Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 122

Their lips overlapped. Just as Brianna gasped in surprise, his tongue slipped in without missing a beat. The smooth tongue pushed between her lips, wrapped around her own, and sucked deeply at the base of it.

“Mm…”

It was a fierce motion, as though he intended to take away even her saliva and breath. The hot, thick flesh indulged in her tongue, sucking greedily before it began to explore every corner of her mouth. It gently touched the tender mucosa along her cheeks and thoroughly traced each of her molars and other teeth.

While he roughly rubbed her lips and stirred inside her mouth, Brianna could do nothing but pant helplessly. She didn’t know where to place her tongue or when she was supposed to breathe. Once she somewhat adjusted, she cautiously moved her tongue, timidly touching his with the tip. The moment she did, Lucius let out a sound—a groan or perhaps a curse.

“Ah!”

Her body was shoved backward, her back slamming into something hard. He pressed her against a tree and sucked on her lips as if he would consume them. Their tongues tangled, and their moans twisted together in a dizzying blend. Though fireworks exploded across the sky in a brilliant display, neither of them paid it any mind.

“Ah!”

Lucius reached out and forcefully grasped Brianna’s breast over her clothes. It hurt, clearly—but even that pain felt euphoric in the moment. Wondering if perhaps her mind had truly gone mad, Brianna wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips even more actively to his. Soon, rough, beast-like breathing erupted above her head.

It sounded almost like a warning.

You started this, and now there’s no turning back.

Lucius pulled the dress off her shoulders and slid his hand beneath it, kneading her soft breast. His other hand began to hike up her long skirt.

When he twisted her nipple and touched the softest part of her thigh with his thick, firm fingers, a shiver ran through her. Not even realizing what was happening to her, Brianna was swept away by the heat and moaned breathlessly.

But just as his fingers finally reached her undergarments, Lucius suddenly stopped. He withdrew his touch from her skin and slowly pulled his lips away.

Brianna opened her eyes and stared ahead. Her vision was blurry. The black sky above bloomed with colorful shapes created by the fireworks, rising and vanishing in waves. And far closer than that, there was something more beautiful than the night sky itself.

Lucius’s black eyes were glowing more brightly than usual as he looked at her. The face she’d always thought expressionless now held a faint smile, slightly flushed. At that moment, he even seemed… happy.

Is this man happy because of me? I hope so.

That thought passed briefly. Lucius lifted her chin gently with his fingers. Soon his eyelids lowered, and their lips met again. This time, it was a soft kiss. His tongue, tracing her lower lip as if savoring cream, slid into her mouth with practiced ease, and Brianna closed her eyes.

As if the moment would last forever, the sweet kiss continued. The brilliant fireworks flared across the sky, burning until the final firework faded.

Brianna realized she would carry this memory with her for the rest of her life.

***

After returning to the duke’s residence, she washed up. Her hair was almost dry when she set down her hairbrush and looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her expression seemed brighter than usual, and her lips were flushed red, unusually plump.

Brianna gently placed her fingers on her swollen lips.

She remembered the fireworks from a year ago lasting quite a while. But this time, she had no idea how much time had passed. They had started kissing just as the fireworks began, and by the time they pulled apart, it was over. It had all felt like the briefest instant.

If the fireworks had been the same as last time, then it couldn’t have been such a short span. Had they really kept their lips together for that long?

Feeling her face flush all at once, Brianna rubbed her lips. They had already shared their bodies multiple times. Compared to that, she had thought a kiss might be nothing. Lucius had even kissed her most private parts many times before.

Yet the kiss, now that they’d actually done it, brought a much deeper sense of intimacy as their breaths and saliva mixed. It was as stimulating as intercourse itself. The act of slipping his tongue in and out, stirring her soft mouth, reminded her of what he did when they spent the night together.

As the heat in her body intensified, Brianna cupped her cheeks with both hands. It wasn’t even a night they were meant to spend together, yet the area below itched persistently. Would she even be able to fall asleep like this?

Lowering her eyelids, Brianna fell into thought.

Would it have been better if she had told Lucius earlier that she had fallen in love with him? That the one she loved now wasn’t Florian, but him.

But the words simply wouldn’t come out. Maybe she still felt guilty toward Florian. And more than that, she was afraid—afraid that if she confessed her love first, he wouldn’t say anything in return.

It would have been nice if he said it first, but she couldn’t hope for that either…

At times like this, she resented how quiet Lucius was. If his feelings had shown as clearly on his face and in his words as Florian’s had, it would have been so much easier to understand. She knew he desired her—but what lay deep within his heart remained a mystery.

Brianna let out a soft sigh. People are such greedy creatures. At first, she had only wanted to get along with him like a normal married couple. But now, she kept wanting more. Just as she had given him her heart, she wanted his in return. Something beyond obligation or simple carnal desire—something more.

Just as she sighed again, the sound of a door opening reached her ears. The middle door, which was always firmly shut except on designated nights, opened—and Lucius appeared.

Brianna gazed at him through the mirror. There was no need to ask why he had come at this hour. Surely, he too found it a pity to fall asleep alone tonight.

She smiled, the corners of her eyes lifting gently toward him. As she did, Lucius quickened his pace, and Brianna rose from her chair.

The moment she turned around, Lucius pulled her into his arms. Brianna also lifted her heels and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Their lips met instantly, without needing to say who moved first. Their tongues intertwined in a deep kiss.

“Mm…”

Unlike earlier, this kiss from the very start was laced with a clear sexual intent. The way he rubbed and stirred her sensitive mucosa—almost as if mimicking the act itself—only made Brianna more desperate.

“Luce…”

Still locked in the kiss, she murmured his name, urging him. Lucius lifted her with one hand under her bottom. Even as he walked them toward the bed, their lips didn’t part. He bit and licked her saliva-soaked lips, sucking so deeply that her tongue went numb.

Soon, her back sank into the soft bedding. In a rush, Lucius pulled down her nightgown. He stripped off her underwear in one go and quickly undressed himself as well. Even during all that, they continued their deep kiss. As their lips repeated biting and sucking, they swelled so much that even a light nip drew blood.

In an instant, both of them were naked. Brianna expected that, once he confirmed she was ready, he would enter her right away. But instead, Lucius shifted their tangled bodies, placing her on top of him. Then, looking up at her confused expression, he said:

“Kiss me, Brianna.”