Chapter 180: A Moment of Peace (2)

Soon,

The golden orb hummed silently between them, casting long, dancing shadows against the cave walls.

Aria’s breathing gradually synchronized with Jake’s, her head resting heavily against his shoulder.

The initial shock of her rescue was fading, replaced by a quiet, intimate exhaustion.

Jake remained perfectly still, his muscles slightly tense.

"...Are you feeling any better?" He suddenly asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Aria didn’t open her eyes, but she gave a small, slow nod.

"Yes... The warmth from your skill, it’s healing more than just the cold. Thank you, Jake... for everything."

A sudden wave of vulnerability seemed to pass through her.

She shifted slightly, her fingers loosening their iron grip on the lapels of his coat.

As she relaxed, the heavy fabric shifted, slipping down just an inch or two from her shoulders.

Jake’s eyes instinctively flicked down, and his throat went dry all over again.

In the warm, golden light of the orb, the pale curve of her collarbone and the soft swell of her breasts were illuminated with striking clarity.

The dark dirt of the tunnels still smudged a small patch of her flawless skin, creating a raw, tantalizing contrast that made his heart hammer against his ribs.

The visual memory from earlier paled in comparison to seeing her like this, mere inches away, completely dependent on him.

He swallowed hard, his internal temperature spiking hotter than the spell in his hand.

’Damn it, focus,’ he scolded himself mentally, forcing his gaze upward to stare resolutely at the low ceiling.

’She’s exhausted and had just lost her companions. Don’t be a beast.’

But his body wasn’t listening to his logic.

The enhanced stats that made him a fierce fighter also heightened his physical awareness; he could feel every point of contact between their bodies, from the friction of her thigh against his to the soft weight of her shoulder.

As if sensing his sudden rigidity, Aria opened her eyes.

She looked up at his sharp jawline, noting the tight line of his lips and the way his eyes were fiercely glued to the rock above.

Then a faint, knowing look softened her expression.

She didn’t pull away or try to fix the coat.

Instead, she leaned in slightly closer, her breath brushing warm against his neck.

"Jake..." she murmured softly. "You’re very tense. Is the light taking too much of your energy?"

Jake cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Ehem... No. The drain is minimal. I can hold this up for hours."

"Then why are you looking at the ceiling as if a monster is about to drop down?" she asked, a tiny, tentative trace of amusement touching her voice for the first time.

Jake let out a short, defeated chuckle, finally lowering his gaze to meet hers.

Her blue eyes were reflecting the golden glow of his palm, wide and unblinking.

"I’m just trying to keep my mind behaving," Jake admitted bluntly, a faint flush creeping up his neck.

"You’re a very beautiful woman, Aria. And right now, we’re... very close."

Aria blinked, surprised by his directness.

But then a soft pink hue rapidly replaced the pale, cold color of her cheeks.

She looked down at herself, realizing how far the coat had slipped, but rather than pulling it closed in embarrassment, her fingers merely trembled slightly on the fabric.

She didn’t move away.

If anything, the space between them seemed to evaporate.

"I... I don’t mind," she whispered, her voice dropping to a breathless octave.

She looked back up at him through her eyelashes, her heartbeat visibly racing in the hollow of her throat.

"If it’s you... I don’t mind at all."

The admission hung heavily in the warm air of the sealed cave.

The distant, rhythmic drip of water somewhere in the tunnels outside felt a world away.

Jake’s restraint, already wearing thin from the adrenaline of their survival, snapped completely.

"..."

He lowered his right hand slightly, allowing the floating orb of light to drift a foot above them, freeing his arm.

Without a word, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest.

Aria let out a soft gasp that was quickly lost against his lips as he leaned down and closed the distance between them.

"Mhmm...!"

Her blue eyes widened slightly at her first kiss.

Then slowly they turned watery and hazy as her hands came up to his shirt, clutching it as if she was afraid he would disappear.

Slurp...

Slurp...

Slurp...

After some time, Jake pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes filled with strange desire.

"...Aria."

Her blue eyes, hazy in the golden light, met his gaze, her lips slightly parted.

She gave a small, certain nod and whispered, "Please... don’t stop."

Jake responded by kissing her again, more deeply this time, keeping one hand resting on her waist.

The other slid up her back, under the loose coat, feeling how cold her skin still was and how fast her heart was beating.

"Slurp... Mhmm... Slurp..."

Their kiss began gently, then intensified as they both seemed to fall into a daze.

Aria didn’t notice her coat sliding further down her arms, completely exposing her bare large chest in the golden light.

Jake ended the kiss.

The sight before him was more impactful than the memory.

Aria’s large, bare breasts rose and fell with her breath, appearing flushed in the golden light.

Her face was near, looking beautiful and dazed, with wet eyes and lips still glossy from their kiss.

’What the hell is going on with me?’

He knew that he wasn’t some gentleman without desire.. but this was different.

Right now, he wanted to devour her... touch her... take her... keep her pressed against him until there was no space left.

Jake swallowed at this sudden surge of desire that came out of nowhere.

At that precise moment, Aria leaned in to kiss him once more, but her lips missed his mouth entirely.

Instead, they landed softly and awkwardly on his chin, then his cheek.

That brief, clumsy touch was enough to break his last remaining bit of self-control.

Jake gritted his teeth, pulled her straight into his lap, and wrapped both arms around her.

Aria let out a short gasp as she settled against him.

Her bare breasts pressed against his shirt, feeling warm and heavy, while her thighs were positioned on either side of him on the stone.

Her coat was pushed up around her elbows, no longer serving its purpose.

Suddenly, Aria moved closer again, and this time she kissed his mouth correctly.

Slurp...

The kiss was wetter than the last one, a little messy, like she did not want to leave even a sliver of space between them.

Jake felt her soft breasts press harder into his chest as she shifted in his lap, chasing his lips every time he tried to breathe.

’Damn... I didn’t think she would be so fierce.’

He was surprised by how passionately she kissed him, given her otherwise calm demeanor, but he certainly wasn’t complaining about it.

Aria made a small sound against his mouth and kissed him again, then again, like she had only just discovered it and did not want to stop.

Her hands slid up to his jaw, holding him there.

Meanwhile, Jake kept one arm firmly around her soft, slender waist as he allowed her to do so.

The other moved over her bare back, feeling her smooth soft skin... then down to the curve of her hip under the fallen coat until... he gripped her soft plump rear.

It was so soft and supple that he could feel its softness overflowing his palm and fingers.