"Not only that... but."
She lowered one of her arms back to my chest, pressing on it, feeling the sturdiness of my body that was enhanced by chaos magic.
If there was such a thing as the absolute peak of the human body, it would be this, at least it should have been if it wasn’t for the divine energy flowing within me.
But it was close to it, at least.
"Hmm..." she murmured, tilting her head as her fingers traced a slow, deliberate path across the curve of my shoulder.
"Strong... and warm. No one else in the academy trained their body like yours, or at least... to this extreme, makes it impossible to ignore."
Her lips twitched into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, more teasing, more calculating than playful, but there was an unmistakable softness in the curve of her expression.
I felt heat rise through my own body, not just from the touch, but from the intimacy of the gesture. Her hand lingered, just a fraction longer than necessary, and I didn’t move away.
Didn’t want to, of course.
Instead, I lowered my own hand to her back, just grazing the small of her waist, feeling her shiver under the faint contact.
"Careful," I whispered, my voice softer than I intended. "You’re... making it hard for me to stay sane."
"Am I?" she replied, voice teasing, but with a tremor I hadn’t heard before. She leaned closer, forehead brushing against my chest, her hair brushing against my neck. "I think it’s... your fault."
I swallowed. My chest tightened. Her warmth was seeping into me in a way that made every nerve feel alive. My free hand hovered over her arm, tempted to draw her just a little closer, but restraint had never felt so delicious.
I was inches away from passing out, but with the succubus’s energy messing with the two of us now, it made sure we wouldn’t waste this moment.
Evelina lifted her head slowly, her gaze traveling up my chest, lingering for a moment before meeting my eyes. There was no mockery in her expression now, no sharp amusement. Just intent.
Her fingers tightened against my chest, nails digging in just enough to sting.
"I’m starting to regret accepting this power from you," she quietly laughed. "If only I knew how much trouble it’ll bring."
The words sent a pulse through me, sharp and immediate. My hand at her waist closed fully this time, fingers pressing into her back, pulling her against me without another thought. The space between us vanished, her body fitting against mine far too easily.
She inhaled sharply.
There it was.
That tiny break in control.
Her other arm slid down from my neck, slow and deliberate, palms exploring with an almost clinical curiosity, not shy, not rushed. She wanted to feel, to confirm, to understand exactly what she was dealing with.
"So this is what it feels like," she murmured, more to herself than to me. "A body made for killing."
Despite the situation, she still couldn’t stop thinking pragmatically.
Her knee brushed between my legs as she shifted into my lap, testing, and I couldn’t stop the low breath that escaped me.
"Evelina," I warned, barely above a whisper.
I was at my wits’ end; if this continues, I would genuinely lose it.
She looked up again, eyes half‑lidded now, flushed, the faint red beneath her skin no longer subtle.
"Yes?" she replied sweetly, dangerously.
I didn’t answer with words.
I leaned down instead, stopping just short of her lips, close enough that our breaths tangled. Close enough that she could feel exactly how affected I was.
Her lips parted.
"...You hold back quite often," she observed, voice softer now, almost curious.
"For someone who thinks about me so obsessively, you’re quite a gentleman."
"That’s because," I said, my thumb brushing along her hip, slow, experimental, possessive.
Something I imagined doing before.
Even I couldn’t help but think of it as desperate back in the past, thinking about a fictional character so obsessively like that.
But now... I don’t really know where I’m going with this anymore.
I should probably just stop thinking and go for it.
"I wanted to wait until you fully like me..."
My words came off as more like a whimper; even I couldn’t help but laugh at how pathetic I sounded.
Ahh... she really is such a beauty.
She smiled then, small and genuine, but with a small hint of ownership.
"How funny," she whispered, tilting her head up that final inch, "How do you expect that to happen if you hesitate?"
The succubus’s energy surged, warm and intoxicating, wrapping around us like a held breath.
And well... she was right.