Chapter 8 : I Desire You

**Aria POV

I watched with a slight pang as Noah was led away from his father by a beautiful young woman with ash blonde hair and a silver dress. Her movements were graceful and elegant, as though she had been trained to do so her entire life.

"Who is that woman with Noah?" I asked one of the Bergmann cousins, Elaine.

"That's Judith," Elaine said with slight disdain. "They're childhood friends and were supposed to be betrothed before Noah was sent abroad."

"You don't seem to like her," I pointed out.

"It's hard to like a conniving bitch whose only concern is the spotlight," Elaine grumbled. "We went to school together, and let me tell you, she is not as sweet and dignified as she presents herself to be."

I looked back up and saw that Judith's touch actually appeared to have calmed Noah. He was now allowing himself to be led away from Henry by her.

Why was my chest aching all of a sudden? That arrogant a*shole had done nothing but insult and assault me since we met. He laid his lips upon mine not minutes ago in the bathroom, but now I was upset that another woman had a hand on him?

No, Noah should not be my concern. My only purpose here in the upper city was to be Henry's healer and help him make it through the year. I could not afford to get distracted.

***

"You two were fighting about me, weren't you?" I asked Henry as I helped him into bed.

Henry removed his glasses and propped himself up against the pillows, breathing heavily while clutching his chest.

I quickly handed him some water along with a vial of medicine that I had concocted to counteract his body's degeneration.

"Noah has always been difficult when it comes to decisions that he doesn't understand," Henry said dryly. "He thinks that what little he knows is everything he needs to know. He cannot fathom that a decision can be made without his understanding and approval."

"But why not just tell him about what's really going on?" I asked. "Surely that would ease the tension and have him trust that what you're doing is right."

"It would," Henry whispered, drinking the vial's contents before taking a sip of water, "but as it stands too many people know already. Every corner has an ear, every corridor has an eye. In this game, always assume that your enemy has someone watching you in your own home, so it would be best to leave the circle as small as possible for the time being.

"If the need arises, I will fill him in on my plan."

Henry began to doze off as the effects of the medication kicked in. I gathered my equipment and made my way to my room.

Trying to unwind from the events of the day, I took a deep breath and reached for the zipper of the provocative gown I'd worn for the party.

Suddenly I heard a loud click—the sound of the electronic mechanism that locked the door.

I spun around and saw Noah leaning drunkenly against the wall, a remote key in his hand that he must have swiped from me earlier in the evening. Grasped in his other hand was a half empty bottle of wine. He looked dangerously drunk.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I demanded. "Get out now before I make you!"

"Make me?" Noah snorted, his words slurring. "You can't make me do anything, 'Mother!' You might have my fool of a father wrapped around your pathetic finger, but you can't fool me. You're a wh*re and nothing more."

I walked over to him, snatched the bottle of wine from his hands before he could drink any more, and tried to unlock the door manually so he could leave.

But the door wouldn't budge.

I would be lying if I said I was not a little bit scared. A drunken wolf was never a good sign and a definite danger to be around, and here I was locked in a room with one that was convinced I was a wh*re and a spy for his enemies.

"I have the master control key as well," Noah teased, taking another, almost identical remote key from his pocket.

"Give it to me and get out, Noah!" I snapped.

I was tired. It had been a few days of endless stress trying to fit into this new world and not let anyone on to what I was really doing. Having to constantly remember that I was Arianna Lupa Avaroux and not Aria Thorlacius was beginning to take a toll on my psyche.

"But then we would lose this perfect mother and son bonding moment, where we can start being completely open and honest with each other," Noah slurred.

"What do you want?" I hissed, wanting so much for this to end. "Do you want me to confess that I'm a spy for the Hansons, that I'm just playing a game while I prance around in these ridiculous dresses gathering information to take you all down?

"Or could it be that you're just jealous that I'm marrying your father while you watch on, wishing that you were him?"

Noah went quiet, gazing at me with sullen eyes and a pained expression.

"That's it, isn't it?" I said mockingly. Of course that couldn't possibly be it. "You wish that I was yours and not his."

"You can have the key if you want it," he said softly in response, dangling it in front of him, "but you'll have to come and get it."

I lunged for the key, but Noah grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his chest. I could feel our hearts beat against each other as I struggled to break free of his grasp. But even while drunk he seemed to be the stronger of us.

"What if I am jealous?" he whispered in my ear. "What if I can't stand that my father gets to be the one who beds an absolute goddess while I'm stuck being her stepson? I want you, Aria! I desire you! I can't stand the thought of you being my stepmother!"

I felt his strong hands caress my back, reaching for the zipper of my dress and slowly beginning to undo it. Before I knew it, the crimson dress had fallen to the ground, revealing my body clad only in black lace lingerie.

I shivered at the exposure. Whether it was from fear or excitement, I couldn't tell. My body was reacting to him just like it always did, despite my better judgment.

Noah's hands roamed over my bare skin, his touch warm and desirous. He put his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply.

"Everything about you just makes me go crazy," he said lustfully. "Your curves. Your eyes, your smile. The way you move, the sound of your voice…and especially your scent. Your scent makes me lose all control of myself."

I wanted so badly to tell him that his scent did the same to me, to let him know that the desire he felt for me was the same that I felt for him.

I wanted to unbutton his shirt. Kiss his chest. Lick his neck. Bite his lips in between kisses.

Before I could say anything, he pressed his lips against mine for the second time that evening, only this time there was no threat of interruption, no anxiety of being caught. Here we could indulge.

So this time, I began to kiss him back without restraint.

Our lips danced together and moved in tandem, weaving themselves through the passion as though perfectly choreographed and practiced. I parted my lips and allowed his tongue to enter my mouth, allowing it to briefly explore before meeting it in an embrace with my own.

Noah's lips and tongue tasted of sweet wine, and I savored every moment I got to taste it. The kiss finally broke and Noah began biting and licking my sensitive neck. I moaned in pleasure as his sharp teeth nearly pierced my skin while his tongue would then gently lick over it.

I showed him the same attention, sucking and kissing his exposed neck and leaving deep purple marks in my wake. Noah growled in pleasured approval, his firm hands starting to roam the rest of my body, caressing my breasts over the lingerie and squeezing my a*s with wanton lust.

I tore open his shirt, and buttons spilled all across the bedroom floor. He brought my face to his again, resuming our illicit kiss.

I placed my hand on his bare chest, well-toned and muscled, just as my mind had imagined.

Our bodies pressed closer together, until I felt his hardness press up against my flower.