I chuckled at his blunt demand and reminded him that he was supposed to trust me in all matters, but he wouldn’t give in and I ended up sitting in the car with the blindfold tightly pressed against my eyes. I tried to get him to reveal something, but he silenced me with a light kiss and started the engine, letting me know that he couldn’t be manipulated into giving away his little secret.
During the ride to the mysterious place, he gently held my hand and I was getting more excited as the time went on. I wondered where he was taking me and it was hard to resist the urge to peek through the blindfold. Sebastian had to warn me several times to keep it on my eyes. Even though I couldn’t see him, I sensed that he constantly smiled at me and I could picture the glowing warmth that radiated from his mesmerizing green eyes. Suddenly, the road changed and it felt as though we were driving on gravel and not asphalt. The car came to a halt and Sebastian warned that I wasn’t allowed to take off the blindfold yet. He opened the door of the car for me and led me outside. I had to hold his hand and let him lead me. Even though he held my hand firmly and tried to warn me about my steps and direction, I was still staggering along the way like I was drunk. Both of us were laughing at my desperate loss of orientation. He held me by my shoulders to steady me and he told me that I could open my eyes now. When the soft fabric of the blindfold slipped from my face, I found myself standing in front of one of the most beautiful houses I’d ever seen. Taken aback by the breathtaking sight in front of me, I looked around in awe and then settled my curious eyes on Sebastian.
“Do you like it?” he asked like he was dying to hear my answer.
“I love it. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of a fairytale castle.” I smiled.
“It’s yours, princess.” He smiled back at me.
“What do you mean?”
“This is our new home. I hope you like it.”
“New home?” I was confused. “But...but we already have a home.”
“No, Isabelle. We have a house that’s filled with bad memories. That place cannot be a home to us and I don’t even want to think about trying to turn it into that. This is our home and safe haven. This is where we’ll build our lives based on love, respect and care for one another.” He looked towards the magnificent building in front of us and then settled his eyes on me.
“Thank you,” I whispered to show my gratitude for everything he had just said.
A long, warm smile grazed his lips as he picked me up into his arms.
“What are you doing?” I started giggling as I put my arms around his neck.
He gently kissed the bridge of my nose and continued gazing and smiling at me. After a while, he gave up and told me about his plan. “I’m carrying my beautiful bride over the threshold.”
I didn’t need to say anything. Immense happiness was visible on my face and I closed my eyes, enjoying being held tightly in his arms. When unlocking the door turned out to be a big struggle for him, I slowly slipped from his arms and he lowered me back to the ground. He unlocked the door and I wanted to step inside, but he stopped me and picked me into his arms again. When we entered the house, he put me down gently and I gazed at the general splendor that surrounded me. It was breathtaking, so warm and inviting. I couldn’t believe that the house was actually ours.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Everett,” he murmured.
“It’s so beautiful.” I breathed.
He cupped my face and gazed at me. “Nothing is more beautiful than you, princess.”
“If Prince Charming says so, then who am I to disagree?” I teased him.
“Am I your Prince Charming?” he asked with a trace of curiosity in his voice.
I closed my eyes and savored the beauty of the moment. “Yes, you are. I waited for a long time to meet you, but now you’re finally here. And I was even lucky enough to have you come with a full package. You know—beautiful castle, white horse and all.” I smiled at him.
“Well, it’s more of a black jaguar.” At first, I didn’t know what he meant, but when it finally dawned on me, we both burst into laughter.
As the laughing subsided, we remained gazing at each other and Sebastian brushed his knuckles along my cheek. That simple action made my entire body shiver and I blushed because of the reaction he evoked in me.
“I love to see you laugh...and blush,” he said softly and continued watching me in amazement. “Come, I want to show you around.” He took hold of my hand and I happily followed his lead.
The house was wonderful, just as I thought it would be. Sebastian really did his homework and he told me all about the history of the place. There were so many facts he shared with enthusiasm that I pretended to yawn a few times to let him know he could get on with the tour. We laughed at that and it felt wonderful. It was like magic in the air that made me careless and happy. When we arrived in front of the last doors on the ground floor I wanted to open it, but Sebastian’s hand stopped me.
“I want you to close your eyes again.”
“Why?” I pouted and then chuckled at my ridiculous reaction.
“I have another surprise for you, beautiful.” He winked at me.
“Another surprise? What could possibly surprise me more than this?”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” He smiled mysteriously.
I closed my eyes and he placed his hands over them and leaned over to me. “I want to make sure you don’t cheat.” His breath traveled to the nape of my neck and it spread fire over my body. The smell of his cologne claimed the space around me and I felt my knees becoming weak from the powerful sensation that took hold of me.
Since I could barely move, he had to gently push me towards the door and lead me into the room. I loved letting myself go into the safety of his arms. I knew he’d always catch me if I fall. When he finally removed his hands from my face and told me to open my eyes, my reaction didn’t fell short and I squeaked when I discovered the space around me. We were in a beautiful library. Everything looked exactly the same like in our old house. My eyes sent him a thrilled as well as a puzzled look and he knew what I was wondering about.
