That’s right, we have to kiss…
I felt like I was lost in a daze as Anthony turned to face me. He gently placed his hands on my shoulders before his hands slowly slid down my arms. My body felt frozen in place as a fluttering feeling developed in the pit of my stomach when I realized that he was going to kiss me. Even if it was supposed to be just a ceremonious kiss to seal our wedding vows, it was still a kiss and it would be our first kiss ever. It wasn’t like I didn’t have experience with men but standing in front of Anthony made me feel as nervous and anxious as if I was a young virgin girl all over again.
Without saying a word, Anthony pulled me closer to him as his face approached mine. I felt his large manly hands slide down to the small of my back as he pulled me even closer to him. We were so close that our bodies were pressed together, and I could feel the heat of his body against mine. My eyelids instinctively slid closed as I offered my lips to him in sweet surrender and acceptance. My heartbeat raced wildly as I waited eagerly for his lips to meet mine.
I felt the warmth of his hand gently against the side of my neck for a brief moment before I felt the softness and heat of his lips against mine. Our first kiss started off gentle and even fleeting. It was such a tender and chaste kiss that felt full of love. His lips began moving on mine as he moved to kiss me gently from various angles. Just when I thought that the kiss was starting to last a little too long, Anthony pressed his lips firmly against mine as the hand he placed at the small of my back pushed me against him and held me in place as if to prevent my escape.
My heart skipped a beat when I felt the hot wetness of the tip of his tongue flicking teasingly against my closed lips. He licked my lips while he continued kissing me as he silently asked for my permission to enter my mouth. My lips slowly parted to grant his tongue entry into the wet depths of my mouth. Anthony thrusted his tongue deftly inside my mouth and I felt his heat and taste fill my senses. His tongue moved relentlessly as it explored the cave of my mouth. Our sweet gentle kiss quickly got wetter, deeper, and even more passionate.
“Mhmm…” I moaned softly in my throat although I knew that I wasn’t supposed to.
His kiss quickly grew even more demanding and aggressive to the point where it felt like he was devouring me. I started to panic a little when I was reminded that everyone was looking at us. His tongue entwined with mine until I began grinding my tongue against his in a fervent dance. A tight throbbing sensation developed in my lower abdomen as he continued plundering my mouth with his hot tongue. I knew that I should break our kiss but the moment I tried to move away, his arm tightened around me and then I felt a slight pressure at the back of my head where he held my head in place so that I could not escape from his deep kiss.
The pleasure of his kiss made my body heat up and my legs feel weak. It felt like the sweetest temptation for me to surrender myself to his lead. For the longest time, this man had been my sister’s fiancé but now I’m the one who’s marrying him. I’m the one that he’s kissing and I’m the one that will be by his side from now on. That thought filled my heart with so much bliss; however, my feelings of joy were interrupted by a stinging pain that pierced my lower lip.
Did he just…bite me?
The sweet taste of our kiss was quickly tinged with the slightly metallic taste and smell of blood. His tongue licked my lower lip before thrusting deeply into the depths of my mouth again. I heard myself moaning despite my shock and surprise at his actions. He kissed me deeply as his tongue swirled around mine in a heated dance. I felt so intoxicated by his kiss as I wondered if I would crumble to the floor had he not been holding me in his arms. His body shook a little and I realized that he was chuckling a little as if he was enjoying himself immensely.
When his lips finally let go of mine and his arms loosened from around my body, I was gasping for breath with tears stinging my eyes. I never expected him to kiss me like that. Anthony was supposed to be a warm and loving gentleman, but at the same time, I did not mind seeing this more passionate and aggressive side to him.
There was a moment of awkward silence in the church before loud applause rang out and echoed all around us. I was too busy struggling to breathe and dealing with the mix of excitement and embarrassment that invaded my feelings to care much about the reaction of our spectators. They seemed to have gotten more than they had hoped for from the show that Anthony had decided to put up for them.
My lips felt bruised from his kiss but when I glared at him accusingly, Anthony just showed me a sweet smile. The completely innocent look on his face made me feel like I had imagined the whole episode that had just happened between us just now. That unexpected bold and aggressive change in him seemed to have completely disappeared as if it had not taken place. Anthony was back to his bright and smiling self as he wrapped an arm around my waist and gently pulled me close. I stared up at his face to see him smiling brightly at the crowd of people who were there to celebrate what was supposed to be one of the most joyous days of our lives.
