Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 59: Take off the dress.

"I missed you," he rasped thickly when she didn’t answer. "I missed you more than I ever missed anything before. Did you?" he repeated softly, causing her to blink and to lick her lips.

Belle had no idea what to reply. She did not want to admit that she had somehow missed his presence, as that would be going against her self-discipline and strict self-warning to never give in to his temptations. Thus, to be safe rather than sorry, she kept her mouth shut and only stared at him. She wasn’t going to admit that to him nor to herself.

Admitting to missing his presence would be yet another step toward drowning in his temptation. She had built a strong resolve around her heart and was determined not to break it—or let her treacherous body betray her by falling into something she was never meant to feel.

Rohan chuckled softly as he reached up, threading his fingers through her hair in a smooth, deliberate motion that spoke of ownership. Then he brought his hand down slowly, letting the strands slip through his gloved fingers like grains of sand.

"I can read the beat of your little heart. You missed me." He suddenly leaned forward as if he would kiss her, and she hurriedly shut her eyes, but instead of feeling his warm lips on hers, she felt his forehead touch hers, and then he said, "Your fever is gone. Your temperature is back to normal." His warm breath fanned her lips and made them tremble softly before he moved back.

"Good. That means you are strong enough and have recovered," came his clipped words as he stood straighter, causing her to frown. Strong enough for what? Belle thought to herself. She had imagined herself questioning him about everything she had been curious about once he came back, but everything had seemed to fly out the window the moment he entered and confessed he missed her.

"For what?" she finally found her voice when he was staring at her with glistening eyes that seemed suggestive.

"For our lesson, little bunny," he said with a sigh. "You have been sick for days, and we have put off a lot and not enjoyed our married life like we should. Don’t you think it’s time we make up for it tonight?" he questioned, and without waiting for her to reply, he pinched the tip of her flushed nose and clicked his tongue. "My silly wife. Would you rather I take pleasure elsewhere outside?"

Belle’s flush deepened not only from embarrassment but because she did not like the idea of him taking pleasure elsewhere. She knew he could have any woman he wanted, and she would not stop him, but the thought of it unsettled her. She could not imagine him saying to another woman that he missed her or that she was his bunny or that he took care of her. As selfish and as stupid as it might be, she wanted his attention on her and was somewhat beginning to like it more than she was supposed to.

"Do you want that?" he asked with an arched brow. "I need to hear it from you, or I will go find myself another woman tonight," he said, biting back an amused smile when he saw her jaw clench and her eyes come up to glare at him. Oh, his little wife was starting to get possessive. He liked this part—liked it so much that he itched to pinch her flaming cheeks, just to revel in the pleasure it stirred in him.

"I am your wife," she mused, as if that was enough to make him know that she didn’t like the idea of him being with another woman. It was true she didn’t like the idea, but she would have been dead before she admitted it. Unknown to her, those few words alone were enough to make the man before her know that he had gotten her right where he wanted.

Did she know how beautiful she was admitting to being his wife? Her cheeks were flame red, her look both defiant and somewhat annoyed. He gazed into her eyes for one fleeting instant. "Good. It’s good to know that my wife knows she is mine," he remarked carefully as he patted her head.

Belle found herself sighing softly when he patted her head like that. And then he was gone from her front. For a moment, she thought he would leave and she was going to speak, but then he only walked to the bed, where the drapes around it had been pulled aside. She watched him take off his shoes and unbutton his cuffs before he got on her bed and sat down, his back leaning against the headboard, one of his legs stretched out on the mattress, and the other bent with his knee up, where he rested his wrist, and then watched her from there with his dark eyes.

"Come here," he said gently, but the command in those words did not go unnoticed by Belle, who was already nervous even though her traitor of a body was getting excited about what he would do to her tonight. Her curiosity, along with everything else that had kept her awake, had—for now—drowned from her mind. All she could think about was what that handsome devil might do to her... and whether she’d enjoy it as much as his kisses and caresses. She quickly chided herself.

As much as she knew she wasn’t supposed to give in to this part of marriage, Belle’s inexperience with intimacy—and the mysterious world of the marriage bed—made her ache to learn. She had prayed on her wedding day that her husband would have no interest in her, that he’d forget he was even married to her. But God help her, she was starting to go against her own prayers. If he ignored her now, she knew it would sting. And if he refused to touch her, choosing another woman instead... she didn’t even want to imagine how that would make her feel.

When had this started? Was it because he had nursed her back to health? Or was it when she had seen his scarred back and realized that Rohan Dagon, feared and untouchable, carried so many hidden wounds—and likely stories behind them? Though curiosity stirred inside her about what would happen tonight, she couldn’t deny the nerves curling in her stomach.

Swallowing the nervousness, she rubbed her palms against her dress and slowly began to walk toward the bed. For someone who had been gone for two days, he didn’t seem to request food nor rest and came to her strength, which was somewhat heart-fluttering and questionable of his strength as a vampire who didn’t need rest.

When Belle came to stand at the side of the bed, he parted his legs and patted the space between them for her to come and sit down. As anxious as she was, she couldn’t help but get more curious about what he would do. Was tonight the night he would do what married couples do at night to her? She wondered as she took off her shoes next to his and raised the front of her dress before getting on the bed.

Belle crossed the leg he stretched on the bed and slowly settled herself in the space between his legs. Kneeling like this in front of him made her feel like a rat about to be devoured by the cat who had been playing with it. She couldn’t bring herself to look at his face and instead stared at his throat, clutching her fingers against her dress.

Rohan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he moved his head back to take in the full view of her kneeling before him. She wore a frock of purple broadcloth, the overskirt pleated, the underskirt soft with ruffles, gathering around her in that kneeling position. A row of buttons shaped like blackberries marched up her bodice to her chin. The damn collar was too high, closing her off instead of exposing her lovely neck for him.

"Take off the dress," he said.

She jumped. "W-what?"