✧I Won’t Make It Hurt✧
TN : ( For this chapter, I recommend listening to the audio ^^ )
Leyla continued to thrash in Matthias’ hold, squirming whichever way she could. Suddenly she felt her whole body shift once more, before she was unceremoniously dumped off of him.
It was only when her back hit the familiar feeling of a soft bed did she realise where he had taken her and what he planned to do with her. She looked around frantically before scrambling to get up the bed.
“N,no! Go away! No!” Leyla screamed hysterically, the pain in her body momentarily forgotten. The white sheets which had been painstakingly prepared just this morning began to wrinkle beneath her weight, her thrashing crumpling the sheets in no time.
“Stay still.” Matthias ordered sternly, immediately catching one of Leyla’s flailing wrists and pulled her still…
“Ackh!”
The pain she had forgotten returned in full force, bringing tears into her eyes as she yelped in pain. Matthias frowned, and immediately released his hold on her.
Just as he did, Leyla twisted her body further away from him that she had almost fallen off the bed. Fortunately, Matthias’ reflexes were quick, and managed to stop her from toppling over, this time his hold gentler from moments ago. However his resumed contact with her only served to make Leyla thrash some more in panic.
“Let go! Let go of me!” She shrieked, but Matthias held onto her resolutely, careful not to put too much pressure on her this time. Leyla continued to thrash, making him take a deep breath.
“If I let go of you now while you move so recklessly then you’ll only injure yourself further.” He tried explaining, but Leyla wasn’t listening, continuing to thrash around in order to escape from him.
“No! No! No!” She kept pushing him away. The more she protested, the more it grated on Matthias’ nerves. He won’t say it out loud, but he would admit to himself that he misplaced his anger a while ago on Leyla when he had scolded and grabbed her harshly.
The anger was for his cousin, Riette von Lindman, after all. And he had dumped it on her in a fit of anger. However now, he could only feel concern over her battered body.
Matthias knew very well that Leyla would have hidden from her Uncle Bill the fact she had been involved in a car accident, much less had been the victim of one, so he had prepared beforehand some medicine, safely tucked away in his room at the annex. He brought it here, all the way from his mansion.
He had planned to bring her here from the start, reeling her in with the sparsely written note he had attached to the leg of her precious bird. Matthias can’t help but laugh mirthlessly to himself as he remembered how imprudent he had been acting, watching as she dragged herself to the edge of the bed.
Just as Leyla was about to bolt off the bed and out of the room, Matthias intercepted her and gently plopped her back onto the bed, making her huff out in surprise. She finally looked up at him and began to beg…
“Duke, don’t be like this, please.” She pleaded, hastily moving back from him as she attempted to escape once again, but Matthias swiftly got on top of her, straddling her waist, keeping her in place. He grabbed both of her wrists gently, pinning them over her head as he held her down.
Leyla struggled feebly beneath him, squirming futilely before sobs wracked her body as a terrible wave of helplessness washed over her. “St-stop, please,” She begged, fat tears streaming down her face, “Please, I’m begging you, stop! It hurts, it hurts so much…” She whispered.
She’d been paralyzed by both her fear and the Duke looming above her. The pain in her body screamed for relief the more she strained as she lay on the bed.
“Duke please,” Leyla called out pleadingly, whispering beneath him, “It hurts so much.” She sniffed, crying softly from under him. The Duke’s face began to blur as fresh tears kept forming, but she resolutely met his gaze, as he eyed her carefully.
“Did he touch you?” Matthias inquired, “Did Riette touch you in any way?” He whispered as he eyed her slowly from the face to the bottom of her belly.
Matthias tilted his head as his eyes met hers once more, prodding gently for her to answer truthfully. His hair swayed to the side as he did, revealing his intense gaze on her.
Immediately Leyla shook her head in denial despite the sobs wracking through her. She hated what Marquis Lindman had done to her, but hated all the more that Matthias had found out about it. He shouldn’t have to.
“N-no,” She began to explain, “He only teased me rather badly that I got so scared that I couldn’t help but just up and left in such a hurry.”
Matthias listened intently as she stammered through her explanation. The shaking of her body seemed to finally calm down after a few more rounds of her crying, then stopping, then crying again, until she calmed herself into exhaustion.
