In anger, as she felt disappointed by the man who had provided her solace, particularly when she had to face hundreds of pairs of eyes a few monts ago, Joanna hit the arm that was around her stomach while kicking the man’s legs with the back of her shoes.
But the man did not let her go, despite all the strength she had exerted to attack him. Instead, he used his other hand to grab the angry hands that rcilessly punished his hand that was around her stomach, making them unable to move as freely as before, even though the passion to give lessons to the hands that locked her movent increased.
Canillas tightened his hold on the angry Joanna, making her back press against his chest even more, as if he wanted to pin her back on his chest so that she could not move or leave him.
"I can’t believe there is such a wild imagination playing in my wife’s little head." Joanna heard the words spoken in a low, deep voice. His warm breath brushed her ear. She could even feel his lips touching the tender skin of her earlobe.
But it did not stop Joanna from squirming in Canillas’ arms, refusing to give in to any trick he cast to lt her determination.
"Do you really think I will do what is in your imagination in such a situation and place?" Canillas asked Joanna, who still fought to escape his embrace. He could feel her slender stomach heave up and down, following her chest as her breath quickened as a result of the rampant motion.
"Let go, or I will really scream this ti!" Joanna demanded in a low but firm tone, recalling that she never executed her thought of screaming during her intimate encounter with him.
"You can scream as loud as you want, but I will let you go only when you are calm or feel enough to accuse of being a rapist," ca the reply from Canillas in the sa firm tone but a calr one.
As if being hit in the core, once the words seeped into her ears, Joanna stopped rebelling in an instant. With her breath still quickening, she heard other words coming from the man who stood close behind her back.
"I won’t lie to you that I do have a strong intention to claim you as my real wife," Canillas remarked, still holding the now-seemingly calr Joanna in his arms. "But you may rest assured because, fortunately, you are not married to an animal or a rapist. And I, as the man to whom you are married, will not have such a precious mont done at a place that is not proper to behold as a mory."
Finding the lady in his arms stay still although she still had her breathing heavily, he said further, "If you really have no trust in after all the monts we spend together and if you think of as the sa as an animal or a rapist, instead of in this place where people can co anyti unpredictably and disturb our precious mont, wasn’t it better if I did that a long ti ago when we were in the quiet and serene deep forest where we were away from people? Or when you were sleeping peacefully in my arms the day we were in the inn?"
His voice was laced with a mixture of ridicule and disappointnt, representing a prick in his heart when he found her not trusting in him yet, even accusing him of having inappropriate intentions after all he had done to suppress himself from hurting and disrespecting her.
Silence lingered in the air. No one felt compelled to break the silence, filling the air with words.
Only the sound of the unsteady heartbeat that resonated through her back spoke volus.
Was it actually hers? Perhaps it was also hers.
In close proximity, where warmth enveloped her, it was what Joanna thought while sinking into the unsteady lody that captured her senses.
"I told you that I respected you as my wife, and I still do." The first words filled the air, breaking the montary silence, which pulled Joanna from sinking deeper into the lody that ensnared her senses. "If one day cos for us to consummate our marriage, I will do that to you as your husband, not a rapist or animal, not even as a stranger."
Heartfelt words that were spoken in a despondent tone made Joanna close her eyes before opening them again as the following sa tone drifted to her ears.
"It will be good if you can rember this, and better if you can trust . But it is all up to you. I just want to tell you that I want to make our marriage consummation special and unforgettable. And that will only happen when you are ready."
Standing in stillness with her heart pounding at what she was hearing, Joanna listened to every word Canillas delivered in a low voice to her, as if he made sure that no one heard but her.
Not long later, she felt the hold on her stomach and hands loosen before it completely freed her. The hard, broad chest that had stuck with her back left as well, making her shiver as the chill air had taken over the warmth that had enveloped her body.
But a couple of seconds later, the warmth returned to her, starting from her back, her shoulders, and her arms, before ending at the front part of her body.
Before she could fully register what it was that had given the warmth back to her, she felt her right hand being held.
Turning her head to the side, she t the eyes of the man that she had accused of having an inappropriate intention toward her, and those were filled with a glint of disappointnt.
The moonlight that shone behind his back sharpened the outline of his face, revealing his true emotions at the mont.
No bright expression could be seen on his visage. No cheerfulness or beaming smile could be found either. Even the striking green eyes did not sparkle as brightly as they usually did.
Without uttering a single word, Joanna saw him turn away, gently pulling her with him through their clasped hands. Without uttering a single word as well, Joanna followed him.
As they stood before the glass door, Joanna saw Canillas open the latch. Soon, she shivered when a nightti autumn breeze washed over her body once the door was pulled open.
Holding the collar of the tailcoat that was wrapped around her body with her free hand as a reflex response to prevent it from being blown away or to wrap it closely to warm her body more, Joanna stepped across the threshold toward the balcony while realizing why the man that she had accused took off his tailcoat for her to wear.
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