Inside a wedding boutique, Solene was sitting with two of the said wedding team Norman was talking about. Joyce, a tall, middle-aged brunette, was the agent heading the table set-up during the reception while Armand, an Italian designer in his thirties, was the person leading the church decoration.
They had shared their visions on the wedding all of which included exuberant trinkets and ribbons, but none of it grabbed Solene’s fancy. She instead made a bold move on changing the whole look of the church and the reception and went with the white tulips and candles combo.
This simple set-up was met with confused stares on both Joyce and Armand, but nevertheless accepted Solene’s decision. In the end, they decided to go to a nearby town’s wedding shop to look for the perfect size and shape of the candle holder and a few other things to include in the giveaways.
Once there, the owner of the boutique, Mrs. Fl
The intensity of Solene’s cheeks blushing could have been compared to a rose petal after she heard Henri’s words. It was a promise all new to her. A promise she was sure he was going to execute without hesitation.It shouldn’t have flustered her that much considering he was her fiancé but still, she couldn’t control herself. A kiss like that meant she’d taste his lips again and God knows how much she enjoyed them to the fullest.Good thing the light inside the limousine was dim and she had the option to keep her face hidden from his view. This way, she was safe from his observing eyes. At least for now.With her heart thudding against her rib cage, she carefully decided to stay silent during the remainder of their ride.Henri didn’t seem bothered by it. He remained contemplatively silent too, but a few minutes later, he received nonstop calls from work effec
“You...” Solene’s eyes rounded and her mouth hang low when she saw her visitor enter. The old woman was right. She indeed knew her from way, way back when she was fourteen years old. This was the woman who created the tattoos and helped her survive the accidents. This was her grandmother’s so-called friend from a faraway country.And now that she thought about it, did they mean Portugal that time?Dressed in an attire akin to an office suit, the old woman exchanged stares with Solene. Her lip was tipped upward, showing a little bit of friendliness and a little bit of reservation. She had an air of sophistication and elegance, but Solene could also sense strictness from her just like before.“You were a teenager back then when we first met,” the old woman said, carefully nearing her in fluid strides.“Are you part of the Rantzen Family?” Solene asked, mo
Grabbing the back of Solene's head, Henri placed more pressure on their kiss. He gently brushed his tongue along her lower lip and then followed it with a slight suck. This opened up Solene's mouth more, allowing him easier entry. His tongue invaded her again, tasting her, coaxing her own out from its comfort zone.When their first kiss was short and hot, this kiss here was ten times more. It was smoldering and continuous, and judging from the way Henri held her, it wasn't ending anytime soon.Solene, brought by her nerves, stilled for a moment, but with Henri's encouraging movements, she gradually submitted to the heat of their kiss. She angled her head to the side and stuck out her tongue, sparring with his in a passionate duel. Despite technically inexperienced, she didn't feel awkward at all. He was perfect with guiding her.Trying to acquaint herself with his person, she reached up and threaded her fingers along wit
Solene stirred as the first light of day kissed her face. She softly mumbled and rubbed her cheeks more against her pillow finding it downier and smoother than she remembered it to be.She heard the sweet chirping of birds somewhere outside the room. The lovely tune earned a small smile on her lips. It was a welcomed alarm clock for her.Opening her eyes, she expected to be greeted by Patricia, standing in a corner with her ready-made breakfast, but that didn’t happen.Instead, the serene face of Henri welcomed her line of sight.Her jaw dropped whilst a silent gasp escaped her lips. Her eyelids fluttered and her head reflexively moved backward to create a bit of distance between their faces. As it turned out, their noses had almost touched. If she were any inches nearer...Oh boy.Heat immediately rose on her cheeks. They had shared kisses already yest
When Anklet told her she would be trained on how to fight, Solene wasn’t surprised. She assumed it was because of the hostage incident in the wedding boutique that was why Henri ordered it. She couldn’t complain though. Her grandfather had already trained her how to fight in the past. If she didn’t stop those trainings when she reached high school she would have probably become a black belter now.Solene just nodded in understanding and went to the bathroom to take a bath. When she watched her reflection in the mirror, her mouth immediately gaped and a visible blush colored her cheeks.She wasn’t too innocent not to recognize the angry bruise on her neck that looked particularly like a kiss mark. Remembering her moment with Henri, she bit her bottom lip. So this was what he meant by ‘flaunt it however I like.’She couldn’t do that of course not because she was asham
Solene was led inside the Master’s chamber that evening by Norman and Patricia. The entire time she traipsed the hallway, her thoughts swam to the idea that not only was she about to have a dinner date with Henri, but she will be entering his room once again.The very room where she woke up this morning and the very room she will be sleeping tonight.This was good practice for her future married life with him, she thought, but still, that didn’t mean her heart wasn’t pounding like crazy, especially when thinking about their intimate session in her room. It was highly likely it would happen again in the very near future.Once Norman opened the double doors, she entered and gaped. Truly,
Henri neared Solene, his pace unhurried. He relished watching her get all flustered with his words, words that even he himself was surprised. They spilled unchecked from his mouth, but he didn’t regret actually saying them. She had to know she was safe ′from’ him, ′with’ him, and that he cared about her safety and happiness above all.Gently, he ran his thumb along her cheekbones all the while she stayed glued to her seat. He saw her stiffen briefly, felt her slight discomfort, but he understood why she had these instinctual reactions. Just like him, she was new to this kind of relationship. They both needed to adjust. They both needed to take each step with caution.He leaned a little planning to end this evening dinner with a kiss or kisses maybe, but then he noticed a shadow move in a darkened part of the mansion roof. He knew immediately what this meant.“You must be tired,”
Meridith handed her a wrapped box while Solene sat in her receiving room’s couch. She gave her mother a questioning look and asked, “What’s this, mom?”“Open it, Solene, and you’ll see,” she simply stated.Furrowing her brows, Solene unwrapped the box and found its content to be rather surprising.“This is father’s book,” she muttered and glanced at her mother in awe.“Yes,” Meridith nodded just as she looked at Riza.“That book is called the Book of Death, Solene,” the older woman stated.“But your father prefers to call it a grimoire,” Meridith added. “It is time I give it to you.”“Is this a wedding present mom?” was Solene’s question. She remembered holding this book back when she was still six. She found it on