At least, that was how it was supposed to be…
“I can’t wait for tonight to arrive…” Anthony whispered close to my ear.
His warm breath caressed my earlobe, and the seductive sound of his voice made my entire body tremble. Someone I did not recognize approached us and started sharing words of congratulations, but I couldn’t hear what that person was saying at all because all I could think about was our fast-approaching wedding night.
--To be continued…
**Roughly a week ago**It all started when I received an unexpected phone call. To be honest, it was also a phone call that I dreaded. After being sent abroad by my family and breaking things off with them, I had not heard from my parents for more than four years. The only person from my ‘old life’ that I kept in touch with was my elder twin sister and that felt like more than enough for me. It was hard but I had moved on with my life and I was working hard toward building what I hoped would be a bright and free future for myself.“You’re working so hard again today. Don’t stay too late, ok?” Louise turned to tell me with a sweet smile on her lips.After graduating with a degree in business, I was lucky to have found a job in sales and planning in a decent-sized company in the city. On top of that, I had a very supportive team leader who always looked out for me.“Thank you but don’t worry about me or the work. I’ll definitely get it done by tonight,” I replied with confidence.“Hones
Even when it came to her absolute favorite daughter the family’s reputation still came first. Something about what she said bugged me and I gasped out loud when I finally realized what it was. She mentioned that they were running out of time, and she was right.“Wait! Isn’t her wedding in less than a week?!” I exclaimed before my hand flew to cover my agape mouth.I can still recall the call that my sister gave me to tell me that she was finally getting married to Anthony, her long-time fiancé. Ever since my sister and I were around ten years old, our family and the Vulkan family made an agreement for their only son to marry the eldest daughter of our family and that was my twin sister.“You’re not completely stupid after all…” my mother replied sarcastically.We have to find her, and we have to find her as fast as possible.“I’ll do what I can,” I replied begrudgingly while trying to seal away my pride.My mother did not say anything, and the line went silent for a few seconds. Just
That night, I returned to my apartment after rushing to complete my work. I sent my boss an email apologizing for my sudden request to take leave for ‘urgent personal matters’. After packing some clothes along with a few things that I thought I would need into a small suitcase, I was ready to take the next flight back to where I was born and raised.…Standing in front of the tall gates in front of the estate where I grew up made me feel uneasy inside. I bet that not so many people felt the way that I felt when they returned to the place that was supposed to be their home. No one was there to greet me, but the gate was left unlocked showing that they were expecting me. Nothing much had changed at all about the estate and the large mansion was still in great condition and the large gardens well-tended to. The money from Anthony’s family along with his generosity was truly being put to good use here, I thought sarcastically as I pushed the gate and entered.Soon I was standing in front
“You can’t sell my things! I won’t ever allow that…” my mother countered as her face transformed into a mask of shock.“We don’t have any other choice. Stop acting so selfish!” my father screamed back.“Me? Selfish? How can you blame this on me when you’re the one at fault!” she shouted back while pointing her index finger at her husband accusingly.“Contact your brother or someone from your family. I’m sure they have some money to lend us,” my father suggested.“Stop! I won’t let you embarrass me any further. This is already bad enough for me…” my mother said through gritted teeth.I had never seen her so openly angry before and she never spoke this way to my father. Normally, she was obedient toward him, and it seemed like the only person in our family whom she would direct harsh words toward was me. I felt my sister’s arms around my waist as she hugged me close. That was when I realized that I was scared of what was happening and also about what was going to happen to us in the fut
“There’s no need to threaten me. I’ll do my best to find her even if it’s not for your sake,” I replied in a flat voice.Back then, I had no idea what he had in mind when he told me that I would have to take responsibility if I couldn’t find my sister.…**The next day**Despite telling my parents that I would try my best to find my sister, I still didn’t have any solid idea where I would find Diana or why she had suddenly decided to disappear. The timing was just too perfect because it was so close to her upcoming wedding. The only source of comfort for me was my gut feeling that told me that she was doing fine wherever she was. If she was truly distressed or if she needed help, I was sure that she would have tried to get in contact with me by now.After making my escape from my parents and out into the long hallway of the mansion, I ran into one of our oldest housekeepers. The way her eyes lit up told me that she was pleasantly surprised to see that I had returned. Lauren must have
