Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 229 "Lena, | want to hold you." Nathaniel's voice was low and magnetic, as if it could ensnare the soul itself. Selena nearly lost herself in it, drawn irresistibly by the sound and the subtle warmth in the air around him. When he leaned closer, that faint, clean scent of his surrounded her. It was the kind of scent that was unmistakably male, yet fresh and pure. Her heart skipped a beat, thundering in her chest. Wait, what did he just say? He wanted to hold her? Yet it was Selena who moved first.

The military treatise slipped unnoticed from her hands onto the carpet, and before she realized it, her fingers had reached out, brushing against the edge of Nathaniel's mask. Her sweet scent stirred both his senses and his heart. When her hand brushed against his mask, a surge of heat rushed through him, overwhelming thought with impulse. In one swift motion, Nathaniel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. Her soft body pressed against his, the stark contrast between a man's build and a maiden's frame drawing a quiet sigh from them both.

His height and strength swallowed her whole, while ---- her gentle warmth seemed to fill the emptiness in his heart. Selena's breath grew quick and uneven, her thoughts scattering into a hazy blur. Ina daze, she seemed to glimpse that great fire of her past once more. In the midst of that inferno, a youth emerged and walked through the flames. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could smell his intoxicating scent, even through the smoke and charred wood. It was a scent that promised safety. The moment he gathered her in his arms, she knew she was protected.

The fire raged on, devouring everything around them, yet she knew that as long as he was there, she could feel at ease. At ease enough to surrender herself to him, just as she did in this very moment. At some point, Nathaniel's mask had fallen to the ground. Before her eyes was his face, flawless and unmarred, a natural beauty so rare it seemed almost otherworldly, perfect in every way. She had always thought such words of beauty were meant for women, but they seemed just as fitting for him.

She never knew aman could be so striking-so breathtaking it stole her breath, so captivating it could drive her nearly mad. His face seemed to grow larger in her vision until it blurred at ---- the edges, impossibly close and overwhelming. Every breath was filled with him. Her body felt hot, soft, and achingly pliant, as if she wanted to be pressed, molded, or even melted under his hands... "W-wait!" A sharp pang at her chest snapped Selena back to reality. She looked down and nearly screamed. This scoundrel! What on earth was he doing?!

"Get off!" "Don't move!" Nathaniel paused mid-embrace, his breathing ragged, his clothes in disarray. Selena went pale with fright. She clutched his head with both hands, desperate to push him away yet unable to summon the courage. It hurt so much! Was this scoundrel some kind of beast in another life? How dare he bite like that! "Lena, |... | shall come see you tomorrow!" The words barely left his lips before he vanished, gone as suddenly as a gust of wind. However, Selena had a clear view of him as he left. His face was flushed, a deep, vivid red.

And there was his state and the way ---- his clothes were disheveled. Wasn't he afraid someone might see him like that? She felt a surge of inexplicable irritation. What if he ran into other women? What if one of them saw the changes in his body? Ugh! Her mood soured instantly. Shouldn't he wait until he'd composed himself? What if someone saw everything? How infuriating! After finally calming herself slightly, Selena tugged at her clothing, her breath still ragged and uneven. instinctively, her hands went to her chest, as if guarding her heart.

Her face burned once more, caught in a swirl of feelings she couldn't name. That scoundrel! He had truly left her aching in every sense!