In the soft glow of the moon, Ren let his gaze linger on the "Physical Gift" of her Heavenly Restriction. Her skin was pale and flawless, save for the occasional faint reminder of her brutal training sessions.
The black sports bra she wore beneath the camisole held her breasts firmly, highlighting her powerfully toned, athletic frame. Below that, her stomach was smooth and flat, her muscles defining a curved, narrow waist that Ren's hands fit perfectly as he slid them back to her sides.
She looked like a masterpiece of strength and grace, a literal weapon honed by years of struggle, yet she was currently soft and yielding beneath him.
Maki caught him staring and immediately squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning hotter than before. "Ren!" she hissed, her voice small and embarrassed as she tried to pull him back down toward her to hide herself. "Stop it... you're making it weird.".
"I'm not," Ren whispered, his voice thick with sincerity as he leaned in to kiss the curve of her shoulder. "I'm just realizing how lucky I am.".Ren didn't give her another second to hide away in her own head.
Before Maki could pull him down to bury her burning face in his shoulder, he leaned in and captured her lips again.
This time, there was no hesitation, no slow buildup. The kiss was deep, demanding, and utterly relentless.
He parted her lips with ease, his tongue sweeping inside to explore her mouth in a heavy, intoxicating rhythm that immediately short-circuited whatever remaining protests she had lined up.
Maki let out a startled, breathy sound, her hands automatically flying up to grip his shoulders.
She was entirely consumed by the overwhelming heat of the kiss, her mind struggling to keep up with the sheer intensity of it.
Which was exactly what Ren was counting on.
Taking full advantage of her distraction, his hands went to work. His right hand trailed slowly down from her waist, his fingertips tracing a burning path over the bare, smooth skin of her stomach.
She shivered under his touch, her breath hitching against his mouth, but before she could track what he was doing, his fingers found the waistband of her olive-green skirt.
With agonizing slowness, he slid his hand beneath the fabric, slipping past the soft, dark lace of the panties she wore underneath.
At the exact same time, his left hand moved upward. He traced the line of her ribs before his fingers boldly hooked under the thick, practical elastic band of her black sports bra. Pushing the tight fabric up, he fully cupped her bare breast.
He let out a low, appreciative hum against her lips, his hand firmly squeezing the soft, heavy flesh while his thumb brushed deliberately over her sensitive peak.
The double assault on her senses was absolute.
Maki's eyes squeezed shut, a brilliant, violent crimson flush instantly overtaking her entire face and chest. A sharp, undeniable moan tore from her throat, muffled completely by his mouth as she melted helplessly into the mattress.
Her powerful, combat-trained body arched up into his touch, her fingers digging almost painfully into his bare shoulders as the intoxicating sensory overload wiped away the very last of her carefully maintained restraint.
Ren finally broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to let them both drag in a desperate, ragged breath.
Before Maki's combat-wired instincts could urge her to move or pull him back down, Ren shifted his weight.
With a smooth, deliberate motion, he caught both of her wrists, peeling her fingers away from his shoulders, and pinned her hands firmly against the mattress above her head.
Maki blinked up at him, her amber eyes wide and hazy, her chest heaving under his gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ren immediately shook his head, a dark, intense look crossing his features that completely commanded the room.
"Stay silent," he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, heavy register. "Don't interrupt."
Maki's jaw clicked shut. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs as she stared up at him, entirely unsure of what he was going to do next, her body still trembling from the heat of his touch.
Ren kept his grip on her wrists firm but gentle, leaning down slightly so his face was just inches from hers. The intense, commanding aura he had just built up suddenly fractured just a tiny fraction as a faint, almost sheepish smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I, uh... I did some reading online," Ren muttered, his voice dropping into a raspy whisper that sounded entirely too clinical for the current situation.
"About this. Since it's your first time, jumping straight into the main thing usually isn't ideal. The articles said proper stimulation beforehand—specifically oral—makes everything significantly easier and a lot better for the girl. It's supposed to help you relax."
Maki completely froze. The heavy, intoxicating haze of lust that had been consuming her brain practically screeched to a halt.
Did he seriously just quote internet research to me right now?
A vein practically throbbed in her forehead. The sheer, overwhelming urge to free her hands and punch him square in his preternaturally handsome face flared up hot and fast.
Leave it to Ren to interrupt the most vulnerable, nerve-wracking moment of her life by turning it into a textbook study session.
She glared up at him, her face burning an entirely new, violent shade of crimson. She tensed her arms, fully aware that she was entirely capable of throwing him off the bed and through the bedroom wall with a fraction of her strength.
But then she saw the way he was looking at her—the genuine, absolute care beneath his teasing smirk, the fact that he had actually researched how to make sure she wouldn't be in pain.
The anger melted as quickly as it had arrived, replaced by a deep, terrifying swarm of butterflies in her stomach that made her head spin all over again.
Maki forced herself to control her strength. She swallowed hard, the muscles in her throat working nervously as she forced her arms to relax back against the pillows. She kept her mouth firmly shut, strictly adhering to his rule, but her narrowed eyes promised absolute retribution later.
"Good," Ren praised softly, his smirk returning in full force as he felt the tension leave her wrists. He leaned down, pressing a quick, hot kiss to her collarbone. "Now, just lay there. Don't move."