Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

As soon as she said this, the blush on her face turned even redder, and she covered her mouth with her hands while staring at him with wide eyes, realizing that she had blurted out her thoughts out loud by accident.

This caught Scarlet off guard as well, who choked on her drink before turning to look at Cecil in surprise. 'Damn it, Cecil! Why did you have to be so honest in this critical moment? How are we supposed to confess now?!'

She wanted to chastise her friend for acting stupid at such an important juncture, but she knew it was too late, and even she herself felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Umm... what was that last part about, Cecil?" Asher questioned while raising an eyebrow, trying to hide the smile on his face. "Could you please repeat that for me again? I didn't hear you very well."

When Cecil heard those words coming from his mouth, she bit her lower lip as she struggled to maintain her composure under his intense gaze. So she stood up and tried to run away in embarrassment, but Asher grabbed hold of her hand to stop her before pulling her into his lap.

"Oh no, you don't! You are not going anywhere until you explain yourself, young lady!" He told her in a firm voice as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist to keep her in place.

At that moment, Cecil found herself face-to-face with him as their breaths mingled together in the scant space separating their mouths, making her heart race faster than before.

"Asher... W-what are you doing?!"

"That's my line!" Asher chuckled before adding, "I asked you to tell me what you said before. You still haven't answered that question, have you? And here you are, trying to escape before answering me."

"No... I-it's nothing! I didn't say anything!"

Seeing that she was still refusing to admit her feelings, Asher tightened his grip on her, drawing her even closer to him until their noses were touching. His expression turned serious as he stared straight into her emerald eyes and whispered, "Cecil, tell me what you said earlier. I want to hear those words from your own mouth."

When she heard his demand, her whole body trembled while her breath hitched in her throat. She felt trapped by those deep blue irises that were fixed on her eyes, as though they were searching for the answers hidden deep within her soul.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Cecil replied in a soft voice, "I said... I wanted to confess my love to you... because I've fallen for you. But now, I just ended up messing everything up..."

Upon hearing this answer come out of her lips, Asher's lips curled into a triumphant grin and said, "Well, I don't think you messed anything up at all. In fact, I am happy to hear that. But if you feel like that, why don't you just say it right now? I will listen to you."

Those words caused Cecil's heart to skip a beat as a mixture of excitement and nervousness surged through her body. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out, leaving her speechless and flustered.

"Go on. Tell me what's on your mind." Asher urged her with a smile, leaning in closer to brush his nose against hers.

"I love you, Asher. Ever since I met you, my life has become so much happier and more meaningful than before. When I'm with you, I feel safe and secure, and that feeling always makes me want to stay close to you forever. Your every touch ignites a fire within me that burns stronger than any flame imaginable.

Your scent is like a drug that drives me crazy and leaves me wanting more every time I catch a whiff of it. Even the way you look at me makes my knees go weak, and sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming because you're so handsome and perfect in every way. But most of all, it's your smile that melts my heart away."

Cecil felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off her chest as she poured her heart out to him. It felt as if a dam had broken within her, releasing everything she had been holding back for so long. She didn't know where else to look as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, so she kept staring at him with glistening green orbs. "I just wanted you to know that I love you."

Upon hearing those words being spoken in such an emotional manner, Asher felt as though something stirred inside his chest. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again with renewed determination. His voice became gentle and comforting as he responded, "I love you too, Cecil.

I wish I could have told you sooner, but I felt that you would make your decision based on the gratitude you felt for me. And I couldn't bear to see that happen. That's why I kept quiet, hoping that one day I would earn your love through my actions, rather than trying to force you into loving me out of obligation. So thank you for telling me. I promise I won't ever take this for granted."

His answer made her eyes widen in surprise as a sense of happiness overwhelmed her emotions. She felt elated knowing that her feelings were reciprocated and that he had thought of her in that way before she even realized it herself.

At that moment, Cecil saw Asher leaning forward, his lips inching closer to her own, and she felt butterflies fluttering around in the pit of her stomach. It seemed as though the entire world stopped spinning for a fraction of a second, allowing her to savor this moment to its fullest extent.

And then, just like that, their lips connected. It was a simple kiss that conveyed their emotions toward each other in a way that words never could. She was surprised at how soft they felt against hers and how gentle he was, making her crave more. It was the first time she had shared this kind of affectionate act with him, and it filled her heart with warmth and joy.

However, as soon as she felt him pull away from her, Cecil wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, refusing to let go. She gazed deep into his blue eyes before she kissed him again, this time with more fervor and passion.

Asher was surprised by this sudden attack, but he didn't resist and returned the kiss with equal passion. And soon, Cecil lost herself in the sensation of their lips moving in sync with one another's as they deepened the kiss before she felt something wet and slippery slide into her mouth, brushing against her own tongue.

When she realized it was his own, a muffled moan escaped from the back of her throat as she started playing with it in return. They danced around each other as she tasted the lingering sweetness of the wine he had consumed moments prior, mixing together with his natural flavor to create a unique blend of flavors that she found herself addicted to.

Eventually, they separated from one another, their eyes locked on each other's with intense desire reflected within their gazes.

Scarlet watched the entire exchange happen between her best friend and her crush, and she couldn't help feeling left out. "Way to go, Cecil! You were the one who said that we would confess our love to him together! But here you are, hogging all the attention to yourself and leaving me behind like this while enjoying a hot kiss with Asher! This isn't fair! I also want some!

I also want to be pampered like that by Asher!"

The girl stood up from her cushion and threw herself at them, forcing the pair apart as she buried her head into Asher's chest. She started rubbing her cheek against the fabric of his shirt while murmuring complaints about the situation in a sulky tone of voice.

It was obvious that she was jealous of the special treatment Cecil received from him, causing Asher to let out a sigh. However, instead of pushing her away, he instead pulled Scarlet closer to him and began stroking her back with one hand while holding Cecil's waist in the other.

"Hmm, it seems like you also have something to say, don't you, Scarlet? Go ahead and say it. I'm listening." He asked as he flashed a charming smile towards the girl clinging to him.

When Scarlet heard those words coming out of his lips, her expression became even more sulky as she looked up at him with a pout before replying, "Isn't it obvious? I love you too, Asher. However, Cecil beat me to the confession and had already said all the things I wanted to say. So how am I supposed to top that?

Now I feel like I'm in an inferior position compared to her, and it doesn't sit well with me. Is that fair?"

Upon hearing those words being spoken in such an indignant fashion, Asher couldn't help but chuckle in amusement and remarked, "My, my, Scarlet. Don't be like that. Who cares about what's fair or not? Or whether you say it first or she does. The important thing is that you are honest about your feelings, which is what you just did. Isn't that right, my beautiful Scarlet?"

Upon hearing him say those words in such a loving tone, Scarlet couldn't help but giggle and hug him even tighter before saying, "Fine. You got me there."