The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 508

Chapter 508: First Morning After Wedding

The next morning Oriana woke up by the dawn as per her usual habit. Upon opening her eyes, they were greeted by the sight of the handsome man sleeping beside her, his face turned towards her. At that instant, it almost felt like she had stepped into a dream, yet reality quickly reclaimed her.

Recollections of the previous night- their wedding night, flooded her thoughts, along with the reasons behind his presence in her bed. His heartfelt words from the night before lingered in her memory, touching her deeply. However, she couldn’t help but harbor doubts about deserving someone of his caliber and the warmth of his heart.

Her duty towards her sick grandfather loomed large, making it impossible for her to overlook the resentment Arlan held towards her grandfather. She couldn’t expect him to accept everything, nor did she wish for him to do so.

Oriana could not have the courage to accept her feelings towards him while tending to the man who was nothing less than his sworn enemy, the very person responsible for the loss of his mother.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his tranquil sleeping visage. She won’t be getting this chance once he wakes up. Looking into his eyes might make her feel even more guilty and she would avoid doing so to take care of her grandfather without having anything to restrain her decision.

Finally, her attention shifted to his neatly cut hair. He had cut those long hair, yet whether his hair was short or long, he remained the most handsome man she had ever beheld.

As an irresistible urge coursed through her, she extended her hand towards his face, yearning to run her fingers through the strands of short hair that grazed his forehead. However, she stopped midway, ready to withdraw her hand, fearful of disturbing his sleep.

"Do I look better with short hair?"

Her hand, on the verge of retracting, was unexpectedly ensnared by a firm grip, leaving her startled.

Arlan opened his eyes, his gaze fixating on the surprised woman before him.

She attempted to withdraw her hand, but his grasp remained steadfast, his eyes intently assessing her. Her face looked refreshed unlike the sad one like the last night, that meant she slept peacefully next to him.

"I... I thought there is something in your hair, so..." she stammered.

"Then remove it," he replied, his voice husky and languid.

Caught like a thief with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, she hesitated. "I don’t see it now."

Arlan inched his face closer to hers, catching her off guard once more. "You might see it now."

A nervous gulp escaped her throat, her eyes locked onto his, her heart quickening its beat. Why was he subjecting her to this? Sharing a bed wasn’t enough; now he was teasing her like this. Was he attempting to drive her crazy?

"Go ahead," he prodded, releasing her hand.

As her hand was finally released, she contemplated making a swift escape from the bed. Yet, it seemed as though he had anticipated her intention, as his hand swiftly encircled her waist, effectively immobilizing her.

"You..." she began.

"You have yet to retrieve it from my hair," he declared, resolute in his determination to not let her go. "Ensure you show me what it was."

She masked her internal frown and extended her hand towards his hair. Her fingers moved with a feigned delicacy, pretending to search for the elusive thing that did not exist.

Throughout this charade, his gaze remained fixed on her face, scrutinizing her delicate features, lingering on her delicate lips more than required.

Oriana found her fingers liked the touch of his hair and she continued to move her fingers through them.

"Have you found it?" he inquired, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine.

"I cannot," she confessed, withdrawing her hand and meeting his gaze. "I must have been mistaken."