Her cheeks glistened with the streaks left by her tears. Gently, Matthias pried off his fingers that held down her arms before moving to caress her hands, gone was the strong grip from before replaced only with such gentle and tender caresses.
“Stay still, Leyla.” He murmured softly, interlocking their fingers together as Leyla stiffened beneath his touch on instinct. “Lie still,” He repeated as he held her gaze, “I promise it won’t hurt, not even a little.” and he dipped his head down a little closer to her.
Leyla forced herself to watch as Matthias loomed over her, eyes darting to her prone figure on the bed, then to the room they were in. The two of them were the only ones in the annex, which was located deeply inside the forest.
In her head she had already imagined the multiple scenarios she could have done to push him away and make her escape, but she knew there was no escape now. And that just pushed her deeper into despair.
“You promise?”
Leyla finally responded in a meek voice. She was being quite foolish right now, but she was also earnest. She had no choice but to submit right now. She was at his mercy after all.
She hoped that he would also grant her a small mercy in her vulnerable state.
Leyla looked up at Matthias pleadingly as he remained unresponsive to her inquiry. She shivered as he stared at her some more. His eyes raked her up and down in appreciation, wetting his lips lightly at the sight of her tear-streaked face.
Finally, Matthias nodded at her in promise, making her sigh deeply in relief as she relaxed underneath him. He pulled himself away from her, hands digging into the pocket of his jacket where he had shoved the returned handkerchief carelessly in his haste to catch up to Leyla.
Leyla allowed herself to remain still despite being unbounded by the Duke’s hands, watching his hands, and believing in the promise he’d take care of her. She watched as he brought the handkerchief next to her forehead, and began slowly dabbing away the sweat on her brow.
Matthias kept gently wiping at her face, grabbing her chin gently to keep her eyes on his when she instinctively tried to turn her head away from him. Her emerald orbs shone brightly in the dimmed light. He tucked back her ear a few stray locks of her hair before fully standing up as he finished wiping her face clean.
Leyla watched attentively every move he made, struggling to stay still so as to not aggravate him. Matthias then got off the bed as he rummaged through some of the things he had set aside, and returned with a medicine box in hand.
He then sat down by the edge of the bed, and laid it on the bedside table, before turning to her calmly.
“Show me your injuries.” He gently ordered, and Leyla immediately shook her head frantically, and began retracting her words from before…
“Oh, there’s no need really! I wasn’t really injured even-”
“You said it hurts.” Matthias interrupted, “Your words were: it hurts… so much.” He reminded, eyes narrowed as he regarded her.
“No, I was… that was…”
Leyla stumbled through an explanation, unable to provide a good excuse on the spot as she gingerly sat up from her position. Her eyes darted everywhere around her but his.
Slightly annoyed by her stubbornness and refusal to look at him, Matthias began to uncuff the sleeves of her blouse, immediately gaining her attention. She panicked and began to struggle once more as he rolled them up to her elbows.
“I guess the arms were uninjured then?” He remarked dryly, swifting grabbing the hem of her skirts, riding them up further as it hiked above her knees.
Yelping in the suddeness of his actions, Leyla stilled his hands immediately, “Back!” She blurted out, “It’s… it’s my back… that hurts…” She trailed off in all honesty. Matthias stopped moving his hands as he stared at her, urging her to continue, “I hurt my back a little, and my left shoulder.” she reluctantly admitted.
He pursed his lips together, backing away from her to give her one more once over, to determine if she was telling the truth. His fingertips tapped on the lid of the medicine box rhythmically, making Leyla squirm in the silence between them, before the tapping stopped.
“I want to see it then.” He demanded, “Take it off.”
Leyla’s eyes snapped towards him, before shaking her head in denial once more, unwilling to remove any layers of clothing around him. But Matthias wouldn’t take no for an answer. His eyes narrowed at her before growling under his breath.
“If you won’t let me take a look, then I won’t hesitate to call the doctor for you!” He hissed and stood up, grabbing the medicine box with him. “And not just any doctor, mind you, but Dr. Etman!” He threatened her.
Leyla’s breath hitched at the thought, before shaking her head once more, pleading for him not to do it. She would rather drown by the Schulter River than be caught dead by Kyle’s father in such a compromising position! She looked practically scandalous as she lay on the Duke’s bed!