After thanking Lauren again and giving her a brief hug, I quickly made my way out of the mansion. The sun would be setting soon, and I wanted to take a stroll in the city for a while to take some photos for what I needed to do next. Although I wasn’t absolutely sure what Dina was up to, I had a very good guess.The city center felt even busier that early evening when I arrived than I remembered the last time that I was there. It seemed like a few more shopping malls had popped up and some new skyscrapers that were under construction the last time that I was there had opened up as well. As usual, the crowd was a good mix of people ranging from couples, university and high school students and regular working adults. I used to come here with my sister all the time to hang out after high school or whenever we were allowed or had the time.After finding a good spot in front of one of the shopping malls that my sister and I liked to frequent, I took out my mobile phone and snapped a few sel
“Come back home. This is just another fling of yours and it will be over in less than a month or two based on your historical track record,” I snapped as I clutched my mobile phone tightly in my hand.“You’re wrong, Leya. This time it’s definitely different. I don’t blame you since you’re no longer living with us. You see, I’ve been secretly dating him for almost a year now and we are truly in love with each other,” my sister announced while sounding very proud.A year...“You’ve been engaged to Anthony for over ten years! Also, please don’t make your success in staying in a relationship for longer than a few months sound like a lifetime achievement because it is not!” I barked through the phone.After shouting for so long, my throat had started to hurt. I was panting as my anger started to boil over. It wasn’t that Dina never matured from the days that we were kids but she had matured in a way that was uniquely and completely her own. Her view of the world wasn’t normal but I couldn’
**Back to the present**‘I can’t wait for tonight to arrive…’I had no idea why Anthony decided to say something like that to me. The playful and extremely flirtatious smile that he showed me made my heart skip a dangerous beat and for a moment I didn’t quite know how to react. I wasn’t sure if the Anthony that I knew would say something like that. Then again, it wasn’t like he was in a position to say something so playful and suggestive to me while he was my sister’s fiancé. Just like me, he probably never thought that he would end up marrying me instead of my sister.“Diana dear! Congratulations on your wedding. You have no idea just how long we’ve been waiting for this day to come. You look stunning! This dress looks perfect on you. You couldn’t have chosen a better dress,” a middle-aged woman with light blonde hair said while smilingly widely at me.“Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the party at the reception later on,” I replied smoothly.It felt like a s
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I approached them. The three of them were engaged in such an intense conversation that, at first, they did not recognize my presence. Diana's voice was the first that came to me. Her voice was shaky, as if she was barely holding herself together."The doctor said that there's no change in his condition. Anthony is still unresponsive, although it's been months, and this whole thing with the snipers is only making it worse..." Diana said.I came to a stop as my mind struggled to process her words. My heartbeat grew even faster in my chest, and for a moment I thought that perhaps I had misheard my own sister. What did she mean when she said that Anthony is still unresponsive?Diana already knew that Bradon had taken Anthony's place, and that meant that the man who was shot was none other than Bradon. Yet how was it possible that Anthony was the one who was unresponsive? Nothing made sense to me at that moment. It felt like I was missing a very key pie
It hurt me more than anything to realize that I couldn't blame him, even if he did that, because I was the one who betrayed him first. I left him without a word or farewell, running away from him as if he were the one who had done something wrong. Memories of our time together came back like waves. The fake honeymoon that we enjoyed together felt more real than anything, right at that moment. I remembered the way that he would laugh whenever he let his guard down on the nights when we enjoyed each other's company simply as our true selves, and the dangerous world outside and our identities didn't need to complicate things for us.There was a time when I thought that love was enough, but a small voice inside of me reminded me not to be so foolish. As time slipped by, I found myself praying that the door would just swing open and that Bradon would be standing there with his arms wide open. I wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms once again. I had to admit to myself that, with
"Where is this?" I asked without hiding my suspicion. I knew very well where the Vulkan mansion was located and also what it looked like, and the place that we had just parked in front of couldn't look more different than the mansion that I remembered."You didn't think that we would take you to our home, did you?" Mrs. Vulkan snapped before looking away with a clear look of disgust on her face."I guess your home would be the first place that Bradon would look when he finds me missing," I replied dismissively."No more chit chat," Bradon's father said as he urged me out of the car.I told myself that it did make sense that they would find a place for me to stay, but did it have to be such a shabby-looking place? The isolated low-rise building looked like it could use a round of maintenance. The room that they led me to was simple, with a single bed, a television, a desk, and absolutely no windows."How long am I supposed to stay here? I thought we made an agreement that you would h
