Chapter 8: Then She Confuses

Having stripped off his shirt, the muscles that appeared underneath were one that had reached the utmost limit. He pushed himself back up from the floor using a single hand then lowered his body using said arm.

His build was more slim than it was muscular, yet those who caught sight of it would find it hard to look away. This proved true to the girl sitting on top of his back.

Her face flushed, the straps of her nightgown loosed around her shoulders, and her leaf-colored hair in shambles. She had just woken up from a vivid dream. However when the young man asked for her assistance, she gladly complied.

That, she thought, was a fine specimen of a man. He might look a tad rough with all the sweat, but it didn’t mar the appeal.

“Thanks, Celes. That helped out. Can you stand now?”

She curled her toes then shrugged her shoulders to relieve some of the tension.

“Don’t mention it, Jude. Just don’t forget that you owe me a pleasant rest now.”

“What? You were—”

“On the verge of waking,” she finished.

“Umm, Celes, I promise to do you a single favor. Right now my arm’s about to break.”

His words gave her an idea. “Then... I want you back on the bed with me.”

“What? I have work to do.”

“Stop complaining. You promised, and I won’t take no for an answer.” Celes got off and returned to bed. Though her expression remained pouty, she was smiling inside.

Jude sighed. There was no winning this argument. He followed and slipped himself inside the covers. “Goodness gracious. You know how dangerous this is for you?”

“I don’t, and I don’t care. I want my sleep.”

Celes reached for his chest, then his back, and pulled him closer. She loved the heat of his skin, the hotness of his breath above her hair, and his masculine smell. It made her crave, made her thirst for desire even more.

“Damn, how can I even sleep when you’re this close?”

That made her giggle. “That’s not my problem, Jude.”

Jude shrugged. “You seem delighted than normal. Something good happened at work?”

She liked it that he asked. One of the many perks of conversing with Jude was that he always say and ask what she wanted to hear. He knew the appropriate words to make her skin tingle.

“Oh, Jude,” she murmured, then dove her face on his bare chest.

His eyes widened when she nipped on his collar. “Celes, did you just…”

But she ignored that. “There’s this new girl in the bar. She talked to me and the conversation just flowed. We talked, and talked some more I didn’t realize the day was ending.”

“Oh yeah?” Jude bent his head and worked his lips down, ending a smooth sounding kiss at the corner of her eye. “I’m glad you made a friend then.”

She was too. It was her first time making a friend after establishing her contract with Sylphie and that annoying girl she hanged out with back at home. If it wasn’t for them two arranging her escape, she would still be in Altea by now. None of these would’ve happened, and the worst of all she would’ve not met Jude.

Jude slipped an arm out and caressed her face. It started with his thumb brushing her cheek then his finger moved to touch her lips. Her arms fell weakly to the sides as another hand went up to tease.

“Celes, you’re real, right?”

She raised an eyebrow as she wondered what he meant. “Jude?”

“I don’t know. I fear that the next time I opened my eyes to wake, you’d be gone. That everything would just be a dream. Nothing more, nothing less. That I would wake up in a hospital bed with a virtual reality headgear attached to my head.”

She didn’t understand half of what he just said, but she could see the glint of fear in his eyes. There was something about his words that squeezed her heart. Maybe it wasn’t the right time, maybe it wasn’t the right mood. But he opened up, and it was time for her to do the same.

“Hey, Jude,” she whispered, her voice enfeebled by embarrassment. “I love the way we fit together like this in bed.”

He smiled. “You’re begging to get stripped, aren’t you?”

That was it, she thought. The moment of truth. Her lips puckered as she closed her eyes and expected the inevitable. Gently his lips claimed hers. A straightforward and tender kiss. A kiss to let her know how he felt. Then a sharp, popping click was heard when he backed his mouth away.

“How was it?” Jude asked, breathing against her lips.

She stilled, and her breath hanged on her mouth. There wasn't anything to compare it to. That was, after all, her first real kiss.

“I’m gonna keep kissing you until you tell me to stop.”

True to his word, Jude dove his mouth down to claim hers again.

There was the hot taste of need in his lips. The unexpectedness of it knocked the wind out of her, but what kept her absolutely breathless was how good that need tasted. How much he wanted her to need him. How much he needed her to need him.

His hands went over and clutched her ass. He was rubbing and gripping, all while kissing her throat in slow but big mouthfuls. He trailed his lips up to her jaw then back to her mouth again.

"That sweet, innocent smile do not go with this dress. But this ass does," he murmured, then gave her one of those disarming kisses.

“Jude…” She was irritated to find herself aroused at what he just said. But her body kept responding as his lips marked her neck, claiming that part as if it was his own.

“For such a petite woman, you sure have a nice ass, Celes,” he said, kissing her throat.

It was impulse. Once she got a hold of her thoughts and awareness kicked in, she pushed him slightly. Jude was about to strip her nightgown after all. He was a finger away from loosening it completely.

“What’s wrong, Celes?” asked Jude. His looks were more than puzzled and somewhat annoyed.

She fidgeted, moving her fingers to his upper arms. “I don’t think we should continue, Jude.”

While she was drowned in delicious ecstasy, her spirit reminded her of a few things. Neck kissing had always led to other kinds of kissing, which had to led to even more pleasurable activities. She liked how he kissed her, but her heart was not prepared to advance any further.

“Why?” he asked, and there was an obvious irritation blended in his voice.

“I… I’m not prepared yet…”

She saw him bite his lip before he turned over to face the other side. After that, their room was filled with silence. It was her fault for leading him like that. She knew, yet there was nothing that she could do. All these emotions swarming her heart were newfound and fresh she was more than baffled herself.

“Jude…” she murmured softly.

Although it was the first time they shared a bed together, she didn’t mind him being this close. His presence emitted a warm feeling that made her feel safe. But now he chose a rather aloof and quiet approach, she found it hard to gauge how he felt.

“What?”

“Jude, please understand.” She could not stand him acting like this. Celes wrapped her arms on his waist and kissed the back of his ear.

“It’s not that, Celes. I’m not mad. It’s just that, guys have this special case.”

“What case?”

“You wouldn’t want to know. I’m in so much pain right now I just want to sleep. So please let me have my sleep.”

He wasn’t mad, but he was in so much pain he wanted to do else nothing but to sleep? Which one was it? Jude howled in pain as he pressed a hand on his belly. There was something going on, something that was hurting him, and seeing him like that hurt her too. But what pained her the most was her ignorance of it.

After that, Jude avoided her like a plague for a single week.

* * *

Mc having a serious case of blue balls Smile

A short chapter overall but I hoped you liked it.