“Then make the choice Leyla.” He gave her an ultimatum, “Either strip and allow me to assess your injuries myself, or I will call for Dr. Etman.”
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Matthias had left her alone with her thoughts, basking in the room’s silence for quite some time now. Leyla’s body was still aching due to the strain it underwent with her thrashing and squirming.
Matthias waited patiently for her final decision. He reclined against the nearby chair as he continued to run his eyes up and down her figure.
He sighed deeply, watching her rumpled form on his bed, hair a mess and eyes swollen red. There was something sensual in the way she basked in the dim lighting, all shrouded in doubt, fear, sprinkled with a dash of hope and trust in him.
“Do… Do you really promise?”
Leyla finally asked, breaking the silence. Her eyes clenched shut as she resigned herself to her fate. It didn’t matter anyway if she would try to negotiate with him. His promises, her promises, they were only just words unless they made it true.
She was well aware by now that Matthias could do whatever it takes, just so he could get what he wanted in the end. Just as he once did before. The circumstances between them hadn’t changed. She was still bound to cross paths with him, doomed to suffer in his presence.
She would only complicate things further for herself if she would continue to resist. She had her answer now. She’s made a decision. But that didn’t stop the fresh tears from running down her face as she felt utterly useless in front of him.
The tears flowed, saturating her blouse the more she cried while Matthias continued to stare at her.
‘How happy he must be again to see me cry.’ Leyla thought miserably, she choked down her sobs, swallowing as she turned away from him, giving him a silent permission to undress her himself.
She felt the rustle of his clothes, and the dipping of the bed. Calloused hands came up to her shoulder, caressing her back gently as it trailed towards the buttons at the back of her blouse. Slowly, she felt the gradual loosening of her blouse as his fingers deftly unbotted it one by one…
Her body shook with sobs as she kept her head down, aiding in removing her blouse once everything had been unbuttoned. She wanted to keep even just a little bit of her pride by refusing to look at the Duke.
The cloth slid down her skin, revealing the soft, smooth flesh underneath. It had only been a second, but for Matthias it felt as though time moved slowly, sensually revealing inch by inch her skin, teasing him, goading him to touch it. From the slender slope of her neck, to her petite shoulders…
His eyes travelled further down, following the perfect curve of her back, riddled with blotches of red bruises. It looked as though any touch of his would bring her to her knees in front of him.
Matthias found himself mesmerised by the swelling on her back. It was littered everywhere on the expanse of her left shoulder blade, down to her waist. It was no wonder why she wailed like she did in pain.
He found himself amazed by her strength in brushing her injuries as if they were nothing as she continued to bike away from him. Though she did look a little pathetic as she did so as well, running away like a dog with her tail between her legs.
‘If I had ignored it , you would’ve hid your bruises and suffered all by yourself.’ Matthias thought, causing an anger-like feeling to well up inside him. Opting to push it down, he began to move, lightly touching the bruises…
Only Leyla yelped in pain, making her flinch away from him, twisting her body as if to shield her prone side despite her state of undress. He hummed in thought, a frown marring his face. It would prove difficult to treat her if a slight touch would cause her too much pain.
“Tell me if the pain gets worse.”
Matthias murmured softly as he moved his hands, touching the areas around the bruises instead as he assessed the extent of her injuries. Whenever she tensed up beneath his fingertips, or let out soft groans, he would ease up, and move to the next area after she had relaxed once more.
It was fortunate that Leyla could still move her arms and shoulders. The ribs and spine seemed to be fine as well. Overall, she was in good condition considering a car had hit her. The creases on his forehead disappeared as he found himself relieved and quickly proceeded with the treatment.
He took some smoothing salve, before wrapping her bruised shoulder with bandages in silence. Leyla sat still, head still looking down, as her body shook in the tension between them.
Matthias rubbed smoothing circles on her uninjured side as he went and wrapped her bruises securely, yet tenderly. He had been right; she was smooth to the touch, very soft beneath his fingers.
He wanted to touch her more. She was such a frail woman indeed; so small and so vulnerable.
“Leyla.”
Matthias softly whispered. Leyla found herself raising her head in response, a little dismayed at how quickly she did so. By the mantle on the fireplace, hung a large mirror, with an intricate golden frame. In it, was her reflection.