"Why would my son want to keep you here?" Mr. Vulkan asked as his eyes seemed to search my face for the answer that he was looking for. "How am I supposed to know? Maybe he hasn't had enough of me yet..." I replied before showing them a fake yet extremely sweet smile. "Even if he isn't considered a normal member of our family, I still can't have you associating with him," he continued on as if he was lecturing me of my lack of worth. "I just told you that I'm not the one begging to stay here and with him," I replied coldly. I had hoped that by then it had become plain obvious what I wanted the two of them to do for me. With their help, I was certain that they could find a way to get me out of Bradon's mansion. Bradon wasn't around, so the next in command was Zain, whom I did not think could directly stand up against the head of the Vulkan family. At least, that was where I decided to place my bets at that point in time. "So you want to leave but he won't let you? Is that what you
I quickly followed them inside, sensing that the two of them were here looking for trouble. One glance at Zain, and I could tell that he was already informing Bradon of their unexpected arrival. It wasn't like Zain could throw out Bradon's father and stepmother, so I could understand the pitiful position that he suddenly found himself in. I straightened my back and followed them further inside, thinking to myself that I needed to hold the fort until Bradon returned. Whatever it was that they wanted, I needed to make sure to find out.The two of them sat comfortably on the sofa as if they were in their own house by the time I made it to the living room. The fact that neither of us spoke a single word as I sat down on the sofa only made the tension in the room skyrocket."I'm sure that Bradon will be back soon," I said, more to tell myself than to tell them."Why are you still here?" Mr. Vulkan asked as he turned his cold gaze in my direction.The way that he looked at me left no room f
**A few days later**"How many times do I have to tell you? You can't keep me locked up in here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, my hands clenching into tight fists. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as anger and frustration took over.Over the past few days, I had already lost count of the number of times Bradon and I had had this argument. For some reason that I could not comprehend, my life as a prisoner inside his household had resumed. There must have been a change in Bradon that I couldn't fully understand-something that had led him to decide to keep me under house arrest. Going out was no longer an option, even if I was escorted."You may leave when I tell you that you can," Bradon replied with the same infuriatingly calm response he always gave, his tone ticking me off even more."Listen, I'm not doing this because I want to be selfish. If there's a reason why you can't let me go outside, then please just let me know, and I'll try to be understanding," I said, taking
"I'll try not to come back late," Bradon replied without any further explanations. I only managed to simply nod my head before he was already out of the living room. The look that Bradon gave me told me to hold my tongue and not ask him any questions. I knew very well that asking him anything would be useless because he most likely wouldn't give me any kind of answer. As I stared at the doorway, my mind became even more unsettled than before. Something was definitely going on and Bradon was keeping it away from me. "Probably just work..." I mumbled to myself. It wasn't unusual for Bradon not to tell me much about matters related to his work, and I never minded. A sigh escaped my lips when I realized that I had officially failed once again. The worst part was that I felt very relieved at the very same time. Bradon's parting words, telling me that he would hurry back home gave me something to look forward to and that made me realize just how much I yearned to be with him. "Stop it,
I needed to leave him and as soon as possible, but I didn't know how I could achieve that. My past experiences have taught me quite directly that I couldn't truly run away from Bradon. Escaping from the mansion was unquestionably impossible. I could not run away, so that meant that I needed to get Bradon to agree to let me leave. My legs already felt weak, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut my eyes to escape reality. I knew that I needed to talk to Bradon about ending our fake marriage as soon as possible, although I had no idea how to bring up the topic. Something told me that it might prove to be difficult to get Bradon to agree, and there was always a risk that he might react unpredictably.However, if everything he did was simply him just acting out his role and his feelings for me didn't truly exist, then that might be the solution to all of my problems. If he felt no attachment to me, then he should have no problem letting me go just as planned. After all
The party ended early, yet it was quite eventful, at least for Bradon and myself. I felt like there was a storm raging inside of me all the while that we rode back to his mansion. It felt like there was something right at the tip of my tongue that I wanted to say, but yet I couldn't bring myself to say it. There were times when I thought that I fully understood myself and what I wanted, and yet at the very same time, I felt so confused and lost. The feelings that were struggling to take dominance inside of me did not make sense, and it made me feel as if my thoughts and my feelings were heading in the direct opposite direction of one another.Bradon's words of defiance as he confronted my father came back to me loud and clear:"Dahlia is not your daughter anymore, and neither am I one of the Vulkans. I will never let you take my wife..."I should have known that entering into this contract marriage with Bradon, while taking my sister's place, would somehow lead to blurring the line be