Chapter 73: Touching & Intrusion.
Salviana whispered, almost too quiet to be heard, "You... do you like touching me?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he nodded. "I like touching you, wife. More than I thought I would."
With Salviana, Alaric felt something new stirring—a desire to bridge the very distance he’d always kept, to touch and feel. For as long as he could remember, his gloves had served as a barrier, a protection not only from others but from the sharp, raw sensations that even a slight brush against his skin could stir.
Yet with her, that wall felt increasingly irrelevant, and the idea of hiding behind his gloves felt... wrong. He’d never exposed his hands, his touch, to anyone as he did with Salviana. He found himself instinctively pulling them off in her presence, his fingers itching to explore the softness of her skin, to feel her warmth without restraint, wondering if she could feel the same intensity in each caress that he did.
He hoped she did, because my word, he could go mad if he was alone in this.
"Do you fancy me?" Salviana asked suddenly, breaking the quiet intimacy between them.
"What?" Alaric’s mind scrambled, the urge to sink his fangs into her soft skin momentarily forgotten. Why would she ask such a thing?
She bit her lip before continuing, "The other day, you said you’ve never fancied anyone enough to pursue them. So, what about me?"
"I married you," he pointed out, hoping that clarified things. But judging by her raised brow, it didn’t.
Salviana rolled her eyes, a playful edge in her voice. "Yes, but you barely knew me before that night. What did you even see in me?"
Alaric’s gaze softened. "You’re right. I didn’t know you. But I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you."