She met her gaze in it, seeing as clear as day, the shame and despair written in her eyes.
Her eyes then shifted to meet Matthias’ in the mirror, seeing his cerulean eyes staring back at her. A strange feeling came over her, locking her in place as she found herself unable to look away despite the terror she was feeling.
‘Why…?’
She wondered to herself the more she looked at him through the mirror, trying to convey the question with her eyes…
So innocent… so clearly looking at him for some sort of explanation as to why this was all happening.
‘Ah …’
Matthias chuckled dryly to himself in his mind, his eyes breaking contact to take in her now bandaged shoulder. He felt too hot, his breath controlled, yet too harsh as he struggled to wet his parched lips.
His eyes went back to look at Leyla once more, before realising that he had been the one to back away first from her. In all his years of knowing Leyla, he’d never once backed down for her.
‘Damn it.’
He cursed himself for his ineptitude. He felt as though he had been cursed, but only he could feel the way his body grew hotter, breathing out hot puffs of air through his mouth.
Before he could let out another sigh, Matthias leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Leyla’s shoulder in order to turn a blind eye to the unfamiliar emotion stirring inside him and a vague attempt to console the wounded girl. He wasn’t acting like himself, but he found that didn’t mind; not even a little bit.
“It’s all right.” Matthias tenderly whispered in Leyla’s ear while she attempted to turn her body away. His voice dipped down into a husky tone, creating a strange sensation travelling down Leyla’s spine.
She hastily avoided his gaze once more, unable to look any longer in the mirror.
The last sight she saw was seared into her mind. His strong imposing figure loomed behind her vulnerable form; his large calloused hands wrapped around her bare waist. She tried to subtly shrug the hand off of her, but was unsuccessful to do so.
Matthias continued to trail soft kisses through the expanse of her shoulders, before on hand travelled to grab and interlock their fingers together.
As the pain in Leyla’s body began to soothe, she found it being replaced with a foreign sensation pooling in the pit of her stomach.
Leyla clenched her eyes shut, feeling more vividly the way the duke’s warm breath grazed her skin.
The touch of his lips, and the impression it left as he continued his tender ministrations across her bruises, were as soft as a feather.
✧I Won’t Make It Hurt✧
TN : ( For this chapter, I recommend listening to the audio ^^ )
Leyla continued to thrash in Matthias’ hold, squirming whichever way she could. Suddenly she felt her whole body shift once more, before she was unceremoniously dumped off of him.
It was only when her back hit the familiar feeling of a soft bed did she realise where he had taken her and what he planned to do with her. She looked around frantically before scrambling to get up the bed.
“N,no! Go away! No!” Leyla screamed hysterically, the pain in her body momentarily forgotten. The white sheets which had been painstakingly prepared just this morning began to wrinkle beneath her weight, her thrashing crumpling the sheets in no time.
“Stay still.” Matthias ordered sternly, immediately catching one of Leyla’s flailing wrists and pulled her still…
“Ackh!”
The pain she had forgotten returned in full force, bringing tears into her eyes as she yelped in pain. Matthias frowned, and immediately released his hold on her.
Just as he did, Leyla twisted her body further away from him that she had almost fallen off the bed. Fortunately, Matthias’ reflexes were quick, and managed to stop her from toppling over, this time his hold gentler from moments ago. However his resumed contact with her only served to make Leyla thrash some more in panic.
“Let go! Let go of me!” She shrieked, but Matthias held onto her resolutely, careful not to put too much pressure on her this time. Leyla continued to thrash, making him take a deep breath.
“If I let go of you now while you move so recklessly then you’ll only injure yourself further.” He tried explaining, but Leyla wasn’t listening, continuing to thrash around in order to escape from him.
“No! No! No!” She kept pushing him away. The more she protested, the more it grated on Matthias’ nerves. He won’t say it out loud, but he would admit to himself that he misplaced his anger a while ago on Leyla when he had scolded and grabbed her harshly.
The anger was for his cousin, Riette von Lindman, after all. And he had dumped it on her in a fit of anger. However now, he could only feel concern over her battered body.
Matthias knew very well that Leyla would have hidden from her Uncle Bill the fact she had been involved in a car accident, much less had been the victim of one, so he had prepared beforehand some medicine, safely tucked away in his room at the annex. He brought it here, all the way from his mansion.
