Eira’s POV
"How... how did you get here?" I asked, feeling his one hand moving at the small of my back, the other settling along my cheek, as his thumb caressed it gently. The touch sent shivers cascading down my spine.
"I don’t break my promises," he said, tilting his head slightly, his eyes studying me with amusement. "Is that a blush, or did you put on makeup knowing I’d be here?"
I instantly raised a hand to my face and realised my cheeks were burning. Makeup? I never wore any.
Am I really blushing this much?
Thankfully, he let go of me at that moment, or I didn’t know what I would have done—how to explain that it wasn’t makeup.
He stepped back, then knelt on one knee to pick something up from the floor.
"Is this for me?" he asked, standing and holding it delicately between his long fingers, his thumb brushing over it.
Damn! I hadn’t even realized it had slipped from my hands—probably when he appeared so suddenly and startled me.
"Ah! I’m sorry... I slipped..." I reached out to take it back, but he pulled his hand away. He was clearly enjoying this little tease, so I didn’t try again. I remembered the last time I had tried to grab my book from him, and how that had ended... not that I hated it.
"If it’s for me, then why are you taking it back?" he said, slipping it onto his left wrist. He flexed his fingers, humming in appreciation. "Not bad." Then, holding his hand out to me, he added, "Care to tie it?"
I quietly moved forward and tied it carefully, securing the ends of the black threads. I had spent so much time making it, and the joy in seeing him appreciate it made me happy.
Just as I finished and looked up at him, he raised his other hand to eye level, his palm into a light fist. Before I could ask, he opened it, revealing something delicate that hung to his fingers.
A beautiful light-blue pendant—a delicate moon—hung from a silver chain, glinting softly in the light. I couldn’t take my eyes off it; it was stunning.
His hands move with practiced ease to my neck, securing the clasp at the back. "My gift for you," he said.
A strange warmth spread through me. Maybe it was because it came from him, a symbol of what we shared. I had never received gifts like this before, aside from my grandparents and Alice, who had only entered my life a few months ago. That silly girl didn’t even need a reason to gift me something.
He moved back slightly, letting his fingers trace the chain as it settled along my neck, finally resting below the hollow between my collarbones where the pendant hung.
"Perfect," he murmured, a soft note of admiration in his voice.
I looked down, but the pendant wasn’t comfortably visible to me. I quickly turned and went to stand in front of the full-length mirror. I couldn’t wait to see it on me.
My lips curved into a soft smile, my eyes brightened as my fingers traced the pendant. I glanced at him through the mirror—he was watching me.
"Thank you," I said quietly. "It’s beautiful."
He stepped closer, standing behind me, his gaze moving over my reflection from head to toe. "Interesting choice of clothes to welcome your boyfriend," he murmured.
I looked at myself, and realization hit hard. I was wearing a short, thigh-length, loose, off-white cotton nightdress. The problem wasn’t the dress itself—it was that I wasn’t wearing a bra. My breasts were full and their shape, including the nipples, was clearly visible.
I quickly wrapped my arms across my chest, fumbling nervously. "I... I’ll put on something..." I mumbled, about to move, but he pulled me back and pressed me against the mirror, my back cold against its smooth surface.
"No need," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "You won’t be a secret to me anymore once you’re an adult, so there’s no reason to hide."
The intensity of his words, made my heart race faster than it already was.
One of his hands rested against the mirror behind me, steadying himself, while the other reached behind his back and brought something forward.
"I’m yet to return this to you," he said, holding up the book.
Damn. My biggest embarrassment.
I looked away, heat creeping up my chest. "You... you can keep it..."
"But I’ve read it," he said, his intense gaze on me. "And for your convenience, I even marked the parts I liked the most."
My convenience? I looked at him, puzzled, only for him to continue. "I believe you liked the same parts. Some pages have corners folded and unfolded multiple times, as if they were read more than once."
I swallowed hard. That was my habit—unintentionally rolling page corners, undoing them repeatedly when I got lost in a book.
Caught. I looked away again, my cheeks burning hotter than ever. Being trapped so close to him only amplified my shame.
He tossed the book onto the window-side table and turned his attention to me. "I’m glad we share the same... interests," he said, and I wished I could vanish right then.
"So," he murmured, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze, "did you think about me every time you read those parts? Did you?"
His words left me frozen. His fingers rested gently under my jaw, holding my gaze as if he could see every secret corner of my mind. "Because I thought about you whenever I read it. I imagined you and me... doing all those things...and you were amazing each in each one of them...Now tell me, did you imagine me?"
As if lost in his intense gaze, I nodded involuntarily, silently agreeing to yet another confession of my shame.
"Say it in words," he demanded, his voice dangerously low, which made me question—was he planning something more tonight... perhaps mating with me, as the Moon Festival night called for?
"I did," I words barely a whisper.
"Want to try it... in real?" he asked, his eyes boring straight into my soul, trapping it entirely to its command. "Something... you never did before?"