3.6

“What?”  

Pavel’s hand slowly lowered from his mouth.  

For the first time in front of Larisa, his face broke into a bright smile—a smile she had never seen before.  

“Did it upset you that I smiled and spoke to another woman?”  

“……”  

“Then I won’t do it anymore. I’ll only smile for you, and I’ll only talk to you.”  

“…You’re being ridiculous.”  

“Larisa, if that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”  

Larisa stared at Pavel, who was smiling so brightly for the first time.  

She thought to herself, 

So, he can shine like this when he smiles.

She had never known because all she’d ever seen were his expressions of confusion, awkwardness, or guilt in front of her.  

It was the first time she realized what his face looked like when he smiled with genuine joy.  

A little mesmerized, she kept staring at him. Then, in a low voice, Pavel asked,  

“Larisa, may I kiss you?”  

“What…? Wait, mmph—”

Before Larisa could respond, Pavel’s lips found hers.  

His heated breath consumed hers, and in an instant, his tongue parted her lips, intertwining deeply. Larisa twisted her body, trying to escape, but for some reason, she couldn’t resist the warmth radiating from him.  

Pavel was more assertive than ever before. Up until now, during the time they had spent together—especially at night—Pavel Ainsley had always been so composed, even to the point of seeming cold. He had treated Larisa as if she might break at the slightest touch, never exerting even a fraction of his strength on her.  

But now, he held her tightly, as if afraid she might slip away from his embrace. His arms around her waist were firm, and despite noticing Larisa’s squirming movements, he showed no intention of letting go.  

“Mm… ngh…”  

“Haa…”  

Their eyes met, and Larisa flinched.  

The intense heat pouring from his gaze was fundamentally different from anything she had seen before. It was almost… unhinged. Larisa had no idea what had triggered such a drastic change in him.  

Tilting his head slightly, Pavel cupped Larisa’s cheek with one hand. As the kiss deepened, Larisa could no longer bear it and closed her eyes. When his tongue grazed the ridges of her palate, a tingling sensation swept through her body.  

The strength in Larisa’s hands, which had been pushing against Pavel’s chest, gave out. Instead, she clung tightly to his collar as if it were a lifeline. If he let go, she felt as though she might collapse entirely.  

Pavel sucked gently on her lower lip, almost like savoring candy, then bit down lightly. No matter how much he tasted, the sweetness never seemed to fade. He wanted more—just a little more—to fill himself entirely with her breath.  

When Pavel finally pulled back, reluctantly breaking the kiss after what felt like an eternity, the sight before him was Larisa’s flushed face. Her lips were swollen, and she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.  

“Damn it.” 

Pavel cursed quietly to himself, something he rarely did.  

He realized once again just how much she stirred him. The fact that he couldn’t suppress such base desires—that he was nothing more than a beast incapable of restraining his primal urges—hit him hard.  

It was fortunate that they were in someone else’s garden. The awareness of their surroundings and the years he had spent cultivating his self-control were the only things keeping him in check.  

Had he been nothing more than a mindless beast, he might have laid Larisa down right there and taken her.  

Pavel bit his lip hard, then spoke words he had never dared to say before.  

“Will you come back with me now?”  

Larisa blinked, unable to respond immediately. She looked as though she had just heard something completely unexpected.  

As if to urge her, Pavel brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes with his lips, then whispered softly into her ear,  

“I want you right now, Larisa.”  

“…!”  

“Don’t you feel the same?”  

It was the first time he had ever expressed his desire for her so openly.  

Until now, it had always been Larisa who initiated things, who undressed him and sought him out, while Pavel simply followed her lead. But today, something had ignited within him, pushing him to say such things.  

For a moment, Larisa felt dazed. Then, snapping out of it, she grabbed Pavel’s cravat, pulling him closer, and smiled faintly.  

“All right.”

She couldn’t clearly recall how she had left the party hall. After hastily exchanging a few polite farewells, she escaped the venue and climbed into a carriage bearing the emblem of the Ainsley Ducal House. Pavel struck the partition toward the coachman with his palm and immediately pulled Larisa into his arms.  

Seated on Pavel’s lap, Larisa kissed him fervently, losing herself in the moment. Their carefully arranged appearances unraveled in an instant. The elaborate hairstyle that adorned Larisa’s head quickly came undone, but such trivialities were the least of their concerns.  

A hand slipped beneath her dress, gripping her soft thigh firmly. As a sharp, tingling sensation coursed through her, Larisa tilted her head back, and Pavel’s lips found the nape of her neck. It felt like a searing brand was being imprinted on her skin.  

His hand moved swiftly and precisely, delving toward the inside of her legs. When he reached an intimate area, he pushed aside the thin undergarment and slipped inside, finding the damp, parted folds hidden within. His fingers brushed against the already heated and sensitive spot, teasing it gently.  

Pavel’s deep voice resonated in her ear.  

“You’re already wet.”  

“Ah… more… please, more.”  

“It would be better if you were even wetter.”  

Without warning, his fingers plunged inside. Even with just two fingers, she felt unbearably full, and Larisa let out a sharp gasp. The carriage’s swaying motion only amplified the intensity of his movements. 

“Ah… ngh… haah!”  

Even though her dress concealed the scene, it seemed as if the sound of slick movements could be heard. Clinging to Pavel’s neck, Larisa instinctively moved her hips. Her body felt far more heated than usual.  

Was it because he desired her so openly?  

Or was it the delighted smile he showed when looking at her?  

Or perhaps it was simply the overwhelming joy of knowing how much this man adored her?  

No, none of that mattered. Right now, all that mattered was the pleasure she felt as she surrendered to his touch. She could feel the wetness spilling out from deep within her.  