He had planned to bring her here from the start, reeling her in with the sparsely written note he had attached to the leg of her precious bird. Matthias can’t help but laugh mirthlessly to himself as he remembered how imprudent he had been acting, watching as she dragged herself to the edge of the bed.
Just as Leyla was about to bolt off the bed and out of the room, Matthias intercepted her and gently plopped her back onto the bed, making her huff out in surprise. She finally looked up at him and began to beg…
“Duke, don’t be like this, please.” She pleaded, hastily moving back from him as she attempted to escape once again, but Matthias swiftly got on top of her, straddling her waist, keeping her in place. He grabbed both of her wrists gently, pinning them over her head as he held her down.
Leyla struggled feebly beneath him, squirming futilely before sobs wracked her body as a terrible wave of helplessness washed over her. “St-stop, please,” She begged, fat tears streaming down her face, “Please, I’m begging you, stop! It hurts, it hurts so much…” She whispered.
She’d been paralyzed by both her fear and the Duke looming above her. The pain in her body screamed for relief the more she strained as she lay on the bed.
“Duke please,” Leyla called out pleadingly, whispering beneath him, “It hurts so much.” She sniffed, crying softly from under him. The Duke’s face began to blur as fresh tears kept forming, but she resolutely met his gaze, as he eyed her carefully.
“Did he touch you?” Matthias inquired, “Did Riette touch you in any way?” He whispered as he eyed her slowly from the face to the bottom of her belly.
Matthias tilted his head as his eyes met hers once more, prodding gently for her to answer truthfully. His hair swayed to the side as he did, revealing his intense gaze on her.
Immediately Leyla shook her head in denial despite the sobs wracking through her. She hated what Marquis Lindman had done to her, but hated all the more that Matthias had found out about it. He shouldn’t have to.
“N-no,” She began to explain, “He only teased me rather badly that I got so scared that I couldn’t help but just up and left in such a hurry.”
Matthias listened intently as she stammered through her explanation. The shaking of her body seemed to finally calm down after a few more rounds of her crying, then stopping, then crying again, until she calmed herself into exhaustion.
Her cheeks glistened with the streaks left by her tears. Gently, Matthias pried off his fingers that held down her arms before moving to caress her hands, gone was the strong grip from before replaced only with such gentle and tender caresses.
“Stay still, Leyla.” He murmured softly, interlocking their fingers together as Leyla stiffened beneath his touch on instinct. “Lie still,” He repeated as he held her gaze, “I promise it won’t hurt, not even a little.” and he dipped his head down a little closer to her.
Leyla forced herself to watch as Matthias loomed over her, eyes darting to her prone figure on the bed, then to the room they were in. The two of them were the only ones in the annex, which was located deeply inside the forest.
In her head she had already imagined the multiple scenarios she could have done to push him away and make her escape, but she knew there was no escape now. And that just pushed her deeper into despair.
“You promise?”
Leyla finally responded in a meek voice. She was being quite foolish right now, but she was also earnest. She had no choice but to submit right now. She was at his mercy after all.
She hoped that he would also grant her a small mercy in her vulnerable state.
Leyla looked up at Matthias pleadingly as he remained unresponsive to her inquiry. She shivered as he stared at her some more. His eyes raked her up and down in appreciation, wetting his lips lightly at the sight of her tear-streaked face.
Finally, Matthias nodded at her in promise, making her sigh deeply in relief as she relaxed underneath him. He pulled himself away from her, hands digging into the pocket of his jacket where he had shoved the returned handkerchief carelessly in his haste to catch up to Leyla.
Leyla allowed herself to remain still despite being unbounded by the Duke’s hands, watching his hands, and believing in the promise he’d take care of her. She watched as he brought the handkerchief next to her forehead, and began slowly dabbing away the sweat on her brow.
Matthias kept gently wiping at her face, grabbing her chin gently to keep her eyes on his when she instinctively tried to turn her head away from him. Her emerald orbs shone brightly in the dimmed light. He tucked back her ear a few stray locks of her hair before fully standing up as he finished wiping her face clean.
Leyla watched attentively every move he made, struggling to stay still so as to not aggravate him. Matthias then got off the bed as he rummaged through some of the things he had set aside, and returned with a medicine box in hand.