“I had all of the books transferred here and I decorated it exactly the same like the old library. I knew you loved that place so I thought you might like to take it with you,” he explained warmly.
“I must be dreaming. This can’t be possible, can it?” I raised the obvious question since it had been only two days since my last visit to the library.
“You’re not dreaming, Isabelle.” He chuckled. “Would you like to look around?”
I nodded and walked around, admiring the fact that every book stood in its old place. Without a doubt, that library was the biggest proof of Sebastian’s perfectionism yet. As I took in the huge space around me, I noticed a nice reading corner with beautiful leather sofas and a large table in the middle. When I took a closer look on the table, I noticed there was a book laying on it. Already from afar, I observed the beautiful picture of the kissing couple that graced its covers. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked towards the table and took the book with the beautiful covers in my hand. The title of the book said Virtue & Vanity. As I lowered my gaze I was suddenly speechless, paralyzed as I read the name of the author. Written by Isabelle Everett. Shocked and with tears of joy in my eyes, I turned towards Sebastian who was smiling at me.
“I forgot to tell you that there was one more surprise lying around” he whispered.
“How? How did you...?” I was at loss of words as I skimmed the pages that had every word I had written printed on them.
“It’s a long story. One day I will tell you, but for now, I’d like to keep it a secret. I hope you don’t mind the title. They thought it would fit.”
I loved the title. I loved what he did for me. I loved him.
“I like it. But the book. I don’t understand.” I was stunned.
“It has been edited and published by one of the most prominent publishing companies. They love your work and this copy is one of the few they printe
d to give you an impression of what it would look like when it reached the bookstore shelves. The final decision about the publishing depends on you, of course.”
“Sebastian...I...I...” I felt a lump forming in my throat. “Thank you.” I was so touched by his gesture that I started crying.
The sound of Sebastian’s light laughter filled the room as he pulled me close and kissed away my tears.
“They loved your book, honey. All I had to do was send them a copy and that was enough for them to decide they wanted to publish it. So you see, it was you, Isabelle. Not me.” His soft whisper made me look up to him and smile in appreciation for his encouraging words.
He placed his hand on the small of my back and we continued our tour around the house. We climbed the stairs in silence because my thoughts were consumed by Sebastian’s wonderful gesture. Nobody had ever done something so beautiful for me. It meant the world. The world he created for us. The world I would cherish with everything I was until I took my last breath.
After we walked through numerous rooms on the first floor, there was only one room left and I knew what it was. It was our second wedding night and it felt so much different than the first one. That dreadful night had been miles away, almost entirely faded from our lives. Tonight would be different. Whatever happened, I trusted Sebastian, I had faith in the man I loved and there was no fear or doubt in my mind. Still, I was getting a bit nervous because I was so inexperienced and the only experience I’d had... No. I wouldn’t think about that night. I wouldn’t let it continue ruining my life.
“Isabelle,” Sebastian muttered my name and I turned to face him.
The expression on my face probably made him think I was afraid because he approached me like I was made of glass, exactly like he used to when I was terrified of him.
“There is nothing scary in that room, sweetheart. No need to be nervous. I swear.” He kissed my forehead and gave me another reassuring look.
I nodded and a weak smile danced on my lips as he opened the door and let me in. Out of all surprises, this was the biggest one. Somehow, my intuition warned me that I would probably be welcomed by the romantic sight of candles, wine, chocolate and rose petals which would oblige me to give myself to him. However, none of these things were there when we went inside. It was just a room; exquisitely beautiful and beyond luxurious, but still, just an ordinary room. No surprises there, at least not the ones I was almost sure I would find. I looked around, allowing my eyes to linger on the breathtaking furniture and works of art that hung on the wall. When my gaze settled on the bed, I swallowed loudly and looked at Sebastian in anticipation. Both of us held an intense, serious expression on our face, there was no more laughter. He approached me and lifted up my chin. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t tremble. There were no scary flashbacks torturing my mind, no tears forming in my eyes. I wasn’t sad, but I wasn’t smiling either. I was really nervous because I didn’t know what his expectations were and what bothered me even more was that I didn’t know if I could meet them. With everything in me, I wanted to please him and make him happy. I wanted us to be happy.
“Isabelle...” He brushed his thumb along my jaw and that tingling, electric feeling caused by his touch started dancing on my skin again. “I understand if you’re not ready. We don’t have to make love tonight. We have our whole lives and thousands of nights ahead of us to do it. There is only one thing I expect of you tonight, and that is to see you smile.”
He said that we would make love and the sound of the phrase rolling off of his lips sent a pleasant shiver through me. I looked into his expecting eyes and smiled, just like he said he wanted me to. The bright green eyes lit up with fire and he pulled me into his strong embrace, resting his head on mine and inhaling the scent of my hair. He started whispering to me.
“From all the things that God gave me in this life, you are the most precious one and I will never let you slip from my embrace.” He took my hand and pressed it against his chest. “My heart belongs to you. It beats for you. Forever.” His voice rang with certainty that made me look up at him.
