The Demon’s Bride

In the painting, Master Ian was sitting at a chair, in front of a maroon curtain. His long legs were crossed in front of him and his body was leaning to the back of the chair. His arm resting on the armchair hold his chin he playfully tilted to the right side of the painting and there was his grin appearing on his sculpted face.

Elise had always seen the grin, the grin that Ian had when he was feeling amused or in mirth. There was wildness in him and the untamed mischief he presented which make up the components of his mysterious gaze that seem as if he knows everything.

The charm was hard to resist for anyone which was why many women would be far more than happy to be invited to his bed.

Elise gulped. This was Ian's portrait in front of her but she felt the man was right in front of her, staring at her with the red eyes he had.

She placed the canvas away then wondered why unlike all the paintings Ian's portrait was place down in the corner and not hanged to the wall? Her hand took another painting, turning it as it was placed upside down, it was also Ian's portrait. Unlike the previous one this was painted up closer, showcasing his devilish handsome face that made her heart flip and turn from her chest.

Placing the canvas again, she took the rest and saw that all in the portrait was him. Then Elise realized how that Master Ian's portrait was the only one that was drawn by a different person.

Elise stared at the portrait in curiosity, her blues eyes staring at the last painting took a longer time. "Why did Master Ian had himself painted in a lot of portrait?" she murmured her question in a whisper.

Was it because the painting wasn't good enough? But he was handsome in all of the portraits.

"Each centuries need new portrait. It's the custom." came suddenly Ian's voice to Elise's ears behind her, making her jump in surprise as she never expected the real Ian to appear beside her just when she had stared at him for long minutes.

Elise took a step backward when her turned face was immediately greeted with Ian's face. It was too much for both her eyes and heart that her body had to take some space for her to breath before her heart failure.

Her elbow felt a touch of fabric, she turn to see the white fabric that was used to cover the painting which was placed on the wooden easel and moved her elbow to avoid knocking the painting. When she did, her feet that took two steps back instead shifted the legs of the easel, having the easel to fall down, knocking the paints placed on the easel to create a mess, and Elise to lose her balance and fall backward.

Ian was quick to reach out his hand to her waist. Holding her small waist, he brought her forward from falling. All objects were knocked down to the ground clattering sounds filled the room like a shipwreck. Elise had knocked down the easel, making the painting that was covered with wide fabric to be splashed with paints and the easel falling above it.

Her heartbeats were drumming to her ears with the events that happened so fast to her. She felt his hand tightened on her waist. It was ticklish but not only ticklish was what she felt. Her fingers squeezed and perhaps out of the embarrassment, guilt, or her overwhelmingly loud heartbeats, she felt her eyes turning glassy.

"You should not be careless, Elise." using her name in this situation, he knows well what kind of effect to her he had achieved. "This is what happened when your mind is filled with many things that you don't really have to think. All those worries in your mind or was it your curiosity that I see now?"

Ian felt Elise's waist on his hands. It was small and soft, enough for him to break and mold into his liking. In the thought, he subconsciously had tightened his grip on her waist. Not to hard but enough to squeeze her. A gasp of surprise slipped of her pink lips and her fingers squeezed on his arm which she held to stop herself from falling earlier. Her bright blue eyes watery under her red eyes.

Ian felt himself wanting to touch her more, sliding and rubbed the parts he could do if they were in a closed room like the gallery where they were at now. Playing his fingers to her pale white skin, he remembered how it felt the last time he had pulled out the stockings from her leg.

Ian was no good man and he knew it. He never felt he should be good either.

When he had used the excuse of treating the wound on her knees, he knows more to touch her skin as he liked to feel more of how she felt. But she looked likes frightened puppy right now, ready to make a dash if he let go of her waist now. He can't blame her for wanting to run away. He must be having not a kind face he usually had but a face of a man's nature and he was correct.

Ian knew many other ways on store he could do to have her under him. The girl was clear to her feeling toward him but she was still hesitant and he want more than that. Ian want to shape her until when she would be able to love him without any hesitation. There was still many things she hadn't seen from him. Who he was or his true form, Elise didn't know anything yet and he would take his time to tell her who he was.

"You knocked on the paintings, do you know what you did just now?" He asked her and his finger loosened but it didn't goes away, still staying at her waist.

Elise looked at the canvas, paint was splattered above the fabric and she was worried if the painting was destroyed because of her carelessness. "I'm sorry for knocking the painting." she apologized.

Elise had come to clean the room but instead, she had created a mess she didn't intended to do in front of Ian. Her face sank down, she scolded herself for being ditzy. "I will help you fix this." she replied and was met with the twinkling red eyes.

*A/N: Please don't forget to vote with the beautiful sparkling red power stones to support the author and for the book to become better known^^