Pavel held Larisa tightly, increasing the number of fingers inside her. Her body, which eagerly welcomed his touch as if savoring it, was utterly endearing to him.  

It was driving him mad.  

He wanted her to cry. He wanted to make her weep, to see her sobbing uncontrollably in his arms, on his hands, and on his body.  

If it weren’t for this cumbersome dress, he would have stripped her bare right then and there, leaving countless marks on her pale, soft skin—so many that she would feel embarrassed to leave the house.  

The ache between his legs grew unbearable. His arousal swelled, desperate to enter Larisa’s body.  

“Pavel… Pavel… ah, ah! Wait… I… ngh!”  

Larisa couldn’t complete her sentences, her voice breaking into cries of pleasure. The sensation of Pavel’s fingers scraping against her inner walls, withdrawing, and then plunging back in was indescribably good.  

A shallow climax rippled through her body. Larisa gasped for breath, her body trembling uncontrollably. The wetness between her thighs had spread, soaking even the insides of her legs. Yet Pavel’s relentless movements pushed her higher and higher, making her climax feel almost cruel.  

“Haah… ahhh!”  

It felt as though something inside her had burst, causing her vision to flicker momentarily. Pavel’s hands moved even faster, holding her tightly as her body convulsed. Though his fingers were drenched in her essence, Pavel didn’t seem to care.  

Larisa’s body stiffened suddenly, her toes curling inside her shoes. Finally, her strength gave out, and she collapsed against Pavel, her body still trembling faintly.  

Pavel kissed her temple, still warm from the aftershocks of her climax, and withdrew his fingers from her.  

Then, he unfastened his trousers, pulling out his already swollen arousal. Even the sensation of his slickened hand brushing against it made him feel as though he might lose control.  

In a voice thick with desire, he whispered,  

“I want to be inside you, Larisa.”  

“Ah…”

Larisa groaned softly, pressing her forehead against Pavel’s shoulder before straightening her posture. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she looked at him, her cheeks flushed with warmth and a rosy hue that made her appear utterly endearing. Pavel kissed her cheeks and chin, gently urging her.  

“Please, grant me your permission, won’t you?”  

“Don’t ask for permission—just do it.”  

“Even without permission, is that alright?”  

Holding her hips firmly, Pavel aligned himself with her entrance and thrust inside in one swift motion. Larisa trembled uncontrollably, her mouth agape without a sound escaping.  

“Ha… ah…”  

“Am I the only one enjoying this?”  

“Ugh, ngh!”  

As Pavel moved his hips upward, he asked her the question, but Larisa couldn’t answer.  

Was he the only one enjoying it? What did he mean? 

Larisa could only let out soft cries, unable to form a response. Pavel frowned slightly and thrust upward again, more forcefully this time.  

“Haaah!”  

“Am I the only one, hmm?”  

“Wha—ah, ah!”  

“Doing this to you without your permission.”  

His length drove deep into her repeatedly, reaching her innermost depths. The heavy sensation felt as though it was lifting her insides upward, and Larisa shook her head as her body trembled violently. Pavel asked her again.  

“Is that not the case?”  

“Aaah, ah!”  

“Am I the only one allowed to hold you like this?”  

“No… ngh! Only Pavel… only you!”  

“That’s right…”  

“Yes, it’s only me.” 

Pavel seemed to reaffirm this as if sealing a promise. He repeated the words to himself while thrusting his hips upward once more.  

The sound of flesh meeting flesh resonated as their bodies moved together in a frantic rhythm. Clinging to each other tightly, they moved their hips, their motions desperate and erratic. Each time the tip of him scraped against her inner walls before plunging back in, Larisa’s mind went blank, only to regain clarity in fleeting moments.  

After holding her on top of him and moving her as he pleased for a while, Pavel shifted her position. He placed Larisa on the opposite seat, bending her over. Her dress was pushed up, revealing her pale undergarments. Pulling the fabric aside, he entered her again, his arousal swollen to a deep, almost intimidating shade of red. The stark contrast against her fair skin was striking.  

Gripping her pale hips firmly with both hands, Pavel thrust into her with a sharp motion.  

“Ahh!”  

As he moved swiftly and forcefully, Larisa was pressed down, her body pinned helplessly against the seat. She clawed at the seat’s backrest and cushion, letting out soft cries. Pavel’s slightly curved length brushed against an unusual spot inside her, stroking and scraping her in a way that sent a strange heat coursing through her body.  

Moisture dripped steadily from her, pooling beneath her and staining both her dress and the seat. Pavel ran his fingers through the wetness, then brought them to his lips, licking them clean.  

“Do you know, Larisa?”  

“Haaah, ah, ngh!”  

“The taste of what comes from you… it’s so sweet.”  

“Ahh, ah, ah, ah…!”  

“I want to taste more of it.”  

Embarrassed by his words, Larisa felt her body grow even warmer.  

A man like Pavel, who rarely spoke so crudely, seemed to have been overcome by something. Yet, she didn’t dislike it. When other men had muttered vulgar words to her in the past, it had left her feeling cold and detached. But Pavel’s words… they stirred her, exciting her further.  

More. She wanted more. She craved greater pleasure. She desired the ecstasy that only Pavel Ainsley could give her. Perhaps he had heard the unspoken plea in her cries, for Pavel eagerly moved his hips with even more fervor.  

“Ahh, haaah, ngh, Pavel… Pavel…!”  

“Yes, it’s me. Larisa, the one holding you—it’s me.”

As if he were engraving his name into Larisa’s mind, Pavel murmured it over and over again.