Radcliff may or may not save souls, but I wondered about his.
Could someone save his?
That would be a game I’m interested in winning.
I was peeking through the space between my curtains.
The wind was sweeping, whispering in the air that something bad was coming. The oak tree swayed, howling the sorrows it witnessed. My windows rattled forcefully, like a ghost wanting to escape the manor eagerly. Among all this pain stood a ray of light in the middle of the dark clouds spreading in the sky.
I look ridiculous.I stormed away, walking the hundred steps to my sinister office. My coat, like a cape, made the dust waltz in the air. Despite myself, I was cursed with curiosity. I came back to position, pushing the curtain slightly to peer one last time at her.
Her laugh was effortless and beautiful. Not that I could hear her, but the sound of it was impregnated inside my head. A ghost of a smile appeared momentarily on my face when I saw Lily hiding the stick inside her coat from Cerba. The poor dog was barking at her, jumping on her legs, full of excitement, hoping to catch it. She finally threw it away, Cerba sprinting like a fury after it.
I cleared my throat, realizing I was enjoying this scenery much more than I should. She was stealing my dog from me and not focusing on her job. If she thought I hadn’t seen what she pulled off with Patrick earlier… My lips curled into a thin line at this thought, betraying my brain.
The sky opened up suddenly, unleashing a cascade of pouring rain on them. Anyone with some common sense would have taken shelter inside the manor.
Everyone but her.
She welcomed the rain on her skin, remaining stoic. She raked a hand through her sleek hair, shutting her eyes as if she were under a warm shower.
“What is she playing?” I rumbled.
The air outside was cold and numbing. Of course, Cerba joined her in her dementia. It was hard to tell who had enticed who. The both of them spun around, playing with the elements.
Lily danced like a flower goddess, a sorceress making my heart thunder. She moved her arms and delicate fingers with grace. Her hips rolled fiercely, matching her hair flying with passion. Wild and playful, she had no idea the effect she would have on any man. Lightning struck. Rain poured harder. My throat became tighter. My pupils grew darker. My throbbing erection transformed me into a madman.
There was something about her.
She had a spark of magic within her. The ability for her passion to burst into flames and to lighten the darkest of the skies.
The song of the exquisitely tormented weather matched her spirit and my heartbeats. I fisted my curtain with a strong grip, transported by each of her movements. Blood hissed to my head. I was on the verge of losing control when her eyes met mine from afar.
The sight of me made her stop—probably with disgust. Her pouty lips parted; the knot in my throat tightened. I must have looked like a beastly perv watching her.
But Lily waved in my direction with the brightest smile. A part of me doubted that this gesture was directed at me. But there was no one else around. My muscles contracted, and yet I still wasn’t closing the damn curtain. Her smile faded slowly at the view of my frozen and impenetrable stare to her warmth.
I finally pulled away from the window and stopped this nonsense. I had to end this fantasy. I escaped my office, cracking my knuckles. I descended through the stairs, wishing to distract my mind at my library. Fighting my thoughts lately was one of the hardest things. Since her arrival, she had ingrained herself everywhere, disturbing my peace.
Speaking of her.Lily barged into my hallway like a kid who had been chased after, Cerba following right after her. Her laugh echoed throughout the whole manor. I gunned my eyes at my dog, who was smiling at me with her tongue hanging out.Traitress.
My eyes dipped down and lingered on the drops of water falling on my marble floor from her soaking wet coat. Her shoes, full of dirt, dispatched brown mud everywhere. And she couldn’t care less.
Mrs. Walton would be delighted to know there was a child inside this house.
“Hi,” Lily greeted. “I’m sorry for the mess. I can clean this up.”
“I have people for that.”
Shockingly, I liked things done in a certain way. I tolerated some deviations from the original plan, but Lily had the gift of turning everything upside down, of creating constant disorder. Surprisingly, I loathed it to the same degree it pleased me.
I strolled back in the direction of the library, hoping to find peace—if not, I would gaze at the transparency of her clothes underneath her coat.
“Wait. Where—What are you doing?” Her eyes went round, preventing me from advancing one more step. They flickered with interest, almost impossible to be detached to. “I just thought we could talk. Learn to get to know each other better, you know. After all, we’re going to spend some time together.”
I was near thunderstruck. First of all, because I had no desire to spend more time with her for both of our sakes. Second of all, because no one was foolish enough to wish to get to know me better. She was suicidal, and I was close to succumbing to my compulsions by mounting her like a caveman right here, right now.
“Radcliff hasn’t told you yet?” Hugo appeared from the living room, intruding himself into the conversation.
