UNDER THE OAK TREE

357 Chapter 118

Stuck between the cold wall and Riftan's rock-hard body, Maxi felt her nape prickle. A deep flush crept up her face as he pushed his thigh into the folds of her bunched-up skirt.

He brought his lips above hers, murmuring, "Did you not put on that ridiculous show to provoke me?"

"I-I merely-"

"Just say I'm right," he said tersely, pressing her against the wall with more force as she struggled to break free.

Maxi instinctively held her breath when she saw a glint in his eyes. He was a volcano on the verge of erupting.

"Tell me you're dressed like this for my sake," he said, his voice like velvet.

His hand traced her waist, and Maxi hunched her shoulders. Though his touch was feather-light, she could sense the danger beneath the surface of his restraint. Blood coursed through her veins, a burning heat spreading all the way to her fingertips.

Cupping her chin, Riftan brushed her lower lip with his thumb. "Say it."

Maxi bobbed her head, feeling her breasts swell beneath the weight of his broad, muscular chest.

Narrowing his eyes, Riftan wordlessly regarded her for a moment before crushing her parted lips with his own. Like a predator tasting its prey, he teasingly slid his tongue in and out of her mouth. He was displaying an excessive degree of self-control and, strangely, it only fanned Maxi's anxiety.

She knew he was desperately clamping down on his desires, like a jockey forcibly reining in a wild horse. Soon, that restraint would crumble. His kisses were becoming more passionate, and he now had her all but pinned against the wall.

A rush of fear washed over her. After all her efforts to break down his defenses, now that he was on the brink of losing his self- control, she felt unsure. Could she handle the consequences of Riftan unleashing his pent-up emotions at once?

When she instinctively flailed her legs in the air, he nipped at her lower lip, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Play with fire, expect to get burned," he whispered cruelly, crushing her with more force.

He tilted his head, driving his tongue deeper into her mouth. Before Maxi knew it, she had ceased trying to push him away, instead winding her arms around him to pull him closer. Searing desire burned away all fear, and the aching turned into intense pleasure.

Riftan was right. She had wanted to see him mad with jealousy, for him to discard all reason, inflamed with desire for her.

Panting, she began to grind her hips against his thigh. This unconscious act seemed to demolish the last of his defenses. Taking a ragged breath, Riftan slid an arm beneath her and lifted her up, walking them both out of the dark corridor.

A soft moan escaped her lips. Every step he took nudged her up and down, the sensitive spot between her legs rubbing against his lower abdomen.

Her face flushed, Maxi stopped moaning to glance around the narrow, secluded passageway. They stood veiled in darkness. The only sound was a faint melody floating from the banquet hall, far from where they were. Still, their seclusion did nothing to diminish the shamefulness of their obscene behavior in a public space.

"P-Please put me down," she said, pushing his arms away. "I would like to walk on-"

?

He did not let her finish, biting her lip and squeezing her taut breast. Maxi let out a low moan, digging her nails into his shoulder.

Picking up speed, Riftan gently tugged on her nipple bulging through the thin fabric of her gown. Maxi squeezed her thighs around his waist. To her mortification, her lower abdomen was burning with need, and her undergarments were damp. She felt ashamed at how fast she was burning up.

With her lips pressed against his, she begged pitifully, "R-Riftan... please."

Even she did not know what she was asking. Was she imploring him to stop, or was she begging to be taken to even greater heights of pleasure?

Riftan seemed to think it was the latter. He stopped before an unfamiliar room and burst through the door. He forcefully shut it behind them, then practically threw her on the bed.

Maxi hurriedly propped herself up. To her relief, the chill suggested this was an unoccupied bedchamber. She tried to get up, worried that someone might walk in on them. Riftan pushed her back down and slid his fingers inside the bodice of her gown.

The heat in Maxi's face rose to her ears. One slight tug and her taut breasts would spill out.

Riftan inhaled slowly, his tone grim as he asked, "Did Sejuleu Aren give you this dress?"

"N-No! Th-This was a gift from His-"

Her frantic denial was interrupted by Riftan purposefully ripping the bodice open. Cold air brushed her skin, and she hunched against the chill. The pale moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her exposed torso, making her seem even more pale in the dark.

?

Riftan climbed on top of her. "You must be pleased," he growled. Ing the "Are you happy now that you've proven you can drive your man mad with jealousy?"

