Chapter 114: An Evening with Snow (2) (Slight R18)

"Whatever you were planning to accomplish by wearing that dress," Leon said, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than it probably should have, "just know that it worked."

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Far better than you probably intended."

The words hung in the warm, spice-scented air of the bedroom, heavy with a sudden, undeniable gravity. Snow Valestorm suddenly found herself entirely stripped of her bravado. Her breath hitched. Her hands trembled ever so slightly, the sweet aroma of the freshly baked Sun Apple pie completely forgotten in the wake of the intense warmth burning in Leon’s dual-colored eyes.

Leon slowly pushed himself off the wooden headboard, swinging his legs over the side of the large bed. He stood up, drawing to his full, imposing height.

Without breaking eye contact, Leon reached up and began to dismantle his own clothing. And for the first time since she had met him, Snow was looking at the man beneath the armor—broad-shouldered, heavily muscled, his skin carrying a faint, golden sheen of vitality from his SSS+ Aura of the Undying.

He stepped toward her, his bare feet making absolutely no sound on the polished bamboo floor.

Snow’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She turned back to face him just as he closed the remaining distance, stepping so deeply into her personal space that she had to tilt her head back to look at him.

Leon raised his hands. He didn’t grab her. He didn’t rush. He gently brought his palms up to cup her face, his thumbs lightly tracing the high, flushed arches of her cheekbones. His hands were incredibly warm, and his touch impossibly gentle.

"You are trembling, Snow," Leon murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble that vibrated through her chest.

"I’m not scared," Snow whispered quickly, her breath ghosting across his lips. She instinctively leaned into his warmth, her blue eyes wide and vulnerable. "I’m just... I’ve never done this, baby. Any of this. I’ve spent my whole life training for tournaments, and then fighting for my life in this world. No man has ever... touched me. Not like this."

A profound wave of protectiveness washed over Leon. Her absolute honesty, her willingness to strip away her eccentric, confident persona and offer him her complete vulnerability, anchored him to the physical world in a way many couldn’t.

"Then I will make sure your first time is perfect," Leon promised softly.

He moved his hands down her neck, his fingers trailing over her bare collarbones. He found the delicate zipper at the back of the silk dress.

Snow let out a soft, shuddering breath as she felt the metal teeth part. She instinctively turned her gaze away, staring at the warm light filtering through the windows, her cheeks burning with an intense, furious blush. The reality of what was happening—the sheer, overwhelming intimacy of being unmade by the man she had just married—was crashing down on her all at once.

Leon moved with deliberate, agonizing slowness. He understood the tactical necessity of pacing. He wanted her to feel every sensation, to acclimate to his presence. He hooked his fingers under the strapless edge of the silk dress and gently pushed the fabric down.

The dark silk cascaded down her shoulders, slipping over her chest and catching briefly on her hips before pooling like liquid shadow around her strappy black heels.

Snow stood completely naked in the warm light of the bedroom.

Leon stepped back half a pace, his breath catching in his throat. He had expected her to be beautiful, but the reality of her physical form was entirely staggering.

She was flawless. Her skin was a pristine, creamy porcelain that seemed to glow in the ambient light of the setting sun. Years of elite, five-time national karate championship training had forged her body into a masterpiece of athletic perfection.

Her stomach was flat and beautifully toned, defined by the subtle, elegant lines of a fighter’s core. Yet, despite her lethal musculature, she possessed a remarkably soft, feminine shape—the plush, generous curves of her hips and the full, heavy swell of her breasts contrasting perfectly with her hardened athleticism.

"Snow," Leon breathed, a rare tone of absolute awe bleeding into his voice. "You are perfect."

Hearing the raw admiration in his voice, Snow slowly turned her gaze back to him. Her crystalline blue eyes were wide, searching his face for any sign of disappointment and finding only a dark, burning hunger that made her knees feel weak.

She didn’t try to cover herself. She forced herself to stand tall, trusting him entirely.

Leon closed the distance again. He wrapped his right arm around her bare waist, pulling her flush against him. The sudden, electrifying friction of her soft, bare skin pressing against the hard, scarred musculature of his torso sent a violent jolt of electricity through them both.

Snow let out a sharp, involuntary gasp.

Leon lowered his head and captured her lips.

This kiss was deep, possessive, and incredibly thorough. Leon angled his head, parting her lips with his own, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to taste the lingering sweetness of the apple sap she had been baking with.

Snow melted against him instantly. Her hands, previously unsure of where to go, flew up to tangle in his dark hair. She clung to him as if he were the only solid object in a world falling apart.

"Mnn... ah..." Snow moaned softly against his mouth, a sweet, breathy sound that went straight to Leon’s head like high-proof alcohol.

Leon’s left hand trailed down her spine, tracing the deep curve of her lower back before gripping the plush fullness of her hip. He squeezed gently, and Snow let out a sharper, higher whimper, her back arching instinctively to press herself even tighter against his rigid form.

"Leon... baby..." she gasped as he broke the kiss, trailing his lips down her jawline.

He pressed open-mouthed kisses down the long, elegant column of her neck, his teeth lightly grazing her collarbone. Snow’s head fell back, exposing her throat to him, her breathing turning ragged and shallow. She was entirely overwhelmed by the sensory overload, her Level 48 nervous system processing every microscopic shift of his skin against hers.

"Tell me what feels good," Leon murmured against her skin, his breath sending shivers cascading down her arms.

"Everything," Snow whimpered, her fingers gripping his shoulders tight enough to leave bruises on a normal man. "Everything you do... ah... just don’t stop."