Chapter 385: His Shirt
Evaline:
By the time I finally pulled myself out of River’s arms, the sunlight slanting through the curtains had shifted. It was no longer bright and gold but softer, warmer.
The silence in the room felt thick, as if time itself had hesitated to interrupt what had just passed between us.
When I reached for my clothes, I caught the way River’s gaze followed me - calm, thoughtful, but still laced with a quiet storm that made my pulse trip. I couldn’t meet his eyes for too long. Not yet. My body still hummed with the echoes of what we had shared, and my mind was a whirl of too many emotions to untangle.
It wasn’t until I had slipped on my bra and panties that I realized how much time had passed. Nearly two hours. Two whole hours since we had locked ourselves in his room and shut out the world... and the argument that had brought us here in the first place.
I reached for my jeans, but a flicker of movement caught my eye. River had just bent down to pick up his discarded shirt, and a playful idea lit inside my chest before I even thought it through.
Before he could slip it on, I darted forward and snatched it out of his hands.
"Hey-" he started, but I was already backing away, grinning.
The look on his face was priceless... half surprised, half amused.
"I’m wearing this," I declared, holding up his shirt like it was a prize.
His brows arched, his lips curving slowly. "You are wearing my shirt?"
"Yes." I shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I want to wear your shirt. You can go get a fresh one from your closet."
He smiled lowly, shaking his head as if indulging me. But he didn’t argue. He simply leaned against the cabinet, crossed his arms and watched me as I slipped it on. The fabric had gone cold but I didn’t mind. All I cared about was the faint scent of his cologne wrapping around me like a quiet claim.
I buttoned the shirt slowly, aware of his eyes on me the entire time. When I finally looked up, I found him smiling softly with something tender in his gaze that made my chest tighten.
"What?" I asked, trying to sound casual even as my cheeks warmed under his stare.
"Nothing," he said, though the smile on his lips deepened. "I was just thinking how dangerous it is that you look better in my shirt than I do."
I heldback my smile, though I couldn’t help the tiny flutter in my stomach.
He tilted his head. "Are you really planning to walk out like that?"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, his tone carrying just the faintest edge of amusement, "though that shirt covers you more than enough, we still have half the staff walking around the house, I’m wondering if you really plan to parade through the halls in nothing but that."
The realization hit me instantly, and my confidence faltered.
Right. Servants.
If it were just my mates at home, I wouldn’t have thought twice. They had already seen me in far less... some of them had helped me out of far less... but the thought of the servants whispering, gossiping, exchanging looks every time I passed by...
Yeah, that was not ideal.
He must have noticed my hesitation because the corner of his mouth twitched.
"I told you," he murmured. "You are dangerous."
I crossed my arms and pouted, tugging the hem of the shirt down as far as it would go. "I still want to wear your shirt."
He pushed away from the cabinet, closing the distance between us with slow, deliberate steps. The sunlight streaming through the window caught on his skin, gilding him in gold. My heart stuttered as he stopped right in front of me.
The sight of him like this - bare chest, hair slightly messy, eyes dark and warm all at once - made my breath catch. His body was built like a sculpture, all strength and sharp lines, the product not just of training but of a life lived at the edge of survival. There was power in the way he moved, quiet and unspoken but impossible to ignore.
And stars, he knew what he was doing to me.
By the time my gaze finally lifted to his face, he was already smiling that knowing, wicked smile that sent warmth creeping up my neck.
Without warning, he slid his hands to my waist and... before I could even react... he lifted me effortlessly onto the cabinet behind me.
"River!" I gasped, gripping the edge of the surface as my heart leapt to my throat.
He just chuckled, his hands resting lightly on my thighs, thumbs tracing lazy circles against my skin.
"This way," he murmured, his voice dipping low, "I can look you in the eye."
I swallowed hard, the faint smirk on his lips making my pulse race.
"Do you know what I’m thinking right now?" he asked softly.
"I’m afraid to ask," I muttered, trying not to look at his mouth because I knew if I did, I would lose all sense of rational thought.
He leaned closer, his breath brushing against my cheek. "I’m thinking," he whispered, "that maybe I should just keep you here. In this room. For the rest of the day."
The meaning of his words hit me like a wave.
My breath hitched, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Gone was the bold, teasing version of me who had him on edge not long ago, in her place stood someone who could barely think past the heat curling low in her stomach.
I tried to hold his gaze, but the intensity in his eyes made it impossible.
"R–River..."
He tilted his head, his voice barely above a murmur. "Unless, of course, you would rather step outside in my shirt and let everyone else see how beautifully it fits you."
I stared at him, completely flustered now. "You wouldn’t dare."
His grin widened. "Wouldn’t I?"
"River," I said warningly, though the sound of his name came out breathless, not threatening in the least.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my skin as he leaned closer until our foreheads almost touched. "Relax," he murmured. "I’ll behave. For now."
I exhaled shakily, not trusting myself to answer. My hands gripped the edge of the cabinet to stop them from reaching for him, because if I touched him again - if I let myself get lost in that gaze - I knew where it would lead.
But he didn’t make it any easier. His fingers brushed up my arm, tracing the edge of the sleeve I had rolled up. The touch was light, teasing, but the fire it sparked was anything but gentle.
His voice was softer when he finally spoke again. "You drive me insane, you know that?"
I smiled faintly, even as my heart refused to slow down. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you."
He laughed quietly, pressing a fleeting kiss to my forehead before stepping back. "Get dressed before I change my mind," he said, his tone deceptively casual. "And take the shirt with you if you want."