"I-I merely... w-wanted to know your true feelings," she tried to explain, edging to the side of the bed.

After quietly watching her through narrowed eyes, Riftan lowered his head. "You will know it soon enough whether you want to or not," he muttered hoarsely.

He grasped her exposed breast and began sucking on her aching nipple. A soft scream spilled from Maxi's throat, and she buried her fingers in his hair.

She could not imagine a more erotic scene. This devilishly handsome man was desperately suckling on her rosy breast, she thought, dazedly looking down at him. She began to writhe with pleasure, crushing his face against her bosom.

As he continued nibbling, Riftan pushed a hand between her closed thighs. Maxi threw her head back. Thick fingers urgently found their way into her wet opening and, before she had a chance to acclimate, began to stroke her sensitive folds. Flustered, Maxi tried to dissuade him by gripping his arm, but he did not seem even to register her touch.

Her back arching, her toes curling, she felt her already sensitive body pushed to the peak of pleasure. She pressed her feet against the sheet to find a small reprieve from his urgent strokes, but it was futile. She clenched around his fingers and twisted her body. Her limbs began to spasm from the euphoric sensations. Seeing her reaction, Riftan pressed his rock-solid torso further into her, teasing her sensitive skin even further.

Maxi screamed, her vision blurring. She could feel her swollen inner walls hungrily pulling in his fingers. Her eyes welled with tears of mortification. She could not believe she had reached her climax so easily on her own.

She looked up at him, eyes filled with shame. Seeing him still fully dressed made her feel even worse. Realizing that she was the only one vulnerably exposed, Maxi fumbled for the blanket.

Riftan grabbed her arm. "No," he growled.

After making her hold her thigh with one hand, he raised her hips and brought his lips to her opening, which was still spasming from her earlier orgasm.

"You asked for this," he whispered. "You wanted to see me crumble at your feet, did you not?"

Maxi frantically shook her head. She felt her abdomen tighten as the heat of his breath on her wet folds sent shocks up her spine. He quietly took in her stark form, his dark eyes smoldering, before his fingers pushed into her again. A sharp breath caught in Maxi's throat.

His lips gently sucked on her swollen nub as his long, sturdy fingers continued their teasing. This was what torturous rapture felt like, she realized. She no longer felt shame or fear. Forced to accept the relentless waves of pleasure, she could only writhe and tear at the sheets, joyous cries erupting from her. She was completely at his mercy.

"Goddammit," Riftan muttered, raising his head from between her legs.

Maxi gazed at him with quivering eyes. He had somehow loosened his trousers and was now stroking his enlarged member. The lewd sight sucked the air from her lungs.

Clenching his jaw, Riftan continued to torture himself for some time, only to give up and climb on top of her. He pressed his pulsating member against her wet, throbbing entrance, and Maxi clutched his shoulders as he filled her.

?

Though she was slack from all his teasing, accepting him was still challenging. Maxi impulsively moved her hips away, but Riftan could not wait any longer. Mumbling something she could not catch, he crushed her under his weight and entered her. Maxi threw her head back as her entire body tensed. There was a slight pain as he stretched her to her limit. She frantically stopped him when he attempted to begin moving right away.

"N-No... Not yet. Please do it slowly!" 𝗯𝐞𝗱𝐧𝗼𝐯𝐞𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Riftan let out an impatient sigh as if he were the one being cruelly tortured. His chiseled cheekbones and sharp jawline glowed under the moonlight, and his black eyes held a subtle bluish gleam. Even though his face was contorted from his efforts to restrain his explosive desires, he still looked terribly beautiful

Maxi felt her chest tightening. She wanted this man, and it did not matter if this unbearable passion destroyed her completely.

She wound her arms around his strained neck. Riftan's self-control came crumbling down at her silent consent, and he began to rock his hips. She could tell he had held back for as long as he could. Half-buried in the mattress beneath his hulking, muscular body, Maxi was helpless as he moved atop her like a bucking stallion. Riftan allowed her no wriggle room at all, demanding only that she accept the pleasure he was giving her. Pushed to her limits, Maxi clawed his back, thrashing her legs.

As if unwilling to tolerate even these futile movements, he pinned her legs with his strong thigh. He pulled out of her, only to plunge even deeper.

Maxi bit down on her lip. Each thrust left her panting as her inner walls spasmed and tightened around him. It was almost as if this were their first time.

How had she managed to leave him after such an intense connection? What madness had made her turn her back to him?