Chapter 256: A Masterpiece Of His Own
Ivan clicked his tongue before his lips pressed into a firm line. "Seems like your body needs more time to recover from our activities," he murmured in a matter-of-fact tone, prompting Evelyn to narrow her eyes at him as he continued to support her with a steady grip around her shoulders.
She chose not to comment on his assessment, instead leaning into him for support. Without warning, he lifted her off her feet once more and, with a great amount of care, settled her onto a hard, cold surface. A soft gasp escaped her lips at the sudden contact against her bare skin.
She looked down and realised he had settled her on the black granite countertop. When she looked up at him, he said, "Let me fill the water for us. I’ll be back soon." He pressed a light peck to her cheek and walked towards the black bathtub.
As he moved with effortless grace, she could not help but admire his beautifully sculpted body. Her gaze dawdled on the small details, the way the muscles of his toned back flexed with every subtle movement, the veins standing out along his powerful, pale arms as he turned the faucet, filling the quiet space with the soft sound of running water. Her eyes drifted from his arms to his broad shoulders, down the narrow line of his waist, and she swallowed hard as her gaze dared to travel further, over his firm hips, along his defined thighs, and all the way down to his strong calves.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she continued to admire him. ’Gods, he is so perfect,’ she thought to herself. She had never seen a man naked before, yet she knew without a doubt that there was no one who could outmatch Ivan’s angelic features or his utterly drool-worthy body. Her heart fluttered as a giddy feeling washed over her while she continued to admire her man.
Ivan, on the other hand, felt her burning gaze on him the entire time he moved about the bathroom. His lips twitched as he fought the urge to smile, but he held himself back and continued to focus on the task at hand.
Just as he was about to turn towards her to reach for the cupboard where the bath products were kept, she quickly looked away, as though she had never been staring at him so shamelessly in the first place.
As she did, her attention finally shifted to the interiors of the small yet tastefully designed bathroom. The floor bore a checkered pattern, a familiar detail she recognised from his bathroom back in Dracoria Palace. A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued to take in the space, with its light grey walls, a delicate crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a crystal candle sconce where soft candlelight flickered gently.
Black shelves lined one side of the room, neatly arranged with Ivan’s extensive collection of skincare products and folded towels. Eve found herself wondering whether he maintained this place entirely on his own, considering no one else knew of its existence. Given how disciplined he was, she thought it was more than likely.
With her thoughts wandering, her gaze drifted down to the beautiful black marble sink she was perched on and then stilled. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed her bare, pale thighs marked with vivid red impressions that looked unmistakably like fingerprints.
Her eyes widened slowly as her gaze travelled upward to her full chest, where countless dark hickeys bloomed, left by someone who had clearly wanted her to look more like a wild cat than a gentle woman. A sudden urge to see what else she might have missed sparked within her.
Swallowing hard, unsure of what to expect, she slowly turned around and caught sight of her pale back reflected in the large mirror above the sink, framed in antique gold, and she gasped.
She raised her hand to sweep her long brown hair forward, only to realise that her once smooth, pale, flawless body was now covered in marks, vivid fingerprints and more red love bites scattered from her neck to her shoulders, along her lower back, and down to her plump curves, each one telling the story of their late night and morning rendezvous.
"Oh..." she gasped in disbelief as she continued to stare at her reflection with wide eyes.
A moment later, she caught sight of the culprit responsible for the chaotic patterns adorning her body. Their gazes met through the mirror, and he did not look even remotely guilty. Instead, smug satisfaction gleamed in his molten red eyes as his gaze slowly traced the length of her back, as though he were admiring a masterpiece of his own making.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes and asked accusingly, "You! What did you do?"
She watched as Ivan stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He lifted his hand and traced each mark he had left with reverent care before asking in a low voice, "Whatever do you mean?" He tilted his head slightly, a few strands of his raven black hair falling over his forehead, only making him look even more attractive than he already was.
"I merely marked what is mine," he stated quietly, his voice sending a sharp tingle of heat down her spine.
She pursed her lips and turned fully to face him, folding her arms across her chest as she demanded sternly, "What do you mean, marked? Are you a beast, Ivan?"
Ivan simply shrugged, and the smile he had been holding back finally broke across his handsome face. "I do not deny that," he replied smoothly. "I did warn you not to provoke the beast that you..." He lifted his hand to hold her chin gently and finished in a low murmur, "so willingly awakened last night."
Eve blushed furiously at his words, the memories of them still far too fresh in her mind. She looked away and murmured, "Always so shameless." And even as she said it, she knew she had willingly poked the bear when he had warned her not to.
His smile widened, and he could not help but pull her adorable form into his arms, even as she tried so hard to remain upset with him.
"Only for you," he replied in a flirtatious tone, pecking her pouty lips.
Before she could react, he lifted her effortlessly, prompting a startled yelp from her.
"Hey!"
He carried her towards the bath, where steam rose gently, and the fresh scent of lavender filled the air. Without hesitation, he carefully settled her into the water, allowing her body to sink beneath the surface. A soft moan slipped from her lips at the soothing warmth. As she relaxed into the bath, she became aware of how sore she felt, the heat slowly easing the lingering ache with each passing second.
Ivan settled in behind her and gently guided her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. Bending down, he pressed a tender kiss to her shoulder and whispered softly, "Don’t be mad at me....please."
’Please? Did he just say please?’ It had to be the first time she had ever heard that word leave his lips.
Not only that, but the soft kisses he pressed to her shoulder and neck only weakened her resolve further, tightening his hold on her heart and unravelling her will with ease. Oh, how effortlessly this man affected her, melting her with nothing more than a few simple words.
"Mmm..." was all she managed in response as she relaxed further against him, surrendering to his tender kisses and the soothing warmth of the water.
Ivan knew she was not truly angry with him, and a faint smile curved his lips as he felt her finally ease into his embrace. He also knew how sore she must be after his lack of restraint, so he had quietly added a healing powder to the bath, hoping it would help soothe her body and ease the lingering ache.
Wrapping his fingers between hers beneath the water at her waist, he relaxed as well, sinking lower and resting his head against the edge of the bathtub, content to share the quiet with her.
Neither of them spoke for a while, a comfortable silence settling between them. Their eyes remained closed as they surrendered to the simple pleasure of each other’s touch and presence.
Eve cherished this moment of respite she was sharing with him, something she had not experienced in a very long time. She could not help but compare her life before meeting Ivan to the life she now found herself living beside him.
Before, her life had been filled with nothing but empty walls, loneliness, and the utter misery of being hurt physically, mentally, and emotionally. In those days, the only reason she had been able to go on was because she clung to that tiny spark of warmth she felt whenever she remembered that there was at least one person in the world who truly wanted her, loved her completely, and cherished her without expecting anything in return. Her mother.
So much time had passed since then. Now, not only did she have people who were steadily becoming her strong support system, but there was also one person who always stood with her, protecting her, caring for her, and loving her with a kind of love she had never known before. The only love of her life....Ivan.
Yes, her mother loved her, but didn’t all parents love their children? No....that was not entirely true. How could she forget the man who was supposed to be her father? She recalled his cold blue gaze fixed on her with utter contempt and fury.
She remembered his words clearly, spoken just before she had passed out:
’I will never accept this relationship.’