He then sat down by the edge of the bed, and laid it on the bedside table, before turning to her calmly.
“Show me your injuries.” He gently ordered, and Leyla immediately shook her head frantically, and began retracting her words from before…
“Oh, there’s no need really! I wasn’t really injured even-”
“You said it hurts.” Matthias interrupted, “Your words were: it hurts… so much.” He reminded, eyes narrowed as he regarded her.
“No, I was… that was…”
Leyla stumbled through an explanation, unable to provide a good excuse on the spot as she gingerly sat up from her position. Her eyes darted everywhere around her but his.
Slightly annoyed by her stubbornness and refusal to look at him, Matthias began to uncuff the sleeves of her blouse, immediately gaining her attention. She panicked and began to struggle once more as he rolled them up to her elbows.
“I guess the arms were uninjured then?” He remarked dryly, swifting grabbing the hem of her skirts, riding them up further as it hiked above her knees.
Yelping in the suddeness of his actions, Leyla stilled his hands immediately, “Back!” She blurted out, “It’s… it’s my back… that hurts…” She trailed off in all honesty. Matthias stopped moving his hands as he stared at her, urging her to continue, “I hurt my back a little, and my left shoulder.” she reluctantly admitted.
He pursed his lips together, backing away from her to give her one more once over, to determine if she was telling the truth. His fingertips tapped on the lid of the medicine box rhythmically, making Leyla squirm in the silence between them, before the tapping stopped.
“I want to see it then.” He demanded, “Take it off.”
Leyla’s eyes snapped towards him, before shaking her head in denial once more, unwilling to remove any layers of clothing around him. But Matthias wouldn’t take no for an answer. His eyes narrowed at her before growling under his breath.
“If you won’t let me take a look, then I won’t hesitate to call the doctor for you!” He hissed and stood up, grabbing the medicine box with him. “And not just any doctor, mind you, but Dr. Etman!” He threatened her.
Leyla’s breath hitched at the thought, before shaking her head once more, pleading for him not to do it. She would rather drown by the Schulter River than be caught dead by Kyle’s father in such a compromising position! She looked practically scandalous as she lay on the Duke’s bed!
“Then make the choice Leyla.” He gave her an ultimatum, “Either strip and allow me to assess your injuries myself, or I will call for Dr. Etman.”
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Matthias had left her alone with her thoughts, basking in the room’s silence for quite some time now. Leyla’s body was still aching due to the strain it underwent with her thrashing and squirming.
Matthias waited patiently for her final decision. He reclined against the nearby chair as he continued to run his eyes up and down her figure.
He sighed deeply, watching her rumpled form on his bed, hair a mess and eyes swollen red. There was something sensual in the way she basked in the dim lighting, all shrouded in doubt, fear, sprinkled with a dash of hope and trust in him.
“Do… Do you really promise?”
Leyla finally asked, breaking the silence. Her eyes clenched shut as she resigned herself to her fate. It didn’t matter anyway if she would try to negotiate with him. His promises, her promises, they were only just words unless they made it true.
She was well aware by now that Matthias could do whatever it takes, just so he could get what he wanted in the end. Just as he once did before. The circumstances between them hadn’t changed. She was still bound to cross paths with him, doomed to suffer in his presence.
She would only complicate things further for herself if she would continue to resist. She had her answer now. She’s made a decision. But that didn’t stop the fresh tears from running down her face as she felt utterly useless in front of him.
The tears flowed, saturating her blouse the more she cried while Matthias continued to stare at her.
‘How happy he must be again to see me cry.’ Leyla thought miserably, she choked down her sobs, swallowing as she turned away from him, giving him a silent permission to undress her himself.
She felt the rustle of his clothes, and the dipping of the bed. Calloused hands came up to her shoulder, caressing her back gently as it trailed towards the buttons at the back of her blouse. Slowly, she felt the gradual loosening of her blouse as his fingers deftly unbotted it one by one…
Her body shook with sobs as she kept her head down, aiding in removing her blouse once everything had been unbuttoned. She wanted to keep even just a little bit of her pride by refusing to look at the Duke.
The cloth slid down her skin, revealing the soft, smooth flesh underneath. It had only been a second, but for Matthias it felt as though time moved slowly, sensually revealing inch by inch her skin, teasing him, goading him to touch it. From the slender slope of her neck, to her petite shoulders…
His eyes travelled further down, following the perfect curve of her back, riddled with blotches of red bruises. It looked as though any touch of his would bring her to her knees in front of him.