I led his hand towards my chest and let him feel the fast beating of my heart. “And my heart belongs to you. Forever.” I was swept away by the power of emotion building inside of me. One glance at him and I could tell he felt the same.
Our eyes locked as we were simultaneously hit by the realization that we wouldn’t be able the stay away. The force that was pulling us together was magnetic, undeniable and overwhelming. I came even closer to him and I felt the shivers running through his body. He felt it too.
“I love you, Isabelle,” he said with burning need and crushed his lips against mine in a kiss that blew away my mind and everything I thought I knew about the man in front of me.
Though only moments ago, I thought it was impossible to feel more than I felt, the kiss we shared took me to a whole new level of consciousness until I was nothing but sensation. Everything was color. Everything was filled with beautiful flowers and the smell of roses. Everything was sheer joy.
“Sebastian.” I tried to break our kiss because I had to tell him, but he was reluctant to take his lips away from mine.
He continued kissing me gently and with so much passionate hunger like he was a thirsty man who just found a drop of water in the driest desert.
“Sebastian.” I finally managed to get away from the kiss and I held my hand on his chest to get his attention and to avoid him kissing me again.
Both of us were still panting for air, crushed by the feelings. We just stared at each other for a few moments, unable to speak.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...” he said with painful honesty as his mind settled back into reality.
“No.” I smiled weakly and then tried to say as convincingly as I could because I didn’t want him to doubt my words. “I want this. I want you,” I whispered.
He looked at me with surprise and admiration in his eyes. An identical weak smile appeared on his lips as he laid his finger on mine.
“Shh. Not tonight, love.” He looked at me tenderly, letting me know he had already made this decision before we even entered the room.
I had to make him understand. He had to have thought I gave my consent only to please him. I had to let him know how I truly felt.
“Please, I need you. I want to be close to you. As close as possible.” I looked at him with sheer sincerity that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else than what it was. “Make love to me, Sebastian.”
A blush spread over my face when I bravely said the words that came straight from my heart and he observed me with amusement.
“You are so adorable. So perfect. So uncorrupted. You’re an angel, Isabelle.” He smiled at me, but then the light from his eyes suddenly got replaced by a sad undertone. “And I’m scared to touch you because I know you’re breakable. I would never forgive myself if...” There was so much sadness in his voice.
I looked at him and I was at the verge of crying. “You’re not going to break me, Sebastian. You can’t.” I shook my head. “Not after you’ve spent so much time putting me back together.”
“Isabelle—” he wanted to say something, but for the first time I wouldn’t allow him to speak.
“I had no hope, but now I have you. And I don’t care what anyone says. You make sense. This...makes sense.”
He looked at me like my words took him by the biggest surprise yet.
“God, I want you,” he said with striking sincerity like he had lost all control and then he kissed me again.
This time, he tenderly deepened the kiss even more than the first one. As I was succumbing to the emotions his kiss evoked in me, I felt his touch everywhere and I knew it was different because it was only a prelude of what was to come. The force of the kiss eventually subsided and his lips started spreading soft kisses along my cheeks and neck like he ached for me, like it would be painful for him to breathe without me. He needed me and I needed him. We were aching for each other. He suddenly stopped kissing and t
ouching me. Instead of continuing our love game, he lifted up my chin and gazed at my face for a while. There was lust in his eyes, but he was noticeably keeping it at bay. He didn’t have to say anything. I knew what he wanted to ask. He wanted the confirmation that I was sure, that I really wanted this. I blinked and smiled a wide smile. Then I did something I never thought I would do again in my life. I undid the zipper on my wedding dress and let it slide down to the floor. My eyes followed it as it fell and for a moment, I was reminded of a bitter memory, but Sebastian quickly leveled my eyes with his again, chasing the demons of the past away. His eyes remained focused on mine even though my body was exposed for his gaze and he smiled when he noticed the deep blush on my cheeks. Not allowing myself to have second thoughts about this, I reached for his shirt and slowly undid the buttons, one by one. The look on his face was priceless, as he observed me in amazement, allowing me to take over control. Then I let the shirt slide down his shoulders and I rested my palm against his bare chest, touching his soft and warm skin. A lightning of burning desire and emotion flickered in his eyes and he gave me a light kiss, before carefully picking me up in his arms and carrying me to bed all the while looking at me with reassuring tenderness.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Our eyes locked in an expectant glare as he gently placed my body on the soft mattress. Turning to his side, he climbed into the bed and I followed his movement. We were facing each other, our breaths colliding and mixing into one magical substance that lurked in the air. I waited for him to take over complete control and wondered what it would be like, but he didn’t rush things. Instead, he took his time to soothe me and allow me to get used to the idea of closeness that was about to take place between us. At first, he only held me in his arms, stroking my hair, and laying occasional light kisses on my sensitive skin. Even the smallest threat of fear that would try to creep up my mind was instantly defeated by his overwhelming tranquility and gentleness.
Virtue & Vanity Page 54