was still wearing her clothes and the thick material of the sleeping robe helped her from the cold of the night. But even without the help of the robe, Elise was sure the heat her body had been feeling would keep her warm through the night.

She had been walking aimlessly until she reached the corner of the room standing in front of the oval mirror when at the same time she could hear the soft click of the door and her heartbeat begin to pick a race.

Wetting her dry lips, she looked at her sweaty hand she wiped to her robe, "Mr. Beel and aunt Esther seemed to have gotten closer. I heard that they both plan to look into the village were aunt Esther lived before—" Elise felt Ian's hand covering her waist as she speak and the words that were on the tip of her tongue went missing in a blink and was replaced with a faint sigh from her lips.

"So I have heard," Ian slide his body to hold her from the back. Elise who stared at the mirror met his gaze through the glass. "I know that you want to find something else to talk about Elise, but the night have come."

Elise watched Ian's long fingers that went to undo the tie of her belt. His slow movements sent her on edge, feeling their nervousness and the eagerness sending her nerves to chaos. The tip of his nose brushed her neck, caressing her smooth skin. Ian breathed in her sweet scent, his lips brushing faintly at times that caused her skin to contract.

"Do you know how much I have been waiting for this night? I keep my promise well, didn't I?" Ian stared at her red hair that was dampened like his as Elise had taken a bath before coming to his room. With her hair tied in a low bun, there was a few strands that grew lax from the water on the back of her pale neck. Exposed without her hair, his tongue went to lick his lips upon seeing the skin of her neck flushed in the alluring pink color.

Elise was beautiful tonight. She had been beautiful since the first time Ian remembered seeing her when she had gotten older but tonight lasted a different impression to him as tonight Elise had become his. He brood over the word 'mine' in his head that had a nice ring into it.

On the other side, Elise noticed Ian's desirous gaze on her from the mirror that sent her on more nervousness. His gaze told enough volume of what he wishes to do with her. She could tell his craving to push her down on the bed, making his way on her that raises her expectation. While she felt a little fear of doing something she wasn't aware, Elise had tasted the maddening sweetness of pleasure from Ian. The little sweetness now turns her to desire and feel more.

"I think I deserve some praise from you," Ian whispered, his gaze on her watched her red tongue peeking out from her lips that caused his gaze on her to blaze brighter. His hand slide off the robe that covered her body, exposing her skin that was uncovered by the sleeveless silk dress that complement her fair skin.

The sight of Elise on the dress drive him further on the edge of breaking into lust. His only reasons restrain himself had ended since this afternoon and while he had no plans on stopping the night without entering her. He wanted to take Elise gently for he knew it by the touch of his fingertips on her skin of how slender she was. Not wanting to break her, Ian tried to take it slow.

But with the seconds that turned to minute, Ian learned that is choice to prolong the time might only did the opposite of calming his desire.

Elise then did the opposite to Ian's expectation. She turned her face to meet him. Her eyes that were nervous now turned determined. As many as others on their first time, Elise had been nervous and meek but now like any other newlyweds on their first night, she want to please Ian as much as she wish to be pleasured.

Despite the difference of their heights, their breaths that brushes each other's faces was warm and even hot.

In the silence, Elise's heartbeat numbed all her senses when she met his clouded gaze and with a clumsy action, she stood on her toes. Her hands reached from the sides to wrap carefully around his neck. Pressing her lips on Ian's well-shaped one, she then tear herself away after giving the light peck.

Ian was pleasantly surprised by her eager kiss but her clumsiness caused her to be at loss on what to do.

"Is this enough for the praise?" She asked nervously, her innocent eyes then caught sight of the frown that pulled his thick black brows.

A grin break out on Ian's lips, the smile was filled with wickedness, "No, my love. That is far from enough."

Ian's eyes darkened when he leaned his neck down. One of his hands that settled on the back of her head while the other one around her waist, pulling Elise closer as if to keep her closer when there was no more distance shared between them. She could feel his weigh over her as his lips caught her pink ones.

Ian took his time in the beginning. His lips languidly consumed her lips, taking each seams one by one and kissed them with the slow playfulness. His kiss at first was slow and gentle but the moment his tongue entered her hot mouth, the kiss was quick to turn intense and deep.