Matthias found himself mesmerised by the swelling on her back. It was littered everywhere on the expanse of her left shoulder blade, down to her waist. It was no wonder why she wailed like she did in pain.
He found himself amazed by her strength in brushing her injuries as if they were nothing as she continued to bike away from him. Though she did look a little pathetic as she did so as well, running away like a dog with her tail between her legs.
‘If I had ignored it , you would’ve hid your bruises and suffered all by yourself.’ Matthias thought, causing an anger-like feeling to well up inside him. Opting to push it down, he began to move, lightly touching the bruises…
Only Leyla yelped in pain, making her flinch away from him, twisting her body as if to shield her prone side despite her state of undress. He hummed in thought, a frown marring his face. It would prove difficult to treat her if a slight touch would cause her too much pain.
“Tell me if the pain gets worse.”
Matthias murmured softly as he moved his hands, touching the areas around the bruises instead as he assessed the extent of her injuries. Whenever she tensed up beneath his fingertips, or let out soft groans, he would ease up, and move to the next area after she had relaxed once more.
It was fortunate that Leyla could still move her arms and shoulders. The ribs and spine seemed to be fine as well. Overall, she was in good condition considering a car had hit her. The creases on his forehead disappeared as he found himself relieved and quickly proceeded with the treatment.
He took some smoothing salve, before wrapping her bruised shoulder with bandages in silence. Leyla sat still, head still looking down, as her body shook in the tension between them.
Matthias rubbed smoothing circles on her uninjured side as he went and wrapped her bruises securely, yet tenderly. He had been right; she was smooth to the touch, very soft beneath his fingers.
He wanted to touch her more. She was such a frail woman indeed; so small and so vulnerable.
“Leyla.”
Matthias softly whispered. Leyla found herself raising her head in response, a little dismayed at how quickly she did so. By the mantle on the fireplace, hung a large mirror, with an intricate golden frame. In it, was her reflection.
She met her gaze in it, seeing as clear as day, the shame and despair written in her eyes.
Her eyes then shifted to meet Matthias’ in the mirror, seeing his cerulean eyes staring back at her. A strange feeling came over her, locking her in place as she found herself unable to look away despite the terror she was feeling.
‘Why…?’
She wondered to herself the more she looked at him through the mirror, trying to convey the question with her eyes…
So innocent… so clearly looking at him for some sort of explanation as to why this was all happening.
‘Ah …’
Matthias chuckled dryly to himself in his mind, his eyes breaking contact to take in her now bandaged shoulder. He felt too hot, his breath controlled, yet too harsh as he struggled to wet his parched lips.
His eyes went back to look at Leyla once more, before realising that he had been the one to back away first from her. In all his years of knowing Leyla, he’d never once backed down for her.
‘Damn it.’
He cursed himself for his ineptitude. He felt as though he had been cursed, but only he could feel the way his body grew hotter, breathing out hot puffs of air through his mouth.
Before he could let out another sigh, Matthias leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Leyla’s shoulder in order to turn a blind eye to the unfamiliar emotion stirring inside him and a vague attempt to console the wounded girl. He wasn’t acting like himself, but he found that didn’t mind; not even a little bit.
“It’s all right.” Matthias tenderly whispered in Leyla’s ear while she attempted to turn her body away. His voice dipped down into a husky tone, creating a strange sensation travelling down Leyla’s spine.
She hastily avoided his gaze once more, unable to look any longer in the mirror.
The last sight she saw was seared into her mind. His strong imposing figure loomed behind her vulnerable form; his large calloused hands wrapped around her bare waist. She tried to subtly shrug the hand off of her, but was unsuccessful to do so.
Matthias continued to trail soft kisses through the expanse of her shoulders, before on hand travelled to grab and interlock their fingers together.
As the pain in Leyla’s body began to soothe, she found it being replaced with a foreign sensation pooling in the pit of her stomach.
Leyla clenched her eyes shut, feeling more vividly the way the duke’s warm breath grazed her skin.
The touch of his lips, and the impression it left as he continued his tender ministrations across her bruises, were as soft as a feather.
